Finally, the Vatican has done a deal with China, or rather with the ruling Chinese Communist Party that has been conducting an escalating program of repression against religion. The deal is already drenched in controversy and opposed by many Chinese Catholics and anti-pope conservatives. But the Vatican hopes it is just the first fruit of Read more
World War I and its aftermath changed the map of Europe, but also dismantled the notion of the “state church” in a way that forced the Catholic Church to discover again the authentic meaning of mission, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin. After the war, Pope Benedict XV “was prompt in indicating how the missionary world must Read more
Cardinal Parolin, the Vatican’s Secretary of State, is going to attend a meeting of Oceania bishops. He will be at the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania(FCBCO) Plenary Assembly in Port Moresby, Papua New Guinea, in April. “We are delighted that Cardinal Parolin, the Secretary of State at the Vatican, will be with us,” Read more
The Vatican’s semi-official newspaper has started a women’s magazine, which is not averse to taking a critical stance over women’s role in the Church. The new monthly magazine “Women-Church-World” was launched this week by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Holy See’s secretary of state. His department oversees L’Osservatore Romano, in which the new magazine has previously Read more
The Vatican’s Secretary of State has said that the need for solutions to shortages of priests does not justify scrapping celibacy. Speaking at Rome’s Pontifical Gregorian University last week, Cardinal Pietro Parolin stressed that celibacy is a gift that must be received and nurtured with “joyful perseverance”. He acknowledged that the lack of priests in Read more
A Vatican court has ruled that the Holy See’s secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, will be called as a witness in a trial over leaked documents. Five people, including two journalists, are standing trial for the alleged leaking and dissemination of documents revealing mismanagement of the Holy See’s finances. On December 7, court a Read more
The Vatican’s Secretary of State has supported military intervention to disarm an unjust aggressor in the wake of the Paris terror attacks. Speaking on Sunday, Cardinal Pietro Parolin cited conditions stipulated under Catholic just war doctrine. He said comments Pope Francis made in 2014 that it is “licit” to use force to disarm an unjust Read more
A Vatican delegation had talks with Chinese officials during a recent visit to China last month, the Holy See has disclosed. The six-member delegation visited for 11 days, during which time they visited Beijing Cathedral, the National Seminary and Bishop Giuseppe Li Shan. Bishop Li-Shan is recognised by both the Holy See and the Chinese Read more
The Vatican’s Secretary of State expects an apostolic exhortation on the family from Pope Francis reasonably soon. Cardinal Pietro Parolin told Italian news agency ANSA that the Pope will promulgate a document based in the conclusions of the synod of bishops’ recent meeting. Regarding the timing of any apostolic exhortation, he said: “This I do Read more
The Vatican’s Secretary of State has warned there are no political barriers behind which people can hide from environmental and social degradation. Cardinal Pietro Parolin sent a message to a conference on “The New Climate Economy” in Rome. “When the future of the planet is at stake, there are no political frontiers, barriers or walls Read more