Vatican City (VIS) – This morning started a little later than usual in the Vatican. At 7:00am the first faithful starting arriving at St. Peter's on foot. The 115 Cardinal electors were already within the City State's walls. Each one carried his small suitcase and took the functional but austere room that had been assigned to, not chosen by, them at the Domus Sanctae Marthae. The largest one remains vacant. The one they choose as Pope, the 266thsuccessor of Peter, will live and work there until the papal apartments are made ready for him. In St. Peter's Square, in front…

WASHINGTON (CNS) -- It's bad enough that parents realize it's not good to let their kids have so much screen time in front of the television, the computer, the tablet or video games. What's worse is that parents themselves feel powerless to do much about it. That was one conclusion of a study led by Dr. Catherine S. Birken, a pediatrician at the Hospital for Sick Children and assistant professor of pediatrics at the University of Toronto, and published in the journal Pediatrics. Birken's research team gathered the parents of 160 3-year-olds from the Toronto area. The kids were divided.…

Vatican City (Vatican Radio) - The role of the media has been a subject of heated discussion during these days of Sede Vacante here in the Vatican, with around 5.000 journalists from around the world currently accredited to cover the Conclave and inauguration of the next Roman pontiff. For one American journalist, the circumstances of Benedict XVI’s resignation and start of the Sede Vacante have been of particular significance – at the end of a long career following the past four pontificates.Victor Simpson is bureau chief of the Associated Press news agency here in Rome and had planned his resignation for February…

Australia (mediablog.catholic.org.au) - "It is my hope that beyond our engagement with Australian Catholics via this portal, we will be able to further engage them in the life of the Church, and use new mediums such as this to connect people with the message of Christ." Free sign up to www.aussiepopealarm.com is available now, and simply requires a mobile number, email address or both. You can also become a fan of Aussie Pope Alarm on Facebook. For media enquiries, please contact Beth Doherty on 0407 081 256 or This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. Inspired by www.popealarm.com – a revolutionary new web application that will…

Vatican City (Vatican Radio) - The unprecedented resignation of Benedict XVI and subsequent conclave to elect a new Holy Father have sparked media interest worldwide. Secular and Catholic news outlets alike are looking to the Vatican with greater attention, waiting to see who the next pope will be. Producer for Salt and Light Television in Canada, Sebastian Gomes, is currently in Rome for the conclave, working with Fr Thomas Rosica, assistant spokesperson for the Vatican Press Office, and also chief executive officer of Salt and Light television. Gomes shared his perspective on this historic time in the Church with Vatican…