Pope Francis has taken delivery of a hydrogen-powered climate-friendly Popemobile. The latest version of the Popemobile is a Toyota Mirai (meaning ‘The Future’) which he first had the use of on a visit to Japan in November 2019. Toyota customised two of the automobiles for Pope Francis’ visit, and one of these is now part Read more
Pope Francis sought to assure Moneyval inspectors of the Vatican’s financial operation last week that his financial reforms are underway. His assurances followed a financial scandal at the Holy See that resulted in him dismissing a senior cardinal. Speaking to Moneyval inspectors from the Council of Europe’s financial monitoring arm, Francis outlined the recent actions Read more
The Vatican has come out strongly against shared communion between Catholic and Protestant churches in Germany. The issue of Catholics and Protestants being able to receive communion in each other’s churches has long been an issue in Germany and is particularly important for the many German couples who have a partner belonging to either church. Read more
The theme for World Communications Day is particularly relevant for today’s pandemic-isolated world. Even when physical proximity is impossible, Catholic communicators can use the media to reach out to people, help them experience the closeness of the church and invite them to follow Jesus more closely, the Vatican said. “Come and see: Communicating, encountering people Read more
The China-linked threat group RedDelta has continued to launch cyberattacks against Catholic institutions since May 2020 until as recently as last week. A state-sponsored threat group linked to China has been engaged in a five-month long cyberattack against the Vatican and other Catholic Church-related organizations. Attacks have come in the form of spear phishing emails Read more
Secretary of State Mike Pompeo has hit out at Pope Francis following the news that diplomats from the Holy See are meeting later this month with members of the Chinese Communist Party to renew a two-year-old agreement between China and the Vatican. Though the Middle Kingdom nominally adheres to the principle of religious freedom, it Read more
The Vatican said Saturday it was “necessary and urgent” to return to in-person Mass as soon as anti-coronavirus measures permit. The head of the Vatican’s liturgy office, Cardinal Robert Sarah, said in a letter to bishops conferences that virtual liturgies, while useful, were no replacement for the real thing. He said physical presence by the Read more
Archbishop Charles Balvo, Vatican nuncio to the Czech Republic, denounced the “scourge of corruption” at a meeting of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) Thursday. Archbishop Charles Balvo, head of the Holy See delegation to the OSCE Economic and Environmental Forum, also presented Pope Francis’ new law for limiting corruption and increasing Read more
An article in a Jesuit magazine describing alleged exploitation of nuns in Catholic convents has been criticized as an attempt to silence members of women’s religious orders who have begun to speak out against sexual abuse by priests. “I think there is a possibility of a revolt of religious sisters,” said Lucetta Scaraffia, the former Read more
The new parish instructions could the the subject of a discussion at the Vatican, if German bishops want to air their views about them, says Cardinal Beniamino Stella, prefect of the Congregation for the Clergy. Stella (pictured), whose congregation issued the new parish instructions last month, says he would be pleased to receive the bishops Read more