The Catholic Church, albeit not a democratic nation-state, has one of the most long-standing voting traditions in the world. When a pope dies, their successor...
Glad You Asked
Any Catholic with an interest in church politics probably knows about the tradition of “papal smoke” when a new pontiff is chosen. Crowds gather in Vatican...
According to the gospel of Matthew, shortly after Jesus was born an angel appeared to Joseph in a dream telling him to flee with his family to Egypt, since...
They say the church is not a democracy…but it still hosts historically important elections. Councils, synods, and even parishes often employ democratic norms...
One curious restriction on who can serve as a godparent is that two persons of the same sex may not serve together. This wasn’t always a mandate. History is...
What happens when the pope dies? Rituals surrounding the pope’s death begin with the Chamberlain of the Holy Roman Church, or Camerlengo. The Camerlengo is a...
Listen on: Apple | Spotify Belief in a literal six-day creation, including a literal Adam and Eve, is more associated with evangelical Christianity than with...
Nearly a century ago, a Spanish priest named Josemaría Escrivá founded a religious movement intended to summon Christians of all races, ages, and social...
“What’s your confirmation name?” is a peculiarly Catholic icebreaker. The question is based on generations of Catholic children choosing a saint’s name for...
Christian history has multiple stories of people who felt called by God to separate themselves from the bustle of society and live alone, often in remote...
