The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Laity, Family, and Life is preparing a document that will address divorced and remarried couples at the request of Pope Francis, according to the dicastery’s prefect, Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Farrell mentioned the in-progress document in a speech delivered in Italian on April 22 that opened a meeting of the dicastery, Read more
Posts Tagged ‘Cardinal Kevin Farrell’
Vatican officials emphasise empowering laypeople without “clericalising” them
Monday, February 20th, 2023
Ahead of a Vatican conference, several church officials have emphasised the importance of empowering laypeople without “clericalising” them. Cardinal Kevin Farrell, head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, spoke of “co-responsibility” between clergy and laity, saying, “It does not mean that the laity in the church have to become clerics, and clerics Read more
Priests are shepherds, not bosses
Thursday, February 16th, 2023
Cardinal Gérald Cyprien Lacroix of Quebec has stated that pastors should help their people grow in a relationship with Jesus as shepherds, not be their bosses. Lacroix was speaking at a press conference previewing a three-day Vatican meeting on how to improve collaboration among laypeople, priests and bishops. Lacroix wants priests to recognise that laypeople Read more
Vatican same-sex blessing ban draws support and criticism
Monday, March 22nd, 2021
Three cardinals have defended the Vatican Church same-sex blessing ban, while a growing number of bishops publicly denounced the responsum. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF) on March 15 published a document reiterating the Vatican’s longstanding position that it is “illicit” for Catholic priests to bless same-sex unions. God “does not and Read more
Vatican’s guide to fighting abuse in lay movements
Monday, March 2nd, 2020
A guide to fighting abuse in lay movements has been ordered by the Vatican. If an organisation is led by a charismatic leader who is followed uncritically and commands or demands control over members, the members are at risk of cases of physical, sexual and psychological abuse, Father Hans Zollner SJ says. The Vatican office Read more
Vatican expands child protection to lay movements
Monday, July 1st, 2019
The Vatican is making child protection a priority for new movements and lay associations. Its new focus extends its work to eliminate clerical sexual abuse and to strengthen diocesan bishops’ accountability. Last month, the Vatican Dicastery (office) for Laity, the Family and Life met with about 100 representatives of Catholic associations and movements to develop Read more
Vatican cardinal, other priests to return ousted bishop’s cash gifts
Monday, June 10th, 2019A cardinal at the Vatican and eight other Catholic clerics pledged on Friday to return money to the diocese of West Virginia after revelations that the bishop there used church funds to give cash gifts of $350,000 to fellow clergymen. Over 13 years, until his recent ouster for alleged sexual harassment and sexual misconduct, Bishop Read more
Back-up plan: Pope names Cardinal Kevin Farrell
Monday, February 18th, 2019
Pope Francis has named Cardinal Kevin Farrell as the Vatican camerlengo. The camerlengo (chamberlain) is responsible the Vatican’s administration during the vacancy created by the death or resignation of the pope. Only the pope may choose the cardinal to fill the position of camerlengo, though he may choose instead to leave it vacant. The camerlengo Read more
Priests have no credibility in marriage preparation
Monday, July 9th, 2018
Priests are not the best people to train others for marriage, according to the head of the Vatican’s office for the family. “They have no credibility; they have never lived the experience; they may know moral theology, dogmatic theology in theory, but to go from there to putting it into practice every day … they Read more
Cardinal says priests lack experience to prepare couples for marriage
Monday, July 9th, 2018Priests lack the necessary experience to offer marriage preparation programmes for engaged couples, says Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Farrell is the head of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. Read more