Pope Francis Recited the Angelus Alone on St Stephen's Day Under Italy's Lockdown

Pope Francis today, for the first time as far as I can remember, recited the Angelus on the Feast of Saint Stephen alone, in support of Italy's lockdown measures. Traditionally, after Christmas, Catholics honour Stephen, the martyr stoned to death in the very first persecutions of the Christians. On the day of the Protomartyr, sermons are usually preached about the hardships that are an ordinary part of life, like its joys, and that must be met with humility and faith. The footage of Francis standing alone recalls the words of Pope Leo VI, who described the years of his pontificate as solitary and characterised them with the phrase "I and God".

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September digest: archaeological finds, exhibitions, museums, theatre and the Church

In the finale of the Strugatskys' Roadside Picnic, the Golden Ball is told: "Happiness for everybody, free, and let nobody go away unsatisfied!" I do not promise to offend nobody, but the digest really does come free of charge. So, here is the main business of the

Frederic Leighton

Frederic Leighton. “Daedalus and Icarus”, 1869 Daedalus warns his son not to climb too high: the heat of the sun may melt the wax, but Icarus is already gazing into the distance, and the lamentations of a foolish old man interest him not in the least

Pope Francis Recited the Angelus Alone on St Stephen's Day Under Italy's Lockdown

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September digest: archaeological finds, exhibitions, museums, theatre and the Church

Frederic Leighton

Attempts to resolve the problems of many years of uncontrolled mass migration

Characters from Gogol's "Petersburg Tales" on the pedestal of the monument to Nikolai Gogol on Nikitsky Boulevard, photograph of the 1960s