The Special Synod for the Panamazonian region coincided with one of the gravest Vatican institutional crisis of recent times. While the two events are not properly linked, they are connected symbolically.

The institutional crisis is an outcome of the search and seizures at the Vatican Secretariat of State and the Financial Intelligence Authority [...]

Though an ancient proverb says that the devil is in details, these do not help us understand the current state of affairs in the Vatican. The situation has two focuses: the search and seizures in the Vatican Secretariat of State and Financial Intelligence Authority; and the Panamazonian Synod. There is the temptation to [...]

The first week of the Special Synod for the Pan-Amazonian Region met all the expectations. Discussions at the Synod raised the issue of priestly ordination of married men, generated an extensive debate on indigenous peoples, sparked the notion that indigenous peoples are not able to understand celibacy, and the possibility to ordain women. [...]

The raid by the Vatican police of the offices of the Secretariat of State and Financial Intelligence Authority is shocking. The raid raises to another level the Vatican internal discussion about the Holy See and reforms, especially financial reforms.

What is known is that the raid took place after “reporting by the Institute [...]

Pope Francis has often said that his model is Pope Paul VI. He has said he admired Paul VI’s courage in drafting a Humanae Vitae that ran counter to world public opinion, and he recognized his spiritual depth. But Giovambattista Montini was also the skilled deputy of the Secretariat of State in the [...]

Pope Francis’ meeting with Cardinal Reinhard Marx last Sep. 19 will be a sort of watershed for the 
Pontificate. There is no news about the meeting. The Pope and the Cardinal likely talked about the 
upcoming Synod of the Church of Germany that is going to discuss the priestly celibacy, the Catholic 
moral [...]

Pope Francis will ordain four archbishops on October, 4: monsignors Antoine Camilleri, Paolo Borgia, and Paolo Rudelli; and Fr. Michael Czerny. The first three were promoted nuncios (i.e., Papal ambassadors) though their postings were not disclosed because hosting governments have not given the agrément. Fr. Michael Czerny will be created a cardinal in [...]

Cardinal Roger Etchegaray passed away Sep. 4, marking the end of a Vatican universe that will never be again. With the death of Cardinal Etchegaray, the Church does not only loses one of the main collaborators to St. John Paul II. She also loses a dear friend to Paul VI, and the man who [...]

Benedict XVI himself has wanted to address some of the issues raised after the publication of his essay on the abuse crisis. He thus wrote a short letter to answer a commentary by professor Aschmann. Both the commentary and Benedict XVI’s response were published in Herder Korrespondenz.

Benedict XVI wrote: “It seems to [...]

The Australian bishops’ reaction to the news that the appeal court upheld the guilty verdict against Cardinal George Pell for “historical cases” of sexual abuse were timid. All of the statements referred to the pain of the victims and to the commitment the Australian Church applied and will apply to assisting [...]