South Korea’s Cardinal Andrew Yeom Soo-jung says he would greatly welcome a visit from Pope Francis to North Korea and would be willing to accompany him during his trip. Yeom, who is the archbishop of Seoul, also serves as the acting chief of North Korea’s Pyongyang Diocese. According to Lee Hae-chan, the chief of the Read more
The Vatican has issued a statement saying the Spanish government’s suggestion that it opposes reburying General Francisco Franco‘s remains at Madrid’s Almudena Cathedral are incorrect. The Vatican press office says no agreement on the matter has been made. The confusion about what had been agreed to arose in the media early last week after Spain’s Read more
A landmark deal on appointing new bishops was signed on Saturday between the Vatican and China’s ruling Communist Party. While welcoming the breakthrough “provisional agreement,” China’s Catholic Church reaffirmed its loyalty to the country’s ruling Communist Party on Sunday. The Vatican says the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China Read more
Cardinal Theodore McCarrick, archbishop emeritus of Washington, has resigned from the College of Cardinals after revelations that he sexually harassed or abused several young men. Until his resignation, McCarrick was one of the US church’s most senior prelates. Pope Francis has accepted his resignation. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, announced that “at the Read more
The ideology of individualism has a great impact on our approach to questions of ecology and the environment the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, told the bishops attending the assembly of the Federation of Catholic Bishops Conferences of Oceania (FCBCO). “This ideology whose origins can be traced back to the Age of Enlightenment,” Read more
Pope Francis has approved the Argentinian bishops’ interpretation of his apostolic exhortation, Amoris Laetitia (Joy of Love). The bishops have published a document saying some divorced and remarried Catholics may receive Holy Communion. Francis says the document “explains precisely the meaning of Chapter VIII of ‘Amoris Laetitia.’ There are no other interpretations.” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Read more
A new papal diplomat department inside the Vatican’s Secretariat of State has been established. The department will oversee papal diplomats’ selection and work, career advancement and working conditions. Named the “Section for the Diplomatic Staff of the Holy See”, the new department will be led by Archbishop Jan Romeo Pawlowski. About 300 priest diplomats will Read more
Although water scarcity may create conflict and even war, it may generate opportunities for partnerships and collaborations to benefit especially the poor, says Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin. Read more
Abuse statistics presented at this week’s Vatican-led summit on protecting children from online pornography make dismal reading. One in four children experience physical abuse. One in five girls is sexually abused before she reaches the age of 18 and one in 12 boys. One in three children are victims of emotional abuse. Despite their various Read more
A Church-sponsored international summit on how to protect children from online sexual exploitation is taking place in Rome this week. Discussion topics include how children and teenagers can be protected from sextortion, sexting, cyber-bullying, harassment and exploitation. The Vatican’s top diplomat, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, is among those addressing the summit. His talk is entitled: “The Read more