Eric J. Lyman
Eric J. Lyman is an author at Religion News Service.
All Stories by Eric J. Lyman
Pope Francis tops Facebook’s list of most-talked-about topics
By Eric J. Lyman — December 10, 2013
(RNS) Pope Francis took the top spot, followed closely by Royal Baby George.
Famed architect Santiago Calatrava catches the Vatican’s eye
By Eric J. Lyman — December 6, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) The "Metamorphosis of Space" exhibit featuring the works of Spanish architect Santiago Calatrava marks the first time the Vatican has organized a show on a living architect.
Are those really St. Peter’s bones on display at the Vatican?
By Eric J. Lyman — December 5, 2013
ROME (RNS) Pope Paul VI declared that the relics believed to belong to St. Peter were "identified in a way that we can consider convincing" -- the closest thing to a statement of authenticity the bones ever received from the Vatican.
Pope Francis meets with Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu
By Eric J. Lyman — December 2, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) Pope Francis is starting to raise the political profile of the Vatican to levels not seen since the height of John Paul II's papacy.
Pope Francis lays out a blueprint for his papacy in ‘Evangelii Gaudium’
By Eric J. Lyman — November 26, 2013
ROME (RNS) "How can we continue to stand by when food is thrown away while people are starving?" Pope Francis asked. "Today, everything comes under the laws of competition and the survival of the fittest, where the powerful feed upon the powerless."
Pope Francis and Vladimir Putin hold ‘constructive’ talks
By Eric J. Lyman — November 25, 2013
VATICAN CITY (RNS) despite what Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, termed a "constructive" and "cordial" meeting, there were no announced follow-up dialogues planned, and "no discussion whatsoever" of a papal visit to Russia.
Religious groups rally around U.N. climate talks in Warsaw
By Eric J. Lyman — November 22, 2013
WARSAW, Poland (RNS) The Warsaw U.N. climate talks includes wider participation from faith-based groups, in part because climate change now touches on issues of poverty alleviation, development, forced emigration, as well as stewardship of the planet.
Expectations are high for summit between Pope Francis and Vladimir Putin
By Eric J. Lyman — November 20, 2013
ROME (RNS) Because of the period of reform Francis has ushered in at the Vatican, and a list of priorities that range from Syria to a desire to strengthen ties between one of the world's largest countries and one of the smallest, the Nov. 25 closed-door encounter will take on a dramatically increased importance.
Vatican downplays mob threats against Pope Francis
By Eric J. Lyman — November 15, 2013
ROME (RNS) The Vatican's chief spokesman told reporters on Friday that the Vatican was “extremely calm” regarding a possible mob threat against Pope Francis.
Prosecutor warns of a mob threat against Pope Francis
By Eric J. Lyman — November 13, 2013
ROME (RNS) Pope Francis has spoken out strongly against organized crime in the past, specifically naming the country's four main organized crime groups last May.
Vatican to display bones of St. Peter for the first time
By Eric J. Lyman — November 11, 2013
ROME (RNS) The Vatican said it would display for the first time bones believed to be the mortal remains of St. Peter, the leader of Jesus’ 12 apostles, to mark the end of the Year of Faith, Nov. 24.
Rise in Italian Catholic Church attendance attributed to ‘Francis effect’
By Eric J. Lyman — November 11, 2013
ROME (RNS) Italy's Center for Studies on New Religions reported Sunday (Nov. 10) that around half of the 250 priests it surveyed reported a significant rise in church attendance since Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio became Pope Francis in March.
The Vatican sets rules for new Internet domain: sorry, Catholic bloggers
By Eric J. Lyman — November 8, 2013
ROME (RNS) The Vatican has said that use of the new “.catholic” Internet domain will be limited to official organizations such as Catholic churches, parishes, schools and the like, and that individual Catholics or bloggers won’t be allowed to use it.
Berlusconi invokes Holocaust as Nazi war criminal buried in unmarked grave
By Eric J. Lyman — November 7, 2013
ROME (RNS) Statements by former Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi were the latest in a string of recent incidents that brought the Holocaust and Nazi Germany out of the history books and onto the front pages of Italian media.
Vatican: Female cardinals aren’t ‘even remotely realistic’
By Eric J. Lyman — November 4, 2013
ROME (RNS) “It is simply not a realistic possibility that the pope will name female cardinals for the consistory in February," the Vatican's chief spokesman said.
