Vatican diplomacy has diverged sharply from U.S. foreign policy under Pope Francis, according to a new book, which details examples to illustrate the widening divide. “While Francis has continued the pragmatism of his two predecessors, he’s also a skilled administrator, who’s mobilized the whole diplomatic corps with its interlocking assets to implement a culture of Read more
A group of con men who dressed up as Catholic clergy to swindle victims out of millions of euros as been caught by Italian police. The thieves’ ruse involved dressing as priests, monsignors and cardinals and presenting themselves as “intermediaries of the Vatican” to business owners in financial trouble. They offered their victims seemingly advantageous Read more
The organization of the universal Catholic Church has a precise hierarchy, but there is no such thing as a “vice pope,” who steps in when the reigning pontiff is traveling abroad, ill or under anesthesia. Although hospitalized since July 4, when he underwent a three-hour surgery on his colon, Pope Francis is still the supreme Read more
Accusations that the Vatican is trying to block Italy’s government from passing laws to further protect LGBT rights are unfounded, says the Vatican Secretary of State. Cardinal Pietro Parolin says he personally approved the diplomatic communication, which rather than attacking the LGBT community, was intended to express concerns over the proposed Italian legislation. The Vatican Read more
When Antje Mahler came out as queer in her teens, her family struggled to come to terms with her sexuality. She struggled to come to terms with her spirituality. “Your religion is the first thing they take away from you when you come out of the closet,” said Mahler, who was raised Catholic in Bavaria, Read more
Pope Francis will attend the UN Convention on Climate Change in Glasgow in November. Pope Francis and John Kerry, U.S. President Joe Biden’s special envoy for climate, met privately in a closed-door meeting, last week at the Vatican. In an interview after the meeting, Kerry said he believes Francis will participate in the UN Framework Read more
Pay cuts at the Vatican will see cardinals working at the Holy See taking a 10 per cent pay cut. Most other Vatican-based clerics’ salaries are also being reduced. Department heads and secretaries will have their salaries reduced by eight percent and clergy and religious by three percent. In addition, almost all employees will have Read more
A new Vatican statement that has provoked widespread criticism for sharply rejecting the blessing of same-sex unions is the latest example of why it’s hard for many people to take the Catholic Church’s own professed values of equality and dignity seriously. The decree, which notes God “cannot bless sin,” reiterates traditional Catholic teaching on sexuality. Read more
Since the Catholic Church forbids celebrating marriage between people of the same sex as a sacrament, some Catholics, and even some bishops, have discussed having a blessing for such couples as an alternative. On Monday (March 15), the Congregation for Doctrine of the Faith, the chief doctrinal office in the Vatican, responded to queries about Read more
Why are some US bishops of the Catholic Church telling Catholics to avoid the newly approved Johnson & Johnson Covid-19 vaccine? Why did some U.S. Catholic leaders rush to issue warnings about this vaccine even though the Vatican has already said that it can be morally acceptable to receive it? Most importantly, why did these Read more