Year of the Priest

Pope Benedict XVI will inaugurate a special Year of the Priest starting on the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. The Register plans to help equip readers to properly appreciate it.

We do so in this issue with several stories about trends in the priesthood, challenges of priests, and suggestions to encourage priests.

Online, we will offer more, including materials that previously ran in the Register. Go to NCRegister.com to find:

• How to Raise Priests and Nuns (10 suggestions)

• Excerpts from St. John Vianney’s Catechism on the Priest

• 7 Reasons to Be a Priest

— 6 Habits of Highly Effective Dioceses (regarding vocations promotion)

• Top 10 Priest Movies (from our top 100 pro-Catholic movies list)

Enjoy …

Pope Francis waves from a balcony at Gemelli Hospital in Rome on Sunday, March 23, 2025, following weeks of hospitalization for bilateral pneumonia.

Pope Francis Returns to the Vatican

Pope Francis returned to the Vatican last Sunday and is expected now to face two months of rest and recovery. Is this a new phase in his pontificate? This week on Register Radio, we talk to Frank Rocca, EWTN News Senior Vatican Analyst. And, as we move closer to Holy Week, the Register has taken a long look at the “Art of Holy Week.” We are joined by Dominican Sister Mary Madeline Todd from Aquinas College and a contributor to our coverage.