Vatican News

Vatican abuse prosecutor: More must be done to punish negligent bishops

May 23, 2014

DUBLIN - The Vatican's chief prosecutor of sex abuse crimes said the Church needs to do more to develop the process for punishing bishops who fail in their duty to protect children.

Cardinal Lacroix gets new role at Vatican

May 22, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Three months after he gave 19 new cardinals their red hats, Pope Francis gave new responsibilities to the 16 who are under the age of 80, including Quebec's Cardinal Gerald Lacroix.

Former Vatican No. 2 Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone denies financial wrongdoing

May 22, 2014

VATICAN CITY - The Italian cardinal who served as the Vatican’s No. 2 official under Pope Benedict XVI has rejected allegations that he mishandled 15 million euros ($20 million) from Vatican bank accounts.

Vatican’s financial watchdog reports ‘notable’ spike in shady transactions

May 20, 2014

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican’s financial watchdog has reported a dramatic increase in suspicious transactions at the Vatican bank, but officials sought to downplay any rise in criminal activity.

Vatican says no movement (yet) on sainthood for Oscar Romero

May 18, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Despite fevered speculation in the media and across Latin America, the Vatican says Pope Francis has not advanced slain Salvadoran Archbishop Oscar Romero toward sainthood — at least, not yet.

Pope Francis will take rabbi and Muslim leader with him to Holy Land

May 15, 2014

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis will be accompanied on his first visit to the Middle East by Argentine Rabbi Abraham Skorka and Muslim leader Omar Abboud — two friends from Buenos Aires.

Vatican official voices opposition to automated weapons systems

May 14, 2014

VATICAN CITY - No matter how sophisticated and how many algorithms are programmed to help a drone or other machine make calculations before firing on a target, autonomous weapons systems could never comply with international human rights law, a Vatican official said.

Pope Paul VI to be beatified this fall

May 11, 2014

VATICAN CITY - After weeks of speculation, Pope Francis made it official on May 10 that Pope Paul VI could become the latest pope poised to become a saint after a miracle was accredited to Paul’s intercession.

Nuns say they will continue dialogue despite Vatican criticisms

May 11, 2014

The American nuns who were publicly scolded by the Vatican’s top doctrinal official for disobedience and promoting unorthodox beliefs have rejected the criticisms, and say their “attempts to clarify misperceptions have led to deeper misunderstandings” between Rome and the organization representing most of the 50,000 sisters in the U.S.

Vatican calls for release of kidnapped Nigerian girls

May 7, 2014

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican issued an urgent appeal today for the release of more than 200 Nigerian schoolgirls kidnapped by the Islamist militant group Boko Haram.