Vatican News

Vatican to open WWII archives, research will take time, archivists say

February 20, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- When the Vatican's wartime archives open to researchers March 2, it will be just the start of what should be a long, slow process of studying, analyzing and publishing findings, said the Vatican's archivist and librarian.

Vatican official denies use of charity money for London property deal

February 18, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- Italian Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu, prefect of the Congregation for Saints' Causes, denied allegations that money earmarked for helping the poor was used to invest in a London property deal.

Pope Francis: New Vatican finance laws are working

February 18, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- The decade-long process of updating the laws of Vatican City State is part of the Vatican's support for international commitments to protect people and safeguard vulnerable groups, who are "frequently the victims of new, odious forms of illegality," Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis defrocks Argentine founder of religious institute

February 5, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis expelled from the priesthood the founder of Miles Christi, a religious institute based in Argentina, after he was found guilty of sexual and physical abuse.

Vatican donates masks to China to combat coronavirus outbreak

February 3, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- The Vatican donated thousands of protective masks to several Chinese provinces affected by the outbreak of the deadly coronavirus.

Parties working to get U.S., Russia to discuss nuclear arms reduction

January 31, 2020

WASHINGTON -- An effort is underway through nongovernmental channels to bring U.S. and Russian negotiators together to discuss new reductions in the countries' nuclear weapons arsenals, an official with the Vatican's Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development said during a visit to The Catholic University of America.

Cardinals Re, Sandri elected to top posts in College of Cardinals

January 27, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis has approved the election of Italian Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re as dean of the College of Cardinals and of Argentine Cardinal Leonardo Sandri as the subdean.

Abuse happens within women's orders, too, cardinal says

January 24, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- Sexual abuse and the abuse of authority have occurred and are occurring within religious orders of women and must be addressed with transparency and boldness, said Cardinal Joao Braz de Aviz, prefect of the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

Pope Francis meets with Mike Pence at Vatican

January 24, 2020

VATICAN CITY -- After Pope Francis and U.S. Vice President Mike Pence met privately for nearly an hour at the Vatican, Pence told the pope that his Roman Catholic mother will be pleased with the visit.

Czerny takes over Rome parish

January 23, 2020

Canadian Cardinal Michael Czerny, son of migrants to Canada and head of the Vatican department that works on behalf of migrants and refugees, took possession of his parish in a heavily immigrant neighbourhood of Rome Jan. 19.