Antonio Spadaro, SJ

If there is one word that sums up in a nutshell what the world is experiencing, it is “crisis.” In his Christmas greetings speech to the Roman Curia, Pope Francis employed it no fewer than 46 times. “This Christmas,” he said, “is the Christmas of the pandemic, of the health, social, economic and even ecclesial… Read the full article

Nuraghes S’Arena is a 2017 short film, conceived, written and directed by Mauro Aragoni. It stars the Italian rapper Salmo. To enjoy the ancient and wild environment of Sardinia and its nuraghes (ancient stone structures) this film is a fine place to start as it portrays the Nuragic civilization on the big screen for the… Read the full article

 The interest of Pope Francis for the indigenous peoples has deepened with time. What is true in general is true for him, too: “Today, we are more aware of the wealth of indigenous peoples. This is true precisely in an era when, both politically and culturally, they tend to be increasingly nullified through globalization  understood as a… Read the full article

Bishop Mario Grech is the new secretary general of the Synod of Bishops. Born in Malta in 1957, he was appointed Bishop of Gozo in 2005 by Benedict XVI. From 2013 to 2016 he was president of the Episcopal Conference of Malta. On October 2, 2019, Pope Francis appointed him pro-secretary general of the Synod… Read the full article

Eight years after his election, Pope Francis has written a new encyclical that brings together much of his previous teachings (cf. Fratelli Tutti, No. 5).[1] When he began his pontificate, the first idea Francis referred to was “fraternity.” He bowed his head in front of the people gathered in St. Peter’s Square and defined the… Read the full article

After seven years of this pontificate, what is its driving force? Some commentators and analysts have wondered if Francis’ drive still exists; others have tried to reflect on its substance. The question could be re-phrased as follows: What kind of government does Francis exercise, and how do we interpret it in the light of these… Read the full article

Over the last few decades China’s growing involvement in Africa has led many observers to point out that Chinese Christianity could benefit from this new proximity. In fact, the growing number of citizens from the Middle Kingdom who move to Africa encounter vibrant Christian communities. It appears that some of those Chinese have also embraced… Read the full article

“Life is not something that takes us by surprise, but an astonishing mystery that inspires poetry in us,” said Pope Francis in a recent audience. And he continued: “When a person lacks that poetic dimension, let’s say, when poetry is missing, his soul limps.”[1] That’s why I thought of contacting the director Martin Scorsese: life… Read the full article