News, analysis, and documents on the Catholic Church, by Sandro Magister, Rome
28.12.2004
> Mission Impossible: Building a Church in Turkey
Prime minister Erdogan promises more religious freedom, but the facts belie him: the Christian minority continues to experience discrimination. The Vatican's doubts and Europe's indifference
20.12.2004
> Surprise: The Radical Party Opens a School of Theology in Brussels
They're known as ultra-secularists. But they're calling Catholic theologians and philosophers to speak on secularism and religion in Europe. Dominican Father Ignace Berten explains how to craft legislation on morally controversial matters
16.12.2004
> Europe and Islam: Identities Lost
The terrorist threat has led to an explosive conflict between the West and the Muslim world. But the reasons for the clash go deeper; they are found within each of these civilizations. In a consensus-defying book, an English philosopher explains how and why
1.12.2004
> Poland vs. Russia in Kiev. With an Impossible Referee: the Pope
Impossible, because he is inevitably partial. For centuries, Ukraine has been disputed by Warsaw and Moscow, by Roman Catholicism and Orthodoxy. It's the same today. All that's left for John Paul II is prayer
29.11.2004
> Ruini Looks Ahead, and Raises an Alarm over China
More than Islamism and secularism, the pope's vicar says, the real threats for Christianity are biotechnology and the Asian civilizations. He recommends reading two authors: Habermas and Fukuyama
25.11.2004
> Spain: The Zapatero "Revolución" Cracks the Whip over the Bishops
The secularist offensive advances against a Church divided between hard-liners and negotiators. Cardinal Ruoco Varela and Bishop Sebastián are proposing a middle way. In the Vatican, they're trembling
22.11.2004
> The Church Is Under Siege. But Habermas, the Atheist, Is Coming to its Defense
And Cardinal Ratzinger is the one who summoned him. The philosopher of Frankfurt breaks through the battle line of the secularist attack. Other secularist intellectuals are also coming to Christianity's defense. Among Catholics, there are some who trust them - and others who don't
10.11.2004
> After the Bush Victory: "L'Osservatore Romano" Is Silent, but "Avvenire" Sings
The two newspapers of the Church of Rome part ways in commenting on the U.S. elections. The Holy See's newspaper almost ignores the news. That of the pope's vicar exalts the victorious America of "God, country, and family"
8.11.2004
> Trying Democracy in Baghdad, with the Vatican's Blessing
The pope receives Iraqi premier Allawi, and the Chaldean Catholic patriarch meets the Shiite ayatollah, al-Sistani. The Church is encouraging the Islamic journey to democracy. An essay by Vittorio E. Parsi
4.11.2004
> From Athens to Rome: The Scuttled Voyage of His Beatitude Christodoulos
The holy synod of the Greek Orthodox Church shelves the archbishop of Athens' visit to the pope. The archbishop speaks his mind in an interview. An ecumenism with Catholics "in economy class"
29.10.2004
> The Christians of Iraq Are Under Attack – But the Pope Is Fighting for Them
John Paul II raises his voice in support of his Iraqi faithful. He encourages them not to flee. And the Vatican news agency "Fides" publishes the "list of horror" of those killed by the Islamist terrorists
26.10.2004
> Bush-Kerry: For the Vatican, the Odds Are Even
Some offices prefer the one, some the other. But neutrality is the rule. No excommunications, not even for the almost "heretical" Kerry
22.10.2004
> Ruling in the Shadow of John Paul II: The Vatican Four
Ratzinger, Sodano, Dziwisz, Herranz – but not only them. The up-to-date who's who of authority in the Roman curia. Who's sinking. Who's rising. With the present pope, and with his future successor
15.10.2004
> Europe Is Christian, but Turkey's Crescent Moon Shines in its Skies
Church leaders are discussing whether it is right or not to consider Muslim Turkey as part of Europe. Ratzinger says "No," but the "Yes" votes are growing more numerous - and more convincing
11.10.2004
> A Catholic Banker Tells How to Produce Wealth for the Kingdom of God
In an essay entitled "Money and Paradise," Ettore Gotti Tedeschi vindicates "the superiority of a capitalism inspired by Christian morality." And he nominates John Paul II for the Nobel prize for economics
6.10.2004
> Islamist Terrorism: What the Vatican Really Thinks
What the pope and the authorities of the Holy See do not say, " La Civiltà Cattolica" writes – with authorization. A startling editorial on three years of war against the West and the "crusaders," in the name of Islam
4.10.2004
> From Madrid to Rome: The Secularist Offensive and the Church's Fears
In Spain, the reforms of Zapatero; in Italy, the referendum for the free selection of embryos. The bishops are uncertain about how to respond. But Cardinal Ruini and some non-Catholic intellectuals are in agreement: a vision of humanity is at stake
28.9.2004
> The Vatican Deploys its Divisions in Iraq – Under the Banner of NATO
An interview with Cardinal Sodano and an editorial in "Avvenire" invoke greater military support for Allawi's government and for the emerging Iraqi democracy, through a heavy deployment of troops from the Atlantic Alliance
10.9.2004
> Beyond the Myth of Ostpolitik: A Lesson for the Challenge of Islamism
In 1964, the first accord between the Holy See and a communist government was signed. And the myth of dialogue was born. A book by Cardinal Casaroli, published after his death, dismantles it. The same dilemma arises today: resistance, or surrender?
8.9.2004
> Beslan, the September 11 of the Christian Children. But the Church Doesn't See
“L’Osservatore Romano” and “Avvenire” run adrift in their analysis of the facts. Dialogue breaks down between the Vatican and Sant'Egidio and the presumedly "moderate" Muslims. And anti-Jewish sentiment reappears
3.9.2004
> Turnover at St. Paul's Outside the Walls: Here Come the Monks from the Countryside
They are from the Fraternity of Jesus, and are replacing the Benedictines. They support themselves through farming. They have Ratzinger's full support. And in another parish in Rome, they are replacing the Jesuits
1.9.2004
> Christian Martyrs of the 21st Century: The Reckoning Continues
From 2000 until today, there have been more than one hundred of them, in forty nations. That's without counting the unnamed victims or those who have fallen in war. A warning from the pope, even as India produces new killings and aggressions
27.8.2004
> How to Speak of the Christian Faith Today: Two Instructions for Winning the Gold
They are a book from the diocese of Rome on the Creed and an article by "La Civiltà Cattolica" on the "Our Father". Both are very proud of the primacy of Christianity - and very severe against the skeptics and rival religions
24.8.2004
> The Future of Iraq's Christians Will Be Decided at the Tomb of Alì
The Vatican has offered to be a mediator for the battle of Najaf, the holy city of the Shiite Muslims. It is a demonstrative gesture, but one with a real objective: protecting the Christians
20.8.2004
> From Rome to the World: The Global Offensive of the Catholic Media
They are news agencies, newspapers, radio and television companies. They work in the shadow of the dome of St. Peter's, but their target is the entire world. They are extremely faithful to the pope and the Church. And they're fighting hard against the prevailing culture
13.8.2004
> Nomads of God: The New Paths of Religion in Europe
The religious landscape of the Old Continent is in full movement. New faiths are coming onto the scene, the faithful are becoming pilgrims, and conversions abound. The response of the Catholic Church
4.8.2004
> The Madonna of Kazan Has Worked a Miracle in Her Homeland: Peace among the Religions
The pope gives back the highly venerated icon to the Russian Orthodox. But Muslims and Jews will welcome it, too. A report from Tatarstan, a rare model of peaceful coexistence among the faiths
30.7.2004
> Watergate in Lima: Opus Dei Cardinal Accuses Bishops and the Vatican Curia
Falsified letters, plots, and lies. The Church in Peru is at war. The target is the archbishop of the capital, the first Opus cardinal. And he¿s fighting back
27.7.2004
> Christians Persecuted in Asia. And Even the Buddhists Are on the Enemy¿s Side
In six Asian countries in which they are in the majority, the Buddhists collaborate in repressing the other religions. This is documented by the Report 2004 of Aid to the Church in Need
16.7.2004
> The Seven Capital Vices of the Movements, According to "La Civiltà Cattolica"
Three "dangers" and four "challenges": through the magazine of the Rome Jesuits, the Vatican makes a critical appraisal of the movements. A warning for the Neocatechumenal Way, Focolare, Sant¿Egidio, and Bose
13.7.2004
> Ratzinger vs. Kerry, Round II. A Well-Tempered Controversy
The prefect of the Holy Office douses the flames. His ¿No¿ to communion for pro-abortion Catholic politicians is "very much in harmony," he writes, with the ¿Yes¿ of most of the U.S. bishops. But the rigorists are holding firm
3.7.2004
> The Kerry Affair: What Ratzinger Wanted from the American Bishops
What he wanted, but didn¿t get. In its entirety, the confidential note in which the prefect of the Holy Office establishes the principle of refusing communion to pro-abortion Catholic politicians
1.7.2004
> Worldwide Islam Has an Oasis of Democracy: Mali
From Timbuktu and Bamako comes a lesson for the entire Muslim world: a secular detachment from politics and peace with the other religions. The Muslim president asks for the blessing of the Catholic archbishop
29.6.2004
> A New Christianity Is Conquering the Developing World. But Europe Doesn¿t Know It Yet
The new Christianity is puritanical, visionary, and missionary. It is at the opposite extreme of liberal culture. It is a challenge for the Catholic Church - and it makes Ratzinger and the pope tremble, too
25.6.2004
> Vatican Rumors: The Rise of the Red Pope
From prefect "de Propaganda Fide" to secretary of state: this is the goal that Crescenzio Cardinal Sepe wants to attain at all costs. Alliances, maneuvers, and misfortunes in a career that knows no bounds
18.6.2004
> The Pope¿s Banker Speaks: "Here¿s How I Saved the IOR"
After almost fifteen years as the head of the Vatican bank, Angelo Caloia breaks his silence. He gives the names of both friends and enemies. And he accuses Catholic finance of selling its soul for power
11.6.2004
> From Black Masses to Black Metal Music: The Last Temptation of Satan
Hellish cults, drugs, and crime: the satanism of the young reaps its victims in Italy. Its organizations and subcultures. The pope¿s exorcisms, and the opinion of a famous exorcist, Fr. Gabriele Amorth
7.6.2004
> Bush Brought a Gift for the Pope: The Alliance Between Catholics and Evangelicals
It is an absolute novelty in the history of the United States, and has been consolidated with the present administration. The key role of Fr. Richard J. Neuhaus in the inner circle of the White House
3.6.2004
> Enemy Islam. An Interview with the Bishop of Rumbek, Sudan
Muslim persecution described by an eyewitness. Two million dead in twenty years. "And this is just the beginning. The challenge of Islamism is much worse than communism. Something the next pope will have to fully face"
31.5.2004
> The Vatican Explores Israel, and Discovers Its Own Faithful
The number of Jewish Christians in Israel is growing constantly, and the Holy See is adapting. The new Custodian of the Holy Land speaks Hebrew. And in the Cenacle, soon to be returned to the Church, the mass will again be celebrated
27.5.2004
> Two Bishops of Krakow, Two Books, and Two Conclaves - To Keep in Mind
The most discussed points in the autobiography of Karol Wojtyla. And new revelations on the "Polish plot" in the conclave of 1903, led by the cardinal of Krakow at the time
24.5.2004
> From Monte Cassino to Brussels: The Holy War of John Paul II
For pope Wojtyla, the blood spilled in 1944 by Christian and Jewish Polish soldiers must mark the new constitution of Europe. The religious identity of the continent must also today be defended "at the cost of life itself"
20.5.2004
> The Theologian, the Philosopher, and the Bishop. Three Lessons for the Church and the West
They are Ratzinger, Pera, and Caffarra. But the team includes Biffi, Ruini, Scola. Here¿s how the "neoconservatives" are re-writing the major political views of the Church
14.5.2004
> Twenty Years as a Bishop, Recounted by Karol Wojtyla as Pope
The autobiography by John Paul II about when he was a bishop in Poland is released. A report from Krakow, in search of the similarities and differences between the two Wojtylas, before and after October 16, 1978
12.5.2004
> Selective Ecumenism: Thumbs down for the Pentecostals and Evangelicals
And president Bush ends up on the pyre with them. But Waldensian pastor Giorgio Bouchard, an authoritative exponent of the progressivist camp, reacts: "They are the future of Christianity"
4.5.2004
> Islam Plus Democracy: The Lewis Doctrine Makes Inroads at the Vatican
After the United States, and with great caution, the Holy See is also embracing the thesis of Islam scholar Bernard Lewis: combat terrorism with the weapon of democracy. The shift faces a test in Iraq
30.4.2004
> A New Silk Road Begins from Venice. It¿s Called "Marcianum"
It is a center of studies very dear to the pope. Patriarch Scola conceived it. Cardinal Sodano inaugurated it. It looks toward the East and Islam, even as far as China
28.4.2004
> Interventionists and Resisters: The Preview of a Study on the Catholic Intellectual Class
They are in favor of state intervention and against the Church¿s opening to capitalism. They bear a strong resemblance to the American "knowledge class" as analyzed by Peter L. Berger
23.4.2004
> Pope Doesn¿t Return to Synagogue, but Sends His Faithful to Jerusalem
At a difficult time in relations with the Jewish community, the Church in Rome re-launches pilgrimage trips to the Holy Land. Vatican Middle East policy analyzed by Silvio Ferrari
20.4.2004
> Constantine 1700 Years Later: The Imperial Church of John Paul II
Centuries later, the polemics against the "Constantinian" Church are still active. Their latest version is the accusation of reducing the faith to a civil religion, allied with the powers of the world. A book of Giovanni Maria Vian
16.4.2004
> The Rabbi and the Jesuit. Two Important Books on the Church and Judaism
The first is the autobiography of Eugenio Zolli, the chief rabbi of Rome who became a Christian. The second is a defense of the papacy against accusations of Nazi sympathies. With many previously unpublished documents
13.4.2004
> The Church of the Opposition in Italy. The Rise, Activity, and Decline of the Progressivist Catholic Intelligentsia
For months, a campaign has been waged against Cardinal Ruini and the Church "kneeling before the rich and powerful." Here¿s who is conducting it, how, and why. The silent response of the bishops. And an analysis by Pietro De Marco
5.4.2004
> The multiplication of loaves has a new name: GMO
With a view to helping the poor nations of the world, the Vatican is ever the more in favor of genetically modified organisms (GMOs). And the United States applauds their position, according to Ambassador Nicholson in his new book
30.3.2004
> The Gulag Archipelago in Romania: The Story No One Has Told Before
The testimony is just a few days old. It was read in the Vatican by an Eastern Catholic priest who spent sixteen years in the communist prisons. At the limits of the imagination
25.3.2004
> From a Scourged Jesus to a Cut Up Gospel: "The Passion" Rewritten by Marcion
The Vatican is not just worried about relations with Jews. It is even more so with regard to losing faith in the historical realism of the four Gospels. It fears a revival of an ancient heresy - Marcionism - which eliminated politically incorrect pages from the Bible
22.3.2004
> Pope Prays After March 11 Attacks. Sodano and Ruini Set Foreign Policy
Vatican authorities are quiet following the terrorist massacre in Madrid. Yet their newspapers aren¿t. The Italian Bishops¿ Conference daily urges all European governments to have a greater military commitment in Iraq
17.3.2004
> The Virgins and the Grapes: the Christian Origins of the Koran
A German scholar of ancient languages takes a new look at the sacred book of Islam. He maintains that it was created by Syro-Aramaic speaking Christians, in order to evangelize the Arabs. And he translates it in a new way
15.3.2004
> The Bishop of Xi¿an¿s Long March from Beijing to Rome
His name is Anthony Li Du¿an and he¿s bishop approved by the Chinese government. And yet he¿s extremely loyal to the pope (perhaps the secret "in pectore" cardinal chosen by John Paul II last year). Meanwhile, however, another Catholic bishop is thrown into prison
11.3.2004
> Architecture, Music and Religious Art. The Church¿s Lost Pearl Is Re-Found
The most disturbing transformation the Catholic Church has undergone in the last half century is found in her liturgical artistic forms and expressions. Centuries of the Church¿s wealth of artistic tradition has been forgotten. But work is underway to restore such treasures back to her
8.3.2004
> A Church of the Rich or a Church of the Poor? The Opposition to Cardinal Ruini
Bishops, monks, and intellectuals accuse the pope¿s vicar of serving the rich and the powerful. This from the progressivist Catholics. But in Italy there are also the "decisive" Catholics, who instead... The chronicle of a confrontation between two rival Catholicisms
4.3.2004
> Shiite Islam: The Grand Ayatollah Sistani Wants Najaf as the Capital
The bombs of Karbala reignite the struggle between Sunnis and Shiites. And, within the latter group, the struggle between the theocratic model of Khomeini and the "quietist" one preferred in Iraq
13.2.2004
> The Jesuits of "La Civiltà Cattolica" Don¿t Want Democracy in Iraq
Exporting it there is "offensive to the Islamic community," they write in their latest editorial. And to defeat terrorism, "the only way is more intelligence." A commentary by Massimo Introvigne
10.2.2004
> There¿s a Sullen Presence between the Pope and Alexei II: The Catholic Patriarchate of Kiev
The ecumenical patriarchate of Constantinople is in on the action, too. Cardinal Kasper¿s "mission impossible" to Moscow. A surprising interview with Jesuit Fr. Robert Taft
6.2.2004
> Vatican Intrigues: "The Passion," the Pope, and the Phantom Review
The preview of Mel Gibson¿s film sends the curia into confusion. Dziwisz and Navarro speak, and then recant. Opus Dei plays a role as well. And two thunderbolts fall from the heavens
4.2.2004
> Rome, Moscow, and Washington. The Winter Campaign of Vatican Diplomacy
The Holy See wants to make peace with the Orthodox patriarch in Russia, and with the Bush administration in the United States. It¿s the new course set by its new foreign minister, Giovanni Lajolo
2.2.2004
> Headscarf Outlawed. France Caught Between Secularism and Islamism
The dispute for and against the Islamic headscarf is dividing the Catholic Church. Even the Muslims are not completely united. The headscarf¿s story throughout history, as recounted by Khaled Fouad Allam
28.1.2004
> The Patriarch of Constantinople Embraces Fidel Castro. And Forgets about the Prisons
The dictator of Cuba grants a church to the Orthodox. But he¿s clamping down even harder on the opposition. A new arrest and an appeal by Oswaldo Payá to the patriarch, who is silent
26.1.2004
> Cardinal Kasper Visits Moscow. But for the Vatican It Is Forever Winter in Russia
Rome and patriarch Alexis II start talking again. But reasons for the two clashing remain unchanged. Vladimir Zelinskji tells us why this is so from the Orthodox Church¿s point of view
23.1.2004
> A Parish of the People, Not of the Elite. Italy Renews its Model of Church
The bishops launch a new deal, beginning from the parish. But the project confronts John Paul II¿s predilection for the movements. An analysis by professor Luca Diotallevi
19.1.2004
> Tariq Ramadan¿s Two-faced Islam. The West is the Land of Conquest
The family, teachers, and ideology of the most popular Muslim intellectual in Europe. A challenge for Christians. The theologian Olivier Clément reveals the danger
13.1.2004
> La Pira, Kruschev, and the "Poor People." The Saints Can Make Mistakes, Too
The hundredth anniversary and the beatification process of Giorgio La Pira renew the disputes over communism and liberalism. Cubeddu and Ichino criticize cardinals Martini and Tettamanzi
8.1.2004
> Twenty-first Century African Slaves - In the Land of Islam
From the Niger River to Sudan slavery continues to be practiced and justified in the name of the Koran. Resounding the alarm are black African bishops, an Italian reporter and an English baroness from the House of Lords
5.1.2004
> Spidlik and Caffarra, the Odd Couple Sprung from the Pope's Mind
The first is a great ecumenist, a bridge between the East and the West. The second is an implacable heretic-hunter. But John Paul II favors both of them. And he has promoted them
