Previous Files - Vatican Files

1. Vatican efforts towards New Evangelization? October 18, 2010
2. The Future Roman Catholic Church. Global Tales from the 21st Century November 18, 2010
3. Papa dixit. The recent interview with Benedict XVI December 6, 2010
4. Word of the Lord and/or Word of the Church? The Bible in a recent papal pronouncement January 10, 2011
5. A mystical view of Purgatory? On a recent catechesis by Benedict XVI January 28, 2011
6. The blessed John Paul II. A Christ-centered legacy? February 7, 2011
7. The Pauline Year. A More Pauline Church? February 21, 2011
9. The New Evangelization at the 2012 Synod of Bishops March 11, 2011
10. Jesus of Nazareth according to Benedict XVI March 21, 2011
11. “The Courtyard of the Gentiles”, a Response to Atheism March 28, 2011
12. Marian devotion and John Paul II. Tales from a will-be beatification April 11, 2011
13. John Paul II beatus. Chronicles of a distant observer May 14, 2011
14. Reform-in-continuity? Vatican II and the Roman Catholic Church May 24, 2011
15. Sex and the Vatican. Only a moral issue? May 30, 2011
16. How big is the Roman Catholic Church? On numbers and statistics June 16, 2011
17. Between Corpus domini and Eucharistic adoration July 1, 2011
18. Towards the World Youth Day in Madrid July 9, 2011
19. Beyond the Reformation in 2017? September 7, 2011
20. Engaging in dialogue with Roman Catholic theologians. September 26, 2011
21. After Luther what? Benedict XVI on new forms of Christianity and secularization October 3, 2011
22. The “spirit” of Assisi 2011 October 19, 2011
23. A Year of Faith to commemorate Vatican II and to launch the New Evangelization November 3, 2011
24. The Vatican and the New Strategy for Impacting the Biotech World November 14, 2011
25. The Vatican and the claims of Photoshop November 19, 2011
26. Africa, a Continent without Evangelicals November 30, 2011
27. “Ecumenism is like a flight”. Cardinal Koch and the current state of ecumenism December 19, 2011
28. Happy New Year and welcome home, Anglo-Catholics! January 7, 2012
29. The State of the World according to Benedict XVI January 16, 2012
30. Ecumenism between Dangerous Pitfalls and Real Issues January 28, 2012
31. The New Evangelization and Its Silences February 7, 2012
32. New Cardinals for the next Conclave February 20, 2012
33. Scripture and Tradition in Today’s Roman Catholic Theology March 13, 2012
34. A Vatican Exhibition on the History of the Bible, with Some Blind Spots March 26, 2012
35. Next Stop, Rio de Janeiro April 7, 2012
36. Happy Birthday, Pope Ratzinger! April 27, 2012
37. The Catholic Church in its Essence, Reality and Mission May 7, 2012
38. May, Marian Month May 15, 2012
39. What has the Family to do with Indulgences? May 28, 2012
40. The Vatican, a Nest of Crows? June 6, 2012
41. A Working Tool for the New Evangelization June 27, 2012
42. Why do People Leave the Catholic Church? July 18, 2012
43. God is Near, Mary is Very Near. Benedict XVI on the Dogma of Mary’s Assumption August 21, 2012
44. Not an Anti-Pope but an Ante-Pope. Cardinal Martini (1927-2012) and the Dynamics of Present-Day Roman Catholicism September 3, 2012
45. What Happened at Vatican II? September 24, 2012
46. At the Beginning of the Year of Faith, Marian Devotion and Indulgences October 8, 2012
47. “What is New and What is Old”. The Propositions of the Synod for the New Evangelization October 31, 2012
48. The Link Between Faith and History. The Infancy Narratives according to Benedict XVI November 30, 2012
49. How Visible Should Christian Unity Be? December 12, 2012
50. A Provision to Become Roman-and-Lutheran Catholics? January 31, 2013
51. The Last Lectio of Benedict XVI (before his resignation) February 12, 2013
52. Marks of a Pontificate February 25, 2013
53. Papabili. A Short Guide Waiting for the Conclave March 4, 2013
54. The Three Tasks of Pope Francis March 18, 2013
55. A Papal Honeymoon … Until When? March 21, 2013
56. Left Without Words. How Roman Catholicism is Reshaping the Evangelical Vocabulary April 1, 2013
57. “The Word of God Precedes and Exceeds the Bible”. April 15, 2013
58. Hurrah to Madonna. Pope Francis and the Re-Marianization of the Papacy May 10, 2013
59. Not By Improvisation Alone. The Vatican at the Venice Biennale June 1, 2013
60. 100 Days with Pope Francis June 22, 2013
61. Lumen Fidei. The First Encyclical by Pope Francis July 8, 2013
62. A Church with Two Popes July 22, 2013
63. Same Word, Different World. The Roman Catholic Doctrine of Regeneration August 2, 2013
64. Between Trent and Aparecida. The Trajectory of Pope Francis August 26, 2013
65. The Pope Francis’ dogma: “God is present in every person’s life” September 20, 2013
66. Towards a Politically Correct Apologetics? October 3, 2013
67. The World Entrusted to Mary. Why? October 16, 2013
68. 2017: From Conflict to Communion? November 15, 2013
69. The Joy of the Gospel: A Window into Francis’ Vision December 2, 2013
70. Trent, 450 Years Later December 16, 2013
71. Ecumenism of Blood December 20, 2013
72. Secular Perceptions of Pope Francis January 6, 2014
73. Restoring Full and Visible Unity? January 29, 2014
74. The UN, the Vatican, and their Political and Theological Abuses February 14, 2014
75. Liberation Theology, the Prodigal Daughter February 28, 2014
76. The Catholicity of Pope Francis March 9, 2014
77. Where is the Catholic Marriage Going? March 21, 2014
78. The New Saints and Pope Francis April 5, 2014
79. Peter Didn’t Have a Bank, Did He? April 15, 2014
80. “Without Mary the Heart is an Orphan”. Another Instance of Francis’ Marianism May 16, 2014
81. “Not a School of Samba”. Francis and the Catholic Charismatic Movement June 9, 2014
82. A Mini-Assisi for the Holy Land? June 17, 2014
83. What Francis Really Thinks of the Reformation (and of Calvin in Particular) June 23, 2014
84. Roman Catholic Ecumenism: Let the Italian Evangelicals Speak July 23, 2014
85. Francis’ Apology To Pentecostals In Search of Significance August 3, 2014
86. Redefining Fraternity. At What Cost? August 11, 2014
87. The Marian Message of Pope Francis to Korea August 22, 2014
88. Is Scripture True Only in a “Limited” Way? The Truth of the Bible According to the Pontifical Biblical Commission August 28, 2014
89. Is Unity Like a Sphere or a Polyhedron? September 18, 2014
90. Church Planting in Rome? September 29, 2014
91. Ecumenism in All Directions. Pope Francis and the Unity of the Church October 8, 2014
92. Paul VI, A Beatus to Reassure the Perplexed Conservatives October 24, 2014
93. Who Are We to Judge? The Synod on the New Forms of the Family October 31, 2014
94. A New Era Between Catholics and Evangelicals? November 7, 2014
95. Roman Catholic Theology and Practice by Gregg Allison. A Review November 19, 2014
96. The “Catholic” Month of Pope Francis November 30, 2014
97. Turkey, Gateway To Inter-religious Dialogue and Ecumenism December 12, 2014
98. John Calvin and the Papacy December 31, 2014
99. The Fifteen Sicknesses of the Roman Curia Except One January 14, 2015
100. The Idols of Rome January 31, 2015
101. Holy Mother of God! Three Times! February 12, 2015
102. Still “our Holy Mother the Hierarchical Church” February 28, 2015
A Christian’s Pocket Guide to Papacy March 2, 2015
103. Evangelicals and Catholics Together (1994-2015) March 9, 2015
104. Two Years with Pope Francis. An Interview March 20, 2015
105. Conservative? Liberal? Radical? Who is Francis? March 31, 2015
106. Should Evangelicals Love Pope Francis? April 13, 2015
107. Preaching According to a Vatican Handbook May 1, 2015
108. Martin Luther and the Papacy May 11, 2015
109. Jubilee of Mercy (and Indulgences) June 1, 2015
A Christian Pocket Guide to the Papacy. A Book Review by Chris Castaldo June 20, 2015
110. A “Green” Pope? July 1, 2015
111. We Are Not Puritans, Are We? August 1, 2015
Video Resources on Roman Catholicism in Evangelical Perspective August 11, 2015
112. Peter, the Rock and the Keys: Does Matthew 16 Support the Doctrine of the Papacy? September 1, 2015
113. What Do You Think About Pope Francis? September 24, 2015
114. Is the Pope the Anti-Christ? October 2, 2015
Webinar with Leonardo De Chirico: The Theological Vision of Pope Francis November 2, 2015
115. Rome, the Pope and Gospel Work in Italy. 10 Questions With Leonardo De Chirico November 18, 2015
The Gospel in Italy. An Interview on The Gospel Coalition website November 25, 2015
116. After the Synod on the Family, What? December 1, 2015
117. Talking With Catholics about the Gospel. A Book Review December 16, 2015
118. Salvation Belongs to the Lord. Evangelical Consensus in Dialogue with Roman Catholicism December 31, 2015
Aggiornamento or What Happened at Vatican II (1962-1965)? A Webinar with Leonardo De Chirico January 8, 2016
119. Unity … on Which Foundation? February 1, 2016
120. An Atonement-Free Mercy? March 1, 2016
121. Karl Barth and Vatican II March 8, 2016
122. Cooperating with the Roman Catholic Church? A Lesson from Francis Schaeffer (1912-1984) April 1, 2016
123. The Blurring of Time Distinctions in Roman Catholicism April 18, 2016
124. Evangelicals and Catholics: A New Era? April 30, 2016
125. What Happened to Justification by Faith? June 1, 2016
126. What Does It Mean to be Catholic? A Book Review June 30, 2016
127. Is the Ecumenical Martin Luther the Real Luther? July 31, 2016
128. How Does the Catholic Church Rejuvenate? August 31, 2016
129. Roman Catholic Theology after Vatican II: An Interview October 1, 2016
Is the Reformation Over? A Statement of Evangelical Convictions October 24, 2016
130. Progressive, Conservative or Roman Catholic? On the Theology of Joseph Ratzinger November 1, 2016
131. After Lund, What Remains of the Protestant Reformation? November 9, 2016
Is the Reformation Over? A Webinar with Leonardo De Chirico (24 Nov 2016) November 11, 2016
131. Is Pope Francis Making the Catholic Church Protestant? December 1, 2016
132. “The Only Creature Without Sin” – Pope Francis on the Immaculate Conception of Mary January 1, 2017
133. What Kind of “Reformation” Does Pope Francis Have in Mind? February 1, 2017
134. The “Uncertain Teaching” of Pope Francis March 1, 2017
135. The Decentralization of Catholic Bioethics in the Time of Francis April 1, 2017
136. The Gospel of Solidarity: The Future of Roman Catholic Mission? April 12, 2017
137. Sanctuaries As Places of Evangelization. Are They Really? May 1, 2017
The Need for Clarification: Is the Reformation Over? May 17, 2017
138. Marian Prayers As Shapers of Roman Catholic Theology and Practice June 1, 2017
139. Would You Ever Ask Muslims to Pray for You? Pope Francis Did July 1, 2017
140. Is the Roman Catholic Church Now Committed to “Grace Alone”? August 1, 2017
141. “Greater Oneness in Christ”: What Does it Mean? September 1, 2017
New book on Mary! September 20, 2017
142. “The Clay of Paganism with the Iron of Christianity”: Cornelius Van Til’s Critique of Roman Catholicism October 1, 2017
143. Where Does Pope Francis Stand on the Doctrine of Justification? November 1, 2017
144. What Happens If Catholics Think the Pope Is a Heretic? December 1, 2017
145. Mission. Did Pope Francis say Mission? January 1, 2018
146. Why Are Younger Evangelicals Fascinated by Roman Catholicism? February 1, 2018
147. Does Mariology Imply A Diminished Role for Jesus Christ and the Holy Spirit? March 1, 2018
148. The Intellectual Journey of J.M. Bergoglio, Now Pope Francis April 1, 2018
149. Do Atheists Go to Heaven? Pope Francis Says Yes May 1, 2018
150. Pope Francis’ Re-Interpretation and Actualization Of Gnosticism and Pelagianism: A Plausible Suggestion? June 1, 2018
151. Eucharistic Hospitality? Between a Catholic “Yes” and a Roman “No” July 1, 2018
152. “Either Ecumenical or Proselytizer”? No, There is a Better Option August 1, 2018
153. A Few Remarks on the Evangelical Fascination with the “Sacramental Tapestry” — A Book Review of Hans Boersma’s Two Volumes on the Topic September 1, 2018
154. The Loss of Credibility of the Roman Catholic Church and the Theological Issues at Stake October 1, 2018
155. Roman but Not Catholic: A Book Review November 1, 2018
156. She is My Mamá – Pope Francis and Mary December 1, 2018
157. What is at Stake with Roman Catholic Mariology? January 1, 2019
158. The Annus Horribilis (Terrible Year) of the Roman Catholic Church February 1, 2019
159. “Confusion” and “Failure”: Other Roman Catholic Blows Against Pope Francis March 1, 2019
160. Is the Nicene Faith the Basis for Ecumenism? April 1, 2019
161. Are there two Popes of the Roman Catholic Church? April 19, 2019
162. Deciphering Vatican II: A New Book Especially Helpful for Evangelicals May 1, 2019
163. Five Principles for Interpreting the Church Fathers June 1, 2019
164. From the Mary of the Bible to the Mary of Manifold Devotions July 1, 2019
165. What is the Essence of Roman Catholicism? August 1, 2019
166. Pope Francis Fears for the Planet, But Where Is the Gospel? September 1, 2019
167. Why Do They Cross the Tiber? Stories of Evangelical Conversions to Rome September 15, 2019
168. Contested Catholicity: In What Sense Is the Church Catholic? October 1, 2019
169.“Baptized and Sent”: Is This the Biblical Mission? November 1, 2019
170. Totus Christus (The Whole Christ) or Solus Christus (Christ Alone)? On The Damages of Augustine’s Formula and the Correction of the Protestant Reformation December 1, 2019
171. The Theology of Pope Benedict XVI: Looking for a Deeper Protestant Evaluation January 1, 2020
172. Can the Roman Catholic Church survive two Popes? — one Catholic and one Roman February 1, 2020
173. Querida Amazonia: A Reinforcement of Pope Francis’ Missiology March 1, 2020
174. Rosary, Indulgences and Humanism. How is Italian Roman Catholicism facing the Coronavirus Crisis? March 23, 2020
175. Why Evangelicals Must Engage Roman Catholicism May 1, 2020
176. “Totus tuus” (to Mary). The Unsettled Legacy of John Paul II One Hundred Years since His Birth June 1, 2020
177. Inter-Faith Prayers for the Pandemic to Cease? What Is at Stake is Bigger Than What You Think July 1, 2020
178. Why J.I. Packer Signed “Evangelicals and Catholics Together” (1994) (and Why He Was Inconsistent) August 1, 2020
179. After 150 Years of Papal Infallibility, What? September 1, 2020
180. “Season of Creation”: The New Ecological-Ecumenical Agenda? October 1, 2020
181. “All Brothers”: The Unbearable Cost of Roman Catholic Universalism November 1, 2020
182. The Dogma of the Bodily Assumption of Mary, 70 Years After December 1, 2020
183. Defining Roman Catholicism: An Evangelical Attempt January 1, 2021
184. Pope Francis, the Chaplain of the United Nations? February 1, 2021
185. Fides et Ratio (1998): Three Theses on the Roman Catholic Synthesis Between Faith and Reason March 1, 2021
186. Children of Abraham? Pope Francis’ Equivocation April 1, 2021
187. Hans Küng (1928-2021), perhaps very little “Roman” but certainly very much “Catholic” April 9, 2021
188. “When halfway through the journey of our life”. Dante Between the Bible and Medieval Roman Catholicism May 1, 2021
189. A Biography of Thomas Aquinas’ Summa Theologiae. Is It Also A Radiography of Roman Catholicism? June 1, 2021
190. Imagining Roman Catholic Theology Today and Tomorrow: Alarmed Diagnosis, Reserved Prognosis July 1, 2021
191. John Stott (1921-2011) and His Contribution to an Evangelical Analysis of Roman Catholicism August 1, 2021
192. Who Will be the Next Pope? September 1, 2021
193. The Church is Burning, What Can Be Done? On Andrea Riccardi’s Insights on the Crisis of Present-Day Roman Catholicism October 1, 2021
194. Christ Unfurled or the Roman Catholic Christ-Church Interconnection. Evangelical Remarks on David Meconi’s latest book November 1, 2021
195. The Latest Evangelical Convert to Rome. What Does Rome Have to Offer? December 1, 2021
196. Roman Catholicism as a “Temptation” for Evangelical Theology January 1, 2022
198. The (Not So) Puzzling Theology of Pope Francis February 1, 2022
199. Eating God? A History of the Eucharist and a Glimpse of Roman Catholicism March 1, 2022
200. Who is Afraid of “Liquid” Roman Catholicism? April 1, 2022
201. “Gratia Supponit Naturam”? A Historical Sketch of the Nature-Grace Interdependence (Part I) May 1, 2022
202. “Grace as the Heart’s Desire” A Historical Sketch of the Nature-Grace Interdependence (Part II) June 1, 2022
203. “Praedicate Evangelium” – Envisioning the Roman Catholic Church of the Future July 1, 2022
204. Nature and Grace in the Theology of Joseph Ratzinger – A Historical Sketch of the Nature-Grace Interdependence (III) August 1, 2022
205. One Roman (Vatican) Stop After a Catholic (German) Push September 1, 2022
206. New Cardinals for the Future Conclave October 1, 2022
207. “Go to Thomas!” Who Will Follow the Pope’s Invitation? November 1, 2022
208. The End of the Tridentine Paradigm (or Where Is the Roman Catholic Church Going)? December 1, 2022
209. “God has many ways to save.” Cardinal Cantalamessa and Roman Catholic Universalism January 1, 2023
210. Four Tips for Communicating the Gospel to Roman Catholics February 1, 2023
211. The Spiritual Testament of Benedict XVI. Against the Protestant sola fide March 1, 2023
213. Why More Ecumenism? Ask Cardinal Kurt Koch April 1, 2023
220. “The next Pope will be John XXIV.” Will he? October 1, 2023
221. Should Evangelicals Pray with Roman Catholics? November 1, 2023
222. From “Metaphysical” to “Popular”: A Window on the Roman Catholic Theology of the Future? December 1, 2023
223. The Icing on the Cake of Pope Francis: the Blessing of Same-Sex Unions December 20, 2023
224. Why Zygmunt Bauman saw “the light at the end of the tunnel” in Pope Francis January 1, 2024
225. What is at Stake with the Roman Catholic View of the Church? Ask Professor Henri Blocher February 1, 2024
226. If the Pope thinks that Rome is a “mission field.” March 1, 2024
227. Thomas Aquinas, a test case for evangelical discernment April 1, 2024
228. The Filioque and Christian Unity May 1, 2024
229. Thomas Aquinas, Man of Dialogue? June 1, 2024
230. What is at Stake with the Roman Catholic View of the Sacraments? Ask Professor Henri Blocher July 1, 2024
231. Why Does the Roman Catholic Church Have Seven Sacraments? A Thomist answer and a preliminary evangelical critique August 1, 2024
232. The Future of the Catholic Church? A Symposium Held by First Things September 1, 2024
233. The Biblical Jubilee and the Roman Catholic Holy Year: Twins or Strangers? October 1, 2024
234. Applying Dan Strange’s Magnetic Points to Conversations with Roman Catholics November 1, 2024
235. More than the heart of Jesus, the heart of Roman Catholicism. On the latest encyclical of Pope Francis December 1, 2024