When presidents and other representatives of the world’s nearly 130 bishops’ conferences gather in Rome next month for a summit on clerical sex abuse, many experts are predicting it will be the most-covered Vatican event since the last papal election in 2013. Whether the gathering lives up to that hype, however, remains to be seen.
In the same way that the contributions of Hispanic Catholics in the U.S. Church were given a spotlight at last September’s Encuentro, World Youth Day will be an occasion for the entire world to get a glimpse of the rich enthusiasm that Hispanic and Latino Catholics bring to the Church worldwide.
At the upcoming meeting on protecting minors, Pope Francis wants leaders of the world’s bishops’ conferences to clearly understand what must be done to prevent abuse, care for victims and ensure no case is whitewashed or covered up.
Dreams of having a Vatican team in the Olympic games became a bit more real Jan. 10, as the Holy See officialized its presence on the sports scene by presenting an athletic association bearing the papal colors with the goal of promoting diversity and Christian values.
A day after the bishops of Venezuela declared the new presidency of Nicolas Maduro “illegitimate,” Pope Francis sent a Vatican representative to his inauguration. The successor of the late Hugo Chavez thanked Msgr. George Koovakod for his “bravery” for coming.
After weeks of confusion and consternation, Rome’s mayor told the Vatican newspaper that Rome Caritas would benefit not only from the coins tourists throw in the Trevi Fountain, but from coins tossed in any of the city’s historic water features.
Members of Pope Francis’ study commission on women deacons spoke publicly for the first time Tuesday, saying the pope has their report and expressing confidence that when the moment comes, he’ll make the right call.
Migrants from across Honduras set out from San Pedro Sula for the border with Guatemala early Jan. 15, hoping to reach the U.S. border amid controversies over fortifying the southern frontier with a wall.
Three years after the gut-wrenching image of the lifeless body of little Alan Kurdi, a toddler who drowned and washed up on the shores of Turkey, sent shock waves around the world, his aunt has said there’s been little follow-up to the initial outrage and urged global leaders to put some bite behind their bark when it comes to helping refugees.
Coptic Christians in Egypt celebrated Christmas Jan. 7 – breaking their 43-day vegetarian fast, a religious practice in which Christians refrain from all dairy products and meat during the Advent season.
