Letter from Rome

Article

He’s Not the Military Pope

Why make the prophetic John XXIII the heavenly poster-child and patron saint for Italy’s soldiers?

By Robert Mickens

September 18, 2017

War and Peace

Vatican II

Bishops

Letter from Rome

Article

Letter from Rome

The last absolute monarchy in the West is crumbling, and maybe that's a good thing

By Robert Mickens

July 31, 2017

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis

Bishops

Article

Letter from Rome: A Talkative & Disgruntled Cardinal

Gerhard Ludwig Müller is not going away quietly

By Robert Mickens

July 24, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome

The pope has run out of patience with the obstructionists

By Robert Mickens

July 10, 2017

Letter from Rome

Bishops

Web Exclusive

Article

Letter from Rome

Will Cardinal Pell's exit spell disaster for Francis's financial reforms?

By Robert Mickens

July 3, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome: How Francis Promotes Outsiders

Pope Francis continues his habit of rehabilitating men once on the outs with authorities in Rome

By Robert Mickens

June 26, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome

The appointment of a new bishop for Milan is huge

By Robert Mickens

June 19, 2017

Letter from Rome

Bishops

Pope Francis

Article

Letter from Rome

The Vatican returns to celebrating the Feast of Corpus Christi on the actual day of the solemnity

By Robert Mickens

June 5, 2017

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis

Pope John Paul II

Article

Letter from Rome

When Benedict XVI abdicated the papacy, he made a series of decisions that had the real potential of inhibiting the pontificate of his successor

By Robert Mickens

May 15, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome

The pope said church movements that are closed-in on themselves and do not deal with the concrete realities are not really Catholic

By Robert Mickens

May 1, 2017

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis

Middle East

Article

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis is calling for bold and creative solutions to all the problems that inhibit the church’s mission. The priest shortage is one of the most glaring

By Robert Mickens

April 17, 2017

Letter from Rome

Bishops

Priesthood

Article

Letter from Rome

The pope’s agenda includes listening to all young people, but what about listening to those like Marie Collins?

By Robert Mickens

April 10, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome

The best thing Francis can do to make sure that the next pope continues his vision for the church is to increase the number of cardinal electors

By Robert Mickens

April 3, 2017

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis

Article

Letter from Rome

How can Francis address the outdated model of Catholic priesthood and seminary formation?

By Robert Mickens

March 27, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome

The parallel legitimacy of the non-reformed and reformed liturgies has caused and perpetuated confusion and division in the church. How did this happen?

By Robert Mickens

March 20, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome

Has Cardinal Gerhard Müller submitted his resignation as prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF)? Should he?

By Robert Mickens

February 27, 2017

Bishops

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis

Article

Letter from Rome

Who is behind the poster campaign to smear the pope in Rome? His conservative opponents within the church, or his nationalist and far-right political foes?

By Robert Mickens

February 13, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome

Since Francis stripped Burke's duties as his personal representative to the Order of Malta, what are his options for dealing with this trouble-making cardinal?

By Robert Mickens

February 6, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome

The Vatican's Secretary of State offers important insights into the principles that are currently driving the Holy See’s international diplomacy.

By Robert Mickens

January 23, 2017

Bishops

Letter from Rome

Web Exclusive

Article

Letter from Rome

In an unprecedented move, the Vatican will give young people an opportunity to help set the agenda for the next Synod of Bishops meeting.

By Robert Mickens

January 16, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome

Expect the Jesuit pope to press the accelerator on his herculean efforts to reform the culture and structure of the central Vatican offices.

By Robert Mickens

January 9, 2017

Article

Letter from Rome

In an annual Christmas address to top Vatican officials, Francis laid out his plan to streamline, modernize, and bring to heel the curial apparatus.

By Robert Mickens

December 27, 2016

Bishops

Letter from Rome

Vatican II

Article

Letter from Rome

Conservative critics are horrified that the pope doesn't share their conviction that the church must stand un-sullied against a changing society.

By Robert Mickens

December 17, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

The Vatican reaffirmed a controversial directive that excludes “persons with deep-seated homosexual tendencies” from being admitted to Catholic seminaries.

By Robert Mickens

December 11, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

There is deep malaise among people who work in the curia about whether or not Francis's reforms will improve working conditions for its over 3000 lay employees.

By Robert Mickens

December 3, 2016

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis

Article

Letter from Rome

The Holy Year of Mercy has concluded, but it was only the briefest, even if intense, prelude to a whole new season for the church.

By Robert Mickens

November 26, 2016

Bishops

Letter from Rome

Article

Letter from Rome

As Pope Francis gave the red hat to thirteen new papal electors and four others, he faced very public criticism from four cardinals and an Australian journalist.

By Robert Mickens

November 19, 2016

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis

Article

Letter from Rome

As U.S. Catholic leaders elect the latest head of its national conference, there are few signs that they are willing to embrace the pastoral priorities of the pope.

By Robert Mickens

November 14, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

The prospect of a Trump presidency has sent shivers up the spines of most officials in the Vatican, though Americans who work in the Curia feel differently.

By Robert Mickens

November 6, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

Francis has made it clear he wants to renew the John Paul II Institute by developing the guidelines in "Amoris Laetitia," which traditionalists have criticized.

By Robert Mickens

October 31, 2016

Secularism and Modernity

Vatican II

Article

Letter from Rome

Has the pope picked predominantly “progressive” prelates as the latest cardinal-electors? Or is it that the so-called "center" has shifted since John Paul II?

By Robert Mickens

October 12, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis will “soon” create more cardinals that more fully reflect the global face of the Catholic Church.

By Robert Mickens

October 5, 2016

U.S. Catholicism

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis

Article

Letter from Rome

Whomever the Jesuits discern to be their next Father General, they should consider his skills in dealing with conflict. Especially with higher Church authority.

By Robert Mickens

September 28, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

A phrase that many people in the last pontificate ridiculed as an unthinking, trendy-lefty capitulation to religious syncretism is fully back in vogue in the Church.

By Robert Mickens

September 21, 2016

Columnists

Ecumenism

Letter from Rome

Muslim-Christian Relations

Pope Benedict XVI

Pope Francis

Pope John Paul II

Article

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis declared that Fr. Hamel was a martyr. In the Vatican’s norms for saint-making that means one is already eligible to be formally declared “blessed.”

By Robert Mickens

September 14, 2016

Letter from Rome

Article

Letter from Rome

Francis gathers his Council of Cardinals, his closest aide receives some very public criticism, and a new Father General for the Society of Jesus.

By Robert Mickens

September 7, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis will officially canonize Mother Teresa of Calcutta, and might create more cardinals.

By Robert Mickens

August 31, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

While in Poland for World Youth Day, Francis will be challenged to win over those Catholics who remain resistant to his program.

By Robert Mickens

July 27, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis may have named Fr. Pizzaballa an archbishop and temporary seat-holder of a patriarchate precisely in order to succeed the ambitious Cardinal Scola.

By Robert Mickens

July 20, 2016

Article

… the pre-Vatican II practice of so-called ad orientem worship; that is, celebrating Mass … by Cardinal Sarah’s “clarion call” for ad orientem worship (as some of his … And neither does he support a return to ad orientem celebration of the Mass. “New …

By Robert Mickens

July 13, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

As the CDW sets up a new commission, is there hope for Vatican II Catholics that the pope will firmly resist any attempts to roll back the clock on those reforms?

By Robert Mickens

July 6, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

Despite allowing a study on the female deaconate, the pope seemed to rule out any new structure in the church that would concretely incorporate women’s voices.

By Robert Mickens

June 29, 2016

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis

Religious Life

Article

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis caused quite a storm last week by suggesting that a “great majority of sacramental marriages are null,” but he was speaking as a pastor.

By Robert Mickens

June 22, 2016

U.S. Catholicism

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis

Article

Letter from Rome

The CDF's new “letter” to the world’s Catholic bishops mostly rehashes an impoverished, minimalist and “institutionalist” thinking.

By Robert Mickens

June 15, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

Criticism and applause for Francis's newly created process to try bishops accused of covering up sex abuse; Where have certain "bad" bishops from the U.S. ended up?

By Robert Mickens

June 8, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

Francis holds first private talks at Vatican with Grand Imam Ahmed el-Tayeb; Former aide to Bishop-emeritus of Rome claims Ratizinger never really resigned as pope

By Robert Mickens

May 25, 2016

Bishops

Ecumenism

Letter from Rome

Muslim-Christian Relations

Article

Letter from Rome

The truth (and history) behind the pope's comments on a commission to "clarify" the role of women deacons; Italian bishops react to Italy legalizing same-sex unions.

By Robert Mickens

May 18, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

Pope calls for change in economic theory and practice to deal with refugees in Europe while Rome's Augustinian Institute unveils "Master in Joseph Ratzinger" degree.

By Robert Mickens

May 11, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

Francis reforms the "evangelical spirit" of the church as a rumored eighty-five percent of cardinals in the Curia disapprove, many because of his work with refugees.

By Robert Mickens

May 4, 2016

Article

Letter from Rome

Pope Francis appoints new archbishop of Havana, releases new document on the laity in the church (in Spanish), and rumors say McDonald's is opening in Vatican city.

By Robert Mickens

April 27, 2016