The fire at Notre Dame raised questions about God’s protection of sacred sites. But then how could God allow the destruction of Rome just one generation after Christianity became the official religion of the Empire?

Most converts I know have an elevator speech on why they became Catholic. My Catholicism just sort of “happened.”

Pope Francis prayed for victims of the attacks in Sri Lanka and called for peace, highlighting 18 conflicts around the world.

Certain memories linger in our hearts with special clarity. For me, a long-ago Holy Saturday that marked the day before my reception into the Catholic Church is one of those.

Pope Francis called on Christians not to give into a “tomb psychology,” and quoted the American poet Emily Dickinson, who wrote “We never know how high we are/Till we are called to rise.”

The air was still thick with smoke and the ash burnt the eyes of the onlookers, who were relieved to see the cathedral still standing. For many Catholics, the coincidence of the blaze occurring at the start of Holy Week speaks of the greater mysteries of Easter.