Articles by Alan Holdren
Villa director reveals rich history behind Pope's summer home
Aug 8, 2012 / 01:05 amSaverio Petrillo, director of the Pontifical Villas at Castel Gandolfo, knows that the villas and farm at Pope Benedict's summer residence have been centuries in the making.
Youth turnout for Rome's first-ever March for Life
May 13, 2012 / 17:19 pmNearly 7,000 pro-life advocates marched from Rome's Colosseum to St. Peter's Square on Sunday for the city's inaugural March for Life.
Archbishop Gomez: Year of Faith is Pope's best anniversary present
Apr 19, 2012 / 09:17 amArchbishop Jose H. Gomez of Los Angeles says the forthcoming Year of Faith is the best present Pope Benedict could give the Church as he marks his seventh anniversary as pontiff.
Cardinal stresses spiritual meaning of Christian volunteer work
Apr 13, 2012 / 14:40 pmCatholics can proclaim the Gospel through their acts of service for others, the Pope's director of charitable activities said as he presented a new book on the Church's volunteer efforts.
Intervention could tear Syria apart, Melkite patriarch warns
Mar 18, 2012 / 15:06 pmWestern military aid to Syrian rebels could prove disastrous for the country, according to the Damascus-based head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church.
Pope confirms September 2012 visit to Lebanon
Mar 16, 2012 / 12:56 pmRumors of a papal trip to Lebanon have been confirmed by the head of the Melkite Greek Catholic Church, which will welcome Pope Benedict XVI at the start of his Sept. 14-16 visit.
Catholics remember Shahbaz Bhatti one year after murder
Mar 2, 2012 / 14:56 pmThe first anniversary of the murder of Pakistan Minorities Minister Shahbaz Bhatti witnessed several memorials and acclamations for the man many say should be declared a martyr.
Next Church doctor is model for evangelization
Jan 26, 2012 / 15:59 pmToday's world can learn a lot from St. John of Avila, according to those who have studied the life of the next Doctor of the Catholic Church.
Disbanded Palatine Guards serve Pope under new name
Jan 16, 2012 / 12:17 pmThe Vatican’s Palatine Guard was officially disolved in 1970, but its former members still serve the Pope today.
On anniversary of cathedral massacre, 42 Iraqis remembered as martyrs
Oct 30, 2011 / 14:07 pmOn the first anniversary of the massacre at Baghdad’s Our Lady of Salvation Cathedral, the 42 worshipers killed were remembered as martyrs and their intercession was sought on behalf of Iraq’s still besieged Christian community.
Rome celebrates first ever Feast of Bl. John Paul II
Oct 22, 2011 / 17:08 pmBlessed John Paul II was remembered with celebrations all over Rome on Oct. 22, his first feast day since his May 1 beatification.
Rome’s Christian past revealed by 3-D imaging
Oct 3, 2011 / 05:46 amA remarkable Vatican-Swedish project is providing a new 3-D insight into Christian Rome’s architectural history.
Vatican phone numbers not revealed in WikiLeaks cable dump
Sep 6, 2011 / 14:45 pmA WikiLeaks release of leaked State Department cables has drawn criticism for exposing sensitive diplomatic information. However, the massive release did not reveal confidential Vatican phone numbers but contained information already available in the city state’s public directory.
European politician calls new generation to defend Christianity
Aug 4, 2011 / 03:29 amOne of Europe’s foremost Catholic political thinkers has called for a new generation of politicians to defend and promote orthodox Christian ideals.
Meet the longest-standing member of Opus Dei – Father Valenciano
Aug 3, 2011 / 13:47 pmHe may be nearly 89 years old, but Father Fernando Valenciano can still recall with crystal clarity the day over seven decades ago when his life changed forever.
The desperate plight of Catholics in Vietnam – one priest’s story
Jul 15, 2011 / 03:53 am“If I return now, they will throw me in jail and kill me.” These are the frank words that mark an encounter with Father Peter Nguyen Khai, a 41-year-old Vietnamese priest living in Rome.
On Fatima feast, Portuguese cardinal marks 30 years since JP II attack
May 13, 2011 / 12:01 pm“Sorrow and gratitude” describe Cardinal Jose Saraiva Martin’s memory of May 13, 1981.
Vatican seeks greater interaction with bloggers in first-ever meeting
Apr 8, 2011 / 11:15 amThe Vatican is inviting Internet bloggers to Rome next month for an unprecedented meeting to foster “informal exchange and contact.”
Vatican: JP II beatification process marked by professionalism, accuracy
Apr 8, 2011 / 10:14 amA powerful sense of the late Pope John Paul II's holiness – and not popular pressure – has driven his beatification cause forward so swiftly, according to the Vatican’s top saint-making official.
Islamic ties to 1981 attack on John Paul II rejected
Apr 5, 2011 / 17:02 pmNew charges from Poland’s former communist ruler that Islamic extremists plotted the 1981 assassination attempt against Pope John Paul II are baseless and unbelievable, according to the late Pope’s biographer.