BY TIMOTHY SHERRATT The following is adapted from a speech delivered on Saturday, June 20, 2015 at the Portsmouth Institute’s 2015 Summer Conference, “Like a Shepherd He Will Tend His Flock: Understanding the Francis Papacy.” Lead sponsors for the conference and this publication include the Raskob Foundation for Catholic Activities, the

By Kenneth Colston | When we were watching the white smoke in 2013, we knew that we would first learn something about the direction of the new papacy as soon as we heard its new name announced. As the punning Latin proverb has it, Nomen omen est. Name is destiny.

Image: His Eminence Cardinal Seán Patrick O’Malley addresses the audience gathered for the Portsmouth Institute’s 2015 Summer Conference. O’Malley is one of Pope Francis’s closest advisers. More than two years into his papacy, Pope Francis continues to draw headlines for his provocative statements and populist appeal. This past June, guests