Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church

In the Sistine Chapel, a conclave is imminent, and all the cardinal electors are gathered in full assembly. Really all of them? That’s without counting on a surprise from fate. A South American missionary bishop in Afghanistan introduces himself and announces that he’s a cardinal. No one has ever heard of him, and his name Read More…

Is the key premise of ‘Conclave’ movie canonically possible?

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Father Marko Rupnik. / Credit: Photo courtesy of the Diocese of Rome Vatican City, Mar 13, 2025 / 11:50 am (CNA). A media report says the Vatican’s doctrine office could be close to a decision in the case of the ex-Jesuit Father Marko Rupnik.Ac... [...]

St. Thomas University announced on Feb. 27, 2025, its plans for a 99,000-square-foot nursing college building. / Credit: Photo courtesy of St. Thomas University CNA Staff, Mar 13, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA). Amid Florida’s nursing shortage, a Cathol... [...]

Before being hospitalized, Pope Francis paid attention to Catia’s case, which represents the condition of many couples and families today.

The post “My Husband Cheats on Me. Is It Right to Continue Forgiving Him?” Pope Francis’ Answer to a Betrayed Wife appeared first on ZENIT - English.

Washington D.C., Mar 13, 2025 / 08:55 am (CNA).

According to St. John Paul II’s official biographer, George Weigel, living in Nazi-occupied Poland was “the most formative experience of Karol Wojtyla’s life,” shaping the future pope’s lifelong commitment to defending human dignity. 

Speaking at a conference, “Catholics and Antisemitism — Facing the Past, Shaping the Future,” on Monday, Weigel reflected on John Paul II’s “distinctly personal” relationship with the Jewish people. 

Sponsored by Philos Catholic, the event took place at the Catholic Information Center in Washington, D.C. Philos Catholic is a branch of the Philos Project, an ecumenical Christian nonprofit organization that advocates for pluralism and Israel’s peaceful existence in the Middle East. 

Weigel’s keynote address followed panel discussions on the Catholic approach to antisemitism throughout history and since the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. Panelists included Catholic Answers founder Trent Horn, Catholic author Mary Eberstadt, Tikvah Fund CEO Jonathan Silver, and Benedictine College history professor Richard Crane. 

Growing up in a small town outside Kraków, Karol Wojtyla had many Jewish friends and lived in an apartment owned by a Jewish family. He remained friends with some of them for the rest of his life, Weigel recounted. Many died in the Shoah. John Paul II’s father, Karol, imparted his belief in a free Poland that welcomed minority communities while retaining its cultural identity and integrity. 

“That cauldron of hatred and violence was, I believe, the most formative experience of Karol Wojtyla’s life,” Weigel said, referring to Poland during the war years. “Because of that experience, he came to dedicate himself to the defense of human dignity and freedom through the priesthood of the Catholic Church.”

“The years between 1939 and 1945 made Karol Wojtyła into a human diamond, whose cutting edge could break through the seemingly impenetrable, like the Berlin Wall,” he added.

Indeed, throughout his pontificate, Weigel described John Paul II as being “determined” to formalize diplomatic relations between Israel and the Holy See and to encourage Israel’s neighbors to recognize the “permanent reality” of the Jewish state. The pontiff visited the Western Wall and the Holocaust Remembrance Center, Yad Vashem, in Jerusalem in March 2000.

“As a determined foe of antisemitism,” he stated, “John Paul would be appalled, sad, heartbroken, and very angry at the recrudescence of that ancient plague we have discussed today in the form of an exterminationist anti-Zionism the world has witnessed since Oct. 7, 2023. And he would want to name that evil for what it is.”

Ultimately, Weigel noted, John Paul II’s “wish” was that “Jews and Christians would be a blessing to one another,” focusing not only on the “pain of the past” but also “the possibilities of the future.”

“If we would honor his memory, let us commit our minds, hearts, and souls to advancing that collaboration,” he concluded.

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The new, state-of-the-art lighting will ensure even more intense and well-distributed light, further enhancing Michelangelo's work and creating an evocative atmosphere with greater visual impact.

The post New Light for the Dome of Saint Peter’s Basilica: Light Intensity Tests Are Underway appeared first on ZENIT - English.

In the afternoon, the Pope followed the Spiritual Exercises for the Roman Curia on video-link with Paul VI Hall. Then his respiratory therapy was renewed.

The post The Pope’s Health on Thursday, March 13: A Cake in Hospital to Celebrate Twelve Tears of Pontificate appeared first on ZENIT - English.

The United Nations logo is seen at U.N. headquarters in New York on Oct. 4, 2023. / Credit: DANIEL SLIM/AFP via Getty Images Vatican City, Mar 13, 2025 / 08:30 am (CNA). The Holy See’s delegation to the United Nations is organizing a March 19 e... [...]