New US ambassador to the Holy See US President Donald Trump has nominated Callista Gingrich to be his ambassador to the Holy See. She will face several challenges representing the US in the Vatican, particularly following Trump’s decision to abandon the Paris climate agreement, while Pope Francis has made clear that care for the environment…
Category: World Report
Vatican fights for peace in Venezuela
Pope Francis and the Vatican have “tried very hard” to find a solution that’s “peaceful and democratic” in Venezuela. Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, told Italian media the Vatican wanted to “help all without destruction”. On Sunday a referendum was held to elect a body to re-write Venezuela’s constitution, a matter which has…
Italy’s drought forces Vatican to turn off 100 fountains
Prolonged drought in the city of Rome has caused Vatican officials to begin turning off 100 fountains as a heatwave hits Italy – this includes two baroque fountains in St Peter’s Square. Vatican spokesperson Greg Burke said that turning off the fountains was, “the Vatican’s way of living in solidarity with Rome, trying to help…
The parents of critically-ill Charlie Gard drop case
Following the decision of Charlie Gard’s parents to end the legal battle for their critically-ill child to be flown to the US, Catholic Bishops in the UK expressed their sympathy. For almost half a year the baby’s parents fought to have him transferred to the US to undergo specialist treatment. They decided not to continue,…
US bishops call for protections for young migrants
The US Conference of Catholic Bishops urged the Trump administration to “ensure permanent protection” for young people brought to the US as minors without legal documentation. Chair of the Migration Committee, Bishop Joe Vasquez of Texas, reiterated the bishops’ support for the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA), a 2012 policy which gives recipients a…
Pro-life groups fight Hawaii law compelling abortion advertising
US pro-life organisations have filed a federal lawsuit to halt the enforcement of a new law in Hawaii that requires pregnancy centres to “advertise” contraception and abortion services. Attorneys for Alliance Defending Freedom, a non-profit and pro-life legal group that supports religious freedom filed the suit. They acted on behalf of a centre called A…
African archbishops praises Zambian women
Catholic women in Zambia have been described as the “heartbeat” of parishes by the President of the Zambia Conference of Catholic Bishops. Archbishop Mpundu thanked women for their active role in the Church, saying: “Women are the heartbeat of our parishes and the church in general, without them, the Church would be dead.” He spoke…
Vatican Roundup
Pope Francis responds to nine-year-old’s pilgrimage invitation An Italian boy called Andrea invited the Pope to join him and other children on a “Pilgrimage of Joy” to the Marian Shrine of Loreto Italy. The nine-year-old was so moved by his experience that he asked the Pontiff to join him next year. Pope Francis replied: “Thanks…
Gaining from an endless papal honeymoon
Right now, as Inés San Martín reports in this week’s International Analysis (facing) there’s a fascinating drama unfolding in the Diocese of Ahiara in Nigeria, where Pope Francis has thrown down one of the most authoritarian gauntlets we’ve seen any Pope fling in a long time. He’s threatened every priest of the diocese, no matter…
Answers from a troubled diocese
Inés San Martín Days after time ran out for the priests of an entire Nigerian diocese to write and apologise for having refused to accept their bishop for the past five years, Pope Francis, through some of his closest advisers, has begun to respond to each of them. “The Pope promised he would write back,…