Pope Francis has opened the synod on the family by calling for a Church that proclaims the truth, but which must be a bridge and not a roadblock. In his homily at the opening Mass of the three-week synod at the Vatican, the Pope spelled out “God’s dream” for humanity. “[This is] God’s dream for Read more
For as long as anyone can remember, the Vatican has had a special genius for snatching public relations defeat from the jaws of victory. Even by that standard, the fracas surrounding Pope Francis’ meeting with Kim Davis last week, which broke out immediately after his massively successful US trip, sets a new standard. Without necessarily Read more
A prank call by an Italian radio station to a Vatican official has given clues as to Pope Francis’s exasperation with the mayor of Rome. La Zaretta (The Mosquito) made a phone call last week to Archbishop Vicenzo Paglia, the head of the Pontifical Council for the Family and a lead organiser of the World Meeting Read more
New Zealand’s Cardinal John Dew has been named to a 10-member committee responsible for drafting the final document from the synod on the family. The synod, which runs from October 4-25, has as its theme: “The vocation and mission of the family in the Church and the contemporary world.” Its final document is expected to Read more
Pope Francis has again rejected the possibility of female priests in the Catholic Church, citing a ruling of one of his predecessors. During a press conference on board his flight back to Rome from the US, Francis said St John Paul II had decided “that cannot be done”. “Pope St John Paul II – after Read more
Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Raymond Burke to a Roman congregation, only days after abuse activists called for the US prelate to be investigated. The Pontiff appointed Cardinal Burke and Cardinal Carlo Caffarra of Bologna as members of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints. The two prelates retain their respective positions as Archbishop of Read more
“Where’s my briefcase?” asked Pope Francis. The papal entourage had arrived at Fiumicino Airport in Rome for the pontiff’s first trip abroad. Jorge Mario Bergoglio had been pope for just four months and was now bound for Rio de Janeiro, where 3.5 million young people from 178 countries were waiting to greet him at World Read more
What are we to make of the story that Pope Francis met Kim Davis at the Vatican Embassy during his stay in Washington? The story was first reported by Robert Moynihan at Inside the Vatican; subsequently, ABC News interviewed Ms. Davis. Confirming the meeting, but offering no further details, the Vatican spokesperson, Father Federico Lombardi, Read more
Days after St Junipero Serra was canonised by Pope Francis, a statue of him has been defaced in California in what local police say is a hate crime. The vandalism of the statue of St Junipero at Carmel Mission, where he is buried, came three days after the canonisation in Washington, DC. Vandals damaged statues, Read more