Investigative reporters spent more than 14 months researching the whole affair.
Gerard O’Connell
Gerard O’Connell is America’s senior Vatican correspondent and author of The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Story of the Conclave That Changed History. He has been covering the Vatican since 1985.
Posted inDispatches
Jerusalem’s Bishop Shomali: The Canonization, the Comprehensive Agreement, Hopes for Peace
William Shomali the Palestinian born auxiliary-bishop of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem was one of the concelebrants at the mass during which Pope Francis canonized the two Palestinian women saints in St Peter rsquo s Square on Sunday morning May 17 nbsp I spoke with him afterwards and aske
Posted inDispatches
Pope Proclaims Four New Women Saints, including two from Palestine
Pope Francis canonized four 19th century women religious ndash 2 from Palestine and one each from Italy and France ndash during a festive mass in St Peter rsquo s Square on May 17 attended by Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas and official State delegations from Jordan Israel Italy and Fra
Posted inDispatches
Pope to Abbas: ‘You Are an Angel of Peace’
ldquo You are an angel of peace rdquo Pope Francis told Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas at the end of their meeting in the Vatican May 16 during which they both expressed the hope for the resumption of ldquo direct peace negotiations rdquo between Israelis and Palestinians Francis paid hi
Posted inDispatches
An Inspired Choice: Cardinal Tagle elected President of Caritas Internationalis
ldquo I accept this election in the name of all the poor people in the world rdquo nbsp With these words the Filipino cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle accepted his election as the new President of Caritas Internationalis He is the first Asian to head this confederation of Catholic Church charity a
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Climate Check
The church speaks out on the great challenge of our time: sustainable development.
Posted inDispatches
Updated: Gutiérrez: ‘The Vatican Never Condemned the Theology of Liberation’
ldquo The Vatican never condemned the Theology of Liberation rdquo Fr Gustavo Guti rrez O P the father of Liberation Theology told a press conference in the Vatican on May 12 ldquo There was a dialogue with the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith here in Rome sometimes a very crit
Posted inDispatches
Cuba’s Raul Castro Tells Pope Francis: ‘I Could Become a Catholic Again’
Pope Francis and Cuba 39 s President Raul Castro conversed together alone in a very cordial way for 55 minutes an unusually long time given that they didn 39 t need interpreters nbsp quot Bienvenido quot Francis said as he welcomed the President on his arrival Castro responded quot Th
Posted inDispatches
The Vatican Publishes the Statutes of the Commission for the Protection of Minors
The Vatican has published the Statutes for the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors This is another important step in the wide-ranging effort by Pope Francis to ensure total protection for every child and minor in all institutions of the Catholic Church worldwide and to prevent the s
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Address the Root Causes
The drowning of 900 migrants from many countries in the Mediterranean on the night of April 18 jolted consciences worldwide. It was but the latest, though the worst, in a series of similar tragedies in the sea between North Africa and Europe in recent years: 3,200 drowned last year, over 1,700 so fa