Fr Raniero Cantalamessa

The preacher of the Pontifical Household is expressing regret if Jewish sensibilities were offended by his Good Friday sermon given in the presence of Benedict XVI. He says his intention was a “friendly one.” Father Raniero Cantalamessa, during the liturgy of the Lord’s Passion, read a passage from a letter he had received from a Jewish friend. The letter’s author stated that he saw in recent media attacks of the Pope and the Church something reminiscent of the “more shameful aspects of anti-Semitism.”

Afterward, some press reports of Father Cantalamessa’s remarks stirred up fierce criticism from the Jewish world… Read more »

On Sunday, 28th March, 2010, the Archdiocese of Malta joined  the rest of the Catholic world to celebrate World Youth Day. The celebrations started off with a bike pilgrimage from the Parishes of Zabbar to Zejtun. AWorld Youth Day replica of the Cross and Icon, were transported during the pilgrimage. Being the year dedicated to the priesthood, a number of workshops were organised, giving youths the opportunity to meet with priests who work in fields related to youth, parishes and schools amongst others… Read more »

On Sunday, 4th April, 2010, the Archbishop Paul Cremona OP celebrated Mass at the President’s Palace on the occasion of the first anniversary from the President’s election.

Click on the photo to enlarge… Read more »

The Vatican announced today that official documents spanning more than 40 years are now available online. The entire collection of the Actae Sanctae Sedis (A.S.S.) and of the Acta Apostolicae Sedis (A.A.S.) — i.e., the official Acts of the Holy See from 1865 to 2007 — are now available in pdf format. Also available is a multi-volume collection of acts from World War II, (Actes et documents du Saint-Siège relatifs à la Seconde Guerre Mondiale), published by order of Paul VI starting in 1965, and edited by a specialized group of four Jesuit historians… Read more »

Two cardinals turned 80 last week, bringing the total number of cardinals eligible to vote in a possible conclave to 109. Cardinal Adam Joseph Maida, the retired archbishop of Detroit, turned 80 on March 18, and New Zealand’s Cardinal Thomas Stafford Williams, the retired archbishop of Wellington, turned 80 on Saturday.

The College of Cardinals is currently made up of 182 members, with 73 of them being 80 years old or older, and thus ineligible to vote in a conclave… Read more »

Benedict XVI is planning on spending the entire summer at Castel Gandolfo this year, rather than taking a few days to vacation in the Alps.

“Next summer, the Holy Father will travel directly from Rome to Castel Gandolfo to spend there the entire summer period,” a statement from the Vatican press office announced Thursday.

The communiqué adds that the Pope is appreciative of the invitations that have come this year to spend time in various mountain regions, “and has sincerely thanked the bishops that have made [these invitations].”

“But this year,” the statement reports, “he prefers to quickly begin the summer season of rest and study without taking on more travels.”

VATICAN CITY, (Zenit.org) Read more »

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