Vatican

The Vatican on Monday abruptly abandoned its extradition request for an Italian woman wanted on embezzlement-related charges. The case would have tested whether Italy considers the Vatican a place where someone can get a fair trial.

Pope Francis told Uruguay's new ambassador to the Holy See that a future visit to the country as well as to his native Argentina is still very much on the table.

The Australian government’s international financial watchdog, Austrac, said it overestimated bank transfers from Vatican City to Australia over the past six years by more than $1.5 billion dollars.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss Pope Francis’ challenge to the U.S. to overcome its divisions and how the U.S. bishops will need to step up in order to achieve that.

The Vatican asked priests to take special anti-COVID-19 precautions this year when distributing ashes on Ash Wednesday, including sprinkling ashes on the top of people's heads rather than making a cross on people's foreheads.

Women have served as lectors and acolytes for decades. Now Pope Francis has changed canon law to formally recognize their ministry.