“Beauty heals the wounds of the heart”
Why does the Catholic Church need contemporary art? Speaking with EWTN Vatican at the Venice Biennale, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça reflected on the Church’s dialogue with artists, the inspiration of St. Hildegard of Bingen and the power of beauty to “heal the wounds of the heart.” An interview with Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça […]
Pope Leo XIV remembers 9/11 victims, calls for peace and forgiveness
The pontiff marked the 25th anniversary of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks with prayers for the dead and those still bearing its wounds, while his Angelus reflection stressed that forgiveness is indispensable for peace. VATICAN CITY — Pope Leo XIV remembered the victims of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on Sunday and renewed his […]
Vatican vegetable garden goes 100% organic
The move to biological farming techniques has been underway for several years in response to Pope Francis’ 2015 encyclical Laudato Si’. A vegetable garden and orchard inside the Vatican walls, which historically provided food for the pope’s household, is now cultivated using exclusively organic farming techniques. The private garden covers almost a tenth of an […]
Pope Leo XIV sends greetings to Rome’s Jewish community for new year observances
In a telegram to Rome’s chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni, the pontiff wished the community blessings for Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur and Sukkot. Pope Leo XIV sent greetings to Rome’s Jewish community as it prepares to celebrate Rosh Hashanah, Yom Kippur, and Sukkot in a telegram addressed to the city’s chief rabbi, Riccardo Di Segni. […]
Synod study group proposes broader role for Catholics in bishops’ ad limina visits
Study Group 7 says bishops’ visits to Rome should be instruments of missionary conversion, communal discernment, and greater co-responsibility in the Church. VATICAN CITY — For centuries, “ad limina apostolorum” visits — the periodic pilgrimage of diocesan bishops to the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul and their meetings with the successor of St. […]
St. Hildegard of Bingen Inspires the Vatican’s Mystical Garden in Venice
Just steps from the crowds and constant movement of Venice’s Santa Lucia railway station, visitors can enter an unexpected oasis of silence, music and prayer. The Holy See’s pavilion in the garden of the Discalced Carmelites invites visitors to slow down and rediscover harmony through nature and sound, guided by the spirituality of St. Hildegard […]
Tintoretto and St. Roch: Inside One of Venice’s Great Catholic Treasures
VENICE — St. Mark the Evangelist may be the patron saint most closely associated with Venice, but throughout the city’s history, Venetians have also turned to other heavenly intercessors in moments of crisis. Among them was St. Roch, invoked for protection against plague and eventually honored through one of Venice’s most important lay confraternities: the […]
Why the Vatican Brought St. Hildegard of Bingen to the Venice Biennale
VENICE — Known throughout the world for its canals, gondolas, Carnival and cinema, Venice is also home to one of the most important international events in contemporary art: La Biennale di Venezia. And among the 100 countries participating in this year’s International Art Exhibition is the Holy See, whose two pavilions invite visitors to encounter […]
Pope Leo XIV on Freedom, Mary, Middle East Christians and His France Visit
This week at the Vatican, Pope Leo XIV addressed some of the challenges facing Western society, reflected on the Virgin Mary’s role in salvation history, encouraged Christians in the Middle East, highlighted the enduring relevance of St. John Henry Newman, and looked ahead to his upcoming apostolic journey to France. Vaticano Updates Pope Leo Warns […]
Pope to new bishops: The most important mission is to ‘remain with Jesus’
The Holy Father received 147 bishops from five continents, participants in a formation course in Rome for new bishops. Pope Leo XIV said the first task bishops must place before every other responsibility is to “remain with Jesus,” because, he emphasized, “we are bishops, but first and foremost we are disciples.” “To speak about him, […]