WEATHER ALERT
Abuse survivors urge the Vatican to globalize the zero-tolerance policy it approved in the US
Read full article: Abuse survivors urge the Vatican to globalize the zero-tolerance policy it approved in the USSurvivors of clergy sexual abuse are urging the Vatican to adopt the same zero-tolerance policy that it approved for the U.S. Catholic Church in 2002.
Pope Francis calls for investigation to determine if Israel's attacks in Gaza constitute 'genocide'
Read full article: Pope Francis calls for investigation to determine if Israel's attacks in Gaza constitute 'genocide'Pope Francis has called for an investigation to determine if Israel’s attacks in Gaza constitute genocide.
Catholic bishops urged to boldly share church teachings — even unpopular ones
Read full article: Catholic bishops urged to boldly share church teachings — even unpopular onesSeveral U.S. Catholic bishops on Wednesday encouraged the church to boldly share Vatican teachings on a range of hot-button issues, including the condemnation of abortion, euthanasia, surrogacy and gender-affirming surgery.
Vatican tribunal explains conviction of cardinal and others in 'trial of the century'
Read full article: Vatican tribunal explains conviction of cardinal and others in 'trial of the century'The Vatican tribunal says it convicted a cardinal of aggravated fraud and other charges because of his “objectively inexplicable behavior” in paying a self-styled intelligence analyst more than a half-million euros (dollars) in Vatican money.
Pope's child protection board urges transparency from Vatican sex abuse office and compensation
Read full article: Pope's child protection board urges transparency from Vatican sex abuse office and compensationPope Francis’ child protection board has issued its first-ever global assessment of the Catholic Church's efforts to address the clergy sex abuse crisis.
A thriller about electing a pope draws crowds at the Rome Film Festival near the Vatican
Read full article: A thriller about electing a pope draws crowds at the Rome Film Festival near the VaticanWith Pope Francis a few weeks away from his 88th birthday, the plotting for his successor is well underway at the Vatican.
Peruvian theologian the Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez, father of influential liberation theology, has died
Read full article: Peruvian theologian the Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez, father of influential liberation theology, has diedPeruvian theologian the Rev. Gustavo Gutiérrez, the father of the social justice-centered liberation theology that the Vatican once criticized for its Marxist undercurrents, has died.
How does the huge crowd for the pope's Mass in East Timor compare to others?
Read full article: How does the huge crowd for the pope's Mass in East Timor compare to others?The estimated crowd of 600,000 people Pope Francis' Mass in East Timor is nearly half of the small Southeast Asian country's population.
Pope cheers East Timor's recovery while acknowledging a bishop's abuse scandal
Read full article: Pope cheers East Timor's recovery while acknowledging a bishop's abuse scandalPope Francis has indirectly acknowledged the abuse scandal in East Timor involving its bishop and Nobel Peace Prize-winning independence hero.
Pope heads to Papua New Guinea after final Mass in Indonesia before an overflow crowd of 100,000
Read full article: Pope heads to Papua New Guinea after final Mass in Indonesia before an overflow crowd of 100,000Pope Francis is wrapping up his visit to Indonesia after celebrating Mass before an overflow crowd of 100,000.
The AP Interview: East Timor's president says the pope's visit isn't time to dwell on past sins
Read full article: The AP Interview: East Timor's president says the pope's visit isn't time to dwell on past sinsThe president of East Timor sees Pope Francis’ upcoming visit as a prime opportunity to promote Asia’s youngest country on the world stage, not a time to confront the legacy of abuse by influential members of the clergy in the deeply Catholic nation.
Takeaways from AP's report on clergy abuse scandal in East Timor ahead of Pope Francis' visit
Read full article: Takeaways from AP's report on clergy abuse scandal in East Timor ahead of Pope Francis' visitWhen Pope Francis makes his trip to Asia's youngest country, East Timor, it will make him the second pope to visit after John Paul in 1989, and the first since the country gained independence from Indonesia in 2002.
Church sex abuse scandals in East Timor met by silence, but Pope Francis’ visit brings new attention
Read full article: Church sex abuse scandals in East Timor met by silence, but Pope Francis’ visit brings new attentionWhen the Vatican acknowledged in 2022 that the Nobel Peace Prize-winning, East Timorese independence hero Bishop Carlos Ximenes Belo had sexually abused young boys, it appeared that the global clergy sexual abuse scandal that has compromised the Catholic Church’s credibility around the world had finally arrived in Asia’s newest country.
Not good faith: Vatican rejects broker's claims at the close of a London trial over luxury property
Read full article: Not good faith: Vatican rejects broker's claims at the close of a London trial over luxury propertyThe Vatican is insisting at the close of a trial in London that it was the victim of a years-long fraud over its investment in a London property.
Pope's top adviser, women who say they were abused by ex-Jesuit artist ask for mosaics to be removed
Read full article: Pope's top adviser, women who say they were abused by ex-Jesuit artist ask for mosaics to be removedThe pope's top adviser on fighting sex abuse is urging Vatican offices to stop displaying artwork by an ex-Jesuit artist.
Vatican detains ex-employee who allegedly tried to sell back manuscript of Bernini's basilica canopy
Read full article: Vatican detains ex-employee who allegedly tried to sell back manuscript of Bernini's basilica canopyVatican police have detained a former employee after he allegedly tried to sell a 17th century manuscript back to the Holy See.
Expanding clergy sexual abuse probe targets New Orleans Catholic church leaders
Read full article: Expanding clergy sexual abuse probe targets New Orleans Catholic church leadersAuthorities are expanding their investigation of clergy sexual abuse in the Roman Catholic Church in New Orleans to include church leaders suspected of shielding predatory priests and failing to report crimes to law enforcement.
Cisco Systems joins Microsoft, IBM in Vatican pledge to ensure ethical use and development of AI
Read full article: Cisco Systems joins Microsoft, IBM in Vatican pledge to ensure ethical use and development of AITech giant Cisco Systems has joined Microsoft and IBM in signing onto a Vatican-sponsored pledge to ensure artificial intelligence is developed and used ethically.
Maurizio Cattelan, Zoe Saldana join iconoclastic Vatican Biennale exhibition inside women’s prison
Read full article: Maurizio Cattelan, Zoe Saldana join iconoclastic Vatican Biennale exhibition inside women’s prisonA pair of nude feet — dirty, wounded and vulnerable — are painted on the façade of the Venice women’s prison chapel.
Vatican complains after French court rules in favor of nun dismissed from religious order
Read full article: Vatican complains after French court rules in favor of nun dismissed from religious orderThe Holy See has formally protested to France after a court there ruled that a former high-ranking Vatican official was liable for what the court determined to be the wrongful dismissal of a nun from a religious order.
Transgender Catholics say new Vatican document shows no understanding of their lives
Read full article: Transgender Catholics say new Vatican document shows no understanding of their livesTransgender Catholics are voicing disappointment with a new Vatican document rejecting the fundamental concept of changing one’s biological sex.
Pope skips Good Friday event to preserve health ahead of Easter, Vatican says
Read full article: Pope skips Good Friday event to preserve health ahead of Easter, Vatican saysThe Vatican says Pope Francis has skipped the traditional Good Friday procession at Rome’s Colosseum to protect his health, adding to concerns about his frail condition during a particularly busy liturgical period.
Belgian bishop defrocked 14 years after admitting to abusing nephew
Read full article: Belgian bishop defrocked 14 years after admitting to abusing nephewPope Francis has defrocked a notorious Belgian bishop who admitted 14 years ago that he sexually abused his nephew but faced no Vatican punishment.
Pope Francis' 'white flag' comment is met by criticism from Ukraine and its allies
Read full article: Pope Francis' 'white flag' comment is met by criticism from Ukraine and its alliesUkrainian and allied officials have criticized Pope Francis for saying that Kyiv should have the “courage” to negotiate an end to the war with Russia.
Woman who says she was abused spiritually and sexually by a once-famous Jesuit demands transparency
Read full article: Woman who says she was abused spiritually and sexually by a once-famous Jesuit demands transparencyOne of the first women who accused a once-exalted Jesuit artist of spiritual, psychological and sexual abuse has gone public.
Vatican-affiliated Catholic charity makes urgent appeal to stop 'barbarous' Alabama execution
Read full article: Vatican-affiliated Catholic charity makes urgent appeal to stop 'barbarous' Alabama executionA leading Catholic charity is making an urgent appeal to the U.S. state of Alabama to halt a planned execution this week using nitrogen gas.
Pope says he hopes to keep promise to visit native Argentina for first time since becoming pontiff
Read full article: Pope says he hopes to keep promise to visit native Argentina for first time since becoming pontiffPope Francis says if he can, he'll keep a promise to visit his native Argentina in the second half of this year.
Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez and 18 priests arrive in Rome from prison, guests of Vatican
Read full article: Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez and 18 priests arrive in Rome from prison, guests of VaticanThe Vatican says Nicaraguan Bishop Rolando Álvarez and 18 Catholic clergy members from the Latin American country have arrived in Rome and are guests of the Holy See.
Vatican concludes former Minnesota archbishop acted imprudently but committed no crimes
Read full article: Vatican concludes former Minnesota archbishop acted imprudently but committed no crimesThe Vatican has concluded a lengthy investigation into allegations of misconduct by Archbishop John Nienstedt, the former leader of the Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis.
Vatican to publish never-before-seen homilies by Pope Benedict XVI during his 10-year retirement
Read full article: Vatican to publish never-before-seen homilies by Pope Benedict XVI during his 10-year retirementThe Vatican next year will publish a collection of never-before-seen homilies delivered by the late Pope Benedict XVI.
Some Catholic bishops reject Pope's stance on blessings for same-sex couples. Others are confused
Read full article: Some Catholic bishops reject Pope's stance on blessings for same-sex couples. Others are confusedSome Catholic bishops say they will not follow the Vatican’s new direction on allowing blessings for same-sex couples.
After approving blessings for same-sex couples, Pope asks Vatican staff to avoid 'rigid ideologies'
Read full article: After approving blessings for same-sex couples, Pope asks Vatican staff to avoid 'rigid ideologies'Pope Francis has urged Vatican bureaucrats to avoid “rigid ideological positions” that prevent them from understanding today’s reality.
President Joe Biden plans to skip U.N. climate talks beginning this week in Dubai
Read full article: President Joe Biden plans to skip U.N. climate talks beginning this week in DubaiPresident Joe Biden plans to skip the upcoming climate talks in Dubai (which he has attended twice before), an event that is expected to draw heads of state and diplomats from more than 200 nations and the Vatican.
Pope Francis getting antibiotics intravenously for lung problem, limiting appointments, Vatican says
Read full article: Pope Francis getting antibiotics intravenously for lung problem, limiting appointments, Vatican saysThe Vatican says Pope Francis is receiving antibiotics intravenously to treat a lung inflammation but that he doesn't have pneumonia.
Pope meets relatives of Israeli hostages and Palestinians in Gaza and sets off firestorm over words
Read full article: Pope meets relatives of Israeli hostages and Palestinians in Gaza and sets off firestorm over wordsPope Francis has met separately with relatives of Israeli hostages in Gaza and Palestinians living through the war and set off a firestorm by using words that Vatican diplomats usually avoid: “Terrorism” and according to the Palestinians “genocide.”.
The head of China’s state-backed Catholic church begins historic trip to Hong Kong
Read full article: The head of China’s state-backed Catholic church begins historic trip to Hong KongThe head of the Catholic church in China has begun a trip to Hong Kong at the invitation of the city’s pope-appointed Roman Catholic cardinal, marking the first official visit by a Beijing bishop in history.
Vatican steps closer to allowing transgender people to be baptized as Catholics
Read full article: Vatican steps closer to allowing transgender people to be baptized as CatholicsIn the United States, the national conference of Catholic bishops rejects the concept of gender transition, leaving many transgender Catholics feeling excluded.
Parents of a terminally ill baby lose UK legal battle to bring her home
Read full article: Parents of a terminally ill baby lose UK legal battle to bring her homeA judge at Britain’s High Court has ruled that life support for a terminally ill 8-month-old baby should be withdrawn at a hospice or hospital.
Italy grants citizenship to a terminally ill British baby after a Vatican hospital offers her care
Read full article: Italy grants citizenship to a terminally ill British baby after a Vatican hospital offers her careAn 8-month-old terminally ill British girl has been granted Italian citizenship after a court in Britain authorized the withdrawal of life-supporting invasive treatment.
Pope's big synod on church future produces first document, but differences remain over role of women
Read full article: Pope's big synod on church future produces first document, but differences remain over role of womenPope Francis’ big meeting on the future of the Catholic Church is heading into its final stretch.
Catholic priests hold a ceremony blessing same-sex couples in defiance of a German archbishop
Read full article: Catholic priests hold a ceremony blessing same-sex couples in defiance of a German archbishopSeveral Catholic priests have held a ceremony blessing same-sex couples outside Cologne cathedral in a protest against the city’s conservative archbishop Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki.
Letter showing Pope Pius XII had detailed information from German Jesuit about Nazi crimes revealed
Read full article: Letter showing Pope Pius XII had detailed information from German Jesuit about Nazi crimes revealedNewly discovered correspondence in the Vatican archives suggests that Pope Pius XII had detailed information from a trusted German Jesuit that up to 6,000 Jews and Poles were being gassed each day in German-occupied Poland.
The Vatican beatifies a Polish family of 9 killed by the Nazis for sheltering Jews
Read full article: The Vatican beatifies a Polish family of 9 killed by the Nazis for sheltering JewsThe Vatican has beatified a Polish family of nine including children who were all executed for having sheltered Jews during World War II.
Ukraine's Catholic bishops tell pope that his praise for Russia's imperial past 'pained' Ukrainians
Read full article: Ukraine's Catholic bishops tell pope that his praise for Russia's imperial past 'pained' UkrainiansUkraine’s Greek Catholic bishops have brought their complaints about the Vatican's diplomatic neutrality in Russia's war on their country to the Holy See itself.
Pope says some 'backward' conservatives in US Catholic Church have replaced faith with ideology
Read full article: Pope says some 'backward' conservatives in US Catholic Church have replaced faith with ideologyPope Francis has blasted the “backwardness” of some conservatives in the U.S. Catholic Church.
Pope announces World Youth Day to return to Asia in 2027, urges young people 'not to be afraid'
Read full article: Pope announces World Youth Day to return to Asia in 2027, urges young people 'not to be afraid'Pope Francis has announced World Youth Day is returning to Asia for the first time in three decades.
Pilgrims brave scorching heat for pope's vigil in Lisbon after Francis ditches Fatima peace prayer
Read full article: Pilgrims brave scorching heat for pope's vigil in Lisbon after Francis ditches Fatima peace prayerAn estimated 1.5 million young people filled a field in the Portuguese capital for Pope Francis’ World Youth Day vigil.
Flooded with sightseers, Europe's iconic churches struggle to accommodate both worship and tourism
Read full article: Flooded with sightseers, Europe's iconic churches struggle to accommodate both worship and tourismWith tourism reaching or surpassing pre-pandemic levels across southern Europe this summer, iconic sacred sites struggle to find ways to accommodate both the faithful who come to pray and millions of increasingly secular visitors.
Biden to meet with pope's Ukraine peace envoy, with the plight of children top of cardinal's agenda
Read full article: Biden to meet with pope's Ukraine peace envoy, with the plight of children top of cardinal's agendaPope Francis’ peace envoy will meet with President Joe Biden in Washington this week as part of the Holy See’s peace initiatives for Ukraine.
Brazil's president offers to try to win release of bishop imprisoned in Nicaragua
Read full article: Brazil's president offers to try to win release of bishop imprisoned in NicaraguaBrazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva is offering to help try to gain the release of a Roman Catholic bishop imprisoned in Nicaragua.
Hospitalized Pope Francis walks a bit, follows Mass on TV, lunches with medical personnel and aides
Read full article: Hospitalized Pope Francis walks a bit, follows Mass on TV, lunches with medical personnel and aidesPope Francis has followed his doctors' advice and skipped his customary Sunday noon public blessing as he convalesces from abdominal surgery.
Pope briefly at hospital for tests two months after bronchitis, returns to Vatican
Read full article: Pope briefly at hospital for tests two months after bronchitis, returns to VaticanPope Francis has made a quick trip to a hospital for tests and returned to the Vatican, two months after he was hospitalized with an acute case of bronchitis.
Vatican: Pope Francis tasks cardinal with mission aimed at paving ‘paths to peace’ in Ukraine
Read full article: Vatican: Pope Francis tasks cardinal with mission aimed at paving ‘paths to peace’ in UkraineThe Vatican says Pope Francis has tasked a leading Italian cardinal with a mission it hopes it can “ease tensions" in the Ukraine war and lead to path of peace.
Pope voices willingness to return Indigenous loot, artifacts
Read full article: Pope voices willingness to return Indigenous loot, artifactsPope Francis says talks are underway to return artifacts in the Vatican Museum that were acquired from Indigenous peoples in Canada and has voiced a willingness to return other colonial-era objects in the Vatican’s collection on a case-by-case basis.
Vatican disavows decrees linked to seizure of Native lands
Read full article: Vatican disavows decrees linked to seizure of Native landsResponding to Indigenous demands, the Vatican has formally repudiated the “Doctrine of Discovery” -- papal documents from the 15th century that legitimized the colonial-era seizure of Native lands.
Pope showing 'marked improvement,' could leave hospital soon
Read full article: Pope showing 'marked improvement,' could leave hospital soonPope Francis has shown a “marked improvement” after being given intravenous antibiotics for a bronchitis infection and could be released from the hospital in the coming days, the Vatican and his doctors say.
With eye on British Museum, Greece welcomes back ancient art
Read full article: With eye on British Museum, Greece welcomes back ancient artGreece has welcomed the return of ancient artifacts from the Acropolis, furthering a campaign to press the British Museum to hand back a collection of sculptures taken from the ancient site in Athens more than 200 years ago.
Clergy sex abuse suits could bankrupt San Diego diocese
Read full article: Clergy sex abuse suits could bankrupt San Diego dioceseThe Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego says it may declare bankruptcy in the coming months as it faces “staggering” legal costs in dealing with some 400 lawsuits alleging priests and others sexually abused children.
Hong Kong cardinal, Taiwan at papal funeral, but not China
Read full article: Hong Kong cardinal, Taiwan at papal funeral, but not ChinaThe attendance of both the former bishop of Hong Kong and an adviser to Taiwan’s leader at this week’s funeral for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI highlights the Vatican’s uneasy relationship with communist-ruled China.
Jesuit case underscores secrecy, leniency for abuse of women
Read full article: Jesuit case underscores secrecy, leniency for abuse of womenRevelations that the Vatican let a famous Jesuit priest off the hook twice for abusing his authority over adult women has exposed two main weaknesses in the Holy See’s abuse policies.
Jesuits admit artist excommunicated before new abuse claims
Read full article: Jesuits admit artist excommunicated before new abuse claimsThe head of Pope Francis’ Jesuit religious order has admitted that a famous Jesuit priest had been convicted of one of the most serious crimes in the Catholic Church some two years before the Vatican decided to shelve another case against him for allegedly abusing other adult women under his spiritual care.
Vatican opens preliminary abuse probe into French cardinal
Read full article: Vatican opens preliminary abuse probe into French cardinalThe Vatican has decided to launch a preliminary sex abuse investigation into French Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, after he admitted to having behaved in a “reprehensible way” with a 14-year-old girl 35 years ago.
Poland says book given to pope by Macron wasn't WWII plunder
Read full article: Poland says book given to pope by Macron wasn't WWII plunderPoland’s culture minister has rejected speculation that a rare book given to Pope Francis by French President Emmanuel Macron earlier this week might have been looted from Poland during World War II.
Cardinal Zen, 5 others stand trial in Hong Kong over fund
Read full article: Cardinal Zen, 5 others stand trial in Hong Kong over fundA 90-year-old Catholic cardinal and five others are standing trial in Hong Kong for allegedly failing to register a now-defunct fund set up to assist people arrested in the mass anti-government protests three years ago.
Pope: Vatican seeks talks on Nicaragua's Catholic crackdown
Read full article: Pope: Vatican seeks talks on Nicaragua's Catholic crackdownPope Francis says the Vatican is in contact with the Nicaraguan government about its crackdown on the Catholic Church and hoped that “at the very least” nuns from Mother Teresa’s Sisters of Charity religious order would be allowed to return to the country.
Vatican shelves assault probe into Canadian cardinal claims
Read full article: Vatican shelves assault probe into Canadian cardinal claimsThe Vatican says a preliminary church investigation into sexual assault allegations by a Canadian woman against a top cardinal has determined the case doesn’t warrant further investigation.