Kicker 102.5 » catholics

New Pope Elected — Jorge Bergoglio of Argentina, Now Called Francis I

Chris Chaberski — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 18:23:05 +0000

Jorge Bergoglio, the 76-year-old archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, has been elected as pope. He is the first Latin American to lead the Catholic Church. Bergoglio, who has taken the name Francis I, is also the first Jesuit priest to become pope.

Live Video of the Chimney at the Sistine Chapel — Next Vote Coming Up Soon

Chris Chaberski — Wed, 13 Mar 2013 15:34:14 +0000

Wednesday morning’s vote at the papal conclave at the Vatican led to black smoke rising from the Sistine Chapel chimney, meaning no new pope after the cardinals’ second vote. The next round of balloting takes place at 4:50 p.m. local time (11:50 a.m. Eastern Standard Time). You can watch the announcement of the results as [...]

Do You Know the History of Mardi Gras? [VIDEO]

April Barnard — Tue, 01 Mar 2011 21:53:32 +0000

Mardi Gras is French for "Fat Tuesday," a reference to the binge eating a lot of Catholics do before Lent. As is often the case with holidays, the Christian roots are intertwined with earlier pagan practices. It was very common for early church fathers to integrate elements of pagan ritual in an attempt to attract potential converts.

Mardi Gras itself originated in the Middle Ages and was brought to the U.S. by the French explorer Iberville. In 1827, Parisian-style masked balls were legalized in New Orleans after a long period of prohibition. The celebration soon became known for its celebrants' raucous behavior during fanciful parades.