Letter from Rome Like everyone else, Pope Francis’ 2020 was dominated by the Covid-19 pandemic. Lockdowns, livestreamed Masses, video messages and even something akin to Zoom meetings became a regular part of his life, just like for millions of people around the world. But when he walked alone into St Peter’s Square March 27 for…
Cindy Wooden Although dogged for years by rumours of sexual impropriety, Theodore McCarrick was able to rise up the Catholic hierarchical structure based on personal contacts, protestations of his innocence and a lack of Church officials reporting and investigating accusations, according to the Vatican summary of its report released on Tuesday. In choosing then-Archbishop McCarrick…
Letter from Rome Catholic bishops and diocesan tribunals are making steady progress in implementing Pope Francis’ reforms to make the annulment process quicker, but it is taking longer to achieve the Pope’s goal of making the process less expensive for couples. The proof is in the Statistical Yearbook of the Church, a 512-page tome of…
Letter from Rome The controversy surrounding retired Pope Benedict XVI’s contribution to a new book on priestly celibacy demonstrates just how much both substance and appearances matter. And, as far as substance goes, the book paid scant attention to the uninterrupted presence of married priests in all but two of the Eastern Catholic churches. Published…
After the devastating fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris April 15, Romans and tourists could not help looking at St Peter’s Basilica and wondering, “what if?” But Maj. Paolo De Angelis, head of the Vatican fire department, told the Italian news agency ANSA on April 16 that the structural differences between Notre Dame and…
Opening the Vatican summit on child protection and the clerical sexual abuse crisis, Pope Francis said, “The holy people of God are watching and are awaiting from us not simple, predictable condemnations, but concrete and effective measures” to stop abuse. The February 21-24 summit meeting has brought together almost 190 Church leaders: the presidents of…
Twisted ideas of power and authority in the Catholic Church have contributed to the clerical sexual abuse crisis, leaders of religious orders said, but sometimes the positive “sense of family” in their own communities also made them slow to act. “Pope Francis rightly attacks the culture of clericalism which has hindered our fight against abuse…
Letter from Rome Documents in the Vatican Secret Archives and the archives of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith prove it was a “myth” that Blessed Paul VI largely set out on his own in writing Humanae Vitae, the 1968 encyclical on married love and the regulation of births. In anticipation of the…
Pope Francis has asked the president of the German bishops’ conference to come to Rome to discuss pastoral guidelines for possibly allowing some non-Catholics married to Catholics to receive the Eucharist, the conference spokesman said. Reports that “the document was rejected in the Vatican by the Holy Father or by the dicasteries are false”, said…
Young people want trusted guides as they explore their faith and their vocation, said five young adults from the US attending the Vatican’s pre-synod meeting. The US delegates to the Vatican meeting also said the 305 young adults from around the world want to see young people consulted more often in their parishes and dioceses.…