Today, 23 February 2009, His Holiness, Pope Benedict XVI named His Excellency, Archbishop Timothy Michael Dolan, PhD, until now the archbishop of 
Heavenly Father, give Archbishop Dolan the grace of holiness of life and wisdom to direct and guide the Archdiocese of New York so that all may grow in your love. We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Ad multos annos!
The Holy See's Press Office released a statement this morning about the US Speaker of the House's visit to the Holy See and to the Pope:
Following the General Audience the Holy Father briefly greeted Mrs. Nancy Pelosi, Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, together with her entourage.
His Holiness took the opportunity to speak of the requirements of the natural moral law and the Church's consistent teaching on the dignity of human life from conception to natural death which enjoin all Catholics, and especially legislators, jurists and those responsible for the common good of society, to work in cooperation with all men and women of good will in creating a just system of laws capable of protecting human life at all stages of its development.
Now, can we get Joe Biden and the other Catholics in Congress to meet Pope Benedict?
Good for the Pope. I wish I could've been there watching the Speaker's face while the Pope teaches her (and her entourage) the orthodox faith including the various constituent components of Catholic moral teaching. I'm sure she knew that the Pope would say something about her heterodoxy but I bet she didn't expect such a direct address. Or, did she? You know, she's not very clear on these things so every little bit helps. Perhaps now she'll actually become a believing Catholic and not one that merely picks and chooses what to believe so as to keep an influential job.
Today marks 80th anniversary of the establishment of Vatican City State by the signing of the Lateran Pacts of 1929 by Benito Mussolini and Pietro Cardinal Gasparri.
This Pact establishes Vatican City as an independent state, restoring the civil sovereignty of the Pope, compensated the Holy See for loss of the papal states and outline the relationship between the Roman Catholic Church's and Italy. On 25 March 1985, the Italian Parliament ratified a signed agreement (18 February 1984) which modifies the Lateran Pact.
The temporal government of the Church is technically under the pope as head of state but he appoints a president for the temporal affairs of state. Currently, the President of Vatican City State is Giovanni Cardinal Lajolo; the cardinal has legislative and executive authority regarding the temporalities (i.e., persons, policies & properties).
