Essay: Pope Francis apologised for the harm done to First Nations peoples, but what does a Pope’s apology mean?
In the wake of Pope Francis’ 1st April apology to First Nations, Inuit and Métis delegations from Canada, Catholic theologian ANNIE SELAK – in an article first published on The Conversation, looks at the significance of papal apologies…
Benedict denies he knew about Legionaries of Christ abuse when cardinal
Berlin, GermanyReuters Former Pope Benedict XVI denied that he was given information about child abuse in the Legionaries of Christ religious order when he was a top Vatican official, in a case that has tarnished the reputation of his predecessor, John Paul II. Founded by Mexican cleric Marcial Maciel in 1941, the Legionaries of Christ […]
Popes and presidents: A look back at the history of US presidential visits to the Vatican
CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ, of Religion News Service, looks at the history of meetings between popes and US presidents…
John Paul I, pope who reigned for only 33 days, put on path to sainthood
Vatican CityReuters Pope John Paul I, who reigned for only 33 days in 1978, will be beatified, putting him on the path to eventual sainthood in the Roman Catholic Church, the Vatican said on Wednesday. A statement said Pope Francis had approved a decree recognising a miracle attributed to the intercession of the late Italian […]
Two popes, same hospital, different styles of medical privacy
Rome, ItalyReuters When Pope John Paul II was admitted to Rome’s Gemelli hospital on 12th July, 1992, he told the world himself a few hours earlier during his regular Sunday address in St Peter’s Square. “I would like to let you in on a secret,” he said before revealing that he would enter hospital that […]
Anniversary of John Paul II attack marked as Poles grapple with abuse
Rome, ItalyAP The Vatican marked the 40th anniversary of the attempt on the life of St John Paul II with a Mass on Thursday, amid muted commemorations in Poland where the Catholic hierarchy is grappling with a legacy of failures to confront clergy sexual abuse. Cardinal Stanislaw Dziwisz, John Paul’s closest aide, celebrated the morning […]
Liz Cheney, ousted from the Republican Party leadership in the US, invokes Pope and the ‘power of faith’
Washington, USRNS On the eve of her removal from the House Republican leadership in the US for failing to back President Donald Trump’s attacks on the 2020 election, US Representative Liz Cheney cited principles she insisted were foundational for many conservatives such as herself: the US Constitution, the rule of law and faith. In a […]
Hans Kueng, dissident Catholic theologian, dies at 93
Berlin, GermanyAP Hans Kueng, a Roman Catholic theologian who was an early colleague and friend of the future Pope Benedict XVI but later fell foul of the Vatican for challenging church doctrine and became a vocal critic of the pontiff, has died. He was 93. Kueng died Tuesday at his home in Tuebingen, according to […]
Pope Francis: New book credits pontiff with “disruptive innovation”
CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ looks at a new book by papal historian John Cornwell on Pope Francis…
McCarrick report shifts views of Pope John Paul II in a polarised Catholic Church
Vatican CityRNS For more than a week at the end of October, massive demonstrations swamped the streets of major cities in Poland as women marched against a court decision increasing abortion restrictions in the country. The demonstrators, accusing the Roman Catholic Church of being a partner with Poland’s increasingly authoritarian conservative government, also showed their anger by […]