When Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelensky went to the Vatican last week, the Pope stole a march on him. Francis went to the door to greet him rather than wait for formal introductions. They spent 40 minutes speaking privately in their first face-to-face meeting since the war began. They discussed “the humanitarian and political situation in Read more
The Vatican is involved in a peace mission to try to end the conflict between Russia and Ukraine, Pope Francis said on Sunday, adding that it was also ready to help repatriate Ukrainian children taken to Russia or Russian-occupied land. “There is a mission in course now but it is not yet public. When it Read more
A Vatican spokesman said Wednesday that the Holy See has taken down its main vatican.va website amid a series of apparent attempts to hack the site. “Technical investigations are ongoing due to abnormal attempts to access the site,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told Reuters Nov. 30, without elaboration. The perpetrator and motives of the alleged hacker or Read more
The New Zealand Catholic Church is not on the expert speaking list at an Oceania Catholic climate crisis meeting. A world first, the conference is driven by the Australian Catholic University with support from the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. New Zealanders, however, are still invited to register and listen in over Zoom. Read more
The Vatican’s decision to renew the secretive Vatican-China deal amid Beijing’s crackdown on religious freedom conditions is making things worse for Catholics, United States Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) members say. USCIRF Commissioner David Curry (pictured) says “USCIRF is disappointed that the Vatican had decided to renew the provisional agreement with the Chinese government Read more
A court in Hong Kong has adjourned the trial of outspoken Catholic activist Cardinal Joseph Zen and four co-defendants until October 26. Retired Catholic bishop and Cardinal Joseph Zen and five co-defendants pleaded not guilty at the West Kowloon Magistrates Court to failing to properly register their 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund, which offered financial, legal Read more
Preparations for a papal statement rejecting the Doctrine of Discovery are underway. Canada’s Catholic bishops’ conference (CCCB) and Vatican officials are working together on the document. They aim to create a statement rejecting an entire tradition of legal reasoning, said Jonathan Lesarge, CCCB spokesman. It is likely to address core concerns of Indigenous people in Read more
The Vatican’s £124m investment property deal with a British financier will be scrutinised by the English Courts. It will be the first time in the Vatican’s 2,000 year history it has had to appear before UK judges. Some are calling it the trial of the century. The issue involves a complex land deal in London Read more
The Vatican’s Pontifical Academy for Life is promoting the change of the Church’s “black and white” morality approach. Instead, it would like to see an approach where conscience and discernment go hand-in-hand with the moral norms laid down by the Church. The Academy’s reflections are influenced by infinitesimal changes to moral theology. As an example, Read more
Italian police, Sunday, opened fire at a car after it ploughed through a Vatican checkpoint. Reports say a BMW driver, identified as Erojol Nako, a 39-year Albanian male, initially drew attention to himself when asked to stop in the Pantheon, a pedestrian area. Fleeing at high speed through the streets of Rome Nako broke a Read more