Syria massacre

Pope Benedict XVI joined the international community in condemning a massacre in Syria, and he called for Christian and Muslim leaders in the country to guide their faithful in prayer and collaboration to restore peace and calm. The massacre in Houla May 25-26 left about 108 people dead, including 49 children and 34 women. The U.N. Security Council May 27 condemned the massacre of civilians and, while not pinning all the blame on the Syrian government, it accused the government of inappropriately using heavy weapons in a residential area… Read more »

Bologna earthquake

The Pontifical Council “Cor Unum” released a communique announcing that, “following the earthquake of recent days, which wrought destruction particularly in the territory of the ecclesiastical circumscriptions of Carpi, Mantua, Modena-Nonantola and Ferrara-Comacchio, the Holy Father, through the Pontifical Council ‘Cor Unum’, has decided to send a special contribution of 100,000 euro, to be shared among the dioceses affected by the calamity, to aid the Catholic Church’s assistance activities in favour of the victims… Read more »

Pope's Butler, Paolo Gabriele

The Pope’s butler has been formally named as a suspect in the Vatican’s inquiry into a series of media leaks from the Catholic Church’s top levels.

Vatican magistrates accused Paolo Gabriele, 46, of illegal possession of confidential documents.  A series of leaks, dubbed Vatileaks, has revealed alleged corruption, mismanagement and internal conflicts.

Last month, Pope Benedict XVI set up a special commission of cardinals to investigate the leaks… Read more »

Next Monday, Archbishop Paul Cremona O.P. and Bishop Mario Grech will be at the Vatican for the ad Limina visit of the Archdiocese of Malta and the Diocese of Gozo.

This so-called ad Limina visit is held regularly in order that the bishops may give account of the diocese for which they are responsible. Normally this visit is held every five years and includes a number of meetings with dicasteries of the Roman Curia, including the Secretariat for the State, Congregations, Tribunals, Councils and Pontifical Offices… Read more »

Alleged apparitions by Mary, Mother of God

To help bishops determine the credibility of alleged Marian apparitions, the Vatican has translated and published procedural rules from 1978 that had previously been available only in Latin. The “Norms regarding the manner of proceedings in the discernment of presumed apparitions or revelations” were approved by Pope Paul VI in 1978 and distributed to the world’s bishops, but never officially published or translated into modern languages… Read more »

Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski

Archbishop Zygmunt Zimowski, head of the Holy See delegation to the sixty-fifth World Health Assembly, delivered an address before that gathering, which is being held in Geneva, Switzerland. Speaking English, the archbishop reaffirmed the Holy See’s support for Resolution WHA64.9 on “sustainable health financing structures and universal coverage”, which urges member States to aim for affordable universal coverage and access for all citizens on the basis of equity and solidarity… Read more »