The youths participating in the MED25 – Bel Espoir Project, currently taking place in Malta, began their second day with a public lecture at St John’s Co-Cathedral in Valletta. Titled “Art and the Catholic Reform in Hospitaller Malta: Faith and Patronage at the Heart of the Mediterranean,” the lecture was delivered by Rev. Dr Nicholas Doublet and explored Malta’s rich religious and artistic legacy during the Catholic Reformation. 

Rev… Read more »

The Cardinals present in Rome have agreed to begin the conclave on May 7th, 2025.

They made the decision at the Fifth General Congregation, held on Monday morning in the Vatican’s Synod Hall.

The conclave will take place in the Vatican’s Sistine Chapel, which will remain closed to visitors during those days.

What happens during the conclave?

The conclave will be preceded by a solemn Eucharistic celebration with the votive Mass Pro Eligendo Papa, attended by the Cardinal electors… Read more »

During the late afternoon of the Second Sunday of Easter, Divine Mercy Sunday, members of the College of Cardinals went to the papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major to pay their homage to Pope Francis at his tomb open to the public since seven in the morning.

They then gathered there for evening prayer, Second Vespers, led by the Basilica’s Coadjutor Archpriest, Lithuanian Cardinal Rolanda Makrickas… Read more »

Photo: Archdiocese of Malta

Young participants from various Mediterranean countries arrived in Malta on Saturday to begin their three-day journey as part of the MED25 – Bel Espoir Project to delve into different Mediterranean identities, one of them is Malta, while engaging with local communities across the island. This initiative is inspired by Pope Francis’s call for the Mediterranean to become a space of encounter and peace… Read more »

From the very beginning of Russia’s war in Ukraine, Pope Francis continuously offered to mediate to help bring about peace. He appealed for an end to the war at almost every public appearance, and his prayers for “martyred Ukraine” became a familiar refrain.

The late Pope’s calls were, above all, calls for dialogue – for key players to come together and find a way to put an end to the conflict… Read more »

Pope Francis’ tomb in the Basilica of St. Mary Major has been made with materials from the Italian region of Liguria. It is a simple tomb bearing only the inscription “Franciscus” and a reproduction of the late Pope’s pectoral cross.

Tomb of Pope Francis in the Basilica of St Mary Major

The tomb is located near the Altar of St Francis, in the niche of the side nave between the Pauline Chapel (Salus Populi Romani Chapel) and the Sforza Chapel… Read more »