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Pope Leo to grieving father: ‘Death never has the last word’

17

Oct

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NewsCatholic News, Pope Francis, Vatican

Pope Leo to grieving father: ‘Death never has the last word’

Pope Leo XIV has responded to a letter from a grieving father with the encouragement that “death never has the last word.” In the October issue of Piazza San Pietro magazine, the pontiff penned a letter to Francesco, a father of four, who wrote to the Holy Father about the death of his 12-year-old son, Domenico Maria, from a sudden illness 18 years ago. Despite the time that has passed, the father said he still felt like his son’s premature death happened only yesterday. “Holiness, this letter of mine is intended only as a thought, as well as a remembrance for…

Book to feature Pope Leo’s writings and meditations as Augustinian prior

The Order of St. Augustine and the Vatican Publishing House announced the publication of a new book by Pope Leo XIV, Robert Francis Prevost O.S.A., titled “Free Under Grace: Writings and Meditations 2001-2013.” The book will be presented at the Frankfurt Book Fair in Germany, which opened Wednesday. The tome will include, for the first time, the writings of the current pontiff during his term as prior general of the Augustinian Order, offering readers a "closer look at his spirituality," according to a statement from the Vatican Publishing House. It will include reflections, meditations, homilies, and addresses, all imbued with…

How the tradition of Dutch flowers at the pope’s Easter Mass was saved

In early 2022, some Dutch Catholics were dismayed to learn that a 37-year Easter tradition would not continue. The Netherlands, known for its fields of flowers, had for more than three decades donated the colorful tulips, daffodils, and hyacinths that decorate St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s Easter Sunday Mass at the Vatican. Pope Francis celebrates Easter Sunday Mass in 2017, flanked by tulips, hyacinths, and daffodils from the Netherlands. Credit: Lucia Ballester/CNA The custom was put on hold for two years because of coronavirus restrictions, and in 2022, the Dutch florist who had organized the initiative since 2015 said…