Last week, Vatican police raided five of the Vatican’s top offices as part of a financial investigation. On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I break down what happened and what questions remain about this raid—the first of its kind to have been made public by the Vatican.
Next up, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis delivered a strong message about loyalty to the pope to the 13 new cardinals. Gerry gives us some insights about how this message was received.
Finally, the Synod on the Amazon is in full swing. Gerry explains the moving prayer service that kicked off the synod and we unpack the Pope Francis’s direction for the meeting. We also talk about why women haven’t been allowed to vote in the synod, and whether that may change.
Links from the show:
- Vatican police raid Secretariat of State and finance watchdog offices
- Vatican employees suspended as finance investigation continues
- Pope Francis creates 13 new cardinals, emphasizes the need for ‘compassion’ and ‘loyalty’
- Pope Francis opens Amazon synod, says to ‘light the fire of the Gospel’ in the region
- As Amazon Synod begins, Pope Francis looks to proceed with a ‘pastoral heart’
- Catholic sisters and nuns call for voting rights for women at the Amazon synod
This Pope is a brave man, and his decisions are bound to arouse controversy and disagreement among liberals and conservatives. But both Francis and Benedict want to draw a distinction between, constructive reservations which can be made in private, and overt rebellion, where some of their opponents are using public media to lash out. While the concerns per se may have merit, these open attacks shake the faith of the Catholic Community and create a schismatic atmosphere which does not help.