On Jan. 25, Pope Francis said that the Catholic Church was open to accepting a common date for Easter “that everyone wants.” While the pope’s call may seem groundbreaking, it actually goes back to the Second Vatican Council.
Explainer
Posted inExplainer, Faith
A woman leads a Vatican office for the first time ever. Why now?
Pope Francis broke one of the Vatican’s “stained-glass ceilings” on Monday by appointing an Italian sister as the prefect of a Vatican dicastery for the first time. Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inArts & Culture, Explainer
‘Conclave’ explainer: Could that twist ending really happen?
How realistic is “Conclave”? A canon lawyer weighs in.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Transcript: The history (and potential future) of women deacons
Women deacons have become the subject of a growing debate in the Catholic Church.
Posted inExplainer, Politics & Society
Four American Jesuits who sided with workers to remember on Labor Day
In the United States, the Jesuits have provided striking examples of what solidarity and upholding the rights of workers looks like in an industrial economy.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Three Catholic athletes who brought faith to the Olympics
Among the standout American athletes at this year’s Olympics were plenty whose hard work and accomplishments are also a source of pride and unity among U.S. Catholics.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Explainer: Archbishop Viganò excommunicated himself. What does that mean?
Friday’s announcement that Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò had incurred a ‘latae sententiae’ excommunication sent many reporters (and more than a few Catholics) looking for some clarity. Here’s what you need to know.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Vandalizing religious art isn’t defending the church. It’s sacrilege.
Vandalizing another culture’s sacred art is not a heroic act. It is an example of resistance to inculturation, part of the process by which the faith has become rooted in disparate cultures throughout history.
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Explainer: Papal documents and their (different) levels of authority
The Catholic Church has communicated with its flock throughout the centuries by means of papal bulls. But what on earth is a papal bull?
Posted inExplainer, Faith
Why supernatural apparitions are a mixed blessing for the Vatican
For every Fátima, there are dozens of unverified reports of divine messages, “weeping” statues, healing relics and prophetic revelations that have vexed church authorities and challenged the Vatican’s ability to track and verify such events.