Giovanni Battista Montini

Pictured above one can see the statue of Pope Paul VI (1963-1978) outside the Institute Paul VI. This new building is located next to the house in Concesio, near Brescia, where Giovanni Battista Montini was born in 1897. His Holiness Pope Benedict XVI will visit the house on 8th November, in a visit marking the 30th anniversary of Pope Paul's death (6th August 1978).

Closing of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops

This morning Pope Benedict XVI celebrated a mass in to mark the conclusion of a three-week Vatican meeting on the role of the Catholic Church in Africa.

Hello Reverend President

Earlier today Pope Benedict XVI accepted the resignation as President of the Pontifical Council Iustitia et Pax of Cardinal Renato Raffaele Martino. To replace him His Holiness named Cardinal Peter Kodwo Appiah Turkson, until now archbishop of Cape Coast, Ghana.

Crossing the Tiber?

On Tuesday 20th October Cardinal William Levada, Prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, announced that the Vatican is intending to make it easier for members of the Church of England/Anglican Communion to join the Catholic Church. In making this announcement the Church is responding to the disillusionment of some Anglicans over the direction that the Anglican Church is moving in. Cardinal Levada announced that Pope Benedict XVI has approved a new church provision that will allow Anglicans to convert while maintaining many of their distinctive spiritual and liturgical traditions.

Five New Saints

Earlier today Pope Benedict XVI canonised five new saints. Those raised to the altar were Sister Jeanne Jugan, who founded the Little Sisters of the Poor; Damien de Veuster, a Belgian missionary; Archbishop Zygmunt Szczesny Feliński of Warsaw, founder of the Congregation of the Franciscan Sisters of the Family of Mary; Spanish layman Francisco Coll y Guitart founder of Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Annunciation of the Blessed and Fr Rafael Arnaiz Baron.

Opening of the Second Special Assembly for Africa of the Synod of Bishops