arts & culture
Spanish bishops under scrutiny for church-government accord over Valley of the Fallen
Catholic groups have criticized Spain’s bishops for consenting to government redevelopment of a key national memorial complex near Madrid, amid fears of a continuing church decline across the traditionally Catholic country.
‘A Love Letter to Chaplains’: Exhibit honors contributions of military chaplains in World War I
Opened in May 2024, the Sacred Service exhibit commemorates and educates visitors on the critical service that chaplains played during the First World War.
Two popes who built St. Peter’s Basilica face each other fully restored
Two popes who played instrumental roles in building the world’s largest church now gaze at one another with renewed clarity in the apse of St. Peter’s Basilica.
Art center continues to promote Rupnik art as alleged survivors hail mosaic coverages
As dioceses and shrines are questioning how best to limit the use of artwork created by Slovenian Father Marko Rupnik, who is accused of sexual, spiritual and psychological abuse over three decades, the art center he founded continued to promote his latest mosaics at the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Aparecida in Brazil.
Monk Manual collaboration with CFRs fosters sensitivity to God’s voice
The journal, “Mysteries and Medicines,” was created in collaboration between the planning and journaling tool Monk Manual and the Franciscan Friars of the Renewal, a religious order widely known by their Latin-based religious initials “CFR.” It shares its name with an album released in October by Brother Isaiah, a friar and popular Catholic musician.
A saint with a song: Blessed Carlo Acutis honored in ‘Corpus Christi’ single, video
Blessed Carlo Acutis, the Italian teen set to be canonized April 27, has been hailed as a model for modern youth — and now, the soon-to-be-saint and his devotion to the Eucharist have been honored in a new single and video.
Fatima shrine will not remove Rupnik mosaic, but suspends promotional use, spokesperson says
A representative of the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal said it is not considering the removal of artwork by Father Marko Rupnik days after the Sanctuary of Our Lady of Lourdes in France announced it would cover mosaics created by the disgraced priest.
Lourdes bishop covering Father Rupnik’s mosaics on sanctuary’s basilica doors
Bishop Jean-Marc Micas of Tarbes and Lourdes has decided to cover mosaics by Father Marko Rupnik at the entrance of the Basilica of Our Lady of the Rosary, a move aimed at making the basilica more welcoming for all, particularly victims of abuse.
After Notre Dame, another iconic French church will get its spire back after 180 years
Following the restoration of Notre Dame in Paris, significant work began in March on the Cathedral Basilica of Saint-Denis basilica, located near Paris. This historic site, known as the necropolis of French kings, is undergoing a major reconstruction project.
St. Peter’s Basilica becomes a ‘fixable,’ explorable Minecraft world
Students around the world now have a chance to be an explorer-restorer of the 519-year-old basilica thanks to a new online educational opportunity created by Minecraft Education, Microsoft’s game-based learning platform, and with the help of St. Peter’s Basilica and Vatican City State.