Mission
Hot Topics
Dobri Dobrev: The Beggar Who Lived on Alms and Bequeathed Nearly US$5 Million to the Church
Malta Court Orders Four Companies to Pay Vatican Bank €24.1 Million over Budapest Property Investment
Only 29% of American Catholics Believe in the Real Presence: Questions About Eucharistic Renewal
Islam Makes Its Way Into the U.S. Government: A Record 7 Muslims in Congress and the Senate, and a Hindu Mayor in Los Angeles
Catholic Church Strengthens Its Presence in Gaza with a New Argentine Priest
German Abuse Survivors Demand Independent Probe into Allegations Surrounding Anselm Grün and Recollectio-Haus
Italian Bishops Defend Islamic Studies Initiative Amid Dispute Over the Identity of Catholic Religious Education
A Harvest of Vocations: Priestly Vocations Nearly Double in Denver, Reaching Record 110 Seminarians
Questions about liturgy: Protestant Songs Within a Catholic Mass
An African Detective Story: Who Killed Bishop Osório Citora Afonso?
Author
Rafael Llanes

Articles By Rafael Llanes

Good News•Testimonies

Dobri Dobrev: The Beggar Who Lived on Alms and Bequeathed Nearly US$5 Million to the Church

He became an inseparable fixture at the St. Alexander Nevsky Cathedral, part of the Bulgarian Orthodox Church in Sofia, to which he donated more than US$25,000. He would spend long hours there, receiving small coins. In 2013, he was named «Person of the Year» by the Sofia News Agency, which stated upon presenting the award: «There is still room for charity and good deeds.»

Local Church•Pro Life•Vatican Diplomacy

European Catholic Principality Headed by a Bishop Moves Toward Decriminalizing Abortion Amid Vatican Obstacles

In 2025, the Andorran Government proposed a more ambitious plan involving the transfer of women to abortion clinics in France or Spain, where abortion is legal, with medical support provided from Andorra and public funding for those in «vulnerable situations.» Because of the difficulty of negotiations, it was decided to process the measure in phases.

Analysis Opinion•Marriage and Family

A Man’s Brain Changes (For the Better) When He Becomes a Father: Findings Revealed by the Nature Review

Certain ideological stances portray the father as merely an «accessory figure,» reducing his importance to social factors alone. Research concludes that «the transition to fatherhood marks one of the most transformative periods in human life, requiring fathers to adapt to a new, lifelong role.» What is the basis for this claim?

Local Church

Church Denies Funerals to Masons: What Happened in Italy and the Explanation

The details that came to light led Monsignor Antonio Staglianò, Rector of Santa Maria di Montesanto, to consult Cardinal Baldassare Reina. Subsequently, the church’s Rector stated: «We verified the facts, including by speaking with the daughter, who unfortunately told us she knew nothing about this matter, but her father, as revealed by the Grand Orient of Italy, was a high-ranking Mason.»

Analysis Opinion•Controversies

Against the Unity Pope Leo XIV Seeks: Gestures and Words from Bishops That Fuel Polarization and Cause Confusion

Why is there so much controversy regarding key aspects of the Church’s internal life? Is the Church divided and in conflict, or is there more noise than peace? Does the Pope lean toward one tendency while alienating another? Answering these questions requires three clarifications to understand what is happening in the Church today.