Vatican-Vietnam relations are vastly improved because of Communist Party General Secretary Nguyen Phu Trong’s efforts, says Pope Francis. After learning of the General Secretary’s passing on 22 July, Francis sent condolences to Vietnam’s president and spoke of Trong’s major contribution to the diplomatic process. The Pope’s message expressed his gratitude for Trong’s fostering, promoting and Read more
Outspoken papal critic Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, announced Thursday (June 20) in a defiant social media post that he had been summoned to the Vatican to answer charges of having committed the crime of schism. Canonical criminal trial The Vatican’s Department for the Doctrine of the Faith, led by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernandez, asked that Read more
The Governor General will not break diplomatic ties with the Holy See, Government House says. SNAP – a group of clergy sex abuse survivors – in a recent letter to Dame Cindy Kiro called for the diplomatic ties to be cut. The group says Government House informed them “the Governor-General acts on the advice of Read more
A statement from “UN experts” aims to force the Holy See and the Catholic Church to surrender to abortion and gender ideology. It is likely to be published during the UN Human Rights Council’s current session. The UN experts’ statement will probably be made under the guise of demands that the Vatican takes all necessary steps Read more
The Vatican has told Australian Catholic Church leaders that the seal of confession can never be violated and is not debatable. This remains the case, even in cases where a victim disclose sexual abuse to their confessor or an abuser confesses their actions. “A confessor is prohibited completely from using knowledge acquired from confession to Read more
Centralising procurement procedures and contracting are among several measures the Vatican is establishing to cut waste, root out corruption and bring the Holy See’s finances into the 21st century. Pope Francis approved new norms governing contract bids and procurement procedures in his latest effort to reform the Vatican’s finances. The Vatican’s financial situation was reportedly Read more
The Vatican has announced that new “measures” have been taken against officials at the Vatican Secretariat of State as part of ongoing investigations into financial dealings at the curial department. In a statement sent to journalists April 30, Holy See press officer Matteo Bruni said that in response to “some questions from journalists,” he could Read more
Vatican diplomatic corps members should first spend a year in ministry or as missionaries, Pope Francis has announced. Francis’s announcement approved a written suggestion made at the recent synod for the Amazon which asked for the current curriculum for trainee diplomats to change. Instead of doing an internship at the nunciature as happens now, trainees Read more
A Holy See-Vietnam diplomacy working group, which met inside the Vatican this week, reached an agreement on establishing a permanent resident papal representative to the southeast Asian country. A resident papal representative is considered an intermediary step in diplomatic relations, below an apostolic nuncio. The Holy See and Vietnam have never had full diplomatic relations, Read more
The Vatican is calling Cardinal George Pell’s conviction of sexual abuse of minors’ as “painful”, saying it “shocked many people”. In a statement, the Vatican acknowledges the “utmost respect for the Australian judicial authorities” and says the Vatican is waiting for the outcome of the appeals process. It says, (Pell) “has the right to defend Read more