He once poured red wine for a Pope dressed from head to toe in white, careful not to spill a drop…but while impeccable in his table service, the Pope’s butler was spilling much more, delivering private documents from the Papal apartments directly into the hands of an Italian investigative journalist. The Pope’s butler, Paolo Gabriele, …
I would like to dedicate this blog post to my Italian husband, Gustavo Piga. When I saw the above cartoon in the International Herald Tribune I immediately thought of my husband and myself, the ultimate social media parents. I showed the cartoon to my male colleagues today at AP Television in Rome, announcing, “Hey guys, …
Dear Blog Readers, Earlier this week I did a story on the Vatican’s reaction to Obama’s endorsement of gay marriage. The Archbishop of Dublin Diarmud Martin told my AP wire colleague Nicole Winfield and me that “The Church’s teaching is very clear about this….It goes back to the original teaching in the beginning of the …
Today marks the 7th anniversary of the election of Pope Benedict XVI. The period before and after the death of Pope John Paul II and the election of Pope Benedict XVI was probably the most professionally intense of my life. There were great challenges to keep job and family afloat. It was also incredible thrill, …
The Election of Pope Benedict XVI – A Mamma’s View Read More »
Every year I enjoy covering big events at the Vatican. Aside from my job as a journalist who needs to cover the event and worry about the significance of the Homily and the health of the Pope, I enjoy the show. The Vatican knows how to put on visually dramatic, spectacularly colorful, deeply meaningful performances. …
Dear Blog Readers, I have been busy this week preparing for today’s Consistory during which 22 men were raised to Cardinals. During a majestic ceremony today in Saint Peter’s Basilica, each of the Cardinal-designates knelt in front of the Pope who placed a Cardinal’s red biretta hat on each one’s head and slid a cardinal’s …
A heavy, wet snow fell over the Vatican Friday night creating a deep sense of gloom and doom around the small city-state following a shocking front page story Friday morning revealing a plot to kill the Pope. The news story was the culmination of what appears to be vicious infighting behind Vatican walls. The Italian daily …
Dear Blog Readers: I am gearing up to cover a Consistory at the Vatican on February 18th and 19th during which Pope Benedict XVI will create 22 new cardinals. Eighteen of these new “Princes of the Church” will be eligible to vote for the next Pope in the next conclave. A Consistory is always a …