Your Excellencies, Ladies and Gentlemen, Our meeting today is a welcome tradition that allows me, in the enduring joy of the Christmas season, to offer you my personal best wishes for the New Year just begun, and to express my closeness and affection to the peoples you represent. I thank the Dean of the Diplomatic ...read more

I’m confused this year. Why is the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord celebrated tomorrow, Monday, January 8, instead of next Sunday? This was the tradition: It was always celebrated on January 13, on the octave of the Feast of the Epiphany (which is normally January 6 – but not always, in some places, ...read more

Pope Francis’ Homily on the Solemnity of the Epiphany at the Vatican – January 6, 2018 Three actions of the Magi guide our journey towards the Lord, who today is revealed as light and salvation for all peoples. The Magi see the star, they set out and they bring gifts. Seeing the star. This is ...read more

The Infancy Narratives in the gospels of Mathew and Luke are filled with rich symbolism. The Evangelists were Christians of the first century whose lives were dramatically changed after the death and resurrection of Jesus. It was their deep faith in Jesus and their concrete experience of the Christian community that informed the theology that ...read more

It’s that time of year! We look back at the biggest news stories and events of 2017 from a Catholic perspective. Noel Ocol (Host of Perspectives Daily) and Sebastian Gomes (Host of Subject Matters) team up to rank the top 10 Catholic stories of the year, from the Pope’s call to the International Space Station, ...read more

The Salt + Light team had the privilege of being on the ground of Israel for a Lenten pilgrimage in 2016, where they filmed a series of reflections. In this reflection, featuring Sebastian Gomes, he visits the Shepherd’s Fields, where the first public proclamation of the birth of Jesus took place. This reflection reminds us ...read more

It’s that time of year again! The S+L team ranks the top 10 stories of interest to the Catholic Church in 2017. From the Pope’s trip to Myanmar amidst the Rhohingya refugee crisis, to the 500th anniversary of the Protestant Reformation, we look back at the events and underlying issues that drew the attention of ...read more

The Infancy Narratives in the gospels of Mathew and Luke are filled with rich symbolism. The Evangelists were Christians of the first century whose lives were dramatically changed after the death and resurrection of Jesus. It was their deep faith in Jesus and their concrete experience of the Christian community that informed the theology that ...read more

Pope Francis at Angelus – January 1, 2018 A “horizon of peace” for migrants and refugees During his midday Angelus prayer on New Year’s Day, Pope Francis urged that refugees, migrants and everyone be ensured a future of peace, saying it is everyone’s right. Pope Francis on New Year’s Day raised his voice on behalf ...read more

Pope Francis’ homily: The Mother of God is starting point for New Year: The year opens in the name of the Mother of God. Mother of God is the most important title of Our Lady. But we might ask why we say Mother of God, and not Mother of Jesus. In the past some wanted ...read more