The Rome-born lawyer and journalist has been working for the Vatican media for more than 20 years, until now mainly as a kind of programme director. His task is, therefore, to upgrade Radio Vatican/Vatican News.

Since July 2018, journalist Paolo Ruffini (67) has been the prefect and, thus, head of the communications department. He is the only layman at the head of a Vatican dicastery. At the same time, Francesco Valle (52) was appointed Deputy Director for "General Affairs" in the Dicastery for Communication.

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Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the pope's almoner, says the charity office is "already stocking up" on thermal shirts for men, women and children.

He is encouraging others to join the thermal shirt initiative by bringing or shipping them to the Dicastery by the beginning of January. Then the shirts will be trucked to Kyiv, Ukraine's capital city.

"The Ukrainian people are experiencing an emergency related not only to the war but also to the lack of electricity and gas, and the very cold winter weather," Krajewski said.

"We can help them this Christmas," he added, "with the gift of thermal shirts, suitable for maintaining body temperature, for men, women, or children."

Thermal shirts help retain heat and maintain body temperature in cold weather. They are usually worn as a base layer under other clothing.

Systematic bombing by Russia has damaged Ukraine's energy infrastructure, and the country's government has warned that the networks will not withstand winter's increased demands.

People in Ukraine are facing freezing weather without electricity, heat, or water, as January, the country's coldest month of the year, approaches.

Temperatures in Kyiv are already below freezing, with a mixture of rain and snow in the near forecast.

Cardinal Krajewski has traveled to Ukraine by truck several times since Russia's invasion in February, bringing food and supplies to be distributed to those in need.

Source

• CNA

Bishop-elect Christian Carlassare (44) had a private meeting with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Monday.

Carlassare's episcopal consecration is scheduled for March 25.

It was deferred after the shooting, which occurred when two armed men fired multiple bullets at his door, gaining access to his room in a block that houses priests serving at the Diocese of Rumbek's Holy Family Cathedral.

In a video recording from his hospital bed the day after the attack, Carlassare described the shooting as life-threatening. He also called for reconciliation and "justice with the same heart of God" among the people of Rumbek.

"It will take some time for my legs to be able again to walk, but I assure you that I will be back and I will be with you."

After initial treatment in Rumbek, he was airlifted to Kenya's capital, Nairobi.

Speaking from his hospital bed a few weeks later, Carlassare again stressed his desire for peace.

He said he was imploring God for an end to "violence, division, [and] selfish desires" in the diocese of Rumbek.

"I bend low in front of God to intercede for the church of Rumbek. I pray for the conversion of sinners.

"I offer the pain I'm going through so that the Lord our God may purify the church of Rumbek from all errors and things like these may happen no more; no room for violence, division, [and] selfish desires that come from the devil."

After several weeks in hospital, Carlassare was discharged on 21 May.

Originally from Italy, the South Sudan bishop-elect had served as a Comboni missionary priest in South Sudan's Malakal diocese since 2005.

The Diocese of Rumbek became vacant in July 2011 upon the death of Bishop Cesare Mazzolari, who was also a Comboni Missionary.

South Sudan police detained six people in relation to the shooting.

A priest was among them: Father John Mathiang, who served as Rumbek's diocesan coordinator.

Two of the six suspects were freed at the beginning of this month because because of a "lack of evidence against them."

Pope Francis will be visiting South Sudan's capital city of Juba in early July.

Source

• CNA
• Image: CNA

The synod's diocesan phase is expected to last until 15 August.

"Many of the faithful perceive the synodal process as a crucial moment in the Church's life, as a learning process as well as an opportunity for conversion and renewal of ecclesial life," a statement from the Vatican said on Monday.

The statement followed a meeting of the ordinary council of the Synod of Bishops last month.

The statement continued, saying "various difficulties have also emerged. In fact, fears and reticence are reported among some groups of the faithful and among the clergy. There is also a certain mistrust among the laity who doubt that their contribution will really be taken into consideration".

The pandemic is creating a further obstacle. People can't gather in person for communal discernment. This reiterates that the local synodal process leading up to the 2023 Synod on Synodality "cannot be reduced to a mere questionnaire".

Despite these concerns, organisers say participation among Catholic bishops' conferences worldwide has been high and efforts have been made to translate the synod documents into many local languages.

According to the council, "close to 98% of the Episcopal Conferences and Synods of Eastern Churches worldwide have appointed a person or an entire team to implement the synodal process.

"The synodal process has been particularly welcomed with joy and enthusiasm in several African, Latin American, and Asian countries," it said.

The Vatican statement says that the five "recurring challenges" the current diocesan phase is facing are:

• Formation "in listening and discernment" is needed to ensure that the synod remains a spiritual process
• There is a temptation to be "self-referential" in group meetings rather than being open to others
• Getting young people to participate
• Reaching out and involving "those who live on the margins of ecclesial institutions"
• Some clergy are reluctant to participate.

"There is growing awareness that the synodal conversion to which all the baptised are called is a lengthy process that will prolong itself well beyond 2023," the Vatican statement said.

"The desire all over the world is this synodal journey which has begun at the local level will continue well beyond Synod 2021-2023 so that tangible signs of synodality might increasingly be manifest as constitutive of the Church".

The statement also said the Vatican will be sending a note to dioceses and bishops' conferences with further details on how to format reports on the local consultation. These will then be sent to the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.

"The note proposes the idea that the drafting of the report is itself an act of discernment, i.e. the fruit of a spiritual process and teamwork," the statement said.

The Synod of Bishops has invited Catholics to read its weekly newsletter and visit its website for prayers for the synod and to view the synod resources page.

• CNA
• Image: Catholic Diocese of Hamilton

On Tuesday, Pope Francis publicised adaptations to the "Norms on the delicts reserved for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith".

The following day on 8 December (the feast of the Immaculate Conception) a revised version of Book VI of the Code of Canon Law went into effect.

Although the definitions of the crimes themselves have not been changed, the new version of the norms - or ways of dealing with transgressions - aligns with recent laws Francis has issued and with the revisions to Book VI.

These revisions include Francis's motu proprios "As a loving mother" and Vos estis lux mundi.

The new norms include the possibility of the pope decreeing an individual's dismissal from the clerical state directly, without a trial. Situations where this could occur include crimes against the faith, such as heresy, apostasy and schism.

In addition to the crimes against the faith, the doctrinal congregation also judges crimes against the sacraments.

These crimes include desecrating a consecrated host, simulating the Mass, solicitation to a sin against the sixth commandment (adultery) during confession and violating the confessional seal.

Other crimes include attempting to ordain a woman, clerical abuse of a minor and a cleric possessing child pornography.

"The changes that have been introduced mostly concern procedural aspects, aimed at clarifying and facilitating the proper conduct of the Church's legal workings in the administration of justice," Vatican News says.

The norms were first promulgated by Pope John Paul II in 2001 and amended by Benedict XVI in 2010.

Benedict first commissioned the revisions to improve the efficacy of the code's penal sanctions.

Msgr. C. Michael Padazinski, president of the Canon Law Society of America, is pleased with the changes.

"This reinvigoration of canon law is a welcome necessity to our member canonists' work on behalf of the Church and will be, as the Holy Father says, an instrument for the good of souls.

"Recategorizing the crime of sexual abuse of a minor from a delict against celibacy to a delict against the dignity of the human person is a remarkable development.

"It shows a shift from a mindset of concern focused primarily on an accused cleric to a concern for the individual who has been harmed," Padazinski, says.

The revisions coming into effect on the feast of the Immaculate Conception is significant, he comments.

This is because the date "reaffirms that life itself and the protection of human dignity begin at the instant a child is conceived in the mother's womb."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Simply Catholic

He repeatedly stressed the Holy Spirit's role in decision-making.

The three-phase synod opens next month with a diocesan phase, which will run until April.

A second, continental phase will take place from September 2022 to March 2023.

The third, universal phase will begin at the Vatican in October 2023 with the Synod of Bishops and will be themed: "For a Synodal Church: Communion, Participation, and Mission."

Synodality, is a concept at the heart of Francis's pontificate.

Some Vatican commentators say the upcoming synod is the most significant Catholic event since the Second Vatican Council in 1962-65.

Speaking to Catholics from the Diocese of Rome of his hopes for the synod, Francis said: "The theme of synodality ... expresses the nature of the Church, its form, its style, its mission.

"And so we speak of a Synodal Church, avoiding, however, to consider that it is just one title among others, a way of thinking about it that foresees alternatives."

This way of thinking isn't simply a "theological opinion" or merely a "personal thought," but rather the blueprint for the Church contained in the Acts of the Apostles, which shows the early Christian community "walking together."

The New Testament shows how the first Christians resolved their seemingly irreconcilable differences by gathering together and listening to each other to make decisions, Francis noted.

Describing how the faith is passed on from one generation to the next, Francis recalled fidelity to tradition does not consist of "the worship of ashes but the preservation of fire."

Earlier this month, the Vatican released a preparatory document and handbook to help dioceses worldwide to take part.

The pope said the initial listening phase was critical because it sought to involve "the totality of the baptized."

"There are many resistances to overcome the image of a Church rigidly distinguished between leaders and subordinates, between those who teach and those who must learn, forgetting that God likes to overturn positions," he commented.

Meditating on the meaning of belonging to the "people of God," Francis said it is not a matter of "exclusivity" but of receiving a gift that comes with the responsibility to witness to God."

The Holy Spirit knows no boundaries and parishes should therefore be open to all and not limit themselves "to considering only those who attend or think like you," he said.

"Allow everyone to enter... Allow yourselves to go out to meet them and allow yourselves to be questioned, let their questions be your questions, allow yourselves to walk together: the Spirit will lead you, trust the Spirit. Do not be afraid to enter into dialogue and allow yourselves to be disturbed by the dialogue: it is the dialogue of salvation."

"I have come here to encourage you ... and to tell you that the Holy Spirit needs you...".

"It will be good for ... the whole Church, which is strengthened ... if it rediscovers that it is a people that wants to walk together, among ourselves and with humanity."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: SkyNews

The envelope did not reach the pontiff, however, as it was intercepted in Milan on Sunday night.

Police say the unnamed suspect is a French citizen "already known to Vatican security, with whom the Carabinieri of Milan will now coordinate to evaluate the meaning of the gesture and its possible danger."

What they don't know, however, is where the suspect is at present.

At the moment "the information that most interests investigators is knowing where he is, because it would raise a different level of alarm to know if he were in France or in St. Peter's Square in Rome," police say.

Italian police say the envelope - which had no return address but carried a French stamp - was addressed to "The Pope, Vatican City, St. Peter's Square in Rome."

They have confirmed it contained three pieces of 9 millimeter ammunition, of the kind used in a Flobert gun.

A message with the three bullets refers to financial operations in the Vatican.

It also contained a copy of a 10 Euro deposit, but have not said what the receipt was for or under what circumstances it would have been made.

According to reports, local law enforcement has seized the note and are investigating its origins.

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: RemoNews

"These anthropological changes that are taking place, losing the identity of the human person. Before a loss of faith, I would say that it is a loss of reason", said Cardinal Pietro Parolin in an interview.

He stressed that "losing the identity of the human person, more than a loss of faith" represents "a loss of reason" in our culture and in our countries.

As Pope Francis has also said numerous times, the question of abortion is not a religious question, but a question of reason.

Cardinal Parolin said that the Church's response to these societal changes should be "to offer a coherent and convinced witness of Christian life."

"It seems to me that the situation we are experiencing can be compared with the first centuries of the Church. The Apostles and the first disciples arrived in a society that did not have Christian values. But through their testimony of the first communities managed to change the mentality and introduce the values of the Gospel in the society of that time. I think this is the way we still have to do today," he commented.

During the interview, the cardinal described Pope Francis as "a simple man without protocol" who takes great care to be close to the people.

"His desire is to make the Church more credible in proclaiming the Gospel," the cardinal said.

Parolin, 66, has served as Vatican Secretary of State for the last eight years. He said he viewed ecclesiastical diplomacy as a way of living out his priesthood.

"We are at the service of communion and the defence of the freedom of the Church and religious freedom. That is my way of looking at diplomacy," he said.

Parolin also commented on Pope Francis' recent trip to Iraq, which he described as "very emotional."

"The Church has suffered because Christians have been persecuted by all the conflicts and by all the forces that want to uproot the Christian faith in that country. But what they have taught us is the testimony of faith that goes as far as martyrdom. From there, we can draw a great lesson from Iraqi Christians," said Parolin, who accompanied the pope on the visit.

Sources

Catholic News Agency

Vatican News

Denis Theurillat, who was the auxiliary bishop of the Diocese of Basel cited "the increasing burdens of his office" as his reason for resigning five years before the customary retirement age for bishops.

"I realized [after having an accident last year] that the time had come to step down and think about a new chapter in my life," he said.

Pope Francis has accepted Theurillat's resignation.

Although his concerns about a possible schism were not mentioned, it is just months since Theurillat told the Swiss Catholic Church's website kath.ch that he would like to participate in a council on women priests.

His wish for such a council goes against Pope St John Paul IIs 1994 apostolic letter "Ordinatio sacerdotalis" in which he declared:

"... the Church has no authority whatsoever to confer priestly ordination on women and that this judgment is to be definitively held by all the Church's faithful."

His wish for the Church to discuss the matter of women priests is also out of sync with the current pope's views.

In 2016 Francis told journalists during an in-flight press conference: "the final word [about ordaining women] is clear, it was said by St. John Paul II and this remains."

However, in calling for the council on women priests, Theurillat's concern focused more on unity in the Church and a potential schism than on a view either way.

What he did say, was: "The facts are on the table, the time is ripe. All the bishops of the world should come together and decide: yes or no."

The question should not be decided by Pope Francis alone, "otherwise we will experience a schism," he said.

The interview was published as Theurillat celebrated his 70th birthday.

The Swiss bishops' conference says it is surprised to hear of Theurillat's resignation.

During his 20 years of service, Theurillat showed himself to be a "man of dialogue," the Conference reported.

His ministry included traveling to World Youth Day four times with a Swiss youth delegation. He also organised an encounter between 20,000 young people and John Paul II during the Polish pope's visit to Switzerland in 2004.

Source

• CNA
• Image:Nau

However, the reduction in the numbers of priests is placing pressure on the fewer clergy.

The number of Catholics grew 16 million to 1.33 billion in the past year according to figures released by the Vatican ahead of 2020 World Mission Sunday on October 18.

The percentage of Catholics in the world remained at 17.73%, indicating the increasing numbers are in line with world population growth.

All continents reflected growth. Africa reported the most significant increase in Catholics with 9.2 million.

Europe increased by 94,000, showing a rise for the third year running. Growth in the Americas was 4.5 million, 1.8 million in Asia, and 177,000 in Oceania.

Fides, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies has presented the statistics annually since 1927.

The figures are taken from the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae, or Statistical Yearbook of the Church published on March 25.

While the number of Catholics is on the rise worldwide, the number of priests and ordained leaders has dropped significantly. The reduction is particularly notable in Europe and America.

This is according to the report issued by the Vatican Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, the body charged with distributing clergy and coordinating missions around the world.

The total number of priests in the world decreased to 414,065 in 2018, with Europe registering a drop of 2,675 priests compared to 2017.

The report also reveals a slight decrease in the number of Catholic faithful in America, Europe and Oceania, while Africa and Asia bucked the trend and continued to show signs of growth, according to the data.

The reduction in Clergy combined with the increase in Catholics is putting pressure on priests who must minister to larger numbers of people.

The figures reveal there are now 3,210 Catholics to every priest, and over 14,000 people per priest worldwide.

There has also been a significant decline in the numbers of religious women (nuns).

The number of sisters has dropped by 7429 compared to 2017.

According to an article in Religion News Service, the reasons for the steady decline of Catholic Clergy worldwide are varied. These include secularization to the Church's ongoing sexual and financial scandals.

While the number of Clergy might be declining globally, the presence of lay missionaries is on the rise. The number of lay Catholic missionaries has grown by 20,388, to a total of 376,188, primarily in America and Asia.

The theme of this year's World Mission Day was "Here am I, send me."

In his message for the global Catholic event, Pope Francis acknowledged that "understanding what God is saying to us at this time of pandemic also represents a challenge for the Church's mission."

"In this context, the call to mission, the invitation to step out of ourselves for love of God and neighbor, presents itself as an opportunity for sharing, service and intercessory prayer," he added.

Sources

• Catholic News Agency
• Religion News Service

Bishop Fernando Vérgez, Secretary General of the Governorate of Vatican City State, says face covering masks should be worn "in the open air and in all workplaces where distance cannot always be guaranteed."

The rules also apply to extraterritorial properties in Rome which are located outside Vatican City.

"In all environments this standard must be constantly respected,". Other recommended practises to limit the virus's spread are strongly recommended as well, he says.

The Vatican's new rules follow the introduction of a new ordinance in the Lazio region, which includes Rome, making face coverings mandatory outdoors.

The only exceptions are for children under the age of six, people with disabilities, and those engaged in exercise.

Fines of almost $500 for those who fail to comply.

It is possible that Pope Francis could be one of those exempted from wearing a mask.

A Vatican official says Francis finds it difficult to wear a mask that restricts his breathing as he has had part of his right lung removed.

At least 14 bishops are believed to have died from the coronavirus, which has killed more than a million people worldwide.

They include Archbishop Oscar Cruz, former president of the Philippines bishops' conference, Brazilian Bishop Henrique Soares da Costa, and English Bishop Vincent Malone.

On Sunday, Bishop Giovanni D'Alise of Caserta, in southern Italy, became the latest Catholic bishop to die of COVID-19.

Source

• CathNews
• Catholic News Agency
• Image: National Catholic Reporter

In 2014 Pope Francis appointed Pell, then aged 73, to lead the Vatican Secretariat of State. His role was to reform the Vatican's finances. However, his work halted in 2017 when he took leave to face abuse charges in Australia.

He was convicted of sexually abusing two boys in the 1990s and sentenced to six years in prison.

After serving 13 months of his sentence, Pell's conviction was overturned by the High Court in April this year.

He has been living in Sydney since his release.

Christopher Lamb, who is the Rome correspondent for The Tablet newspaper and says all eyes will be on Pell in Rome.

"The Cardinal has a number of supporters in Rome and some very loyal followers," Lamb says.

"There will be a number of them who will be delighted to see him return - they always were very sceptical of the charges that were brought against him.

"However there will be others who will be concerned about the optics of a return by Cardinal Pell to Rome and the Vatican … particularly if the cardinal has a meeting, an audience, with Pope Francis."

Another Vatican-based journalist, Joshua McElwee, from the National Catholic Reporter, says Pell is no longer employed by the Vatican.

The reason for Pell's visit is not clear. "At the moment he has no official role here," McElwee says.

"Very likely he's coming to put his affairs in order. I imagine he still has personal items here, things to bring home, perhaps an apartment to clean up.

"I don't know what else he would be doing other than those kind of things."

Pell's return to Rome comes just days after Cardinal Angelo Becciu's resigned from his position at the Roman Curia on 24 September.

Many Vatican sources say both Vatican prosecutors and the Italian Guardia di Finanza are expected to lay criminal charges of financial misconduct at the Vatican against Becciu.

Several of Becciu's employees and closest collaborators are also being investigated by Vatican prosecutors and are expected to face criminal charges alongside Becciu.

In a former role at the Vatican's Secretariat of State, Becciu reportedly clashed with Pell over the Vatican financial reforms Pell was leading.

"Becciu apparently was involved in some kind of alleged financial misdeeds and Pell has said that he raised issues about those at the time," McElwee says.

Whether Pell's visit has anything to do with Becciu's resignation is not known.

Lamb says Pell's visit coincides with a period of uncertainty in Francis's pontificate.

Many people are speculating that Pell could be seeking to influence the outcome of a future conclave to decide the next Pope.

"There is a battle going on and the Cardinal is certainly seen by those who don't like Francis as someone who is an ally."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• The New Daily
• Image: ABC

Last Friday the cardinal discussed his experience during the coronavirus quarantine and his recovery.

Speaking at an online conference for Catholic educators, he admitted struggling with "fear and anxiety" during the isolation.

"But getting out of the quarantine I realized that for you to really survive, you need a deep sense of interconnectedness," Tagle said.

The "enemy" is still the feeling that he is a "threat" and "danger to others."

"Then you feel like maybe it is better to just isolate yourself. But then the isolation also bothers you."

"But it is the sense that you're interconnected… you are connected to God, to the water, to the air — that will energize you," he said.

The news of the Filipino cardinal's recovery is "a great joy for the whole Church," the rector of the Pontificio Collegio Filippino in Rome says.

Fr Gregory Gaston added: "God wants him to continue serving in the Vatican's office for the Missions, to bring God's Good News of love, joy, peace, justice, forgiveness and reconciliation — all of which the world needs in a special way these days."

Tagle, 63, tested positive for COVID-19 last month after flying from Rome to Manila but was asymptomatic. He recovered 13 days after testing positive for the virus.

As well as prefect for the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples, Tagle is also a member of the Vatican's Congregation for Catholic Education and the Pontifical Council for Interreligious Dialogue.

He also spoke for nearly an hour to the Catholic educators about the event's theme, "Missio: Dialogue of Faith and Life and Culture Beyond Creed, Beyond Borders, Beyond COVID."

"That's why I could say that for survival, even the mentality of those who go through this crisis, this connectedness or what we call dialogue is important," he said.

"Your existence depends on a rediscovery of the reality that you are not alone, you are always connected."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Interaksyon
• Image: YouTube

Vladimir Makei, the Belarus Minister of Foreign Affairs, reiterated the invitation during a meeting with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, who is the Vatican's Secretary for Relations with States.

Makei told Gallagher, who was visiting Belarus, that the invitation remained open despite tensions between the local Catholic Church and the government.

"Your visit proves that Belarus and the Holy See have special relations of mutual understanding and trust. We are satisfied with the dynamics of the development of contacts at the high and highest levels."

Just days earlier on 31 August, Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz, who is the leader of the Catholic Church in Belarus and a citizen of the country, was blocked from returning home after a visit to Poland.

Makei says Belarus and the Holy See enjoyed a high level of cooperation at the United Nations because of shared values.

He thanked the Vatican for supporting the Group of Friends United against Human Trafficking, an association of UN member states established at the initiative of Belarus in 2010.

"We would like to develop and strengthen our cooperation in all areas," Makei says.

The Holy See press office says Gallagher's aim in visiting the country intended "to express the attention and closeness of the Holy Father to the Catholic Church and to the whole country."

Gallagher's programme included "meetings with the civil authorities and those in charge of the Catholic Church."

The Eastern European country has been rocked by protests following a disputed presidential election on 9 August.

President Alexander Lukashenko claimed victory with 80 percent of the vote - a victory disputed by his opposition.

Amid ongoing protests, one presidential hopeful has fled the country and the authorities have detained opposition leaders, provoking an international outcry.

Kondrusiewicz, the president of the country's Catholic bishops' conference, spoke out in defense of protesters after they were targeted by police following the election.

This week a Sunday Mass broadcast from a Cathedral in Minsk was taken off the airwaves of the largest nationwide radio channel in Belarus.

Bishop Yuri Kasabutsky, of the Minsk-Mogilev archdiocese, says the sudden cessation of the broadcasts shows that the authorities are trying to "put pressure" on the Church.

On Friday, Catholics in Minsk held a city-wide Stations of the Cross to pray for Kondrusiewicz's return home.

The website of the Catholic Church in Belarus reported Sept. 11 that Kasabutsky addressed participants, saying: "We will follow this path of the Savior for the freedom of the Church in Belarus, for the return of our Metropolitan, for justice, goodness, and peace in our country."

Source

• Catholic News Agency
• Image: Vatican News