Columnist: Francis Rocca
The Most Urgent Issue for the U.S. Bishops Is No Longer Abortion
Not so long ago, when U.S. Catholic leaders said something political, they tended to sound like conservatives. American bishops’ most prominent policy statements focused on three issues: same-sex marriage, contraception, ...
The Latin Mass: Catholics Who Have to Worship Somewhere Else
Jessica Harvey used to worship in a church with stained glass and a soaring ceiling. The Catholic parish gave Harvey and her family a sense of community as they settled ...
Viganò’s Astonishing Transformation from Vatican Insider to Alleged Schismatic
Nine years ago, Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò was the Holy See’s envoy to the U.S., dealing with the White House and Congress to prepare for Pope Francis’ September 2015 visit ...
Ailing Pope Francis Hurries to Bolster His Progressive Legacy
Pope Francis is moving to shore up his progressive legacy as his health problems increase, making key appointments that could shape the Catholic Church well past the end of his pontificate. Following hospitalizations in ...
Vatican Bank’s Ex-President Convicted of Embezzlement, Money Laundering
A Vatican court found a former president of the Vatican bank guilty of embezzlement and money laundering during the pontificates of St. John Paul and Pope Benedict XVI, closing a ...
Pope Francis Struggles to Escape Scandals of 2019
Pope Francis ended 2019 in embarrassment when he angrily slapped the hand of a woman who had pulled on his own while he was greeting pilgrims on New Year’s Eve ...
Vatican Loses Access to International Financial Watchdog Information
An international network of financial watchdogs has suspended the Vatican’s access to its information, dealing a major blow to the Vatican’s financial credibility under Pope Francis. The Egmont Group, a ...
Vatican Allows Guam Archbishop to Keep Rank Despite Child-Abuse Verdict
An archbishop in Guam who was found guilty of sexual abuse of minors by a Vatican court and permanently removed from his post remains a priest with the rank of ...
Francis and O’Malley Clash Over Sex-Abuse Crisis
Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston, chief adviser to Pope Francis on protecting children from sexual abuse, called a meeting with top papal aides in 2017, concerned the Vatican wasn’t living ...
Pope Francis Tries To ‘Dial Down’ Expectations for February’s Abuse Summit
Pope Francis tried to play down next month’s Vatican summit on sex abuse, describing the meeting’s purpose as primarily educational even amid widespread calls for bishops to face greater accountability ...
Vatican Aims to Expedite McCarrick’s Trial
The Vatican plans to try Archbishop Theodore McCarrick as early as this coming week , in order to make a final decision on his fate before next month’s Vatican summit ...
Vatican Panel Faces Criticism Over Leniency for Priests Guilty of Abuse
A little-known Vatican appeals panel established by Pope Francis has sharply reduced penalties meted out to priests convicted of sexual abuse under church law in more than a third of ...