Pope warns Vatican staff an “elegant demon” lurks among them
Vatican CityAP Pope Francis warned Vatican bureaucrats on Thursday to beware the devil that lurks among them, saying it is an “elegant demon” that works in people who have a rigid, holier-than-thou way of living the Catholic faith. Francis used his annual Christmas greeting to the Roman Curia to again put the cardinals, bishops and […]
Pope wraps up meeting with cardinals on future direction of church
Rome, ItalyAP Pope Francis on Tuesday wrapped up two days of closed-door meetings with about 180 cardinals, many of them young enough to elect a future pontiff, including discussions about how the Catholic Church’s governance could be made more inclusive. The sessions focused on a new Apostolic constitution that, among other things, allows lay people […]
They called for female leadership at the Vatican. They were arrested
Vatican City RNS The seven women stood outside the gates of the Vatican dressed in cardinal red, each carrying a scarlet parasol emblazoned with a phrase of female empowerment. “Ordain Women”. “Reform Means Women”. “It’s Reigning Men”. They were there to greet the 197 cardinals arriving Monday morning for a highly anticipated discussion with the […]
With new cardinals, Pope puts stamp on Catholic Church future
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis on Saturday inducted 20 cardinals from around the world, choosing men who mostly agree with his vision of a more progressive and inclusive Roman Catholic Church and influencing their choice of his eventual successor. Francis, 85, presided at a ceremony known as a consistory, telling the new cardinals to show concern […]
Question of who might succeed Pope Francis to loom over cardinals’ gathering
Vatican City Reuters Roman Catholic cardinals from around the world gather for events at the Vatican starting this weekend that could amount to a dress rehearsal for an eventual conclave to choose a successor to Pope Francis after he dies or resigns. On Saturday, Francis will induct 20 prelates into the College of Cardinals, the […]
Essay: Reform of Vatican Curia to be considered at meeting of cardinals
US Catholic commentator THOMAS REESE says that as the cardinals discuss curial reforms this weekend, they will also be thinking about who among them might be the next pope…
Pope invites cardinal on trial to attend Vatican meeting
Rome, Italy AP Pope Francis has taken another step to rehabilitate Cardinal Angelo Becciu, inviting the once-powerful Vatican prelate to an upcoming meeting of cardinals two years after Francis forced his resignation based on purported financial improprieties. Becciu, 74, is currently on trial in the Vatican’s criminal tribunal, accused of sending €125,000 in Holy See […]
Pope concerned for Amazon and Indigenous peoples, says its first cardinal
Manaus, Brazil Reuters Pope Francis will install the first cardinal of Brazil’s Amazon region this month in a sign of his concern for the rainforest and its Indigenous inhabitants, the man whom he picked for the role said. Dom Leonardo Steiner, Archbishop of the Brazilian city of Manaus, said in an interview that Francis, the […]
Cardinal adviser to Pope Francis says resignation rumours are “cheap soap opera”
Vatican CityRNS In an interview published on Wednesday, Cardinal Óscar Andrés Rodríguez Maradiaga dismissed rumours circulating in the media that the Pope might resign as nothing more than “a cheap soap opera”. According to Maradiaga, who advises the Pope within the Council of Cardinals, news reports suggesting Pope Francis’ physical decline will soon lead to […]
San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy “stunned” at being named cardinal by Pope Francis
United StatesRNS San Diego Bishop Robert McElroy said he was stunned and shocked when he received a 3am call on Sunday, notifying him that he had been named by Pope Francis as one of 21 new cardinals. As a member of the College of Cardinals, McElroy, 68, will be part of the church body that […]