Pope Benedict XVI is to issue an Apostolic Letter motu proprio in the near future that transfers jurisdiction of seminaries from the Congregation for Catholic Education to the Congregation for the Clergy, and the competence of catechesis from the Congregation for the Clergy to the new Pontifical Council for Promoting the New Evangelization.

The Holy Father announced the minor change in the Curia's administration today in remarks during the final session of the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization, which closes with a Mass at St. Peter’s tomorrow. He also shared his reasons for calling a small Consistory at the end of November. 

In his address in the Synod Hall, the Pope said he...READ MORE

A long-serving Curial archbishop from the United States is to be elevated to the College of Cardinals and will be made archpriest of the papal basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls, Pope Benedict XVI announced today.

Milwaukee-native Archbishop James Harvey, prefect of the Papal Household, was one of six new members nominated in a surprise announcement by the Pope at the end of his weekly general audience.

The full list of the new cardinals, whom the Holy Father will appoint at a consistory on Nov. 24th, the eve of the Feast of Christ the King, are:

• Archbishop James Harvey, Prefect of the Papal Household whom the Pope plans to appoint archpriest of the Papal Basilica of...READ MORE

The Superior General of the breakaway Society of St. Pius X has removed Bishop Richard Williamson as a member of the priestly fraternity, it is being claimed.

The reliable Rorate Caeli blog said it could confirm that Bishop Bernard Fellay, Superior General of the SSPX, had removed Williamson from the fraternity, and that the removal "comes at the end of an internal procedure that included repeated entreaties by the higher authorities of the Society regarding Williamson's decisions and actions that apparently went unheeded.”

Other sources say Fellay was not happy with Williamson’s blog and newsletters whose content sowed dissent within the ranks of the SSPX, and which counselled...READ MORE

HOMILY OF POPE BENEDICT XVI

AT THE CANONIZATION MASS OF BLESSEDS:

JACQUES BERTHIEU 

PEDRO CALUNGSOD 

GIOVANNI BATTISTA PIAMARTA

MARÍA CARMEN SALLÉS Y BARANGUERAS

MARIANNE COPE

KATERI TEKAKWITHA

ANNA SCHÄFFER 

St Peter's Square, 21st October 2012

The Son of Man came to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (cf. Mk 10:45)

Dear Brother Bishops,

Dear brothers and sisters!

Today the Church listens again to these words of Jesus, spoken by the Lord during his journey to Jerusalem, where he was to accomplish the mystery of his passion, death and resurrection. They are words which enshrine the meaning of Christ’s mission on earth, marked by his sacrifice,...READ MORE

POPE BENEDICT XVI'S WEEKLY GENERAL AUDIENCE

St Peter's Square

17th October 2012

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

Today I will introduce the new cycle of catechesis, which will be developed throughout the Year of Faith that has just started and interrupt - for this period - the cycle dedicated to the school of prayer. With the Apostolic Letter Porta Fidei I chose this special year, so that the Church would renew its enthusiasm to believe in Jesus Christ, the only Saviour of the world, revive the joy of walking on the path that He has shown us, and witnesses in a concrete way the transforming power of the faith.

The fiftieth anniversary of the opening of the Second Vatican...READ MORE

Image Books, the American publishing house given rights to publish the English language edition of Pope Benedict XVI's final installment of his Jesus of Nazareth trilogy, has today released details of the book's cover and title (right).

Called simply "The Infancy Narratives", the book is scheduled to go on sale in North America on December 4th. 

Pope Benedict XVI today reiterated that the Second Vatican Council did not break with Tradition but rather was an expression of Tradition’s continued vitality.

Reflecting on Pope John XXIII’s controversial use of the word ‘aggiornamento’ (updating) to describe the Council, the Pope said he was convinced that the word “was and remains correct” because Christianity “must not be considered as ‘something that has passed’, nor must we live with our gaze always turned back, because Jesus Christ is yesterday, today and forever. “

"For this reason", the Holy Father went on, "Christianity is always new” and he warned against seeing it as “a fully mature tree” sprung from the mustard seed of...READ MORE