Alexander Lucie-Smith

5 days ago | unherd.com | Alexander Lucie-Smith

CatholicismFaithPope Leo XIVReformReligionrestofworldUSVatican In the end, after all the fevered speculation, the favourites were found wanting. It was not to be Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican’s top diplomat, nor Cardinal Tagle, “the Asian Francis”. No, the name that was announced from the balcony was little known: that of Robert Francis Prevost, an American from Chicago. The compromise candidate had been chosen. His nationality is two things at once: not important, but crucial.

2 weeks ago | unherd.com | Alexander Lucie-Smith

Catholic ChurchconclaveEuropeFaithpapacyPope FrancisRomeVatican The Italians have a phrase for it: “Siamo all’ultima spiaggia”, literally, we are on the last beach. They have been saying it for the last 30 years, though they now insist that this time it is really true. The money has run out. The pension crisis is looming, and all attempts to get to grips with the problem have failed. But this is not Italy we are talking about, it is the Vatican.

Dec 6, 2024 | alexanderluciesmith.substack.com | Alexander Lucie-Smith

While there has always been a strong tradition in Italy of priests fighting the Mafia, many of whom paying for it dearly, there have also been the sort of priests who have either been passive or even active helpers of the Mafia. I have written about both types. There have even been priests who have been fully paid up Mafiosi, usually involved in smuggling of one type or another, back in the day before drugs became the main thing.

Jan 31, 2024 | thetablet.co.uk | Alexander Lucie-Smith

The Church and the MafiaThe death in prison last September of Matteo Messina Denaro prompted an avalanche of commentary about the passing of the last of the Godfathers. But it is not so simple; it rarely is in Sicily. Get Instant AccessRegister for free to read this article in fullSubscribe for unlimited accessFrom just £30 quarterly  Complete access to all Tablet website content including all premium content.   The full weekly edition in print and digital including our 179 years archive.

Dec 23, 2023 | spectator.co.uk | Alexander Lucie-Smith

Text size Small Medium Large Line Spacing Compact Normal Spacious Comments This year Christmas Day is on a Monday; for the clergy this means two major feast days in a row, with the Fourth Sunday of Advent falling on Christmas Eve. Midnight Mass will be the fifth mass of the day for me, to be followed by three further masses on the morning of the 25th. Clerical heaven is the time when Christmas falls on a Sunday. But this year it is going to be a hard slog. Midnight Mass, the one ceremony of...