Rome is not requiring total acceptance of the teachings of Vatican II a condition of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X (SSPX). Accepting the Council’s teaching is no longer “a prerequisite for the canonical solution” according to Superior General of SSPX’s Bishop Bernard Fellay. Fellay made his remarks in an interview published on the Society’s website. Read more
The pope’s butler, Paolo Gabriele has implicated two cardinals in the “Vatileaks” scandal, reports London’s Daily Telegraph. The cardinals have not been named and the Daily Telegraph has not cited any evidence to substantiate the report. Gabriele, who was arrested two weeks ago and charged with “aggravated theft” is in custody in the Vatican police station. A Read more
Congratulating Queen Elizabeth II on the occasion of her diamond jubilee, Pope Benedict XVI praised the Queen’s “noble vision of the role of a Christian monarch”. In a message Benedict said the British monarch has over the past 60 years been an “inspiring example of dedication to duty and a commitment to maintaining the principles of Read more
Speaking for the first time on the topic of Vatileaks, the Vatican’s Secretary of State (Prime Minister), Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, told an Italian television interviewer that Pope Benedict is not overly worried by the scandal. “He doesn’t allow himself to be frightened by attacks, of any sort, nor by the hard accumulation of prejudices,” Bertone Read more
Contradicting Catholic teaching on the likes of homosexuality, divorce, gay marriage and masturbation brought a stinging criticism from the Vatican of a book written by a prominent American nun. “Defective” and “not consistent with authentic Catholic theology” is how the Vatican’s Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) labelled “Just Love: A Framework for Christian Read more
“Groundless and scurrilous” is how Cardinal Timothy Dolan described reports that he approved payments to priests facing sex abuse charges while he was archbishop of Milwaukee. Cornered by reporters at St Patrick’s Cathedral, New York, after Mass on Sunday, Dolan accused the NY Times of inaccurate reporting. Dolan was also of the view that the Read more
A Vatican judge began formally questioning the pope’s former butler, Paolo Gabriele, Tuesday, said Paolo Papanti-Pelletier, (pictured) a judge on the Vatican tribunal. Papanti-Pelletier, not involved in the case said Gabriele’s said questioning took place in the presence of his two lawyers and it is the first formal interrogation of the only person yet to be arrested Read more
Two priests, one convicted of sexual abuse, and another charged with 30 sex offences were, in the 1990s, allowed to continue ministering in the Melbourne archdiocese. The discovery, reported in The Age, is the result of confidential documents obtained by the paper. The Age reports that the documents show how senior church leaders continued to Read more
The leadership group for US nuns says the Vatican report finding they had undermined church teaching is based on “unsubstantiated accusations”. Calling the Vatican’s review process “flawed” and “lacking transparency”, the leadership group said “the sanctions were disproportionate to the concerns raised and could compromise their ability to fulfill their mission.” The nuns said the Vatican’s report Read more
New leaks from the Vatican over the weekend meant there was no respite for Pope Benedict, in Milan to celebrate an event focusing on family values. In its Sunday edition, Rome newspaper La Repubblica published more documents saying it received them anonymously after the arrest of the Pope’s butler, Paolo Gabriele. The paper also received a Read more