When thinking of the Middle Ages, many will hold that the essence of asceticism was rejection of the world and complete condemnation of life lived in the world. This judgment is sometimes found in history books, but it is not entirely true. Suffice it to look at the few remaining letters of St. Francis of… 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
Holiness is the choice of a friendship. Every path of holiness implies a choice that is renewed at every step. Pope Francis writes: “More than rules and obligations, the choice that Jesus sets before us is to follow him as friends follow one another, seeking each other’s company and spending time together out of pure… Read the full article
Christus Vivit, Christ is alive.[1] This is the title of the post-synodal exhortation that Pope Francis directed affectionately “to young people and the entire People of God,” pastors and faithful. In it re-echo “the myriad voices of believers the world over” who had sent him their opinions, and the questions that many non-believing young people… Read the full article
On the 25th anniversary of the foundation of the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAL), Pope Francis sent a letter of gratitude in recognition of its service and to relaunch its mission for the future. Recalling the communal origin and destiny of the human family, the pope widens the horizon in which human life is to… Read the full article
At the heart of the apostolic exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate (GE) are the Beatitudes, a veritable “program of holiness.”[1] It is interesting to note how Francis, in speaking of holiness, uses the word “protocol,” which indicates a procedure, a series of steps and actions to complete. Francis re-reads the lives of the saints in the… Read the full article
On February 22, 2018, the prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, Archbishop Luis Ladaria, published the letter Placuit Deo (PD) on some aspects of Christian salvation. It is addressed to the bishops of the Catholic Church.[1] This letter was made all the more important by the subsequent publication on April 9,… Read the full article
