The bells tolled, the organ played, and the congregation of 50,000 Romans and pilgrims applauded warmly as pallbearers brought the casket of Pope Benedict XVI onto the steps of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Dispatches
Posted inDispatches, Faith
A timeline of Pope Benedict XVI’s life and papacy: From humble beginnings to historic resignation
A timeline of significant events in the life of Pope Benedict XVI.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
As Lula takes office (again), the church in Brazil calls for reconciliation and a campaign to end hunger
After four years of the far-right government of Jair Messias Bolsonaro, Brazilians peacefully welcomed—for the third time—the inauguration of the popular center-left leader Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva on New Year’s Day.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
2022’s most popular Catholic stories: Pope Francis interview, war in Ukraine and the end of Roe v. Wade
Senior editor Robert David Sullivan charts America magazine’s year in review, month by month.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
State of emergency in El Salvador brings arbitrary detentions and violence
Twenty-two men from Espíritu Santo Island who were arrested between under President Nayib Bukele’s state of emergency decree in El Salvador.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
For Palestinians with disabilities, there is room at the inn this year in Bethlehem
The latest boutique hotel to open its doors in Bethlehem’s Old City, just minutes away from Manger Square, is the Morcos Nassar Palace, which doubles as a humanitarian project unique in Palestine and possibly in the Arab world.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
‘Longest Night’ services bring comfort to Catholics dealing with loss this Christmas season
Coinciding with the winter solstice, the Longest Night is a prayer service aimed at offering comfort to people who struggle with the in-your-face, over-the-top joy sometimes demanded during the Christmas season.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
Bitcoin blessings: Inside the curious world of Catholic crypto enthusiasts
Electronic encryption allows people to keep a list of information secure and untouchable by centralized powers. To some investors and speculators, and apparently to some Catholics, that possibility holds enormous appeal.
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Pope Francis puts Matteo Ricci on path to sainthood
The great Jesuit missionary to China, Matteo Ricci, was declared “Venerable” by Pope Francis today, the first step on the path to canonization.
Posted inDispatches, Politics & Society
The death penalty’s 2022 lowlight: a record number of botched executions
According to the Death Penalty Information Center: “Seven of the 20 execution attempts were visibly problematic—an astonishing 37 percent—as a result of executioner incompetence, failures to follow protocols, or defects in the protocols themselves.”