Four months after supporting blessings for same-sex couples, the Vatican on Monday declared gender-affirming surgery and surrogacy as violations of human dignity — making them equal to abortion and euthanasia as practices that reject God’s plan. The Holy See’s office that handles doctrine issued “Infinite Dignity,” a 20-page document that had been in the works for five years.
Read More(ANALYSIS) There is a “Demos II” epistle from another anonymous cardinal — criticizing Pope Francis and describing seven tasks facing the next pontiff.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Remember that time Ireland had a pope? You probably don't. Because it never happened. Despite Ireland's rich monastic and missionary traditions — along with its hard-fought struggle to maintain the Catholic religion — there has never been an Irish pope. Italy, of course, has had hundreds of popes. France has had 15 and the Germans half a dozen.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Vatican’s decision to allow priests to bless couples in what they called “irregular relationships” continues to get lots of media attention, especially since it involves same-sex couples. Here’s how some Catholic priests who are active on social media and YouTube are explaining what it all means.
Read MoreThree weeks after announcing that priests could bless individuals in same-sex relationships, the Vatican published a clarification on Thursday following backlash — and even some confusion — from Catholic prelates around the world.
Read MoreThis was a very busy year on the Catholic beat. A decade after Pope Francis replaced the then-retiring Benedict XVI, the consistently progressive pontiff has very much been the focal point of plenty of news coverage in 2023. Expect more of the same in 2024.
Read MoreThe once-powerful cardinal was found guilty on Saturday by a three-judge Vatican panel of embezzlement and fraud in a high-profile corruption case that rocked the Holy See’s hierarchy for the past three years.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Another month, another scandal. That seems to be the case these days with former President Donald Trump and President Joe Biden. It’s also the case when we talk about Vatican life in the tense era of Pope Francis. The most-recent drama in Rome involves Luca Casarini, who recently took part in the Synod on Synodality as a special nominee of Pope Francis.
Read MoreThe Vatican’s meeting of bishops — the second phase of a multi-year effort that began in 2021 known as the Synod on Synodality — concluded amid a growing debate regarding a number of key issues. The meetings this month centered around the future of the Catholic church and has put progressives and conservatives at odds when it comes to doctrinal issues.
Read MorePope Francis led a prayer vigil at the Vatican to recall the plight of migrants and refugees, saying everyone is “called to be neighbors.” The service took place during the Synod on Synodality, a gathering of bishops and laypeople, and comes as large numbers of people have been forced to flee the Global South to places like the U.S. and Europe.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The Vatican's release of "dubia" documents underlined the importance of the historic global synod, which will address issues in church life including the ordination of women, the status of LGBTQ+ believers, clerical celibacy and changes for divorced Catholics seeking Holy Communion.
Read MorePope Francis opened a meeting of bishops at the Vatican by warning that the Catholic church needs to put aside “political calculations or ideological battles” and welcome “everyone” to dialogue about the faith. During Mass at St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff said the church is a place of welcome for “everyone, everyone, everyone” ahead of a three-week series of meetings that has sparked hope among progressives and alarm from conservatives.
Read More(ANALYSIS) The public legacy of Pope Francis is secured by elite journalists who shape much of what appears in the mainstream news media. Catholics, however, may have a different view — if they read coverage in alternative news sources — given earlier scandals of the Francis era and now the Rupnik case.
Read MoreIn a move that would signal a seismic shift for the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said he’s open to blessing same-sex unions and to studying the possibility of ordaining women to the priesthood. The comments came in a letter the pope penned in response to five cardinals who had written to him expressing concern about a number of issues that are expected to be discussed at a meeting of bishops starting Wednesday at the Vatican.
Read More(EXPLAINER) The next phase in the high-anticipated Vatican gathering of bishops known as the Synod of Synodality starts on Oct. 4. The first phase of this global gathering is the culmination of two years of preparation. Over the past two years, much has been said about synodality and what it aims to do for Catholicism.
Read MoreThis week’s Weekend Plug-in previews the Catholic Church’s upcoming synod on synodality in Rome. Plus, as always, catch up on all the best reads and top headlines in the world of faith.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Another week and yet another headline about Pope Francis feuding with a doctrinally conservative American prelate. It’s become an all-too-common story and one that the legacy media often can’t resist.
Read More(ANALYSIS) Move aside, Southern Baptists and their drive to restrict women’s pastoral ministry in church. Women will be just one of many contested topics when Pope Francis presides Oct. 4–29 over his Synod of Bishops at the Vatican, already in line to become the religion story of the year, even though final decisions await a second session in October 2024.
Read More(ANALYSIS) While machines have yet to replace all writers, the threat is real. This isn’t just limited to journalists. AI has impacted Hollywood (look at the current writers strike), education (from grade school to college) and the retail industry. And yes, journalism is up there to when it comes to an industry seen as under threat.
Read More(ANALYSIS) I have found it healthy and important to watch Fox News and read The New York Times. Both are highly influential in their respective partisan bubbles. Both impact the world around us, for better or worse, and that’s of great importance in a world were journalistic objectivity is a relic of a pre-internet world.
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