News & Views
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Hopes of a Pilgrim
My pilgrimage to Rome was a special Pilgrimage of Hope. As Pope Francis said: “hope dwells as the desire and expectation of good things to come, despite our not knowing what the future may bring”. When Pope Francis died about 3 weeks before our departure, we weren’t sure if the long-planned journey would go ahead.…
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Interreligious Dialogue in the Vatican
Being a member on interfaith committees is not like being on other committees where you can serve a term of a couple of years and leave. Interreligious dialogue begins with building personal relationships, which require time and ongoing effort. However, when I look at the wonderful friendships that have developed between members of diverse faiths,…
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Census 2023 – Aotearoa New Zealand becomes more secular
Traditionally, New Zealand has been a Christian country with the Anglican community as their largest group. This changed in recent years, when the Catholic community was growing while the Anglican community was declining.What are the reasons for this development – and what else has changed on the religious map of Aotearoa New Zealand? In an…
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Diary of a Pilgrim – Part XVI
The last trip for the pilgrims on the bus is to Tivoli.Tivoli (or: Tibur) is an ancient Etruscan settlement that proudly traces its history back to the 13th century BC. It has been Roman since 339 BC and became known as a beautiful resort with good water and a mild and moderate climate. Located about…
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Diary of a Pilgrim – Part XV
Located about 25 kilometres from Vatican City is Castel Gandolfo and the Papal Summer Residence.Built in the 13th century as a private palace, it was in 1626, that the first pope visited the town. Pope Urban VIII must have fallen for its location. He had the papal palace and the adjoining Villa Barberini built. The…
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Diary of a Pilgrim – Part XIV
Only a few days before the newly elected Pope Leo XIV first visited the Basilica Papale di San Paolo fuori le Mura (Basilica of St Paul outside the Walls) on 20 May 2025, the pilgrims from Bamberg visited this special place. In his Homily, Pope Leo XIV described St Paul’s work as “the basis of…
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Diary of a Pilgrim – Part XII
The original plans for the pilgrimage to Rome included attending a General Audience with the Pope. This had to be cancelled as Pope Leo XIV was not yet inaugurated, and so the pilgrims had the opportunity to participate in a short pilgrimage from Piazza Pia to St Peter’s Basilica. The bus drops off the pilgrims…
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Diary of a Pilgrim – Part XI
The Vatican Museum, one of the oldest museums of the world, is famous for its sculptures and paintings. The highlight of the museum is certainly the Sistine Chapel.During the Conclave, the papal elections, the Sistine Chapel is closed as this is the place where the cardinals then gather to decide on a new pope.When the…
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Diary of a Pilgrim – Part X
The highlight of a visit to Rome for any Catholic is likely to be the visit to Vatican City – the heart of Catholicism, and particularly the Basilica Papale di San Pietro in Vaticano (Papal Basilica of Saint Peter in the Vatican), in short, St Peter’s Basilica.The pilgrims from Bamberg arrive at very special times.…
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Diary of a Pilgrim – Part IX
Not far from Piazza Navona is the church Santa Maria dell’Anima (Our Lady of the Soul). The original church was built in 1350, and the current church was built in Renaissance style by Dutch merchants. The foundation for it was laid in 1500, a Jubilee Year. It became the national church of the whole Holy…