On Saturday, March 7, Pope Leo XIV announced the appointment of the new apostolic nuncio (ambassador of the Holy See) to the United States. Cardinal Christophe Pierre will be succeeded by Msgr. Gabriele Caccia, who is currently the Holy See’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations in New York. This appointment seems logical in terms […]
In this article, Francesco Sisci “heretically” compares two organizational models that seem to be opposites: the Catholic Church and the Chinese Communist Party. Why is this comparison important for the Church, both as an institution and as a community of faith? The Catholic Church is incapable of viewing itself from an outside perspective and never […]
The rise of multipolarity and the US demands for Iran’s unconditional surrender could spiral events out of control. (We are experiencing technical difficulties, and the web doesn’t ‘like’ something about the date, but the article was actually published on March 8. Apologies) Iran might have little incentive to concede to US demands until after the […]
Russia, Venezuela, and Iran are warnings to Beijing, but the US doesn’t have an easy game with China. A ghost will haunt China’s NPC annual plenary session, which opens on March 5 – the ghost of US military lightning successes against top leaders in Venezuela and Iran, and of Russia’s war failures. Russian President Vladimir […]
The war between Russia and Ukraine, first, and Hamas’s attack on Israel have changed the rules. The US and Israel have responded by raising the stakes. It is a new world in which the United Nations no longer exists. Another space for international mediation is needed, and perhaps it should arise under the Pope’s aegis. […]
German Catholicism still plays a central role within the global Church, and it is a key player in the country’s life through its charities and many educational and social agencies. With the so-called Synodal Path, the German Catholic Church has become a forerunner of the synodality Pope Francis called for in the global Church. This week, the […]
Something seems to be stirring in Washington, though it’s hard to say what or where it’s headed. The recent Supreme Court ruling that President Trump lacked the authority and jurisidiction to impose tariffs through executive orders without congressional approval could be a sign of this change. The internal debate between Justices Gorsuch (who concurred) and […]