Pope Francis has accepted the resignation of 59-year-old Bishop Franco Mulakkal of Jalandhar, India, who was acquitted last year on charges of raping a nun but may face further legal action since the nun has appealed the verdict.
The Vatican
The Vatican Names Las Vegas as the Newest U.S. Archdiocese
For the first time in 19 years, the United States has a new archdiocese. The Vatican announced on May 30 the creation of the Ecclesiastical Province of Las Vegas, which includes the newly elevated Archdiocese of Las Vegas, and the Dioceses of Reno and Salt Lake City.
Pope On Pentecost: Synod Is Journey In The Spirit, Not ‘A Parliament’
The Catholic Church’s current Synod of Bishops should not be a “parliament for demanding rights,” but a “journey in accordance with the Spirit,” Pope Francis said.
Man Arrested After Car Breaches Vatican Gate, Drawing Gunfire From Police
A man with apparent psychiatric problems forced his through a Vatican security gate late May 18 by speeding past Swiss Guards and Vatican gendarmes in a vehicle before being apprehended in a Vatican courtyard.
Vatican Reportedly Pulls ‘Controversial’ World Youth Day Stamp
The Vatican has pulled from circulation a World Youth Day stamp of Pope Francis with young people in an image that resembles propaganda from Portugal’s former dictatorship.
Pope Issues New ‘Fundamental Law’ For Vatican City State
Pope Francis updated the “Fundamental Law of Vatican City State,” opening the possibility that laypeople can be members of its governing commission and emphasizing that the independence of the city-state is essential for the mission of the Holy See.
Ukrainian Bishops Hopeful for President Zelenskyy’s Vatican Visit
Ukrainian church leaders have cautiously welcomed news of a Vatican visit by their country’s president, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, after a fresh wave of Russian missile attacks in anticipation of a counteroffensive by Kyiv’s forces.
People Should Be Free To Choose, Not Forced, To Migrate, Pope Says In Message
Eliminating the root causes of forced migration means ensuring everyone has an equal share in the common good, their fundamental rights are respected and their lives can flourish through integral human development, Pope Francis said.
Two Popes, Catholic & Coptic, Meet To Aid Middle Eastern Christianity
Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II visited the Vatican from May 9 to 14 and met with Pope Francis. The visit was the second time in 10 years that Pope Tawadros visited the Vatican; he did so in May 2013, when the two churches proclaimed May 10 as “Coptic-Catholic Friendship Day.”
Pope to Pope: Let Our Churches Be United By Christ’s Love
Two popes sat side by side before a crowd of rain-soaked pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square May 10. Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II, patriarch of Alexandria, Egypt, was at the Vatican to mark the 50th anniversary of a joint declaration signed by St. Paul VI and Pope Shenouda III in 1973 outlining the beliefs shared by their churches.