My high school chemistry teacher’s motto, “The facts are friendly,” applies to a lot more than scientific experiments. The English version of the German magazine, Der Spiegel offers a summary of and explanation for the disarray and confusion at senior levels of the Vatican that have resulted from rivalries, scandals, blunt and even brutal administrative acts, falsification Read more
The mood at the Vatican is apocalyptic. Pope Benedict XVI seems tired, and both unable and unwilling to seize the reins amid fierce infighting and scandal. While Vatican insiders jockey for power and speculate on his successor, Joseph Ratzinger has withdrawn to focus on his still-ambiguous legacy. Finally, there is clarity. The Holy See has Read more
The creation of a new post in the Vatican’s Ecclesia Dei commission is seen as evidence of Pope Benedict’s determination to achieve reconciliation between the Holy See and the Society of St Pius X. The commission, an outreach to traditionalist Catholics, was established in 1988 to with a particular aim of reconciliation with SSPX. In Read more
The Vatican’s under-fire top official, Secretary of State Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, says there is great unity in his department. “Personally, I don’t sense any sign of cardinals or church personalities being involved in any conquest of some phantom power,” he said. Bertone admitted the Secretariat of State is facing difficult times, but went on the Read more
If a report in Italy’s leading daily is accurate, it’s a rare bit of good news lately for the Vatican: apparently, the Vatican is poised to pass a looming European anti-money laundering evaluation, touted by friends and foes alike as the first real measure of whether Benedict XVI’s financial reforms are for real. According to Read more
Pope Benedict XVI is getting a briefing from the three cardinals he appointed in April to investigate a series of leaked Vatican documents that have cast the top governance of the Catholic Church in a poor light. The cardinals were given a broad mandate to interview Vatican officials across the board to get to the Read more
The attack on the Nuns is a case of perception not reality according to Vatican Cardinal William Levada, who admits to being saddened by people’s assessment of him, his office and the report on the nuns. Levada, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith (CDF), insists neither he, nor the Vatican is picking on the nuns. “We’re sad if people Read more
The ethics of sports will be the focus of a new initiative launched June 14 by two Vatican departments. “Where is the world of sport moving? Where does the phenomenon of violence between soccer fans come from? What about match fixing? Doping?” asked Monsignor Melchor Sanchez de Toca y Alameda, the Under-Secretary of the Pontifical Read more
Responding to the Vatican’s offer of a personal prelature, akin to a diocese without boarders, the Society of St Pius X (SSPX) says the offer could lead to a new round of discussions. SSPX Superior General, Bishop Bernard Fellay said doctrinal difficulties with the teaching of the Vatican II and the subsequent liturgical reform were Read more
Accused of promoting radical feminism and promoting social issues incompatible with the Church, United States Leadership Committee of Women Religious President Sister Pat Farrell and Executive Director Sister Janet Mock said they “were grateful for open dialogue” with Cardinal William Levada, and Archbishop Peter Sartain, on Wednesday. The nuns, who requested the meeting, told Reuters Read more