Monthly Archives: June 2014

I’ve spent today reflecting. So much has happened over the last week that I’ll need time to see everything in proper perspective. As it turned out, the Vatican Foundation served as our official host. They direct a variety of projects for the pope, and we’re just one of many groups they’ll invite for ongoing dialogue. The foundation coordinated different elements … [more]

The long-anticipated day finally arrived for our direct interaction with Pope Francis. The morning started with a conversation at the sidewalk cafe over cappuccinos. What a great invention! We departed for the Vatican at 9 a.m. and met first with the Secretary of State of the Vatican, Archbishop Pietro Parolin. What a good man. He keeps quite busy right now … [more]

Today began with a brief walk to St. Peter’s Square and a lovely morning with 80,000 of my best friends! It was hot, humid and filled with energy and joy. At the weekly teaching we observed the pageantry that surrounds these huge audiences from seats near the pope, surrounded by foreign groups from around the world. We witnessed again his … [more]

Today has been another incredible day in Rome. Yesterday I attended the second day of the Convocation of Renewal, and it was long, hot and fascinating. But today brought an even bigger treat. We began with a time of prayer with Cardinal Angelo Comastri in the lower chapel inside St. Peter’s. He is second in command to Pope Francis and … [more]

In A.D. 410, Alaric and the Goths stormed the citadel of Rome and burned the city gates, symbolizing the conquest of the empire. Although eventually repelled, the attack set off a shock wave that rocked the Mediterranean world. Jerome, the great church father residing in Jerusalem at the time, expressed the collective anguish of the entire empire when he exclaimed, … [more]