Faith

The Pontifical Lateran University, which houses the Pontifical John Paul II Theological Institute for Marriage and Family Sciences, is pictured in Rome in this Sept. 20, 2013, file photo. Recent changes at the institute have been criticized by some students.

Questions, controversy surround JP II Institute changes

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VATICAN CITY -- A normally quiet month was surprisingly struck by a brief, but intense summer squall at the end of July.

A child stands outside his home in Beira, Mozambique, March 27, 2019. Pope Francis' sixth foreign trip of 2019 will take him to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius Sept. 4-10.

Vatican revises schedule for Pope Francis' visit to Africa Sept. 4-10

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VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis’s sixth foreign trip of 2019 will take him to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius Sept. 4-10, the Vatican announced.

Pope Benedict XVI waves as he leaves his final general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican in this Feb. 27, 2013, file photo.

Benedict XVI meets with recently dismissed faculty of JP II institute

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VATICAN CITY (CNA) -- Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI met last week with a recently dismissed professor of moral theology at Rome’s Pontifical John Paul II Institute, amid ongoing controversy regarding recent changes to the Institute.

U.S. Msgr. Robert Oliver, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, has been named by Pope Francis as the contact person for people with information or concerns about potential cases of abuse and cover-up within the Vicariate of Vatican City State. Msgr. Oliver is pictured in a Feb. 5, 2013, photo.

Vatican City to set up abuse reporting system by end of year

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VATICAN CITY -- Vatican City State will have its own reporting system in place before the end of the year for flagging suspected cases of the abuse of minors and vulnerable people and instances of cover-up or negligence in handling such cases, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis.

Pope Francis makes surprise visit to nun recovering from surgery

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VATICAN CITY -- An elderly religious sister who worked for many years at the Domus Sanctae Marthae, the papal residence, was at her congregation's house recovering from surgery when she received an unexpected visit from Pope Francis.

Workers survey bones taken from an ossuary at the Teutonic cemetery in this image released by the Vatican July 27, 2019. The bones were inspected in the hope of finding the missing remains of a German princess and duchess and possibly the remains of Emanuela Orlandi, who disappeared in 1983. The Vatican announced that none of the bones postdate the 1800s.

Missing woman's remains not found among bones

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VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican press office said that the results of a morphological analysis of bones and bone fragments found at an ossuary in a Vatican cemetery concluded that none belonged to Emanuela Orlandi, a young Italian woman who has been missing for more than 30 years.

Pope Francis talks with Paolo Ruffini, right, head of the Vatican Dicastery for Communication, and Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the same dicastery, aboard his flight from Rome to Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates, Feb. 3, 2019. Looking on is Matteo Bruni of the Vatican Press Office who was recently appointed as director of that office. The Vatican has been working to streamline and coordinate its varied communications entities.

Synergy, cooperation at heart of Vatican media reform

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VATICAN CITY -- With the recent appointments of Matteo Bruni as the new director of the Holy See Press Office and Cristiane Murray as vice director, the Vatican is taking another step forward in its continuing efforts to reform its communication structures.

Cristiane Murray, a Brazilian journalist who has worked with Vatican Radio-Vatican News, was tapped by Pope Francis to serve as vice director of the Vatican Press Office. Murray is pictured talking with the pope in an undated photo.

Pope Francis appoints Brazilian as vice director for Vatican press office

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VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis appointed Cristiane Murray, a Brazilian journalist with Vatican Radio-Vatican News, to serve as vice director of the Vatican press office.

Workers inspect an ossuary at the Teutonic Cemetery at the Vatican July 20, 2019. The ossuary was inspected in the hope of finding the missing remains of a German princess and duchess and possibly the remains of Emanuela Orlandi, who disappeared in 1983. Thousands of bones were found in the ossuary, according to a representative of the Orlandi family who was present for the search.

Forensic experts to study 'thousands of bones' found in Vatican ossuaries

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VATICAN CITY -- During a search for the remains of a young Italian woman missing for more than 30 years, workers discovered an enormous number of bones inside two ossuaries in a building next to a Vatican cemetery.

People gather at the site of a car bomb blast outside the Syriac Orthodox Church of the Blessed Virgin Mary in Qamishli, Syria, July 11, 2019. At least 11 people were injured in the blast during evening service. It was unclear who was responsible for the attack.

Pope Francis writes Assad: urges him to protect civilians, seek peace

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VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to put an end to his country's eight-year-long conflict and seek reconciliation for the good of the nation and its vulnerable people.

Bishop Michael J. Bransfield of Wheeling-Charleston, W.Va., is seen in this 2012 file photo. On July 19 the Vatican announced disciplinary measures for the bishop, who retired in 2018 amid allegations of sexual misconduct and financial improprieties.

Pope Francis issues sanctions against former West Virginia bishop

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WASHINGTON -- The Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston announced July 19 sanctions from the Vatican -- including taking away the faculties of celebrating Mass -- against a former West Virginia bishop who stepped down last year under a cloud of allegations of sexual and financial misconduct.

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