Very controversial. You know I love coffee. I do a (mostly) weekly live show from different cafes around Rome. But sometimes I really miss the froufrou drinks from Starbucks — my usual is the mocha. No one in Rome is going to Starbucks for cappuccino or espresso. Some will shake their head and complain about the “Americanization” of Italy, and then take an Uber to Five Guys for a cheeseburger while scrolling Instagram on the iPhone they bought here at the Apple Store. It’s fine. There is room for the occasional frappuccino.

Why does Rome have so many churches?

Well this one was built because a pope forgot his umbrella. It’s a weird thing to know about a pope, but Pope Sixtus IV wasn’t a fan of the rain. One day we was walking from the Lateran Palace to visit Santa Croce in Gerusalemme. A big storm popped up, and he didn’t have an umbrella.

I knew a book by Pope Benedict was coming, but didn’t realize it was out until @pope_head posted last night. (You can read his take, he’s right, there should be more coverage.)

So I picked up the book this morning (Italian only for now), and posted some excerpts on Instagram… The problem with seminaries…Bishops wanting to create a new, modern “Catholicism.” A US bishop showing pornography to seminarians as part of their training, open homosexual clubs in seminaries.

Had quite a few requests to see Pope Benedict’s Rome. Let’s start with his home while Cardinal. He lived here on Piazza della Città Leonina for many years. This was his daily commute when he was Cardinal Ratzinger. I saw him quite a few times strolling through the piazza.

A sneak peek at the Vatican Nativity. Official unveiling tomorrow. Looks like some car parts, kid toys, and an astronaut. Spaceman

Nine years ago I led a pilgrimage to Italy with @linorulli. We had a guy on the pilgrimage who thought he might have a calling to the priesthood. He mentioned to a few people that he was kind of hoping for a sign on the pilgrimage. He settled for something possible, but not very likely.

He decided that if he ran into his former bishop, he would take that as a sign.

Do you know why the Palm Sunday Papal Mass (when we are not quarantined) starts at the obelisk in Saint Peter’s Square? That obelisk was brought to Rome from Egypt by Caligula. It was placed in Nero’s Circus, just to the left of what is now Saint Peter’s Basilica.

When Peter was executed, this obelisk would have been one of the last things he saw.

Today I’ll be sharing pictures from Christ’s final moments. Locations and relics that still exist to this day in Jerusalem and in Rome. ⁣ If you think your followers would appreciate the imagery, please share this account. I have found that seeing and visiting these places and relics really makes the Gospel readings come alive.

Today is my 43rd birthday. To celebrate, I’m going to visit 43 churches. I started at 7 am, it’s now 9 am. I’ve been to exactly one church. We’ll see how this goes... 1. St. Peter’s Basilica with confession.