Remember the jar of expensive, perfumed oil that Mary pours on Jesus’ feet. We know Mary, Martha and Lazarus weren’t rich, and this oil was expensive. They would have been saving it for a special occasion.
Colleen Dulle
Colleen Dulle is the Vatican Correspondent at America and co-hosts the "Inside the Vatican" podcast. She is the author of Struck Down, Not Destroyed: Keeping the Faith as a Vatican Reporter (Image, 2025).
Posted inExplainer, Faith
The 8 Most-Defining Images from 8 Years of Pope Francis
While much ink has been spilled by Vatican watchers interpreting how the pope’s writings and structural changes will shape the church for years to come, Pope Francis’ gestures may do even more to define his legacy.
Posted inFaith, Features
After Covid, Mass will never be the same. Maybe that’s a good thing.
Many Catholics have found themselves connected to parish communities in ways that previously were impossible.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Explainer: Cardinal Tobin will now help Pope Francis pick bishops. What does that mean for the U.S. Church?
Cardinal Joseph Tobin, named today to the influential Congregation for Bishops, has been known as a “Pope Francis bishop”—one who generally follows the pope’s lead in prioritizing social justice issues and dialogue over culture war flashpoints.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Explainer: The history of women lectors and altar servers—and what Pope Francis has changed
Women have served as lectors and acolytes for decades. Now Pope Francis has changed canon law to formally recognize their ministry.
Posted inArts & Culture, Television
Netflix announces new series that will feature Pope Francis
Pope Francis will appear in a new Netflix docu-series that highlights the stories of elderly people from around the world.
Posted inFaith, News Analysis
Why is Darth Vader in the Vatican’s Nativity scene?
The Vatican unveiled its official Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square on Friday evening, surprising some with its depiction of an astronaut and another figure wearing a Darth Vader-esque helmet coming to adore the Christ child.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Pope Francis talks about Uighurs, George Floyd and Universal Basic Income in new interview
The book-length interview is the product of a series of exchanges between the pope and Austen Ivereigh, his English-language biographer.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Top 5 Takeaways from the McCarrick Report
Today, the Vatican released an unprecedented, 400-page report on who exactly knew how much about McCarrick’s misconduct and how he was able to rise through the ranks.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Who knew about former Cardinal McCarrick’s alleged sexual abuse? Tomorrow, we might find out.
The Vatican’s McCarrick report comes out Tuesday. Here’s what we can expect.