The father of the Pope’s personal assistant, who is in custody after stolen Vatican documents were found in his home, has said he hopes his son’s “sacrifice” will help the Church rid itself of corruption. Andrea Gabriele described his son Paolo as a person of “absolute honesty . . . great generosity and moral integrity” Read more
After passing a financial transparency audit by European bank inspectors, the Holy See says it is still working towards a robust and sustainable system to combat money laundering and the financing of terrorism. The audit by Moneyval, a department of the Council of Europe, followed a request by the Holy See last year for an Read more
Media reports present the Syrian conflict as a battle waged by President Bashar al-Assad against his people struggling for human rights, but Christian observers warn the situation is much more complicated, with foreign interests — including al-Qaeda — playing key roles. “The situation is much more complex and difficult to assess than the media in Read more
The English diocese of Portsmouth is contemplating an appeal to Britain’s Supreme Court following a judgement that it can be held vicariously liable for alleged wrongdoings of a priest. The diocese says the decision, by two out of three judges in the Court of Appeal, has “far-reaching implications” for faith and other voluntary organisations. The Read more
A public prosecutor in Slovakia has begun investigating alleged financial irregularities in the Trnava archdiocese of deposed Archbishop Robert Bezak, but the archbishop’s supporters claim any irregularities occurred before he was appointed three years ago. Pope Benedict removed the Slovakian archbishop from office on July 2. A communiqué from the papal nunciature in Slovakia nine Read more
The suspension of an American priest because he improvised the prayers of the Mass has prompted protests from as far away as Australia and the United Kingdom. Father Bill Rowe, 73, has been removed from St Mary Catholic parish in Mount Carmel, Illinois, where he had been pastor for 18 years. Bishop Edward Braxton of Read more
The Legion of Christ has been told it must undergo a “brief but intense” period of reflection in conjunction with its associated lay movement, Regnum Christi, before its reform can proceed. Cardinal Velasio De Paolis, the pontifical delegate supervising the reform, said it is not possible to consider the government, apostolate and administration of the Read more
A German satirical magazine’s attempt to poke fun at Pope Benedict over the Vatileaks scandal has resulted in legal action — from the Pope himself. A law firm in the German city of Bonn was contracted to act for the Pope against Titanic magazine for front and back covers that, in the words of a Read more
Catholics in China are dismayed at the apparent house arrest of the newly-ordained Bishop Thaddeus Ma Daqin after he publicly cut ties with the government-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association. Local Church sources said Bishop Ma of Shanghai was taken away by several unidentified persons shortly after his ordination last Saturday and is now at a diocesan Read more
Sex-abuse and other scandals that trouble the Catholic Church could have been avoided if women had been in positions of power, according to the woman who edits a new supplement in the Vatican newspaper. Journalist-historian Lucetta Scaraffia is campaigning for women’s rights in the male-dominated Vatican and pushing for women to teach in seminaries to Read more