Vatican

The stamp is “a sign of gratitude for the bond that unites us in faith in God and in the common defense of the universal values of peace and fraternity.”

Practical decisions in Church governance can be measured against the Church’s “principal mission: that of giving glory to God,” Bishop Varden said.

Eight hundred years after his death, the bones of St. Francis of Assisi have been placed on public display for the first extended public viewing in history, drawing hundreds of …

The Sistine Chapel will remain open to visitors throughout the three-month cleaning, though scaffolding will partially obstruct views of the fresco.

Bishop Varden of Trondheim, a Trappist monk, shared wisdom from contemplative life during the retreat, drawing from the writings of St. Bernard of Clairvaux.

“Peace is when our heart and our life are inhabited by silence, meditation and listening to God; because God never blesses violence.”

The apparitions on Tepeyac Hill can be seen as “a permanent criterion for discerning the evangelizing mission of the Church,” the pope said.

The Vatican said peace and care for the poor will be central themes of the African journey, which will also bring him in the footsteps of St. Augustine.

Augustinian spirituality is deeply rooted in unity, truth and love, with a strong emphasis on community and service to the church and to others.

For Pope Leo’s first audience, more than 1,800 came, and since then pilgrims have continued to come in larger numbers than ever.”