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
Recently, United States cultural celebrities addressed an open letter to Pope Francis, opposing further restrictions on the pre-conciliar liturgy. The letter, written by poet Dana Gioia, emphasised the aesthetic value and cultural significance of the liturgy according to the 1962 rite: “It would be short-sighted to deprive the next generation of artists of this source Read more
The agenda for the next round of the Synod on Synodality, scheduled for Oct. 4-27 in Rome, will focus on female leadership and the inclusion of women in the Catholic Church, according to a document released Tuesday (July 9) by the Vatican. The “Instrumentum Laboris,” or “working document,” is an initial plan for the second Read more
The working paper for this October’s synod of bishops in Rome has been published, the NZ Catholic Bishops Conference (NZCBC) says. The Vatican-published document – called the Instrumentum Laboris (or Working Instrument) – is based on 108 national summaries of bishops’ conferences from around the world presented to the General Secretariat. It is not a Read more
Several former Missionaries of Charity sisters say abuse, neglect, bullying and exploitation are common within the Order. Most say they are not trying to damage the Order St Teresa of Kolkata (Mother Teresa) founded. Rather, they want to help it become the best version of itself. Allegations Power and authority are abused in the Order, Read more
Oceania’s Pacific Islands are especially vulnerable to climate change, a climate conference in Rome heard this week. Registrations for the “Oceania Speaks” conference included representatives from the Holy See diplomatic corps, religious communities and charitable organisations. The June 23 event aimed to raise awareness of the impact of climate change in the Asia Pacific region. Read more
Vatican police have detained a former employee on charges of attempted extortion after he allegedly tried to sell a 17th-century gilded manuscript describing Bernini’s designs for the altar canopy of St. Peter’s Basilica back to the Holy See. Vatican prosecutors said that the 18-page manuscript, which apparently contains the first known specifications for the gilding of Read more
Pope Francis has reportedly encouraged a 22-year-old gay man to continue to pursue a vocation to the priesthood after he was not accepted into a Catholic seminary. Just days after the Vatican issued an apology for the pontiff’s use of a slur in reference to seminarians who identify as gay, Francis reportedly responded to an Read more
A Vatican review has cleared Cardinal John Dew of an abuse accusation. He is now free to resume public Church activities. After reviewing the complaint dated back to the 1970s, the Vatican decided no further Church inquiry was required. The Vatican’s finding is similar to that of the New Zealand Police, which concluded earlier this Read more
The Vatican has updated its process for evaluating alleged visions of supernatural phenomena. As far as the Catholic Church is concerned, claims of weeping and bleeding statues, mystical visions and stigmata are officially just claims until proven otherwise. Furthermore – the faithful are never obliged to believe in these particular events, says head of the Read more