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
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
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
Posted inDispatches
Updated: Archbishop Fisichella: The Jubilee of Mercy will be Unique in Many Ways
‘Missionaries of Mercy’ will be designated for every diocese for whole of the Holy Year
Posted inDispatches, Faith
Pope Hails Junipero Serra as ‘One of the Founding Fathers of the United States’
Francis defends Serra against charges that he was cruel to native peoples.
Posted inDispatches
Bishop Candidates Elected for Two Catholic Dioceses in Central China
Two priests were elected as candidates to be bishops of two Catholic dioceses in the Province of Henan the birthplace of Chinese civilization in central China They were chosen in closely supervised elections on April 28 and 29 and must now obtain approval from the State-sanctioned Bishops rsquo
Posted inVatican Dispatch
Progress With China?
Is an accord between the Holy See and China on the horizon? China watchers are asking this question following a flurry of interviews, articles and comments in the Chinese and Italian media in early 2015.The interest began when Vatican Insider interviewed some Chinese bishops who encouraged the Holy
Posted inDispatches
Vatican Conference Supports Push for Action on Climate
nbsp ldquo We are the first generation that can end poverty and the last generation that can avoid the worst impacts of climate change rdquo UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-Moon told this to a conference of 60 scientists and academicians political leaders including the Presidents of Italy and Ec
Posted inVatican Dispatch
When Francis Talks
Francis calls on world leaders to stop persecution in the Middle East.
Posted inDispatches
Pope Francis Will Visit Cuba before Arriving in the United States
Pope Francis will visit Cuba before arriving in the United States in September nbsp The Vatican announced this today without giving the exact date s of his visit to the island nation which is likely to be more than just a stopover nbsp ldquo I am able to confirm that the Holy Father Francis h