Vatican diplomats seek to defuse pope’s kerfuffle over Ukraine ‘white flag’ comments

ROME — The Vatican secretary of state is trying to defuse Pope Francis’ latest diplomatic kerfuffle, insisting in media interviews that a primary condition for negotiations to end the war in Ukraine is an end to Russia’s aggression and that any peace must be a “just peace.” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s chief diplomat, made … Read more

The pope delivers Sunday prayers from the Vatican window a day after suffering a mild flu

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis was well enough on Sunday to celebrate his weekly Angelus prayer from the Vatican window overlooking St. Peter’s Square, a day after cancelling his engagements because of a mild flu. A brief announcement on Saturday from the Vatican press office said the 87-years-old pontiff was forced to scrap a planned … Read more

German bishops to head to Rome after Vatican demands they scrap a vote on contentious lay council

ROME — A delegation of German bishops is expected in Rome soon after the Vatican insisted they scrap a planned vote this week on a controversial proposal to let laypeople participate in a decision-making council alongside bishops. The aborted vote was the latest in years of efforts by the Holy See to rein in the … Read more

Police in Rome detain man who had knife in bag on boulevard leading to Vatican, Italian media say

ROME — Police detained an Italian man found with a knife in his bag on the boulevard leading to St. Peter’s Square hours before Pope Francis made his weekly appearance at a Vatican palace window Sunday. The Italian news agency ANSA said the knife was discovered during an inspection of the bag as part of … Read more

Nicaragua says it released Bishop Rolando Álvarez, 18 priests from jail, handed them over to Vatican

MEXICO CITY — The Nicaraguan government said Sunday it released Bishop Rolando Álvarez and 18 clergy members from jail and handed them over to Vatican authorities. They had been jailed more than a year ago, in most cases, as part of a crackdown on the opposition and church by President Daniel Ortega, who accused them … Read more

Vatican prosecutor appeals verdict that largely dismantled his fraud case but convicted cardinal

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican’s chief prosecutor has appealed a court verdict that largely dismantled his theory of a grand conspiracy to defraud the Holy See of millions of euros but found a cardinal guilty of embezzlement. Prosecutor Alessandro Diddi filed his appeal this week of the three-judge tribunal’s decision in a complicated financial trial … Read more

Vatican says yes to blessings of same-sex couples

Comment on this storyCommentAdd to your saved storiesSave ROME — The Vatican on Monday issued its most definitive permission yet for Catholic priests to bless same-sex couples, as long as those benedictions are kept separate from marriage, a decree that fully reverses a 2021 ruling — and that may deepen division over the open-door papacy … Read more

Vatican Court Convicts Cardinal of Major Financial Crimes

A Vatican cardinal and former advisor to Pope Francis was convicted of embezzlement and sentenced to five-and-a-half years in prison on Saturday. Cardinal Angelo Becciu was convicted in a trial that lasted two-and-a-half years and involved nine other defendants. Becciu resigned from his high-ranking post within the Catholic Church in 2020, but said he was … Read more

Cardinal Becciu found guilty in Vatican ‘trial of the century’

Comment on this storyCommentAdd to your saved storiesSave VATICAN CITY — Inside the high walls of the Holy See, Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu — former head of the office of “miracles” that minted saints — was considered papabile, a possible next pope. Then his career collided with church prosecutors, who charged the 75-year-old Italian and … Read more

Vatican Eases Rules on Keeping Cremation Ashes

Catholic families may now request to preserve a small portion of their late relative’s cremated remains in a “place of significance” to them instead of a church or a cemetery, the Vatican said on Tuesday, in an easing of its stance on the practice. The new instructions, signed by Catholic doctrinal prefect Cardinal Victor Manuel … Read more