Spain had long lobbied for Francis to visit, but over 12 years he always declined. Francis preferred to travel to smaller countries, oftentimes far away, where Catholics were a minority.
Joseph Wilson - Associated Press
Posted inNews
Barcelona’s Sagrada Familia becomes the world’s tallest church
The masterwork of architect Antoni Gaudí now rises to 534 feet above the city, the church said in a statement. That barely beats out the tip of the spire of Germany’s Ulmer Münster, which tops out at 530 feet.
Posted inFaith, News
The tireless Jesuit keeping Spain’s St. Ignatius pilgrimage alive
For 13 years, Josep Lluís Iriberri, S.J. has guided pilgrims along the same trail St. Ignatius walked over 500 years ago.
Posted inFaith, News
Pilgrims return to Spain’s ‘El Camino’ paths after pandemic
After a year of being kept off the Way of St. James due to pandemic-related travel restrictions, soul-searchers hoping to heal wounds left by the coronavirus are once again strapping on backpacks and following trails to the shrine in the city of Santiago de Compostela.
Posted inNews, Politics & Society
Daily life at near standstill as nations try to halt pandemic
In a sign of how much the pandemic has grown, China now accounts for less than half of the world’s 168,000 cases, according to a tally by Johns Hopkins University.