Vatican

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Vatican on Gay Unions: We 'Cannot Bless Sin'

Catholic Church rules priests can't sanction same-sex unions

(Newser) - The Vatican decreed Monday that the Catholic Church cannot bless same-sex unions since God “cannot bless sin," per the AP . The Vatican’s orthodoxy office, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, issued a formal response Monday to a question about whether Catholic clergy can bless gay...

Pope Names Women to Posts Only Men Had Held

French nun will be the first woman to vote in the Synod of Bishops

(Newser) - Pope Francis has taken two steps to empower women in the Catholic Church's hierarchy, answering calls for change from laypeople, some bishops, and the pope himself. In both cases, women have been appointed to positions that until now have been held only by men, NBC reports. Nathalie Becquart, a...

Pope Doesn't Appear to Be a Fan of This Nativity Scene

Vatican's choice for St. Peter's Square has a sci-fi theme

(Newser) - Without directly adding his own art criticism of the Nativity scene chosen by the Vatican this year for St. Peter's Square, Pope Francis has made his preference clear. Twice when speaking the faithful in the square on Sunday, the pope suggested they instead visit the 100 small, more traditional...

After Scandals, Pope Revamps Vatican's Finance Intel Unit

It's part of pontiff's efforts to prevent and counter 'money laundering and the financing of terrorism'

(Newser) - Pope Francis has revamped the Holy See's financial intelligence and anti-money-laundering unit following financial scandals, including an ongoing in-house corruption probe, Vatican officials said Saturday. The changes involve the governance and organization of the unit, which has been renamed the Supervisory and Financial Information Authority, or ASIF, the Vatican...

Vatican Report: John Paul II to Blame for McCarrick's Rise

Probe into disgraced cardinal lets Pope Francis off the hook, blames other bishops, cardinals, popes

(Newser) - A Vatican probe into ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick has found that a series of bishops, cardinals, and even popes downplayed or dismissed reports he slept with seminarians, and determined that Pope Francis merely continued his predecessors' naive handling of the predator until a former altar boy alleged abuse. The Vatican took...

New Twist in Story of Pope's Remarks on Same-Sex Unions

Vatican removed quote from 2019 interview footage, sources say

(Newser) - Somebody at the Vatican apparently didn't want the world to hear Pope Francis' thoughts on same-sex civil unions . It emerged Thursday that the pontiff's statement of support for civil unions, which kicked off a major controversy when new documentary Francesco premiered Wednesday, was made during a 2019 interview...

A Film That Premiered Today Holds Big Statement From Pope

In it, Francis endorses same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope

(Newser) - Pope Francis endorsed same-sex civil unions for the first time as pope while being interviewed for the feature-length documentary Francesco, which had its premiere at the Rome Film Festival on Wednesday. The papal thumbs-up came midway through the film that delves into issues Francis cares about most, including the environment,...

Trump Not the Only World Leader Not Wearing a Mask

Pope Francis seen kissing priests at Vatican event without mask on

(Newser) - Pope Francis is back giving out kisses without a mask as coronavirus cases rise across Italy. The 83-year-old—who lost part of a lung during a childhood illness—was seen kissing the hands of newly-ordained priests during a general audience in Vatican City on Wednesday, reports the Daily Beast . He...

Vatican Tells Pompeo He Can't Meet Pope

He met some of the pontiff's critics instead

(Newser) - Secretary of State Mike Pompeo was denied an audience with Pope Francis during his visit to the Vatican this week—but he was welcomed by the pontiff's critics. Vatican officials said it is normal for the pope not to meet political figures during election periods, though they also expressed...

Cardinal Abruptly Steps Down: 'Why Are You Doing This to Me?'

Giovanni Angelo Becciu says Pope Francis forced him to step down amid financial scandal allegations

(Newser) - An abrupt resignation shook Rome Thursday, with a high-ranking Vatican official who was involved in a controversial luxury real estate deal stepping down. "The Holy Father accepted the resignation from the office of Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints and from the rights connected to the...

Memo 'Steeped in Anti-Semitic Language' Found in Pius' Archives

But church experts say careful study and context is needed before jumping to conclusions

(Newser) - For decades, historians, academics, and Jewish advocacy groups have longed to catch a glimpse of Pope Pius XII's wartime records, kept under lock and key in the Vatican's archives. Earlier this year, the Vatican finally unsealed those records , though the archives were open for less than a week...

Pope on George Floyd: Abortion Isn't the Only 'Life' Issue

Francis implores Catholics—US Catholics especially—to pay attention to racism

(Newser) - Cardinals black and white have spoken out about George Floyd's death, and the Vatican’s communications juggernaut has shifted into overdrive to draw attention to the cause he now represents, per the AP . Last week, Pope Francis denounced the "sin of racism" and twice identified Floyd as the...

Pope Assembles Experts to Weigh Idea of Women Deacons

A 2016 commission couldn't come to a consensus

(Newser) - The Vatican said Wednesday that Pope Francis has created a new commission of experts to examine whether women can be deacons, an ordained role in the Catholic Church currently reserved for men. The 10-member commission, the second of Francis' pontificate to study the fraught issue, includes equal numbers of men...

Holy Week at Vatican Won't Include the Public

With Italy shut down during outbreak, Catholics are advised to watch liturgies on TV

(Newser) - The Vatican's Holy Week ceremonies will go ahead but without public attendance as Italy tries to contain the coronavirus outbreak, the Holy See said Sunday. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said in a statement that liturgical celebrations will be held but that who will participate is being reviewed, the AP...

Vatican Archives May Settle Holocaust-Era Question
Historians Finally Get Chance
to Settle a Holocaust Question
in case you missed it
Mar 7, 2020 7:00 AM CST

Historians Finally Get Chance to Settle a Holocaust Question

Did the pope turn a blind eye to German atrocities?

(Newser) - The worst critics of the pope who reigned during World War II say he remained silent even though he knew the Holocaust was unfolding. Hence, the nickname "Hitler's pope." The defenders of Pope Pius XII, on the other hand, say he helped Jews quietly , fearing that speaking...

Pope Is Sick for Third Day After Supporting Coronavirus Sufferers

Pope Francis has a 'slight indisposition,' the Vatican says

(Newser) - Pope Francis canceled official engagements for the third day in a row Saturday as he battled an apparent cold, the AP reports. The 83-year-old pope, who lost part of a lung to a respiratory illness as a young man, has never canceled so many official audiences or events in his...

Vatican Sends Fraction of Donations to Poor

Most contributions to Peter's Pence go to cover the Vatican's budget deficit

(Newser) - As little as 10% of the millions raised each year by the Catholic Church to help the poor and suffering reaches the needy, with the vast majority of the donations going to solve the Vatican's financial problems. Peter's Pence, the pope's principal charitable appeal, raises more than...

New Name in Wearable Tech: the Vatican

$110 eRosary connects to app to show prayer progress

(Newser) - Describing your smart device as "aimed at the peripheral frontiers of the digital world where the young people dwell" maybe isn't the hippest way to appeal to the younger generation. But that's exactly what the Vatican intends with its Click to Pray eRosary announced Wednesday. The bracelet...

Pope Got Stuck in Vatican Elevator
The Pope Needed a Rescue 
Sep 1, 2019 6:09 AM CDT

The Pope Needed a Rescue

Francis got stuck in an elevator for 25 minutes and needed firefighters to get him out

(Newser) - Pope Francis says he was stuck for 25 minutes in a Vatican elevator and had to be rescued by firefighters, reports the AP. "I have to beg your pardon," Francis told the crowd, per KIRO . Francis apologized to the faithful in St. Peter's Square Sunday for showing...

There&#39;s New Hope for Believers in Holy Shroud
Dating of Turin Shroud to 
Middle Ages Was Flawed
NEW STUDY
Jul 24, 2019 11:05 AM CDT

Dating of Turin Shroud to Middle Ages Was Flawed

Study offers new hope for believers

(Newser) - Whether the Shroud of Turin served as Jesus' actual burial cloth has long been debated —and a new study, while not weighing in one way or the other, is likely to keep that debate raging. Researchers reanalyzed data compiled in 1988, when experts at the University of Arizona, Oxford...

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