We who do not live in Rome must rely on well-situated observers and reporters. Among the journalists, those resident in the city and accredited to the Holy See are best placed. To begin with, they speak Italian, which is the lingua franca of church life in Rome. Latin would be nice and can be crucial (Benedict’s announcement at the consistory that he would resign was made in Latin, and I remember Cardinal Bernard Law deciding to make his intervention, jargon for a speech, at a bishops synod at the Vatican in Latin, presumably to show his independence of American culture and media).

nbsp America is pleased to announced the naming of John Carr as our new Washington Correspondent Mr Carr whose first column will appear in the March 11 issue will offer regular analysis and commentary in print and online on key issues and events in the nation rsquo s capital His print column

nbsp This was a film experience unlike any other I had experienced Saturday afternoon when I approached the ticket office the SOLD OUT sign flickered up When I returned on Monday I just squeezed in for one of the last seats The film was a grim documentary Since when do documentaries pack them i

A climate check on what the world is saying about the conclave.

nbsp On Saturday last I attended an intriguing seminar sponsored by The Vatican Observatory Foundation Its topic was astrobiology Astrobiology is a compound science which relies on astronomy biology chemistry to ask about the origin evolution distribution of life in the universe Are there h

nbsp Cambridge MA This Lenten series is dedicated to reflections on the second chapter of the Yoga Sutras a chapter dedicated to the ldquo yoga of action rdquo As I explained in the first and second entries however ldquo action rdquo here is more a spiritual and intellectual doing and und