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New York Times
03-07-2025
- New York Times
Pope Leo Returns to Tradition: A Summer Break at a Papal Villa
For 400 years, as Rome sizzled under the summer sun, most popes found solace in a cooler pontifical palace in the hilltop town of Castel Gandolfo, 18 miles southwest of Rome. John Paul II and Benedict XVI set up camp there for several months each year to rest, but also work. Then along came Pope Francis. He traveled there three times in 2013, the year he was elected, twice to say Mass and once to visit his predecessor, Benedict, who loved Castel Gandolfo so much that he briefly retired there after leaving the papacy. He never went back. 'We were orphaned,' said Maurizio Carosi, one of many residents who confessed to being dismayed by Francis' decision. It's no surprise, then, that the announcement last month that Pope Leo XIV would be staying in Castel Gandolfo for two weeks in July — 'for a period of rest' — was met with excitement, relief and a burst of last-minute renovations on papal properties. He is expected to arrive on Sunday. 'The Vatican is part of the DNA of our city; it is a second Vatican' because of the pope and the dignitaries who would visit him here, said Alberto De Angelis, the mayor. 'You can't imagine St. Peter's without the pope, and you can't imagine Castel Gandolfo without the pope,' he added, referring to St. Peter's Basilica in Rome. Other local residents were equally enthusiastic. Want all of The Times? Subscribe.
Bloomberg
24-06-2025
- Politics
- Bloomberg
How Many Saints Can Pope Leo Add to His Army?
Pope Leo XIV must have found out about the US bombing of Iran's nuclear sites just like the rest of Europe — first thing Sunday morning upon waking. It was the 46th day of his papacy and he did what the Roman pontiff was expected to do. At his weekly noon message to the vast throng gathered in St. Peter's Square, he condemned war as an instrument of policy and pleaded with world leaders to remember the suffering of the innocent. The crowd applauded on that muggy morning, but those virtues feel a little toothless in the wake of bunker-busters and the potential for anarchy. A geopolitical lesson of the late 20th century was never to underestimate the power of the papacy. John Paul II played a part in dissolving the Soviet-led Warsaw Pact and ending the Cold War, but that's increasingly dusty history. The Vatican has spent the last couple of decades cleaning up Saint John Paul's administrative messes — from priestly abuse to banking fiascos. The late Pope Francis may have come across as avuncular, embracing and a liberal, but he was also a tough manager and went a long way to putting the Vatican back on a surer financial footing, although more work needs to be done.
Yahoo
18-06-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Will Greenberg budget to help thousands homeless in Louisville? Call and ask.
Guitarist, singer, songwriter and advocate for veterans Joe Walsh once remarked, 'A homeless veteran should not have to stand at a freeway exit with a cardboard sign. That's not okay.' He's right. In fact, no one should have to live this way. As a Catholic priest, I am guided by my faith and its teaching that housing is a human right. In the following statement, the U.S. Catholic bishops refer to Pope St. John Paul II, who wrote, "A house is much more than a roof over one's head." It is "a place where a person creates and lives out his or her life." And then they add, 'The right to housing is a consistent theme in our teaching. … We believe society has the responsibility to protect these rights, and the denial of housing to so many constitutes a terrible injustice.' The Louisville Coalition for the Homeless (LCH) works daily to correct this injustice and provide housing and support services for veterans and other men, women and children who have nowhere to call home. According to the Coalition for the Homeless, more than 12,000 persons experienced homelessness in our Metro Louisville community in 2024. Housing providers offer shelter for some, but there is simply not enough space for everyone needing somewhere to call home. But there is an opportunity in the drafting of the next Metro Louisville budget. The mayor and Metro Council members could include funding at a level that makes a difference in the lives of many homeless persons. Opinion: Owning a home in Kentucky changed my life. I want that for you, too. We all know that budgets are moral documents in that they reflect the priorities and values of a community and that these priorities have consequences. It is important to ask what priorities will surface as policymakers prepare the 2025-2026 Metro Louisville budget. Will they take into account the needs of homeless persons? I agree with St. John Paul II who wrote that the church 'has a serious obligation to join with those who are working … to find concrete and urgent solutions to the housing problem and to see that the homeless receive the necessary attention and concern on the part of public authorities.' Don't we all, churchgoing or not, really have an obligation to 'see that the homeless receive the necessary attention?' After all, housing is a human right. LCH has launched the Safe and Stable: Housing for All campaign which, along with educational activities, includes a specific funding request of the mayor and Metro Council. The Coalition is requesting an additional $5 million be included in the budget to offer the homeless permanent supportive housing. Opinion | Trump's budget cuts will make housing more expensive in Kentucky The solution to housing all the homeless may appear overwhelming until we look beyond our own individual efforts to help others and know that as a community, we can have a significant impact on the decisions of those elected to represent us. Please consider making one short phone call to your Metro Council member at (502) 574-1100. Emphasize the importance of permanent supportive housing in addressing the lack of affordable housing in our community. Urge that, in addition to what is currently proposed, another $5 million be included to provide permanent supportive housing. Mother Teresa once said, 'We think sometimes that poverty is only being hungry, naked and homeless. The poverty of being unwanted, unloved and uncared for is the greatest poverty.' Making just one phone call addresses 'the greatest poverty' by showing our love and care for homeless brothers and sisters in need. Agree or disagree? Submit a letter to the editor. Rev. Patrick Delahanty is a retired priest of the Archdiocese of Louisville and the former executive director of the Catholic Conference of Kentucky. This article originally appeared on Louisville Courier Journal: Louisville homelessness is injustice Metro Council can right | Opinion
Associated Press
13-06-2025
- Politics
- Associated Press
Pope Leo XIV's fashion choices make waves, and many wonder what they mean
VATICAN CITY (AP) — When Pope Leo XIV stepped out on the central loggia of St. Peter's Basilica to greet the crowd for the first time after his May 8 election, liturgical fashion aficionados around the globe took note: Gone was the simple white cassock and silver cross favored by Pope Francis. Back was the red satin mozzetta shoulder cape, the burgundy stola with gold embroidery and a gold cross held by a double-stranded silken gold cord. Over Leo's first few weeks, the excitement grew among liturgical fashion-conscious Catholics as they noticed new additions to the wardrobe, or rather a return to the old additions of the papal wardrobe: cufflinks, white pants, lace. After Francis' revolutionary papacy, Vatican watchers are now wondering if Leo's return to the past sartorial look means a return to the past on other things too, including more substantial policy issues. But for tailors at the elite handful of liturgical tailoring shops in Rome, there is hope that Leo's return to the fancier garb of popes past will mean a boon to business if Leo's traditional look has a trickle-down effect from the pope to priests and all those in between. The style is a return to form According to the Rev. John Wauck, professor of church communication at the Pontifical Holy Cross University in Rome, Leo's clothing choices are a 'return to form,' and his attire similar to that worn by Pope Benedict XVI, Pope John Paul II and other popes going back to the middle ages. They show 'a respect for tradition,' he said. Such respect for the papal office is important for many conservative Catholics. Many conservatives and traditionalists soured on Francis' informal style and disdain for tradition, which reached its pinnacle with his his crackdown on the old Latin Mass. The old liturgy was celebrated before the modernizing reforms of the 1960s Second Vatican Council; Francis greatly restricted access to the old liturgy, saying it had become a source of division in parishes. Leo has shown strong familiarity with Latin, and has taken to singing the Sunday noontime prayer in Latin. Some traditionalist Catholics are hoping Leo will take the pro-Latin path even further and reverse Francis to allow greater use of the traditional Latin Mass. Massimo Faggioli, professor of theology at Villanova University, where Leo went to college, said it's too early to tell if Leo will reverse Francis' reform. 'It remains to be seen if Leo's more traditional attire and liturgical style means that he will change Francis' strong decisions limiting the so-called 'Latin Mass,'' he said. That said, Faggioli said U.S. conservatives seems particularly happy with Leo's traditional attire, given Francis' disdain for the fashion pomp of the papacy. 'In this sense, Francis might have been a parenthesis or an interlude, more than a changer of the tradition in 'papal style,'' he said in an email. Leo has made other changes, too At his inaugural Mass on May 18, 2025, Pope Leo XIV reached out his arm to sprinkle holy water and revealed a shirt with cufflinks, which Francis had largely avoided. He was also wearing an amitto, and an alb held in place by a cingulum. For the non-experts, the amitto is a lacy linen cloth that goes around the neck, the alb is the white tunic worn under the ceremonial vestment, and the cingulum is a braided rope with tassels that serves as a belt. If it weren't for photographers' long lenses relentlessly trained on the pope's every gesture, Leo's switch from Francis's standard black pants to more traditional white papal trousers would have gone completely unnoticed. In addition to the clothing changes, Leo has returned to some other traditions of the Vatican that Francis eschewed. He has shown himself willing to accept the traditional 'baciamano' or kissing of his ring. Francis disliked having his ring kissed and often pulled his hand away if someone tried to kiss it. 'I think that what we see with Pope Leo is a willingness to embrace tradition, even if it risks seeming perhaps more formal than Pope Francis,' Wauck said. The idea is that 'seeing that tradition as a treasure to be conserved and embraced as opposed to something that makes one feel perhaps a little bit standoffish.' It remains to be seen whether Leo will move into the papal apartment in the Apostolic Palace, which stood empty during the 12-year Francis papacy. Francis shocked the world by choosing to live in a small room at the Santa Marta residence at the Vatican, eating his meals in the common dining room. For the Rev. Castro Prudencio, this is all much ado about nothing. 'For Pope Francis it was simplicity. Always. And Pope Leo has taken up what Pope Benedict had and many others. That is what the church is like,' he said. ___ Associated Press religion coverage receives support through the AP's collaboration with The Conversation US, with funding from Lilly Endowment Inc. The AP is solely responsible for this content.
Irish Independent
12-06-2025
- Business
- Irish Independent
See inside the luxury Edwardian home in Galway on the market for €1.95m
St Anne's is a six-bedroom, five-bathroom property tucked away in 'total seclusion' in the lucrative area of Taylor's Hill. The house has been put up for sale this week at a price of €1.95m by O'Donnellan and Joyce Auctioneers. Dating back to 1906, the 'one of a kind' house is one of the city's few remaining homes from this era and features luxurious touches. The listing reads: 'Built from local granite with 50cm-thick walls, distinctive red brick and beach pebble detailing, this architectural treasure is truly one of a kind. Formerly home to Bishop Michael J. Browne who hosted Saint Pope John Paul II during his 1979 visit to Galway, Saint Anne's is a residence with a rich and storied past. 'Meticulously renovated with thoughtful elegance in 2015, Saint Anne's blends timeless character with modern comfort. Renovations included full rewiring, replumbing, and a new heating system, interior insulation, luxury bathrooms and bespoke double-glazed sash windows with full weather strips. 'Also a custom Cucina Design kitchen was installed with premium Miele appliances and an AGA cooker as the main feature. 'An exceptional addition to the property, the separate coach house offers fully independent living with 2 bedrooms, a kitchen and bathroom, independent heating system, water supply, and electricity meter. The coach house is ideal for guests, extended family, or maybe as an extra rental income stream. 'One of the most remarkable features of Saint Anne's is its unbeatable location. Nestled in private tranquillity yet just a 15-minute walk to both Galway City Centre and Salthill Beach and promenade, this home offers the perfect balance. 'Surrounded by Galway's top schools being only strolling distance away, the city's lively bars, restaurants, and cafés are also just a short distance away. 'Saint Anne's offers landscaped gardens with peaceful, sunlit spaces throughout the day ideal for relaxing, entertaining, or simply enjoying nature in complete seclusion. With electric gated entry, CCTV and monitored alarm, it offers a true sense of sanctuary. No passing traffic or footfall, enjoy absolute peace and privacy. Despite its centrality, Saint Anne's feels like a country retreat. 'Another special addition to main residence is the bespoke garage, built in 2016 using matching brick, this building is fully insulated and has its own electric supply. 'Saint Anne's is more than a house, it's a rare opportunity to own a piece of Galway's heritage, lovingly updated for modern living. Homes of this calibre and location seldom come to market. Viewing is highly recommended to truly appreciate the charm, space, and serenity on offer.'
