The Vatican has reportedly delayed approving France’s ambassador to the Holy See, leading to speculation that this is because the nominee is openly gay. Laurent Stefanini, a close aide of French President Francois Hollande, was nominated in early January. According to The Telegraph in London, the usual time frame for official acceptance is a month and Read more
Pope Francis has received Ireland’s new ambassador to the Holy See, ending a three year hiatus in which the ambassador was based in Dublin. In 2011, the Irish government closed its Vatican embassy after Prime Minister Enda Kenny accused the Holy See of deliberately thwarting a probe into sex abuse allegations. The Vatican had strongly Read more
The Vatican has accused a United Nations committee of sowing confusion in its report on the Holy See’s record on child abuse. The Vatican released its formal response to a February report by the UN committee on the rights of the child. The committee concluded that the Vatican maintained a “code of silence” that enabled Read more
As he flew over China’s airspace on his way to Korea, Pope Francis sent a telegram to President Xi Jinping. Soon after crossing into Chinese airspace on August 14, the Pope dispatched the message which read: “I extend the best wishes to your excellency and your fellow citizens, and I invoke the divine blessings of Read more
The Vatican has called a “summit meeting” for the leaders of the Eastern churches in communion with the Holy See, to take place on November 19-22. Cardinal Leonardo Sandri, the prefect of the Congregation for the Eastern Churches, said the meeting would allow the leaders of the Eastern churches to “speak before the Pope on Read more
The head of the traditionalist Society of St Pius X has denounced Vatican II, described the post-conciliar Mass as “evil”, and said he is grateful the group never reached an accommodation with the Holy See. Bishop Bernard Fellay also said: “The situation of the Church is a real disaster, and the present Pope is making Read more
Pope Francis has named an international commission of eight business and legal experts — mainly lay people, including one woman — to plan a reform of the Holy See’s economy and administrative structures. The commission’s president, Maltese economist Dr Joseph Zahra, is already an auditor of the Vatican’s budget management office. The other members come Read more
A United Nations body charged with child protection has posed a list of tough questions to the Holy See about child abuse by Catholic priests. The UN Committee on the Rights of the Child has for “detailed information on all cases of child sexual abuse committed by members of the clergy, brothers, or nuns” as Read more
The Holy See has recovered from one of its worst deficits to post a $NZ3.6 million surplus for 2012, a good news story announced in a week in which “clear failings” were revealed in the processes of the Vatican Bank. In its annual financial statement, the Holy See said better management had helped it recover Read more
The president of the “bank” of the Holy See, in this interview with Vatican Radio, opens his campaign to restore credibility to the controversial institution. With more integrity, more transparency, more communication Q: President Ernst von Freyberg, do you like your job, coming from Frankfurt down to Rome, working inside the Vatican? A: It is Read more