When he was archbishop of Buenos Aires, almost all the priests he proposed to be appointed bishop were rejected. According to sources, almost every list of candidates that Bergoglio would propose (three names, per the Holy See’s standard practice) for an open see for bishop would be overlooked. Instead, the appointments came from the [...]
«In the concrete history of the Church, however, a contrary tendency is also manifested, namely that the Church becomes self-satisfied, settles down in this world, becomes self-sufficient and adapts herself to the standards of the world.» Moreover: «Not infrequently, she gives greater weight to organization and institutionalization than to her vocation to openness towards [...]
Silvano Maria Tomasi, the Holy See Permanent Observer at the UN office in Geneva, provided the figures that tell better than anything else the presence and impact of the Church in the world. He did so in Geneva last week, during the 23rd session of the Human Rights Council. At the time of [...]
A screening of the IOR accounts is “ongoing”, according to René Bruelhart, director of the Vatican Authority for Financial Information (AIF). Bruelhart also underlines that a reform of the oversight on Vatican finances is in process as well. One of the pillars of this reform will be preventive supervision – as requested by the [...]
In his first meeting with ambassadors accredited to the Holy See, Pope Francis’ message focused on the poor. This is typical of him. «The heart of his message – explains Virginia Bonard, a journalist who works for the Bishops’ Conference of Argentina – is to shed light on the poor and on marginalized [...]
It is entitled Jesus of Nazareth. The Infancy Narratives and it is the last book written by Joseph Ratzinger. Today, Ratzinger is Benedict XVI. But the Pope wanted to delink his theological book from the Papal magisterium. «In order to promote a freer and lively discussion,» Ratzinger said when the first of [...]
What has resulted from Vatileaks? First of all, isolating the Pope from its collaborators. Who, after the leaking of documents –even if inconsequential– will dare to write freely to the Pontiff? Secondly, Vatileaks gave rise to a climate of suspicion that is seemingly favoring the return of the Vatican Old Guard. This [...]
The second outcome of the Vatileaks case may have come in the classical Vatican formula promoveatur ut amoveatur (promote to remove). James Michael Harvey, Prefect of the Pontifical Household, is to be created cardinal in a surprise consistory announced by Benedict XVI. The consistory will take place November, 24, and will create just [...]
The Church is 200 hundred years out of date. Cardinal Carlo Maria Martini’s words in his last interview have travelled the world. Interpretations multiplied. In what, exactly, is the Church out of date? Is it because of the issue of communion and divorcees – even when the Pope wrote comprehensively about it [...]
The Vatileaks case does not come to an end with the trial of Paolo Gabriele, the Pope’s butler charged with aggravated theft, convicted of stealing the pontiff’s private documents and leaking them to a journalist, and sentenced to 18 months in prison (but a Papal pardon is likely). Perhaps Vatileaks will [...]