Andrew O’Connell was in Rome for the papal canonisations

John Paul followed tradition but invented new ones too

From St Peter to Pope Francis, there have been 266 popes; 78 of them are recognised as saints, and that number will jump to 80 after the April 27 canonisations of Blessed John XXIII and Blessed John Paul II. The earliest Popes were martyred for their faith, which the Catholic Church takes as a clear…

A closer look at the April 27 event in Rome

The Polish Pontiff is remembered as a man who built bridges

Both Pontiffs left lasting marks on the way the Church understands other faiths

John XXIII and his assistant often skirted papal protocol

Saints show us that we are all called to practise heroic virtue even when life seems too tough

The late Pontiff had a pivotal part to play

Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council in the conviction that it was necessary for the Catholic Church, yet without pre-conceived ideas of what it would accomplish, said Vatican II participants who recalled the event half a century later. John had come to a “conviction that something ought to be done in order to…