Vatican

Clergy sex abuse survivor and victim's advocate Juan Carlos Cruz first met Pope Francis in 2018 when a group of survivors of abuse was invited to the Vatican.

Religion

Pope Francis' LGBTQ comments are not surprising but sincere, gay Vatican adviser says

3:52pm January 26, 2023

NPR's Leila Fadel speaks with Juan Carlos Cruz, a gay Chilean man who is a survivor of clergy sex abuse, about remarks by Pope Francis that criminalizing homosexuality is "unjust."

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Pope Francis looks at the Christmas tree inside the Paul VI hall as he arrives to meet with faithful during an audience granted to the donors of the Christmas tree and Nativity scene at the Vatican, on Dec. 3, 2022. Pope Francis has revealed in an interview that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical problems impede him from carrying out duties.

The Pope has revealed he has a resignation note to use if his health impedes his work

5:44am December 18, 2022

by The Associated Press

Pope Francis has revealed in an interview published Sunday that shortly after being elected pontiff in 2013 he wrote a resignation letter in case medical problems impede him from doing his duties.

Pope Francis arrives at Rome's Leonardo da Vinci International airport on Sunday to board his flight to Edmonton, Canada, where he will start a six-day pastoral visit to the country.

The pope arrives in Canada as Indigenous groups seek a full apology

8:37pm July 24, 2022

by The Associated Press

Pope Francis began a visit to Canada on Sunday to apologize to Indigenous peoples for abuses at residential schools, part of the the Catholic Church's efforts to reconcile with Native communities.

Pope Francis delivers the Angelus noon prayer in St.Peter's Square, at the Vatican on Sunday.

On COVID vaccinations, Pope says health care is a 'moral obligation'

7:26am January 10, 2022

by The Associated Press

Francis says individuals have a responsibility to care for themselves "and this translates into respect for the health of those around us."

Pope Francis shakes hands with Joe Biden, then vice president, at the Vatican, in 2016.

In Pope Francis, Biden Has A Potential Ally — Who Shares The Same Catholic Detractors

4:35pm March 01, 2021

by Sylvia Poggioli

The pope and the president share liberal stances on climate change and economic disparity. A theology scholar argues U.S. Catholic Church leadership is increasingly allied with the political right.

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The Vatican said Monday that it is "morally acceptable" to use COVID-19 vaccines, even if they used "cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process." Pope Francis, who approved the statement, is seen here in January.

Vatican OKs Receiving COVID-19 Vaccines, Even If Research Involved Fetal Tissue

7:34pm December 21, 2020

by Laurel Wamsley

The Vatican said it's permitted to get COVID-19 vaccines due to the "grave danger" of the pandemic, even if scientists used "cell lines from aborted fetuses in their research and production process."

Archbishop Wilton Gregory of Washington, D.C., becomes a cardinal during a ceremony Saturday known as a consistory in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican. Pope Francis cautioned new cardinals never to lose their connection to the people.

With Ceremony At The Vatican, Wilton Gregory Becomes 1st Black American Cardinal

6:59pm November 28, 2020

by Matthew S. Schwartz

Wilton Gregory, the archbishop of Washington, D.C., is among 13 church leaders elevated to cardinal at a ceremony at the Vatican on Saturday.

Two priests are going on trial in the Vatican court — one accused of sexually abusing an altar boy and the other charged with aiding and abetting the alleged abuse, which allegedly took place at the St. Pius X youth seminary. The seminary's residents ar

Vatican Court Hears Unprecedented Sexual Abuse Criminal Trial

5:53pm October 26, 2020

by Sylvia Poggioli

A 28-year-old priest is charged with sexually abusing an altar boy over a five-year period in a Vatican City youth seminary. Another priest, the former rector, is charged with covering up the abuse.

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A marble plaque over the main entrance of the Vatican Archives reads in Latin "Secret Vatican Archive." The Vatican's library on Pope Pius XII and his record during the Holocaust opened to researchers in March.

Records From Once-Secret Archive Offer New Clues Into Vatican Response To Holocaust

3:09pm August 29, 2020

by Sylvia Poggioli

The Vatican has long maintained that Pope Pius XII did everything he could to save Jewish lives, but newly unearthed papers have renewed accusations of complicit silence against him.

The Vatican, shown here last month, has issued new guidance on how bishops should respond to allegations of sexual abuse.

Religion

New Vatican Guidance Urges Clergy To Report Cases Of Sexual Abuse

7:03pm July 16, 2020

by David Welna

A step-by-step manual for investigating and reporting sexual abuse cases involving clergy calls on church authorities to alert civilian officials even if not required to do so by law.