Tag: Papacy

One hundred fifty-five years ago, when the freshly minted Kingdom of Italy conquered the rump of the Papal States and Pope Pius IX withdrew behind the Leonine Wall as the “prisoner of the Vatican,” elite European opinion pronounced the papacy finished as a factor in history — and, it was often assumed, the Catholic Church as well.

The new pope’s choice of the name Leo is significant. St Leo the Great, the first pope of that name, was one of the greatest teacher-popes and one of those great early contributors to Catholic thought known as ‘the fathers’—like St Augustine before him, writes Archbishop Fisher OP.

So now the fun begins in earnest. What kind of a Pope is Leo XIV? We’re all going to find out at the same rate, writes Dr Philippa Martyr.

After celebrating Mass for the election of a pope, processing into the Sistine Chapel and swearing a solemn oath of perpetual secrecy on the conclave proceedings, the cardinal electors cast their first ballot in the conclave.

As the cardinals enter into the conclave to elect the 267th pope, Simcha Fisher shares her own light-hearted take on her prayers for their time together.

While some of the cardinal-electors have been living in various venues around Rome, the entire electorate will have moved into the Vatican by Tuesday night or early Wednesday morning.

In both life and death, Pope Francis proclaimed the victory of Christ over sin and evil. Among the many hallmarks of his papacy, five key themes stand out.

Letters from Rome-2025. Reports and Commentary on the Papal Interregnum as the cardinals prepare for the conclave.

Fr Flader answers: Now that Pope Francis has died, what can you tell me about the man and his legacy in the church? I know he has been much criticised, but I personally think he has done much good.  

UPDATE: People of diverse cultures and all walks of life have gathered at St Mary’s Cathedral, Sydney, for prayers and Mass offered for Pope Francis.

As Pope Francis marks the 12th anniversary of his election while recovering in the hospital, his biographer, Austen Ivereigh, reflected on the pope's enduring witness.

Australian Catholics joined people around the world in intensifying their prayers for Pope Francis, whose condition in Rome’s Gemelli Hospital was reported as “severe” into his second week of treatment.