In pictures – Easter Sunday around the world
Updated: 5:45pm (AEDT) Across the globe, people celebrated Easter Sunday – commemorating the day when, according to Christian tradition, Jesus was resurrected in Jerusalem two millennia ago. Clerics read prayers before lighting the holy fire during the Easter religious service at the St Nicholas Roman Catholic Church in Kyiv, Ukraine, on Saturday, 30th March, 2024. […]
In Italy, parliamentary inquest eyed for missing ‘Vatican Girl’
Rome, ItalyAP Opposition lawmakers in Italy are seeking a parliamentary commission of inquiry into three cold cases that have consumed the Italian public’s imagination for decades, including the 1983 disappearance of a 15-year-old that was highlighted in the Netflix documentary, Vatican Girl. The aim of the inquest, said Senator Carlo Calenda, would be to pressure […]
Vatican City enforces mandates for vaccines, COVID-19 test
Vatican CityRNS Starting on 1st October, people wishing to enter Vatican City will have to provide proof they have received the vaccine, recovered from COVID-19 or tested negative for the virus within 72 hours. To enter Vatican City, people will have to present a Green Pass, the certification used in Italy to avoid the spread […]
Vatican sex abuse trial exposes “unhealthy” environment within youth seminary
Vatican CityRNS Witnesses at a Vatican criminal trial on Wednesday described “an unhealthy environment” at St Pius X preparatory seminary for Vatican altar boys, where a priest is accused of sexually abusing a student. The trial is the first to address alleged sexual abuse within the Vatican walls. St Pius X, whose students are ages […]
Vatican to start giving COVID-19 vaccinations in early 2021 – report
Vatican CityAP Vatican citizens, employees and their families will begin to receive the coronavirus vaccine early next year, according to Vatican News. The head of the Vatican health service, Dr Andrea Arcangeli, says the Pfizer vaccine has been chosen, but others might be introduced later. Arcangeli says the Vatican health services planned a campaign to […]
POSTCARDS: UNDER THE VATICAN DOME, SHOPS RISK CLOSURE DUE TO CORONAVIRUS FEARS
As coronavirus leads to a month-long lockdown in northern Italy, CLAIRE GIANGRAVÉ, writing for Religion News Service, reports on its impact in Vatican City…
Coronavirus outbreak in Italy challenges Lenten celebrations
Vatican CityRNS As parts of northern Italy are under curfew and quarantined amid growing coronavirus concerns, Catholic priests in the region look for new and creative ways to administer Mass in the days leading up to Lent. Catholic dioceses from the Italian cities of Milan and Venice have asked their priests not to say Mass […]
Pope criticises cultural discrimination in new book of interviews from Amazon synod
Vatican CityRNS In a book of interviews published Tuesday, Pope Francis discussed his vision for a missionary church and criticised groups that discriminate against other cultures and view them as unworthy of receiving the Gospel. “There are circles and sectors that present themselves as ilustrados (enlightened) – they sequester the proclamation of the gospel through a distorted […]
Pope issues sweeping decree holding bishops accountable for sex abuse or cover ups
Vatican CityReuters Pope Francis issued a landmark decree on Thursday making bishops directly accountable for sexual abuse or covering it up, requiring clerics to report any cases to church superiors and allowing anyone to complain directly to the Vatican if needed. Tackling sexual abuses that have battered the Catholic Church’s reputation has been a major […]
ESSAY: MAKING OURSELVES A ‘PONTIFEX’ IN THE MODE OF POPE FRANCIS
US Protestant pastor BOB ROBERTS, Jr, founder of Glocal.net – an organisation that promotes connections with leaders from different religious backgrounds, applauds Pope Francis for his efforts to reach out of the “other”…