When they enter the Sistine Chapel to elect the successor to Peter’s throne, the European cardinals will carry on their shoulders a heavy responsibility for the fate of their continent, which is facing challenges unprecedented since the Church of the first centuries. At a time when some postulate that Europe might soon become irrelevant because of the increasing prominence of the Global South — where the Church is growing fastest — it remains, as its institutional and theological center of gravity, a key player in the conclave outcome.

When the Catholic Church transitions between popes, it is often a dramatic time for both cradle Catholics and converts alike; we bid farewell to our Holy Father, and pray for the Holy Spirit to guide the process as we wait to see who will be elected next. Because Pope Francis passed away at the very beginning of the Easter season, this also means that all those who were received into the Church at the Easter Vigil two days previous have already spent more of their time as Catholics without a pope than with one...

Forget the Colosseum and what you've seen in the Gladiator film franchise - the latest evidence of ancient Roman brutality comes not from the heart of Italy, but from a quiet field in Yorkshire.A Roman-era skeleton unearthed in York, England, has given archaeologists the first physical proof that gladiators in Britain clashed not just with each other, but with ferocious beasts.

There are two places in Scripture where the curious detail of a “charcoal fire” is mentioned. One is in today’s Gospel, where the Apostles return from fishing to find bread and fish warming on the fire. The other is in the scene in the High Priest’s courtyard on Holy Thursday, where Peter and some guards and slaves warm themselves while Jesus is being interrogated inside...

It’s hot in Rome. And despite that heat, the Romans walk, everywhere — which means when you’re in Rome, you do too. Of course, most Americans who come to Rome are accustomed to daily outdoor strolls no further than the parking lot demands. But unless you can figure out how to buy bus tickets in the city’s complicated tangle of bureaucracies — or you’re comfortable gambling with a ticket-less ride — you’re going to be walking, a lot.

BBen-Hur (1959) isn’t just a great movie—it’s a miracle of filmmaking. In this video, we take a closer look at why it still holds up as one of the most visually spectacular and emotionally powerful films ever made. From the epic scale of its production to the groundbreaking cinematography and timeless music, this is the story of how Ben-Hur became cinema legend.

The qualities of a pope go far beyond merely being a kind of CEO of the Catholic Church. Inevitably, at a minimum, he should possess a strong faith and humility, be willing to adhere to the Church’s teachings and apostolic tradition, and personify the Pope’s ancient title as servus servorum Dei, the Servant of the Servants of God...

In 2005, I published a small book entitled The Cube and the Cathedral: Europe, America, and Politics Without God. It had a fair sale in the U.S. and was translated into French, Spanish, Polish, Italian, Portuguese, and Hungarian. British historian Niall Ferguson got one key part of my argument right by describing the book...

It’s one measure of how young Luis Antinio “Chito” Tagle was when he burst onto the scene as a cardinal in 2012 that he was a contender for the papacy in 2013 but seen as way too young, and now 12 years later he’s again a serious possibility but in some circles his age, 67, still counts against him. Given that the last two popes were elected at the ages of 78 and 76...

In an exhortation to young people published after his death, Pope Francis urged couples to prepare properly for marriage and commit themselves to “love that lasts a lifetime.” The missive, a foreword to the book “Love Forever” by the YOUCAT Foundation, urges young people considering marriage to “believe in love, believe in God, and believe that you are capable of taking on the adventure” of lifelong matrimony.