Dear Blog Readers – I just spent the week taking a journalism course in the small town of Fiuggi, in the hills a little south of Rome. I loved going back to “school” and spending hours in the classroom learning about Italian law, the modern history of Europe, and economics. While I was there, I …
Today — one year after he was elected Pope — Pope Francis is on a spiritual retreat with bishops and cardinals. Showing his usual simplicity he took the bus and sat in the middle of the pack. One year ago on March 13, 2013, I stood with AP Television cameraman Paolo Lucariello near the obelisk …
It has been a whirlwind week in Rome and at the Vatican. On one side of the Tiber River a Prime Minister was abruptly shoved out off office and another one stepped in, Italy now has its youngest Prime Minister ever, 39 year-old Matteo Renzi. Renzi’s cabinet is also strikingly young and of the total …
After his dramatic departure just over two months ago, the former Pope, Benedict XVI, returned to the Vatican today to take up residence in a small monastery inside Vatican walls. On February 28th the newly resigned Ben XVI took off from the Vatican in a helicopter and whirred over the city as thousands of people …
Rome is going through a Francesco frenzy. People love Papa Francesco, or Pope Francis. This past Wednesday at his weekly audience in St. Peter’s Square the crowd, including lots of young people, went wild chanting “FRAN- CHESS- CO” “FRAN- CHESS-CO” as he went through the square in his Popemobile. My colleague AP photographer Gregorio Borgia …
Dear Blog Readers- A quick word about my “Cappuccino” Cardinal, that would be the Cardinal from my hometown, Boston, Cardinal Sean O’Malley. O’Malley has suddenly emerged on the lists of Papabile or papal contenders. He became a Capuchin Friar at age 21 and to this day wears the brown, hooded habit and a white …
My Cappuccino Cardinal – Sean O’Malley of Boston Read More »
CARDINAL TIMOTHY DOLAN This past Thursday, the day Pope Benedict XVI left the Vatican in a helicopter at 5pm, I had an interview scheduled with Cardinal Timothy Dolan of New York at 4:30pm at the North American College, not far from the Vatican. I work in television where images speak louder than words and I …
Red Ribbons, Scotch Tape, Gold Rings and Clunky Crosses Read More »
Dear Blog Readers — I’ve just had a double espresso and half a container of Haagen-Daz Pralines and Cream ice cream to give me the energy to tell you about today. I am going to be brief though and will write more in the coming days. Today was a historic day at the Vatican. Pope …