On Feb. 7, the Catholic Church remembers Blessed Pius IX, “Pius Nono,” the 255th pope. His pontificate is the second longest in history — a total of 31 years, seven months, and 22 days (June 16, ...

For most of Church history, the popes were important but distant figures, even to average Catholics across the globe. That began to change, of course, with the emergence of modern media. Pope Blessed ...