Matthew McDonald

Irondale

Staff Writer at National Catholic Register

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Articles

Pope Leo XIV Dons Traditional Red Mozzetta, Echoing Past Pontiffs

6 days ago | ncregister.com | Matthew McDonald

What the New Pope Wears on the Balcony May Say Something About His Papacy. Pope Leo XIV is announced to the world from balcony of the Sistine Chapel on May 9, 2025. (photo: Daniel Ibanez / EWTN) Vatican May 9, 2025 Pope Leo XIV came out wearing the traditional garb for a new pope Thursday – a red mozzetta and a stole over a white rochet and his new white cassock – restoring a tradition that Pope Francis dispensed with in 2013.
Surprising Firsts (and Lasts) in Papal-Election History

1 week ago | ncregister.com | Matthew McDonald

A brief history of the most intriguing papal elections. Pope Paul VI, crowned by Cardinal Alfredo Ottaviani, was the last pope to be crowned, in 1963. (photo: Wikimedia Commons / Public Domain) Features May 8, 2025 Two hundred sixty-six popes have led the Roman Catholic Church since Jesus of Nazareth founded it around A.D. 33. But how did they get the job? And what did it lead them to do? Many of the answers are surprising.
The Most Exciting Live Spectator Event of All? Hands Down, It’s the Announcement of a New Pope

1 week ago | ncregister.com | Matthew McDonald

You can’t beat the drama of a papal conclave, when the eyes of the world are fixed on Rome. White smoke billows from the chimney on the roof of the Sistine Chapel indicating that the College of Cardinals have elected a new Pope on March 13, 2013 in Vatican City, Vatican. (photo: Peter Macdiarmid / Getty) Vatican May 6, 2025 Which live event always delivers the most excitement? Game 7 of the World Series? The World Cup? The Academy Awards? A U.S. presidential election?
What Name Will the Next Pope Choose?

1 week ago | ewtn.co.uk | Matthew McDonald

Tradition, reform, or something entirely new? The new pope’s choice of name will speak volumes before he says a word. , May 5, 2025 – National Catholic RegisterOne of the first things billions will learn about the new pope, even before he steps onto the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square, is the name he has chosen. After Cardinal Dominique Mamberti proclaims “Habemus Papam!” he will announce the supreme pontiff’s Christian name, then his surname.
What Name Will the Next Pope Choose?

1 week ago | ncregister.com | Matthew McDonald

Tradition, reform, or something entirely new? The new pope’s choice of name will speak volumes before he says a word. The facade of St. Peter’s Basilica and the central balcony known as the Loggia of the Blessings — where we’ll first hear the new pope’s name announced.
A (Very Short) History of US Presidents Attending Papal Funerals| National Catholic Register

2 weeks ago | ncregister.com | Matthew McDonald

President Trump and first lady Melania Trump will be attending Pope Francis’ funeral on April 26. Not so long ago, that was a shocking idea.
American Family Grateful for One Last Glimpse of Pope Francis

3 weeks ago | ncregister.com | Matthew McDonald

‘He was making a tiny pilgrimage of hope himself, just to come out on that balcony’ on Easter Sunday, the day before he died. The MacIver family smiles in Rome, with St. Peter’s Basilica in background on Easter 2025. (photo: Courtesy of the MacIver family) Vatican April 22, 2025 The MacIver family didn’t know they’d be witnessing Pope Francis’ last public appearance when they hustled to St. Peter’s Square on Easter Sunday, but they felt an urgency to get there.
Bigger Crowds Seen at Easter Masses This Year in Many Places

3 weeks ago | ewtn.co.uk | Joseph Pronechen |Matthew McDonald

‘Where did all these people come from?’ one pastor asks. , April 22, 2025 – National Catholic RegisterFather Bill Quinlivan noticed something at his earliest Easter Sunday Mass this past weekend: a lot of people. The priest, who is the pastor of the five-church Catholic Family of Parishes of South Buffalo in western New York, said he “kept looking around at every church” during Masses the rest of the day. His reaction? “Wow!” he said.
New Catholic Is Direct Descendant of Canonized Catholic Martyr

3 weeks ago | ncregister.com | Matthew McDonald

Unusual confirmation name was a no-brainer for this convert. Tomaszewski family photo shows Jane and Dan with their daughters, Gigi and Marian, on Gigi’s first Communion day in 2023. (photo: Courtesy of Jane Tomaszewski) Features April 19, 2025 Jane Tomaszewski was thinking about becoming a Catholic when she learned an unusual fact about herself. She’s the direct descendant of a canonized saint.
New Catholic Is Direct Descendant of Canonized Catholic Martyr

3 weeks ago | ewtn.co.uk | Matthew McDonald

Unusual confirmation name was a no-brainer for this convert. , April 19, 2025 – National Catholic RegisterJane Tomaszewski was thinking about becoming a Catholic when she learned an unusual fact about herself. She’s the direct descendant of a canonized saint. “That was the clincher for me: ‘Oh, I think I was meant to be Catholic,’” Tomaszewski told the Register.