The last three popes – Benedict XVI, Francis and Leo XIV – have on more than one occasion recommended reading “Lord of the World,” the dystopian science fiction novel written by Robert Hugh Benson in 1907. This apocalyptic novel depicts the consequences of a society that turned its back on God and presents a social […]
Cardinal Kurt Koch celebrated a pontifical Mass at the tomb of Pope Benedict XVI in St. Peter’s Basilica on Sunday, marking the second anniversary of the pope emeritus’ death. The pope from Bavaria, who died on Dec. 31, 2022, is buried just meters away from the tomb of the Prince of the Apostles in the […]
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Vatican publishing house announced it will release a book of some 130 homilies given by the late Pope Benedict XVI at private Sunday Masses – 30 given while he was pope and more than 100 given to members of his household once he retired. The homilies were recorded and transcribed […]
In 1965, one of the principal documents of the Second Vatican Council, “Dei verbum (Word of God),” emphasized the use of lectio divina or divine reading, as a method of praying with scripture. Both Pope Benedict XVI and the Synod of 2008 reiterated the use of scripture for prayer and suggested this ancient practice of […]
A Christmas creche still sat in the corner of St. Joseph Cathedral, but the two dozen who gathered on the evening of Jan. 4 were there to mark a death, not a birth. Bishop Michael W. Fisher led a Mass for the repose of the soul of Pope Benedict XVI, who died Dec. 31, 2022, […]
Vatican News – At 9:30 a.m. Vatican time, on the parvis of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy Father Francis presided over the funeral Holy Mass for the late Supreme Pontiff Emeritus Benedict XVI. The Eucharistic celebration was followed by the Ultima Commendatio and the Valedictio. The coffin of the Supreme Pontiff Emeritus was taken to […]
At the beginning of his catechesis at the Wednesday General Audience, Pope Francis paid tribute to his predecessor, the late Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, whose funeral will be held on Thursday. Thousands of pilgrims gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall in the Vatican to hear the pope and pay their respects to the pope […]
Bishop Michael W. Fisher will celebrate a special Mass for the Repose of the Soul of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at 7 p.m., Wednesday, Jan. 4, at St. Joseph Cathedral in downtown Buffalo. The public is graciously invited to attend the Mass which also will be livestreamed via the Cathedral’s YouTube channel at https://www.youtube.com/SaintJosephCathedral Pope […]
CNA — Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI, a leading theologian of the 20th century and the first pope to resign from office in nearly 600 years, has died at the age of 95, the Vatican announced. His death was announced in Rome on Dec. 31. His funeral Mass will be held on Jan. 5, 2023, in […]
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Saying that retired Pope Benedict XVI was “very sick,” Pope Francis asked people to offer special prayers for him. “I would like to ask all of you for a special prayer for emeritus Pope Benedict,” Pope Francis said at the end of his weekly general audience Dec. 28. The 95-year-old retired […]