Vatican Insider

My special guest this week in the interview segment of Vatican Insider is Michael Heinlein, editor of Simply Catholic, a ministry of Our Sunday Visitor and he is a frequent contributor to OSV. Our focus is his captivating book “Glorifying Christ” on the life and times of Cardinal Francis George, the late archbishop of Chicago.

Join me on Vatican Insider this weekend as I offer a number of interesting stories and audiences the Pope had this week and then my special report in what is normally the interview segment on the College of Cardinals. On October 6 the Pope announced he would create 21 new cardinals on December 7 and so I look at the College they will join that day – its history and makeup and some interesting stat...

I met Fr. Maher a few years back through a mutual friend, Irini de Saint Sernin, the Society’s Director of Philanthropy. We have become fast friends and I have to say, if you could just spend five minutes with Irini, you’d somehow believe, as I do, that her passion for the Bollandists played a role in the papal visit! So stay tuned after the news for Part II of my conversation with Fr. Maher.

Welcome to my first post-vacation edition of Vatican Insider as we start the busy news month of October with the Synod on Synodality in the Vatican and a number of interesting appointments for the Pope, including a canonization ceremony. But now, as I do every Friday, let me tell you about my guest in this week’s interview segment, Jesuit Fr. Michael Maher. He is an expert in the Belgium-based Soc...

As you know, because of the COVID-19 crisis and restrictions imposed on and by people for in person interviews – at least up to now – in recent weeks I have filled what is normally the interview segment of Vatican Insider with Specials. So far, I’ve explored 6 of the 7 Roman basilicas known as the Pilgrim Basilicas – St. Peter’s, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, St. Paul’s outside the Walls, Holy...

VATICAN INSIDER: ST. JOHN CANTIUS, THE STORY OF A CHICAGO PARISH My guest this week in the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” is a longtime friend, Fr. Frank Phillips, former pastor for 30 years at Chicago’s well-known St. John Cantius Church. After a number of years, we met serendipitously over my vacation at a pre-investiture ceremony for the Order of the Holy Sepulchre that was held at St....

This week on Vatican Insider, the interview segment is a repeat but it features a compelling storyteller and fascinating guest, Fr. Bill Petrie. At the time of our conversation, Fr. Bill, a priest of the Order of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary (SSCC), was pastor of St. Damien parish on the Hawaiian island of Molokai’i. We’ve been friends for a number of years and usually met at Kalaupapa on M...

My guest this weekend and next in the interview segment of “Vatican Insider” is Samuel Gregg, research director at the Acton Institute in Grand Rapids, Michigan. We spoke when he was in Rome to talk about his latest book, Reason, Faith and the Struggle for Western Civilization. (Originally aired on 11/15/19)

In the interview segment this week and next, I feature a conversation I had with Tony Clark, a scholar of all things Chinese, an historian, and writer who has authored dozens of books, articles, and other publications. He is a professor of Chinese history at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. Tony has lived and travelled extensively in China and tells many wonderful, riveting stories. We...

In the interview segment this week and next, I feature a conversation I had with Tony Clark, a scholar of all things Chinese, an historian, and writer who has authored dozens of books, articles, and other publications. He is a professor of Chinese history at Whitworth University in Spokane, Washington. Tony has lived and travelled extensively in China and tells many wonderful, riveting stories. We...

Welcome to Vatican Insider on the weekend after ferragosto, the Italian name once associated with pagan games in the month of August but now referring to the solemnity of the Assumption! It also refers to the usually quite long August period of holidays. In fact, the lazy, hazy days of ferragosto is the title of the Special that will appear in what is normally the interview segment of VI. This is...

My guest this week in the interview segment is Anthony di Mauro. We talk briefly about his time this summer as an intern in the Rome EWTN office and then focus on something amazing he has started called The Relic Project. That is the main focus of our conversation. What is a relic? Have you ever seen on? Does your family have one? What about your parish? Perhaps it even has a few relics. Are they...

“Summertime and the livin’ is easy” says George Gershwin’s famous song “Summertime” from “Porgy and Bess.” “The livin’ is easy” unless, of course, you are a tourist in Italy in July and August, desirious of seeing everything this culturally super rich country has to offer but you have to do so under scorching temperatures. There are days when the sidewalks seem to melt right under your feet and yo...

As you know, Sunday, July 28 the Church marks the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. Thus, I decided to reprise a conversation I previously had with Catherine Wiley, grandmother and founder of Catholic Grandparents Association (CGA) and Marilyn Henry who coordinates CGA in the United States. (Catherine L, Marilyn R) Both women are grandmothers and both have exceptional lives and stories. A...

Welcome to Vatican Insider on yet another scorching weekend in so many parts of the world. I hope you are staying cool as you listen to the program this week, especially the interview segment with my two special guests. As you know, Sunday, July 28 the Church marks the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly. Thus, this weekend and next, in the interview segment of Vatican Insider, I reprise a c...

Welcome to Vatican Insider on what seems to be a torrid weekend in so much of the world! And so many people in the world do not have access to air conditioning or other methods of cooling off so let’s pray for those brothers and sisters of ours! This weekend in the interview segment! I present Part II of my conversation with Fr. Ramil Fajardo, a dear friend from the archdiocese of Chicago. For sev...

I speak with Fr. Ramil Fajardo, a dear friend from the archdiocese of Chicago who, for several years, was the rector of the shrine of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini in Chicago. During his time there, he organized a Jubilee Year dedicated to Mother Cabrini and he is now involved in an interesting way with the Church’s worldwide 2025 Jubilee Year. Fr. Ramil, in fact, makes a wonderful announcement about...

This week I re-air Part II of an interview I did with Fr. Hans Zollner, a German Jesuit, theologian and psychologist, because his work is necessary to understanding an important event that took place in Rome this week. In 2012, Fr. Zollner founded and was president of the Center for Child Protection at Rome’s Jesuit-run Gregorian University. In April 2021, that became the Institute of Anthropology...

This week and next in the interview segment, I will re-air an interview I did with Fr. Hans Zollner, a German Jesuit, theologian and psychologist as his work is necessary to understanding an important event that took place in Rome this week. In 2012, he founded and was president of the Center for Child Protection at Rome’s Jesuit-run Gregorian University. In April 2021, that became the Institute o...

I have a return guest this weekend on Vatican Insider, Fr. Lawrence Carney of the diocese of Wichita, Kansas, known in the U.S. for his devotion to the Holy Face and his recent book, “The Secret of The Holy Face.” As you heard him tell us in Part I last weekend, after serving in the diocese for six years, he accepted the position as chaplain of the Benedictines of Mary, Queen of the Apostles, in G...

In the interview segment of Vatican Insider on this first weekend of June 2024, I reprise an earlier conversation with Fr. David Hulshof, director of Apostolic Formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome. This weekend is Part II. Part I aired last weekend There are a number of apostolates that are mandatory for all seminarians during their formation years such as working with the po...

In the interview segment of Vatican Insider on this final weekend of May 2024, I reprise an earlier conversation with Fr. David Hulshof, director of Apostolic Formation at the Pontifical North American College in Rome.

This Week, Vatican Insider visits Our Lady Of The Rosary Of Pompeii. May is the month of Mary and the month of the rosary and thus, a special time for such a wonderful story.

Welcome to Vatican Insider on what was a busy week in the Vatican with the swearing in of new Swiss Guards on May 6 and, on Thursday, May 9, the reading of the Bull of Indiction of the Jubilee Year 2025 during a ceremony in the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica. After the new highlights stay right here for a Q&A and then Part II of my conversation with Jacob Stein, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, who is...

This week in the interview segment of Vatican Insider, I welcome Jacob Stein, a native of Omaha, Nebraska, who is working on his licentiate in dogmatic theology at the Angelicum in Rome. He has a fascinating story and passion and apostolate which he shares with us. That passion is called CRUX STATIONALIS and I am guessing many of you have seen his work on his website dedicated to that as well as w...