Our Lady of Perpetual Help Catholic Church

Long tables at the Sistine Chapel await the arrival of cardinals for the conclave to elect the next pope, Tuesday, May 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, May 6, 2025 / 12:58 pm (CNA).

The Vatican on Tuesday released photos of the Sistine Chapel prepared for the arrival of the cardinal electors who will select the next pope in the conclave set to begin on Wednesday.

The proceedings will take place in absolute secrecy, with the prelates largely sequestered from the outside world for as long as the conclave lasts until a new supreme pontiff is chosen.

My son is the middle child, with sisters on either side, and when people discover this, I inevitably hear playful expressions of pity on his behalf—some iteration of “that boy doesn’t stand a chance.” I am part of the “boy mom” era, where mothering boys is supposed to be a wild adventure—full of trucks and […]

The post Is Mary a ‘boy mom’? appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

Raniero Mancinelli in his workshop on Via Borgo Pio in Rome. / Credit: Almudena Martínez-Bordiú/ACI Prensa

Vatican City, May 6, 2025 / 11:57 am (CNA).

At 89 Via Borgo Pio, located a few steps from Porta Santa Anna leading to the Vatican, is Mancinelli Clergy, the iconic shop that embodies the history and tradition of ecclesiastical tailoring in Rome.

Behind a time-worn wooden counter, surrounded by tall glass cases displaying all kinds of religious articles — cassocks, scarlet caps, skullcaps, embroidered chasubles, and pectoral crosses — stands tailor Raniero Mancinelli, tasked with making the next pope’s habit.

With a measuring tape around his neck, Mancinelli welcomed ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, and shared the details of a craft he has been performing for more than six decades. “I’ve dressed John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Pope Francis… and this will be the fourth,” he commented proudly.

“It’s almost ready; there’s very little left, although we still have a few days to go, because I don’t think they’ll choose him on the first day,” Mancinelli assured a few days before the beginning of the conclave.

With a slow but steady pace, he heads toward the workshop, located at the back of the building, where, amid spools of thread, white fabrics, and patterns, the cassock, sash, and skullcap (“zuchetto” in Italian), the small round cap that will crown the head of the next successor of Peter, are all taking shape.

Sitting by his sewing machine and surrounded by photographs capturing his encounters with various popes, Mancinelli explained with a thick Roman accent that he always makes three sizes: “We make a large, a medium, and a small, so the pope has different options.”

With some relief at not having been John XXIII”s tailor, he smiled as he recalled the occasion when new pope Cardinal Angelo Roncalli first appeared before the world wearing a cassock held together by pins, as none of the sizes fitted him properly.

Besides the “pride and honor” Mancinelli said he feels having dressed four popes, he confessed that what he values ​​most about his profession is being able to serve, through his work, those who have consecrated their lives to God.

“What I like most is seeing how priests and bishops find everything they need here to live out their vocation,” the Italian tailor, famous in the Borgo district, humbly stated.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Raniero Mancinelli in his workshop on Via Borgo Pio in Rome. / Credit: Almudena Martínez-Bordiú/ACI Prensa

Vatican City, May 6, 2025 / 11:57 am (CNA).

At 89 Via Borgo Pio, located a few steps from Porta Santa Anna leading to the Vatican, is Mancinelli Clergy, the iconic shop that embodies the history and tradition of ecclesiastical tailoring in Rome.

Behind a time-worn wooden counter, surrounded by tall glass cases displaying all kinds of religious articles — cassocks, scarlet caps, skullcaps, embroidered chasubles, and pectoral crosses — stands tailor Raniero Mancinelli, tasked with making the next pope’s habit.

With a measuring tape around his neck, Mancinelli welcomed ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, and shared the details of a craft he has been performing for more than six decades. “I’ve dressed John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Pope Francis… and this will be the fourth,” he commented proudly.

“It’s almost ready; there’s very little left, although we still have a few days to go, because I don’t think they’ll choose him on the first day,” Mancinelli assured a few days before the beginning of the conclave.

With a slow but steady pace, he heads toward the workshop, located at the back of the building, where, amid spools of thread, white fabrics, and patterns, the cassock, sash, and skullcap (“zuchetto” in Italian), the small round cap that will crown the head of the next successor of Peter, are all taking shape.

Sitting by his sewing machine and surrounded by photographs capturing his encounters with various popes, Mancinelli explained with a thick Roman accent that he always makes three sizes: “We make a large, a medium, and a small, so the pope has different options.”

With some relief at not having been John XXIII”s tailor, he smiled as he recalled the occasion when new pope Cardinal Angelo Roncalli first appeared before the world wearing a cassock held together by pins, as none of the sizes fitted him properly.

Besides the “pride and honor” Mancinelli said he feels having dressed four popes, he confessed that what he values ​​most about his profession is being able to serve, through his work, those who have consecrated their lives to God.

“What I like most is seeing how priests and bishops find everything they need here to live out their vocation,” the Italian tailor, famous in the Borgo district, humbly stated.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

U.S. Catholic magazine received five awards from the Associated Church Press (ACP) during the organization’s annual “Best of the Church Press” ceremony, held this year in Chicago.  Founded in 1916, ACP is one of the oldest interfaith religious press associations in North America. The accolades recognize U.S. Catholic’s continued commitment to bold, thought-provoking journalism, compelling […]

The post ‘U.S. Catholic’ wins top honors from Associated Church Press appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

In 2016, Lisa Campbell, a Pentecostal convert to Catholicism, began attending religious communities that celebrated the Traditional Latin Mass, sometimes called the Tridentine Mass, the Latin Mass celebrated before the Second Vatican Council. She thought the elaborate, reverent liturgy would deepen her faith. Over time, however, she found these communities focused less on faith and […]

The post Former traditionalists find a new inclusive faith online appeared first on U.S. Catholic.

The Sistine Chapel. / Credit: marcobrivio.photography/Shutterstock

Vatican City, May 6, 2025 / 11:12 am (CNA).

The Sistine Chapel has witnessed every papal election since 1492 with only five exceptions, and it is preparing to once again host the conclave.

The 133 cardinal electors, meeting behind closed doors, will have the task of electing Pope Francis’ successor starting Wednesday, surrounded by the beauty of frescoes by Michelangelo, Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, and Domenico Ghirlandaio.

Located in the heart of the Vatican and protected by the Leonine Wall, the Sistine Chapel was built on the site of the ancient Cappella Magna. From its origins, it served not only as a place of liturgy but also as a protected space for the crucial decisions that have marked the millennia-long life of the Church.

Its symbolic proximity to the site of St. Peter’s martyrdom also reinforces the spiritual dimension of the election that will take place there.

On Monday, April 28, the Sistine Chapel, named after Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned its construction between 1475 and 1483, was freed from its usual tourist traffic to adapt to the strict regulations of the conclave and ensure the necessary conditions of hermetic isolation surrounding the cardinals’ votes.

The six-century tradition of holding papal elections here was ratified by St. John Paul II, who emphasized that the space contributes to the experience of divine presence.

From Genesis to Revelation, Michelangelo’s masterful hand will guide the cardinals present through the holy Scriptures from the beginning of the world to the final pages of history in a vibrant catechesis through art that will remind them of the threat of sin and death but also of the hope of eternal life.

As the cardinals gaze up at the ceiling, they will feel the power of the “Creation of Adam,” one of the most famous frescoes by the Italian Renaissance master, hovering over their heads.

Another witness to the historic election will be “The Last Judgment,” which will preside over the conclave from the altar wall. There will be placed the ballot box and the lectern with the Gospel, upon which the cardinals will take their solemn oath.

In this masterpiece, Christ is the universal judge of the living and the dead. Surrounding him are angels awakening the dead with trumpets, skeletons taking on new flesh as the resurrection of the dead progresses, and numerous saints and martyrs populating heaven.

Below, Charon, with his boat, facilitates the passage from death to hell, showing the damned their destiny. And, at the very top of the fresco, the symbols of Christ’s passion are clearly visible: the column where he was scourged, the dice with which his garments were divided, the crown of thorns, and above all, the cross, which emphasizes the path to heaven.

First-time cardinals are often overwhelmed by the visual grandeur that surrounds them. Painted by the greatest Renaissance artists, the works of the Sistine Chapel speak to consciences, as pointed out by Pope Benedict XVI, who, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo’s vault in 2012, invited people to interpret the works with the help of prayer in his address.

“Praying in the Sistine Chapel, enveloped in the story of God’s journey with humanity, admirably represented in the frescoes above and around us, is an invitation to praise, an invitation to raise to God, creator, redeemer, and judge of the living and the dead, with all the saints in heaven, the words of the Canticle of Revelation: ‘Amen! Alleluia!’” he asserted.

In fact, the artists Michelangelo, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Perugino did not work alone: ​​The iconographic themes were dictated by the most experienced theologians of Popes Sixtus IV and Julius II, who commissioned their decoration.

This is the only way to explain the coherence between the frescoes of Genesis, the scenes from the lives of Moses and Christ, and the Last Judgment that crowns the apse.

Measuring about 132 feet long, 44 feet wide, and over 65 feet high, the Sistine Chapel exudes a serene atmosphere. At the beginning of the conclave on Wednesday, the cardinals will enter in procession, intoning the “Veni Creator Spiritus.” Each will take their assigned place after solemnly swearing a commitment to secrecy.

The pope is a martyr

But before all this, the cardinals will pass through the Pauline Chapel, which houses the frescoes depicting the crucifixion of St. Peter, painted by Michelangelo between 1546 and 1550.

Known as the “capilla parva,” meaning “small chapel,” in contrast to its neighboring Sistine Chapel, this precious sacred space, inaccessible to the public, is reserved for the pope and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

The powerful image of St. Peter crucified upside down, a symbol of his martyrdom, is above all a visual reminder that the pope is a martyr: a fundamental message for the cardinals when electing his successor.

Mozart was also moved by its beauty

The Sistine Chapel has not only been the scene of papal elections but also of great liturgical celebrations. According to tradition, in the mid-18th century, the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart traveled to Rome and was fascinated by Gregorio Allegri’s “Miserere.” This composition could only be performed here during Holy Week, as the score was closely guarded by the Vatican.

Today, the Mass of the Epiphany is regularly celebrated in the Sistine Chapel, where both Pope Francis and Benedict XVI have baptized some of the children of Vatican employees.

Over the centuries, this space, overflowing with beauty, has been restored several times. For example, between 1980 and 1999, an exhaustive cleaning was carried out to remove the dirt caused by the dust, soot, and wax accumulated over the centuries.

The Sistine Chapel continues to dazzle the millions of people who visit it each year — an aesthetic ecstasy that will also be experienced by the cardinals who, for many the first time, will sit beneath its dome to discern the future of the Church.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The Sistine Chapel. / Credit: marcobrivio.photography/Shutterstock

Vatican City, May 6, 2025 / 11:12 am (CNA).

The Sistine Chapel has witnessed every papal election since 1492 with only five exceptions, and it is preparing to once again host the conclave.

The 133 cardinal electors, meeting behind closed doors, will have the task of electing Pope Francis’ successor starting Wednesday, surrounded by the beauty of frescoes by Michelangelo, Pietro Perugino, Sandro Botticelli, and Domenico Ghirlandaio.

Located in the heart of the Vatican and protected by the Leonine Wall, the Sistine Chapel was built on the site of the ancient Cappella Magna. From its origins, it served not only as a place of liturgy but also as a protected space for the crucial decisions that have marked the millennia-long life of the Church.

Its symbolic proximity to the site of St. Peter’s martyrdom also reinforces the spiritual dimension of the election that will take place there.

On Monday, April 28, the Sistine Chapel, named after Pope Sixtus IV, who commissioned its construction between 1475 and 1483, was freed from its usual tourist traffic to adapt to the strict regulations of the conclave and ensure the necessary conditions of hermetic isolation surrounding the cardinals’ votes.

The six-century tradition of holding papal elections here was ratified by St. John Paul II, who emphasized that the space contributes to the experience of divine presence.

From Genesis to Revelation, Michelangelo’s masterful hand will guide the cardinals present through the holy Scriptures from the beginning of the world to the final pages of history in a vibrant catechesis through art that will remind them of the threat of sin and death but also of the hope of eternal life.

As the cardinals gaze up at the ceiling, they will feel the power of the “Creation of Adam,” one of the most famous frescoes by the Italian Renaissance master, hovering over their heads.

Another witness to the historic election will be “The Last Judgment,” which will preside over the conclave from the altar wall. There will be placed the ballot box and the lectern with the Gospel, upon which the cardinals will take their solemn oath.

In this masterpiece, Christ is the universal judge of the living and the dead. Surrounding him are angels awakening the dead with trumpets, skeletons taking on new flesh as the resurrection of the dead progresses, and numerous saints and martyrs populating heaven.

Below, Charon, with his boat, facilitates the passage from death to hell, showing the damned their destiny. And, at the very top of the fresco, the symbols of Christ’s passion are clearly visible: the column where he was scourged, the dice with which his garments were divided, the crown of thorns, and above all, the cross, which emphasizes the path to heaven.

First-time cardinals are often overwhelmed by the visual grandeur that surrounds them. Painted by the greatest Renaissance artists, the works of the Sistine Chapel speak to consciences, as pointed out by Pope Benedict XVI, who, on the occasion of the 500th anniversary of Michelangelo’s vault in 2012, invited people to interpret the works with the help of prayer in his address.

“Praying in the Sistine Chapel, enveloped in the story of God’s journey with humanity, admirably represented in the frescoes above and around us, is an invitation to praise, an invitation to raise to God, creator, redeemer, and judge of the living and the dead, with all the saints in heaven, the words of the Canticle of Revelation: ‘Amen! Alleluia!’” he asserted.

In fact, the artists Michelangelo, Botticelli, Ghirlandaio, and Perugino did not work alone: ​​The iconographic themes were dictated by the most experienced theologians of Popes Sixtus IV and Julius II, who commissioned their decoration.

This is the only way to explain the coherence between the frescoes of Genesis, the scenes from the lives of Moses and Christ, and the Last Judgment that crowns the apse.

Measuring about 132 feet long, 44 feet wide, and over 65 feet high, the Sistine Chapel exudes a serene atmosphere. At the beginning of the conclave on Wednesday, the cardinals will enter in procession, intoning the “Veni Creator Spiritus.” Each will take their assigned place after solemnly swearing a commitment to secrecy.

The pope is a martyr

But before all this, the cardinals will pass through the Pauline Chapel, which houses the frescoes depicting the crucifixion of St. Peter, painted by Michelangelo between 1546 and 1550.

Known as the “capilla parva,” meaning “small chapel,” in contrast to its neighboring Sistine Chapel, this precious sacred space, inaccessible to the public, is reserved for the pope and the exposition of the Blessed Sacrament.

The powerful image of St. Peter crucified upside down, a symbol of his martyrdom, is above all a visual reminder that the pope is a martyr: a fundamental message for the cardinals when electing his successor.

Mozart was also moved by its beauty

The Sistine Chapel has not only been the scene of papal elections but also of great liturgical celebrations. According to tradition, in the mid-18th century, the young Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart traveled to Rome and was fascinated by Gregorio Allegri’s “Miserere.” This composition could only be performed here during Holy Week, as the score was closely guarded by the Vatican.

Today, the Mass of the Epiphany is regularly celebrated in the Sistine Chapel, where both Pope Francis and Benedict XVI have baptized some of the children of Vatican employees.

Over the centuries, this space, overflowing with beauty, has been restored several times. For example, between 1980 and 1999, an exhaustive cleaning was carried out to remove the dirt caused by the dust, soot, and wax accumulated over the centuries.

The Sistine Chapel continues to dazzle the millions of people who visit it each year — an aesthetic ecstasy that will also be experienced by the cardinals who, for many the first time, will sit beneath its dome to discern the future of the Church.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron speaks to EWTN News Vatican Correspondent Colm Flynn in Rome on Monday, May 5, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News

CNA Staff, May 6, 2025 / 10:27 am (CNA).

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, this week said the next pope should be a disciple of Christ first and foremost, one who places “the declaration of Jesus” at the center of his papacy. 

Barron spoke to EWTN News Vatican Correspondent Colm Flynn on May 5 in Rome. The U.S. prelate noted that the Church is on “pins and needles” during the interregnum before the election of the next pope, though he admitted it’s “an exciting time.”

Asked by Flynn about the commentary that has proliferated around the papacy since Pope Francis’ death on April 21, Barron said the “politicization” of the papal selection process reflects a “lack of proper prioritization.” 

The bishop pointed to Australian priest and theologian Father Gerald Glynn O’Collins, SJ, who when  asked what he was looking for in the next pope after John Paul II’s death, responded, as Barron put it: “I want someone who declares the resurrection of Jesus in a compelling way.”

“Because that was Peter’s job,” Barron said, “and this is the successor of Peter. I think to put the stress on the spiritual, on the evangelical, on the declaration of Jesus — that’s what matters.” 

The prelate admitted that there are “further implications” to a pope’s job. He told Flynn that there are “political strategies” that help advance the “moral principles” espoused by the Church.

“[T]he preoccupation with — oh, is he left-wing? Is he right-wing? Climate change, immigration — OK, we can get to all that,” Barron said. 

“But the first thing I’d look for is a disciple, a believer in Jesus, and who has the capacity to proclaim the Resurrection in a compelling way,” he said. “That’s the pope’s job, [and] to be a source of unity for the Church.”

The politicization of the papacy is “seeing [the role] through a relentlessly secular political lens,” Barron said. “And you know, again, I get it. But I’m annoyed at the way it gets the priorities off.” 

Asked about the cardinals who are considered top contenders for the papal election this week, Barron pointed out that, during the last conclave, “nobody” suspected then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio would become Pope Francis. 

“I always put that forward as a caution whenever we’re talking about candidates,” the bishop said. “There is certainly a good chance it won’t be any of these people.”

Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, Bishop Robert Barron speaks to EWTN News Vatican Correspondent Colm Flynn in Rome on Monday, May 5, 2025. / Credit: EWTN News

CNA Staff, May 6, 2025 / 10:27 am (CNA).

Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, this week said the next pope should be a disciple of Christ first and foremost, one who places “the declaration of Jesus” at the center of his papacy. 

Barron spoke to EWTN News Vatican Correspondent Colm Flynn on May 5 in Rome. The U.S. prelate noted that the Church is on “pins and needles” during the interregnum before the election of the next pope, though he admitted it’s “an exciting time.”

Asked by Flynn about the commentary that has proliferated around the papacy since Pope Francis’ death on April 21, Barron said the “politicization” of the papal selection process reflects a “lack of proper prioritization.” 

The bishop pointed to Australian priest and theologian Father Gerald Glynn O’Collins, SJ, who when  asked what he was looking for in the next pope after John Paul II’s death, responded, as Barron put it: “I want someone who declares the resurrection of Jesus in a compelling way.”

“Because that was Peter’s job,” Barron said, “and this is the successor of Peter. I think to put the stress on the spiritual, on the evangelical, on the declaration of Jesus — that’s what matters.” 

The prelate admitted that there are “further implications” to a pope’s job. He told Flynn that there are “political strategies” that help advance the “moral principles” espoused by the Church.

“[T]he preoccupation with — oh, is he left-wing? Is he right-wing? Climate change, immigration — OK, we can get to all that,” Barron said. 

“But the first thing I’d look for is a disciple, a believer in Jesus, and who has the capacity to proclaim the Resurrection in a compelling way,” he said. “That’s the pope’s job, [and] to be a source of unity for the Church.”

The politicization of the papacy is “seeing [the role] through a relentlessly secular political lens,” Barron said. “And you know, again, I get it. But I’m annoyed at the way it gets the priorities off.” 

Asked about the cardinals who are considered top contenders for the papal election this week, Barron pointed out that, during the last conclave, “nobody” suspected then-Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio would become Pope Francis. 

“I always put that forward as a caution whenever we’re talking about candidates,” the bishop said. “There is certainly a good chance it won’t be any of these people.”