Vatican

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Vatican Sanctioned Opus Dei Cardinal

Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne says he handled sexual abuse accusations properly

(Newser) - The once-powerful archbishop of Lima, Peru, and the first-ever cardinal of Opus Dei acknowledged Saturday that the Vatican had imposed sanctions on him in 2019 following an allegation of sexual abuse, but he denied wrongdoing. Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani Thorne, 81, wrote a response after Spain's El País...

Church Allows Gay Seminarians in Italy if They Remain Celibate

Trial program calls for consideration of all aspects of 'the young person's personality'

(Newser) - New guidelines for the Catholic Church in Italy have been approved by the Vatican that oppose the rejection of a seminary candidate because he is gay, provided the applicant stays celibate. The policy doesn't change the church's stance on homosexuality but says it's just one aspect that...

Woman to Finally Head a Vatican Office—a Vital One

Sister Simona Brambilla named prefect of department responsible for religious orders

(Newser) - Pope Francis on Monday named the first woman to head a major Vatican office, appointing an Italian nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, to become prefect of the department responsible for all the Catholic Church's religious orders. The appointment marks a major step in Francis' aim to give women more leadership...

Pope Opens 'Holy Door' at Prison in Italy

Symbolic move is part of the Catholic Church's Jubilee celebration

(Newser) - Pope Francis made a symbolic gesture at one of Italy's largest prisons on Thursday that is a first for any pontiff, reports the Guardian . Francis visited Rebibbia prison outside Rome, where he opened what the church calls a "holy door." During the year, Francis will open five...

The Saint-Makers: 'We Are a Very Peculiar Court'
He Will Be the First Saint
in Branded Clothes
longform
Dec 7, 2024 3:15 PM CST

He Will Be the First Saint in Branded Clothes

Guardian looks at the Vatican's process as the first millennial saint is about to join the ranks

(Newser) - On April 27, the pope will utter the Latin word "discernimus," meaning "we recognize it," in regard to the sainthood of Carlo Acutis . And thus, Acutis—who died in 2006 from leukemia at age 15—will become the first millennial saint. At the Guardian , Linda Kinstler...

Vatican Deems Texas Nuns 'Extinct' After Alleged Scandal

Sisters believe Fort Worth bishop is simply attempting a land grab of Arlington monastery

(Newser) - A group of nuns in Arlington, Texas, have been declared "extinct" by the Vatican, following a monthslong battle with the Catholic Diocese of Fort Worth over a rumored affair between the head nun and a priest. Per Chron.com , Fort Worth Bishop Michael Olson on Monday published a statement...

Church Reputation May Take Priority Over 'Survivor Support'

1st report from Vatican commission on clerical sexual abuse criticized for lack of data

(Newser) - A decade after it formed, a Vatican commission on clerical sexual abuse issued its first of what is to become an annual report on Tuesday and met immediate criticism, the New York Times reports. "I understand that it won't satisfy everybody and it won't satisfy survivors,"...

Pope Allows Pilgrimages to Site of Reported Apparitions

Vatican, however, is not authenticating purported sightings of the Virgin Mary in Bosnia

(Newser) - The Vatican on Thursday gave the green light for Catholics to continue flocking to a southern Bosnian village where children reported seeing visions of the Virgin Mary, per the AP . In a detailed analysis after nearly 15 years of study, the Vatican's doctrine office didn't declare that the...

Archbishop Excommunicated for the 'Crime of Schism'

In rare move, Vatican boots Carlo Maria Vigano for not recognizing Pope Francis, among other things

(Newser) - Carlo Maria Vigano used to be the Vatican's envoy to the United States. Today, he's a former archbishop, excommunicated on Friday in a rare move by the Holy See for refusing to recognize Pope Francis, among other things, per the Washington Post . On June 20, Vigano announced he'...

Russia Releases 10 Ukrainians Stuck Behind Bars for Years

After an intervention from Pope Francis

(Newser) - Ten Ukrainian civilians held prisoner for years by Russia arrived in Kyiv overnight Saturday after mediation via the Vatican, Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky said. They were freed Friday, per the AP . Some had been captured years before Russia's full-scale invasion. The pope has said the Holy See has been...

Chris Rock, Conan O'Brien, and the Pope Walk Into a Bar...

Or rather, the Vatican, as pontiff hosts 100-plus comedians to celebrate the importance of humor

(Newser) - Before flying to Italy's southern Puglia region to meet world leaders at the Group of Seven summit, Pope Francis hosted a very different audience at the Vatican on Friday to celebrate the importance of humor. The pontiff welcomed more than 100 comedians from 15 nations, including US celebrities Whoopi...

Pope Francis Once Again Accused of Using Anti-Gay Slur

Vatican has not commented on the latest report yet

(Newser) - Two weeks after he apologized for using an anti-gay slur , Pope Francis has been accused of using it again. The pontiff was reportedly behind closed doors at a meeting with priests Tuesday when he once again used the slur "frociaggine," which, according to Pink News , roughly translates to...

Swear You Saw Stigmata? Vatican Has New Guidelines

Church officials update norms to confirm Virgin Mary visions, other supernatural claims

(Newser) - The Catholic Church has a long and controversial history of the faithful claiming to have had visions of the Virgin Mary, of statues that purportedly wept blood tears, and of stigmata that erupted on hands mimicking the wounds of Christ. On Friday, the Vatican will announce new norms to help...

Transgender Christians Slam 'Hurtful' New Vatican Document

Declaration approved by Pope Francis says surrogacy, gender-affirming surgery are affronts to human dignity

(Newser) - The Vatican on Monday declared gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy as grave threats to human dignity, putting them on par with abortion and euthanasia as practices that violate God's plan for human life. The Vatican's doctrine office issued "Infinite Dignity," a 20-page declaration that's been in...

Francis Struggles Getting Into Popemobile

Mobility, respiratory issues continue to plague the 87-year-old pontiff

(Newser) - Pope Francis again asked an aide to read his remarks and was unable to get back into his popemobile on Wednesday, as lingering respiratory and mobility problems continued to take their toll on the 87-year-old pontiff. Francis presided over his weekly general audience, held outside for the first time this...

He Kept Vatican's Secrets for 45 Years. Now He's Retiring

Retiring prefect of the Vatican Apostolic Archive reveals how US funds paid for 1922 peculiar conclave

(Newser) - The Vatican has been trying for years to debunk the idea that its vaunted secret archives are all that secret: It has opened up the files of controversial World War II-era Pope Pius XII to scholars and changed the official name to remove the word "Secret" from its title....

After Pope's Public Comments, Nicaragua Frees Jailed Bishop

Along with 18 other clergy members

(Newser) - Nicaragua's government released a prominent Catholic bishop and 18 other clergy members imprisoned in a crackdown by President Daniel Ortega and handed them over to Vatican authorities, who welcomed them in Rome on Sunday. Bishop Rolando Alvarez—described by the New York Times as "one of the most...

Pope: Priests Can Bless Same-Sex Couples

Those seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to 'exhaustive moral analysis' to get it

(Newser) - If same-sex couples go to their priest looking for a blessing, Pope Francis is cool with it. This news comes via a new document approving a radical change in Vatican policy by insisting that people seeking God's love and mercy shouldn't be subject to "an exhaustive moral...

In a First, Vatican Court Convicts a Cardinal

Angelo Becciu, who was a close adviser to Pope Francis, found guilty of embezzlement

(Newser) - Cardinal Angelo Becciu, a onetime adviser to Pope Francis who was touted as a potential successor, was convicted Saturday by a Vatican court of embezzlement. Cardinal Angelo Becciu was sentenced to 5½ years in prison, the BBC reports. He was charged after an investigation sparked by a losing property investment...

Vatican Bends Its Rules Regarding Ashes of the Dead

Families may request to keep a small portion, so long as the rest resides in a sacred space

(Newser) - The Vatican has slightly softened its stance when it comes to the ashes of the dead, saying Tuesday that Catholic families may keep a small portion of their relative's cremated ashes in a "place of significance" to them rather than in a church or cemetery. It's the...

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