St Peter's Basilica Archives

St Peter’s Basilica

Cardinal clarifies exceptions to ban on private Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica

June 22, 2021

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the new archpriest of the basilica, said June 22 that requests to celebrate, instead of concelebrate, early morning Masses at St. Peter’s by groups “with particular and legitimate needs” may be allowed.

Pope Francis at Chrism Mass: The Cross of Christ is Inevitable

April 02, 2021

“If mere circumstances conditioned the saving power of the cross,” Pope Francis went on to say, “the Lord would not have embraced everything. But when his hour came, he embraced the cross fully. For on the cross there can be no ambiguity!”

Cardinal Zen expresses ‘pain and indignation’ at St. Peter’s Basilica private Mass restrictions

March 30, 2021

The former bishop of Hong Kong said March 30 that if he could, he would fly to Rome and kneel outside the pope’s residence until the decree was withdrawn.

Cardinal Sarah asks Pope Francis to reinstate individual Masses at St. Peter’s Basilica

March 29, 2021

“I humbly beg the Holy Father to order the withdrawal of the recent norms issued by the secretariat of state,” Cardinal Sarah wrote in an essay published Monday on the blog of Vatican journalist Sandro Magister.

Private Mass restrictions come into force at St. Peter’s Basilica

March 22, 2021

The basilica was quiet on March 22 without the usual murmur of prayers in many languages being offered to God in the sacrifice of the Mass at the tombs of saints.

8 Years in a Nutshell

March 14, 2021

...an exercise of brute force clothed in a gossamer administrative fig-leaf, with implausible reason given — raising questions of the true motive — ill-considered, ad hoc, juridically slapdash at best,...

Pope Francis at Epiphany Mass: ‘If we do not worship God, we will worship idols’

January 06, 2021

“Worshiping God is not something we do spontaneously. True, human beings have a need to worship, but we can risk missing the goal. Indeed, if we do not worship God, we will worship idols -- there is no middle way, it is either God or idols,” he said.

The Resurrection is ‘the greatest message history has ever heard’, says Pope Francis

April 01, 2018

Francis baptises eight adults at the Easter Vigil, including ‘migrant hero’ John Ogah