The pope has updated the Church’s procedural norms for dealing with delicts – serious crimes such as schism, sacramental desecration and abuse of minors. On Tuesday, Pope Francis publicised adaptations to the “Norms on the delicts reserved for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith”. The following day on 8 December (the feast of Read more
Pope Francis says the two-year process leading to the 2023 synod on synodality is not about “gathering opinions,” but “listening to the Holy Spirit.” He repeatedly stressed the Holy Spirit’s role in decision-making. The three-phase synod opens next month with a diocesan phase, which will run until April. A second, continental phase will take place Read more
Italian police have identified the person who sent an envelope with three bullets in it to Pope Francis. The envelope did not reach the pontiff, however, as it was intercepted in Milan on Sunday night. Police say the unnamed suspect is a French citizen “already known to Vatican security, with whom the Carabinieri of Milan Read more
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
A Swiss bishop who recently warned of a potential schism caused by different opinions about ordaining women in the Catholic church has resigned unexpectedly. Denis Theurillat, who was the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Basel cited “the increasing burdens of his office” as his reason for resigning five years before the customary retirement age Read more
New data released by the Vatican shows the number of Catholics is on the rise worldwide. However, the reduction in the numbers of priests is placing pressure on the fewer clergy. The number of Catholics grew 16 million to 1.33 billion in the past year according to figures released by the Vatican ahead of 2020 Read more
The Vatican says people must wear a face covering when they’re outdoors in the Vatican City State to prevent the spread of the coronavirus (COVID-19). Bishop Fernando Vérgez, Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State, says face covering masks should be worn “in the open air and in all workplaces where distance cannot Read more
Cardinal George Pell has returned to Rome. It is the first time Pell has returned to the Holy See since 2017, since he left to face historic child abuse charges. In 2014 Pope Francis appointed Pell, then aged 73, to lead the Vatican Secretariat of State. His role was to reform the Vatican’s finances. However, Read more
The prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, has recovered from the coronavirus (COVID-19). Last Friday the cardinal discussed his experience during the coronavirus quarantine and his recovery. Speaking at an online conference for Catholic educators, he admitted struggling with “fear and anxiety” during the isolation. “But getting Read more
Belarus has renewed its 2016 invitation to Pope Francis to visit the country. Vladimir Makei, the Belarus Minister of Foreign Affairs, reiterated the invitation during a meeting with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, who is the Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States. Makei told Gallagher, who was visiting Belarus, that the invitation remained open despite tensions Read more