The Vatican Secretary of State has said that euthanasia and abortion laws in Europe represent not only a loss of faith but also a loss of reason. “These anthropological changes that are taking place, losing the identity of the human person. Before a loss of faith, I would say that it is a loss of Read more
Pope Francis is removing the ability of the Vatican’s Secretariat of State to administer its own financial portfolio. This follows a major shake-up of authority among Vatican offices after a series of financial scandals that included the unusual resignation of a cardinal in September. In an Aug. 25 letter, made public by the Vatican Nov. Read more
There is no connection between the timing of Cardinal George Pell’s return to Rome and the recent resignation of Cardinal Angelo Becciu. Pell and Becciu were known rivals in the bid to reform the finances of the Holy See before Pell returned to Australia to face child sex abuse charges. “There is no connection between Read more
The Vatican is defending its continued discussions with China about bishop nominations. Critics of the 2018 accord say Francis sold out the underground faithful. But the deal was – and is – necessary to the life of the Catholic Church in China, says Vatican secretary of state, Cardinal Pietro Parolin. In the Holy See’s most Read more
Vatican prosecutors are investigating a lay official who oversaw investments for the Vatican’s Secretariat of State. The investigation is probing the secretariat official’s appointment as a director of a company owned by the financier who brokered the deal for a London luxury apartment building. Vatican prosecutors are also continuing to look into suspicious financial transactions Read more
Italian Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for Saints’ Causes, rejects accusations of financial mismanagement that claim he “played and tampered with the money of the poor”. Nearly a month after private documents about a property deal involving the Vatican leaked to the press, Becciu explained his side of the story. The Peter’s Read more
The European Union and representatives from seven countries denounced the worldwide persecution of Christians on Sept. 27 at the United Nations. The panel discussion, held during the 74th session of the U.N. General Assembly, was co-hosted by the permanent missions of Hungary and Brazil. The event, “Rebuilding Lives, Rebuilding Communities: Ensuring a Future for Persecuted Read more
In a hand-delivered letter, Pope Francis told Syria’s President Bashar al-Assad he is deeply concerned about the humanitarian situation in northern Syria’s Idlib region which has been the target of Russian-backed airstrikes since April. He also asked for the safe return of the millions of people displaced by years of fighting, information for the families Read more
Cardinal Pietro Parolin is calling on the media to highlight religious persecution wherever it occurs. Parolin, who is the Vatican Secretary of State, has condemned the ongoing abuse of religious freedom in many parts of the world. “Despite so many efforts to promote and reinforce the fundamental human right of religious freedom, we are actually Read more
Civilisation will collapse unless we make some urgent changes, Sir David Attenborough told delegates from almost 200 nations at the UN Climate Summit (COP24) taking place in Katowice, Poland. “Right now, we’re facing a man-made disaster of global scale,” Attenborough said on Monday, just two months after a UN report underlined the need to keep Read more