In the assessment released on June 9th, the European Watchdog committee states that the Vatican's efforts towards investigating potential crimes committed by senior officials needs improving.

Pope Francis has asked Bishop Egidio Miragoli, to carry out a visitation of the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy, which has oversight of the more than 410,000 Catholic priests around the world. He did not reveal why the pope chose him to do this work.

An Italian nun who was stabbed 19 times more than two decades ago by three teenage girls apparently fascinated by Satan was honored Sunday with beatification as a martyr of the Roman Catholic Church.

The cardinal’s decision comes at a time when there is a major crisis in the other large German diocese of Cologne linked to the abuse scandal and pastoral management of the archdiocese.

What we know about the new process: who is involved, what the topics for discussion will be, and whether dioceses from the United States to China can pull off the local listening sessions the Vatican is asking for.

A new papal document reforming the Curia will soon be published. I’m sure Pope Francis’ heart is in the right place, but I expect to be disappointed.