Historically, the time had once again been ripe for a religious man in the papal office. And the Jesuit Francis obviously wanted this to continue in the near future. Jorge Mario Bergoglio has brought many superlatives to papal history from his native Argentina: he was the first Latin American, the first Argentinian, the first pope…
The Catholic Church in Germany has published instructions for the blessing of remarried and homosexual couples. According to the authors, this is in the spirit of the late Pope. Nevertheless, there is criticism. Germany now has rules on how remarried divorcees and homosexuals can be blessed in church. As announced by the German Bishops’ Conference…
Pope Francis was laid out in an open coffin in St Peter’s Basilica for three days. The funeral service and burial followed on Saturday. Every detail of the long ceremony has been organised. The funeral service and burial of a pope follow strict rules that have been changed again and again over the centuries. Most…
Pope funerals are more than just religious ceremonies. They create rare encounters – even between leaders of conflicting states. What potential does the funeral of Pope Francis have? “The funeral of a pope is no ordinary event,” says historian René Schlott. It is a religious and at the same time highly political moment, staged on…
Cardinal Schönborn from Vienna, himself a candidate for decades and recently retired, formulates requirements for the next pope. And reveals how he personally experienced the late Francis. Cardinal Christoph Schönborn from Vienna does not believe that anyone is suitable for the papacy for 1.4 billion Catholics worldwide. It would be too much of a challenge…
It is not only in Christian countries that the dead Pope is being honoured. In Muslim Jordan, too, flags of mourning are being flown today and over the next few days. The flags at Jordan’s state and public institutions have been flying at half-mast since Tuesday. Prime Minister Jafar Hassan ordered a three-day flag of…
A boy dies of leukaemia at 15. Now Carlo Acutis is canonised because he was pious and socially committed. In addition to enthusiasm, the early honour also triggers criticism, even because of alleged anti-Semitism. The brown-haired boy in the red polo shirt smiles somewhat shyly into the camera, carrying a rucksack over his shoulders. Carlo…
This year, Christians in Rome, Istanbul and Moscow are celebrating Easter on the same day. In other years it is different: different church calendars are to blame. Now the Vatican is making a new push to change this. Question: Cardinal Koch, this year Christians all over the world are celebrating Easter on the same day.…
Two are currently being canonised; the third was good for political miracles throughout his life. The united Europe, whose spiritual strength is once again in demand, rests on the shoulders of men of Christian conviction. The existence of the EU, winner of the Nobel Peace Prize, can be traced back to the foresight of Christian…
Even when cases of abuse are dutifully reported to Rome, the diocese of Würzburg has often had to decide for itself how to proceed in the past. Bishop Jung of Würzburg would like to see more concrete action. Bishop Franz Jung of Würzburg has criticised the way the Vatican’s religious authority deals with cases of…