More than 150 years after it first opened, St. Paul's in Bergen — now Norway's largest Catholic parish, with faithful from over 120 nations — has finally been consecrated.
The conservation work marks “a pivotal moment both in the history of restoration and in the history of Italian Renaissance art,” according to Vatican Museums Director Barbara Jatta.
The unauthorized July 1 rite in Écône, Switzerland, came despite Pope Leo XIV’s appeal to “please turn back” and could trigger automatic excommunication for the six bishops involved.
Patriarch Mar Awa III says global awareness can help ease the suffering of Middle Eastern Christians.
