Former cardinal Theodore McCarrick died on April 3; he was the first cardinal to be removed from the College of Cardinals over sexual abuse and was ultimately laicized. This week, we’re re-presenting “Inside the Vatican”’s 2020 deep dive, “The Rise and Fall of Theodore McCarrick,” which was published just after the Vatican published an unprecedented report into how McCarrick was able to rise through the church’s ranks despite his abuse being an “open secret.”

In this episode, America’s Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle explain the rise and fall of Theodore McCarrick, once the most prominent prelates in the U.S. Catholic church.

The two unpack the accusations made in Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò’s incendiary 2018 letter and how those are addressed in the Vatican’s recent report. Gerry gives an up-close view of how the events of the last two years unfolded, and Colleen raises questions about whether this report will usher in a new era of accountability.

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Find a transcript of this episode here.

Links for further reading and listening:

• Inside the Vatican: A 3-minute summary of what the McCarrick Report reveals
• Disgraced former cardinal Theodore McCarrick dies at 94
• Sexual abuse case against defrocked Cardinal McCarrick suspended in Wisconsin
• Timeline: The allegations against former Cardinal McCarrick

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On Mar. 20, Pope Francis said in his written Sunday Angelus address that he was experiencing Lent as a time of “healing” in his body and his soul. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell walk us through the pontiff’s recovery, including “slight improvements” in his speech.

In the second half of the show, Colleen and Gerry discuss an announcement made by the bishop of Lourdes that the mosaics on the doors of the Lourdes Shrine by alleged abuser Marko Rupnik will be covered up this week.

Note: After this episode was recorded, the Sanctuary of Fátima announced that it would no longer use photos of its Rupnik mosaics in promotional materials, however it would leave the artwork on display.

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Pope Francis has returned home after 38 days in the hospital, which included two life-threatening respiratory crises. In this episode, host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss a revealing new interview that the pope’s doctor gave to an Italian newspaper. Gerry describes the scene at the Gemelli Hospital when the pope made his first public appearance on March 23, and the two describe what they know so far about what to expect from the pope’s planned two-month convalescence period.

Note: After this podcast was recorded, Buckingham Palace announced that King Charles III and Queen Camilla’s planned visit to the Vatican had been postponed due to the pope’s need for rest.

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Pope Francis’ doctors announced at a press conference early this evening Rome time, March 22, that he will be discharged from the hospital tomorrow, March 23, following a six week hospitalization for double pneumonia, the longest of his pontificate. The pope will give a quick wave from his balcony at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital tomorrow, then return to the Vatican.

The doctors said he will have to observe a recovery period of two months before he can return to his usual pace of work. During this time, he can work and have individual meetings, but no big events or meetings with groups.

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Buckingham Palace announced a meeting between King Charles III, Queen Camilla and Pope Francis at the Vatican on April 8. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen and Gerry discuss whether the pope is on track to leave Gemelli Hospital in time for the royal visit, noting his gradual health improvements and the absence of setbacks since March 3. In the second part of the show, Francis appears to be shoring up his legacy, announcing the next stage in the global synodal process: a three-year implementation phase culminating in an ecclesial assembly in 2028.

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Pope Francis is no longer in imminent danger, according to the Vatican and doctors at Rome's Gemelli Hospital, where he has now entered his fourth week of treatment. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Ricardo da Silva, S.J., speaks with veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell to provide the latest updates on Pope Francis’ slow but steady recovery. 

In the second half, Ricardo and Gerry discuss a recent talk in Germany given by the Vatican’s doctrinal chief Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, which appears to present a pastorally sensitive response to those experiencing gender dysphoria.

Find the full show page and links for further reading here.

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After 21 days of hospitalization, Pope Francis sent a brief message of thanks that was played for those praying for him in St. Peter's Square the night of March 6.

Read Gerard O'Connell's report on the message here.

Visit americamagazine.org for the latest on Pope Francis' health.

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Pope Francis has been hospitalized for nearly three weeks with double pneumonia. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Ricardo da Silva, S.J., speaks with veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell about the pope’s health, ongoing work, and the misinformation surrounding his condition. While stable, the pope’s condition remains serious, and his prognosis is “guarded,” meaning he is not yet out of danger.

In the second half, Ricardo asks Gerry about his recent interview with Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican’s foreign minister, where they discussed ongoing conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, as well as diplomatic relations with the U.S. and China.

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Earlier today, March 3, the Vatican announced that the Pope experienced two acute breathing crises caused by a significant buildup of mucus in his airways, linked to his ongoing pneumonia infection. Doctors performed two bronchoscopies to clear the mucus and resumed non-invasive ventilation with an oxygen mask to assist his breathing, without the need for intubation.

His prognosis remains guarded, and doctors will continue to closely monitor his condition.

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In this special update, we report on a concerning turn in Pope Francis’ health. Earlier today, Feb. 28, the Vatican announced that the pope suffered a severe “bronchial spasm,” causing vomiting and inhalation complications that worsened his breathing. Doctors cleared his airways and stabilized him, but informed sources tell America he is back in a “critical state.”

His prognosis remains guarded, and doctors say it will take a day or two to assess the impact of this setback.

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Pope Francis remains in critical condition after being hospitalized for bronchitis that developed into double pneumonia. While his condition is serious, there are signs of improvement, including progress in his lab results and increased mobility. However, his doctors caution that he is not out of danger, and his condition could still worsen.

In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell provide a comprehensive update on Pope Francis’ health crisis, discussing the Vatican’s daily health reports and a recent press conference in which the pope’s medical team shared details of his condition. Despite the severity of his illness, his doctors highlighted his good humor and mobility. Colleen and Gerry also address the misinformation that has been circulating about the pope’s health.

Links for further reading

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The Vatican told the press this evening, Saturday, Feb. 22, that Pope Francis experienced what it called a “prolonged asthma-like respiratory crisis”—essentially, the symptoms of a severe asthma attack—requiring him to receive high-flow oxygen.

This evening’s update also said that Francis’ most recent blood tests revealed “thrombocytopenia,” which is a lowered level of platelets in the blood that is common in critical care patients. This condition resulted in a need for the pope to receive blood transfusions.

Repeating what doctors said at the press conference yesterday, the Vatican said, Pope Francis’ condition remains critical, and he is not yet out of danger.

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Pope Francis remains hospitalized at Rome’s Gemelli Hospital since his admission on Feb. 14 with a respiratory infection, later confirmed as double pneumonia. He is stable, without fever, and in good spirits. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss his diagnosis, treatment, and how the week has unfolded for the pope.



In the second half of the show, Colleen and Gerry use Pope Francis’ letter to the U.S. bishops—offering a strong critique of U.S. immigration policy under Trump—as a springboard to explore broader policy tensions between the new administration and the Vatican, from Gaza and Ukraine to U.S.A.I.D. funding, climate change, and artificial intelligence. They also consider whether any common ground can be found between the two.

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Pope Francis was admitted to the hospital on Friday, February 14 for a respiratory infection that the pope referred to as bronchitis. He underwent tests and rested over the weekend, skipping his Sunday Angelus for the first time in 12 years. The Vatican said his condition was improving on Saturday and Sunday and that the fever he entered the hospital with had gone away.

A statement from the Vatican Monday morning, however, revealed that Pope Francis may need to stay in the hospital longer than originally anticipated. When the pope entered the hospital, the Vatican announced all his engagements were cancelled through Monday. This morning’s statement said that the pope’s test results have shown “a polymicrobial infection of the respiratory tract,” which paints a “complex clinical picture that will require an adequate hospital stay.” It was unclear how long that stay would be.

Read Gerry’s latest report here.

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The Vatican released the long-awaited document Antiqua et Nova ("Ancient and New") on artificial intelligence on Jan. 28. It explores the relationship between human and artificial intelligence, emphasizing that humans cannot be replaced by AI, which must always serve the common good. Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary for the culture section of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, joins Inside the Vatican host Colleen Dulle to discuss the document, and Vatican's broader approach and response to AI.

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This morning, Feb. 11, Pope Francis sent a letter to the U.S. bishops denouncing President Trump’s mass deportation program, which has already deported thousands of people and sparked fear in the migrant community.

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On Monday, Feb. 3, the Vatican hosted its first International Summit on Children’s Rights, which Pope Francis called an “open observatory” for children’s protection in an attempt to showcase “the reality of childhood throughout the world, a childhood that is unfortunately often hurt, exploited, denied.” In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen and Gerry dive into the goals of the summit and unpack Pope Francis’ plan to write a papal document dedicated to children, described as an attempt “to give continuity to this commitment and promote it throughout the church.”

In the second half of the episode, Colleen and Gerry discuss Pope Francis’ call for a common date for Easter among all Christian Churches in 2025, which he announced during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity from Jan. 19-25. As it happens, the churches will share a common date this year on Apr. 20, 2025.  

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This special deep dive episode recaps the 2024 VaticanRoman meeting of the Synod on Synodality, featuring interviews with five synod delegates about the tensions and unexpected breakthroughs in the Synod hall—and outside it.

The episode brings listeners inside Synod meetings with archival audio, and parses the synod’s final document, which Pope Francis adopted as part of the church’s magisterial teachings. Finally, host Colleen Dulle and expert guests look at what the Synod’s results demand now from church leaders and every baptised Catholic.

Guests include:

- Archbishop Timothy Costelloe of Perth, Australia

- Helena Jeppesen, a Swiss synod delegate

- Agbonkhianmeghe E. Orobator, S.J., dean of the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University and a synod delegate

- Diana Macalintal, co-founder of “Team Initiation”

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Find the full show page and links for further reading here.

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This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., filling in for Colleen Dulle, speaks with Gerard O’Connell about Pope Francis’ recent interview on Italian TV. In the interview, given on the eve of the U.S. presidential inauguration, the pope announced that by March he would appoint a woman to lead the Vatican City-State government. He also criticized President Donald Trump’s mass deportation plans as a “disaster.”

Last week, the Biden administration announced that Cuba would release 553 political prisoners, and in return, the U.S. would remove Cuba’s designation as a state sponsor of terrorism—a deal reportedly brokered by the Vatican. However, on his first day back in office, President Donald Trump reversed this decision reinstating Cuba’s status as a state sponsor of terrorismon his first day back in office. This reversal has jeopardized the agreement and raised concerns among the families of the prisoners who were set to be released.  

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Links for further reading

Pope Francis assures Donald Trump of his prayers, but says mass deportations would be a ‘disgrace’

Cuba to release 553 prisoners for Jubilee at Pope Francis’ request

Pope Francis falls, suffers bruise but no fractures

Pope Francis dissolves Peru-based Catholic movement after abuses uncovered by Vatican

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The Vatican has approved new guidelines from the Italian Bishops’ Conference, allowing gay men to enter seminaries if they commit to celibacy, as expected of all seminarians regardless of sexual orientation. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss whether this signals a shift in admissions policy and the potential implications for seminarians worldwide.

They also cover Pope Francis’s annual address to diplomats accredited to the Holy See, where he called for a “diplomacy of hope.”

Later, Gerry shares highlights from his interview with Filipino Cardinal Pablo Virgilio “Ambo” David, who faced death threats for opposing former President Rodrigo Duterte’s war on drugs. The cardinal also observes what he sees as contrasting approaches to evangelization between Pope Francis, who calls the church to go outside its doors and seek those on the peripheries, and Pope Benedict, who stressed opening the church’s doors to welcome people in.

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Pope Francis has appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy as archbishop of Washington and Sister Simona Brambilla, an Italian Consolata missionary, as prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Her appointment makes her the first woman to lead a major Vatican department and to have a cardinal as her deputy.

On this week's episode of “Inside the Vatican,” hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O'Connell discuss the challenges Cardinal McElroy may face in Washington, D.C., due to his views on issues like racism, migration, poverty, and climate change, which may conflict strongly with the incoming administration’s proposed policies. They also explore how Sister Brambilla’s appointment marks a milestone for the Vatican and consider Pope Francis’ ongoing efforts to elevate women to top leadership roles within the Vatican.

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The Catholic Jubilee Year, established in 1300 by Pope Boniface VIII, is rooted in the Jewish tradition of releasing prisoners, forgiving debts, and restoring harmony every 50 years. During the Jubilee, Catholics can receive plenary indulgences, which remove the temporal punishment for sins that have already been forgiven and can be offered for others, such as those in purgatory.

In this episode of Inside the Vatican, Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss the 2025 Jubilee Year, beginning on Christmas Eve 2024 and ending in January 2026. With the theme “Pilgrims of Hope,” Pope Francis seeks to rekindle hope and trust in the future, encouraging Catholics to deepen their faith through acts of charity, penance, and pilgrimage.

The hosts explore the history of the Jubilee Year, the Vatican’s plans for 2025, and Rome’s preparations to accommodate an anticipated 32 million pilgrims. They also offer travel tips for visitors and alternatives for those unable to make the trip to the Eternal City.

Links for further reading from the episode

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On his 88th birthday, Pope Francis revealed he survived two assassination attempts during his 2021 apostolic visit to Iraq, a journey already recognized as high-risk. In this episode of Inside the Vatican, Colleen and Gerry examine this shocking disclosure and other insights from his forthcoming autobiography, Hope, with excerpts released to mark the occasion ahead of its January publication. They also reflect on the first-ever visit of a pope to the Mediterranean island of Corsica on Sunday, Dec. 5, where he participated in a conference on popular religiosity and celebrated Mass for the island’s predominantly Catholic community.

Links for further reading from this episode

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This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell take a closer look at  Pope Francis’ latest consistory, which created 21 new cardinals on Saturday, Dec. 7. In the second half of the show, they discuss the pope’s call for an end to the death penalty in the United States and for ceasefires in the world’s wars before Christmas. 

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Find the links for further reading here.

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On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell investigate Pope Francis’ new letter on the final synod document, his address to experts of the International Theological Commission on developing a theology of synodality and Gerry’s interviews with Archbishops Charles Scicluna and Timothy Costelloe. They also unpack Pope Francis’ hope to leverage the 2025 Jubilee Year to end international wars.  

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In this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell discuss Hope Never Disappoints: Pilgrims Toward a Better World, a new book being released this week in which Pope Francis calls for the investigation of allegations of genocide in Gaza. They also unpack the Pope’s celebration of the eighth World Day of the Poor on Sunday, Nov. 17 with a lunch shared by 1300 poor and homeless people in St. Peter’s Square and a moving homily at Sunday Mass.

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Inside the Vatican’s Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell unpack the Vatican’s response to the re-election of Donald Trump as the 47th President of the United States. They also cover several stories, including a new AI model of St. Peter’s Basilica developed in part by Microsoft, new Vatican appointments and a slate of Jesuit news out of Rome. 

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On this week’s episode, host Colleen Dulle interviews Catholic author and academic Michael W. Higgins to discuss his new book, “The Jesuit Disruptor: A Personal Portrait of Pope Francis.” They unpack the pope’s responses to scandals, his reform efforts, and his spiritual and intellectual formation—all of which have profoundly shaped his moral voice at the helm of an evolving church. 

Find full show notes and links for further reading here.

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Gerry and Colleen unpack their takeaways from the 2024 Synod on Synodality’s final document  and from the 2021-2024 synodal process as a whole. In the second part of the show, Colleen interviews Cardinal Joseph W. Tobin of Newark about what the experience at the synod means for the U.S. church and how bishops exercise authority.

More from this episode:

An English translation of the Synod's Final Document will be posted here

Father James Martin: The conversions I had at the synod

To teach faith and morals in a diverse church, we must recognize the doctrinal authority of bishops’ conferences

Pope Francis calls for a ‘church that gets its hands dirty’ at synod’s closing Mass

Synod Diary: The synod’s final document didn’t solve everything—and I’m grateful for that.

Jesuitical Podcast: Cardinal Tobin on the synod and the future of women deacons

Women Deacons and the Catholic Church: A Video Explainer

Pope Francis says he will not write his own exhortation on synod, publishes members’ final document

Vatican releases audio of meeting on women deacons between Cardinal Fernández and synod members

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Inside the Vatican's synod coverage is sponsored in part by the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University.

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On this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Ricardo da Silva, S.J., interview Dr. Catherine Clifford, a professor of systematic and historical theology at St. Paul’s University in Ottawa, Canada, who served as an elected member of the 2024 Synod on Synodality’s drafting commission for the final document

They discuss the meetings on the discernment of women deacons that happened during the synod, as well as the document-drafting process and Dr. Clifford’s reactions to the final decisions the synod took.

More from this episode:

- Pope Francis says he will not write his own exhortation on synod, publishes members’ final document

- To teach faith and morals in a diverse church, we must recognize the doctrinal authority of bishops’ conferences

- Vatican releases audio of meeting on women deacons between Cardinal Fernández and synod members

- Pope Francis calls for a ‘church that gets its hands dirty’ at synod’s closing Mass

- Synodality—and ‘controversial’ issues—are here to stay: Takeaways from the Synod’s final document

- Synod Diary: The synod’s final document didn’t solve everything—and I’m grateful for that.

- Jesuitical Podcast: Cardinal Tobin on the synod and the future of women deacons

- Deep Dive: What just happened at the Synod on Synodality?

- Deep Dive: Why Pope Francis is worried about seminaries and young priests with ‘authoritarian attitudes’

Please support our coverage of the Synod on Synodality by becoming a digital subscriber to America Media.

Inside the Vatican's synod coverage is sponsored in part by the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University.

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On the eve of the highly anticipated publication of the final report for the Synod on Synodality, Inside the Vatican host Colleen Dulle and Jesuitical host Zac Davis speak with their colleague and synod delegate James Martin, S.J., about his experience this month inside the second assembly.

Zac and Colleen discuss:

- The atmosphere at this year’s synod assembly compared to last year’s

- How controversial topics like L.G.B.T. issues and women’s ordination have been tackled

- The deep conversion that took place among the members and the long-term impact of this gathering on the global church

Jesuitical’s synod coverage is sponsored in part by the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University.

Links from the show:

The Jesuit roots of the synod’s ‘conversations in the spirit’

‘Palpable outrage’: Synod delegates react to women deacons study group meeting

Synod Diary: The Vatican Curia is still learning synodality

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The “Inside the Vatican” team is together in Rome—live and in person—for the Synod on Synodality’s final week. Host Colleen Dulle, veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O'Connell and producer Ricardo da Silva, S.J., discuss last week’s most contentious story out of the Vatican: the scheduled meeting of Study Group 5, which is considering ways to increase participation for women in the Church, including the possibility of women deacons.

The team examines the “palpable outrage” reported by delegates during their scheduled meeting, where they expected to engage with the Vatican's doctrinal chief and study group members. Instead, they were met by staffers from his office. This unexpected turn not only frustrated delegates but raises serious questions about the real commitment to synodality in the church’s highest ranks.

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On this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Ricardo da Silva, S.J., are joined by Rev. Matthew Laferty, a Methodist minister who works for the World Methodist Council and represents the Methodist church’s relationship with the Catholic Church and the Vatican. They discuss how the Catholic Church’s current Synod on Synodality is inspiring deeper conversations and greater unity between the Christian churches.

A link to further reading from the episode will be added here soon.

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The 2024 session of the Synod on Synodality has reached its halfway point. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” producer Ricardo da Silva, S.J., reporting from Rome, provides an overview of the second week of the synod.

Then, joined by Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell, the two explore some central themes that are beginning to emerge from this session of the synod, including the growing role for theologians, the reimagining of ordained ministries and how the Catholic Church's efforts to foster unity with fellow Christian churches are central to its understanding of synodality. 

Inside the Vatican's synod coverage is sponsored in part by the Jesuit School of Theology at Santa Clara University.

Please support this podcast by becoming a digital subscriber to America Media.

Links:

Synod Diary: Father James Martin’s halftime report from inside the synod hall

Brazilian Cardinal talks restoring women deacons, ordaining married men at synod press briefing

Pope Francis hears testimonies from transgender and intersex Catholics

Further synod coverage from America:

The keys to a bishop’s role in a synodal church: collaboration and compassion

Interview: Laurence Gien, the abuse survivor and opera singer who spoke at the Vatican

Writing to 21 new cardinals, Pope Francis urges them to be compassionate shepherds

Synod Diary: Lessons from the Jesuit pilgrimage for the synod slog

Synod Diary: Women deacons are not a ‘Western’ obsession

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On this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle is joined by Laurence Gien, a survivor of clerical sexual abuse who spoke about his experience as part of a penitential celebration in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Oct. 1, 2024.

Calling for healing for survivors and administrative urgency from the church to address their pain, Mr. Gien saw his testimony as an important symbolic act to promote transparency and accountability for people wounded by the Catholic Church—many of whom remain unnamed and unheard.

Find links for further reading from the episode here.

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The second session of the Synod on Synodality began with a penitential liturgy at St. Peter's Basilica, where a victim of child sexual abuse shared his story for the first time during an official liturgy there. This underscored the church's commitment to naming its sins, greater transparency and accountability.

On this episode of Inside the Vatican, host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell are joined by producer Ricardo da Silva, S.J., to recap the first week of the synod. While the consideration of contentious issues like the ordination of women to the diaconate have been tabled from the official agenda and set aside for deeper study, they continue to be raised by delegates despite this, as Ricardo reports.

Later, Colleen and Gerry discuss some of the 21 cardinals-elect named at the weekend by Pope Francis—all but one eligible to vote in the conclave—and how each aligns with his vision for a more inclusive, compassionate church, serving the most marginalized.

Find links for further reading from the episode here.

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Colleen Dulle and Gerard O'Connell tackle your burning questions in a special mailbag episode of “Inside the Vatican.” Tune in for their answers on issues that matter to ordinary Catholics. What real changes can we expect from the Synod on Synodality? Why won’t Pope Francis travel to Paris for the grand reopening of Notre Dame Cathedral this December? And how is the Vatican responding to the rapidly expanding war in the Middle East? Colleen even shares her thoughts on who the next pope might be, while Gerry explains why he prefers to opt out of such speculation.

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This episode of “Inside the Vatican” was originally slated to be our mailbag Q. and A. episode, but with so much news, Gerry and Colleen are focusing this week on the most newsworthy moments from Pope Francis’ visit to Belgium. Sexual abuse was a main issue going into this visit; what was less expected were the criticisms the pope faced on the role of women in the church and society.

In the second half of the show, Colleen and Gerry explain the expulsion of ten members of an influential Catholic lay group in Peru. One of those suspended was a Catholic journalist, which raises the question: Are Vatican sanctions like these in conflict with the freedom of the press?

Find links for further reading from the episode here.

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Among the youngest people in a room of mostly bishops, Julia Oseka and José Manuel De Urquidi were in the first group of lay voting members at a synod, as delegates to the Synod on Synodality held at the Vatican last year. In an episode of “Inside the Vatican” recorded last month, José and Julia join host Colleen Dulle for an interview about their experience at the synod: a month of deep listening, dialogue, and disagreement handled with respect—even on sensitive topics like LGBT issues and women’s ordination—and what they expect from this year’s gathering.

Colleen, Gerry and the 'Inside the Vatican' and 'Jesuitical' teams return to the Vatican to deliver in-depth reporting and on-the-ground analysis of the Synod on Synodality as it happens. Great news: you can follow along from home! Visit AmericaMagazine.org/subscribe and you’ll get access to daily synod diaries along with our full coverage. If you have questions about the synod or topics about the Vatican you’d like us to cover during the synod, let us know! Send an email to insidethevatican@americamedia.org

Find links for further reading from the episode here.

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Links for further reading

Five things to watch for in the upcoming October synod

I listened to Synod delegates opposed to LGBTQ issues. Here are my responses.

Women deacons, LGBT issues not on the agenda for October’s synod meeting

Vatican II—and its media coverage—has a lesson for today’s synod: Don’t expect immediate results

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On Sept. 19, the Vatican officially recognized Medjugorje as a place of pilgrimage and popular piety, stopping short of confirming the supernatural origin of the apparitions. The next day, Pope Francis, in a fiery speech to global grassroots organizers, criticized the wealthy for obstructing social justice and advocated for higher taxes on billionaires, an end to sports betting, and a universal basic income.

Also on the show, host Colleen Dulle and Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell discuss Pope Francis’ visit to Belgium and Luxembourg from Sept. 26-29 and what he might find in these increasingly secularized, historically Catholic countries.

Find links for further reading from the episode here.

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Links for further reading

• Vatican finally approves Medjugorje devotion: visit Mary but not the visionaries
• Pope Francis says tax billionaires, stop sports betting in fiery economics speech
• Vatican cancels papal audiences because Pope Francis has ‘slight flu’
• Why supernatural apparitions are a mixed blessing for the Vatican

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Pope Francis’ 12-day Southeast Asia visit ended in striking contrast to its start, reports veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell. Singapore’s relatively empty streets upon his arrival gave way to 55,000 supporters in the stadium for his final Mass, where he took extra time to greet and bless children. On the flight back to Rome, resuming his now-anticipated press conferences, Pope Francis criticized U.S. presidential candidates, labeling Kamala Harris’s views on abortion and Donald Trump’s migration policies as “both against life.”

In the second half of the show, Gerry and host Colleen Dulle share the latest plans for the next session of the Synod on Synodality next month.

Do you have a question for our mailbag episode? We’d love to hear from you! You can submit your questions in writing or send a voice memo to insidethevatican@americamedia.org. Please include your first name in any voice message. Questions are due Sept. 27.

Find links for further reading from the episode here.

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Pope Francis continues his longest international visit to date: an almost-two-week tour of Southeast Asia and Oceania. Veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell reports live from Dili, the capital city of Timor Leste, sharing insights into the pope’s historic visit to Papua New Guinea and Timor Leste—where nearly half of the country’s population gathered to celebrate Mass with him—and previews the final leg of the trip to Singapore.

Read more about the pope's historic trip to Asia

Do you have a question for our mailbag episode? We’d love to hear from you! You can submit your questions in writing or send a voice memo to insidethevatican@americamedia.org. Please include your first name in any voice message. Questions are due Sept. 27.

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This week, Pope Francis embarked on the longest journey of his pontificate: A two-week trip across Southeast Asia and Oceania. In the season premiere of ‘Inside the Vatican,’ veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell reports from Jakarta, Indonesia, on how the visit is progressing and what lies ahead as the pope travels to Papua New Guinea, Timor Leste, and Singapore.

Find links for further reading on the pope’s Asia trip here.

Do you have a question for our mailbag episode?

Do you have questions about the Synod on Synodality or other Vatican matters? Submit them via email to insidethevatican@americamedia.org by Sept. 27. You can choose to send your question in writing or as a voice memo, but please make sure to include your first name if you’re sending a voice memo.

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The Vatican declared Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò guilty of schism and excommunicated on July 4. For anyone who has followed the archbishop’s public statements over the past few years, the decision was anything but a surprise. Still, no one could have predicted that this Vatican diplomat with more than 40 years of service would fall so precipitously from favor.

In this special deep dive episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle interviews journalists, a canon lawyer, and a historian to trace Viganò’s transformation from top Vatican official to being excommunicated for schism, and what that transformation means for the rest of the Catholic Church.

Special guests:

• Robert Moynihan, editor-in-chief of Inside the Vatican magazine and a friend of Viganò
• Gerard O’Connell, Vatican correspondent for America
• Dawn Eden Goldstein, who holds a licentiate in canon law from the Catholic University of America
• Shaun Blanchard, lecturer in theology at the University of Notre Dame Australia

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Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò faces a Vatican trial for schism that is likely to end quickly. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle explain the charges against the Vatican’s former nuncio to the U.S., and what happens next in his extrajudicial disciplinary process.

Later, Colleen shares with Gerry what happened when she asked the prefect of Vatican communications Paolo Ruffini’s to explain why his dicastery continues to use artwork by the disgraced ex-Jesuit Marko Rupnik in its publications.

Find links for further reading from the episode here.

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Pope Francis met individually with ten world leaders at the G7 Summit. He also made history as the first pope to attend and deliver a speech at the gathering, where he urged delegates to prioritize ethics in artificial intelligence for the common good. Earlier that day, he had met with 100 international comedians at the Vatican. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell bring you inside both events.

Father James Martin, S.J., joins them to discuss the pope’s meeting with comedians, which he attended, and his hour-long private meeting with the pope, during which he asked about the pope’s reported use of a homophobic slur in closed-door meetings at the Vatican.

NEWS UPDATE: After our recording, news broke that Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó had been charged with schism by the Vatican and will face trial. You can read Gerry’s report here.

Find links for further reading from the episode here.

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U.S. Cardinal Robert McElroy urged U.S. Catholics to be “more vigorous advocates” in support of Pope Francis’ calls for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, in an interview with America’s veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell.

On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and host Colleen Dulle discuss Gerry’s interview with the cardinal and give an overview of a busy week for the pope. On Friday, he will meet with a group of comedians including Whoopi Goldberg and Stephen Colbert, then travel to southern Italy for the G7 summit, where he will meet U.S. President Joe Biden.

After this episode was recorded, news broke that Pope Francis had reportedly again used the anti-gay slur that he apologized for using two weeks ago. Read more at the link below.

Find links for further reading from the episode here.

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Pope Francis hosted the inaugural World Children’s Day, a Vatican initiative held from May 25 to 26 at Rome’s Olympic Stadium and St. Peter’s Square. The event drew around 50,000 children spanning more than 100 nationalities and featured conversations between the young participants and Pope Francis. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni and actor Roberto Benigni were also in attendance. With the event, the pope hoped to raise awareness about the plight of children caught in war, promote global peace, care for the environment and empower the younger generation.

On the show, producer and guest host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell discuss this unique event and the Vatican’s ongoing efforts to foster peace and dialogue among warring factions worldwide.

Later, Gerry reflects on “20 Days in Mariupol,” the award-winning film he saw at the Vatican. The documentary, screened as part of a special event hosted by the British and Ukrainian embassies to the Holy See, exposes the atrocities committed by Russian forces in Ukraine. It highlights the horrors of war and underscores the crucial role of journalists in uncovering the truth.

Links for further reading from the episode here

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Pope Francis is under fire for reportedly using a homophobic slur during a closed-door meeting with Italian bishops at the Vatican on May 20. The incident occurred during a Q&A session where seminary admissions policy for gay candidates was discussed. Despite a swift apology from the Vatican on the pope’s behalf, the incident has led many to question whether there are limits to what had hitherto been perceived as Pope Francis’ welcoming and inclusive stance toward L.G.B.T.Q. persons.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and co-host and veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell discuss the recent incident, the Vatican’s apology, and its aftermath. They discuss the pope’s concerns about seminary formation, including fears of priests leading “double lives” and a perceived “gay subculture” in seminaries. They also revisit a 2005 document from the Congregation for Catholic Education, which has been reaffirmed by Pope Francis, barring gay men from entering seminaries to train for the priesthood.

Find links for further reading from the episode here

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A day after news broke that Pope Francis had allegedly used a derogatory word about gay men applying to seminaries in a closed-door conversation with Italian bishops, the Vatican has issued an official response:

“Pope Francis is aware of articles that recently came out about a conversation, behind closed doors,” said Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office. “The pope never intended to offend or express himself in homophobic terms, and he extends his apologies to those who were offended by the use of a term, reported by others.”

For more on this story, click the links below:

Pope Francis says Italian seminaries should reject gay applicants

Vatican issues apology after Pope Francis’ use of a homophobic slur

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In his 60 Minutes interview with Norah O’Donnell, Pope Francis said a categorical “no” to women deacons with Holy Orders. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell unpack the implications of the pope’s comment and discuss the broader highlights of the interview, including Pope Francis’ thoughts on his U.S. critics, antisemitism, and the hope he finds in humanity.

In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry dig into the Vatican's new document on authenticating Marian apparitions and alleged “supernatural phenomena.” Released May 17, the 13-page guide establishes new, much-needed norms for evaluating such phenomena. 

Plus, stay tuned for headlines about Pope Francis' travels, a significant conference in Rome on the Catholic Church in China, and more.

Find links for further reading from the episode here.

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On May 9, Pope Francis issued a papal bull proclaiming the 2025 Jubilee Year. The document, resembling a social encyclical, urges nations to grant amnesty to prisoners and calls on the world’s most powerful entities to forgive the debts of poor countries. Can Pope Francis’ calls match the impact of John Paul II’s in the Jubilee of 2000?

Later, Colleen shares her review of reports from a global synod meeting of 200 parish priests, held just outside Rome, and suggests that this meeting gave rise to a collective vision for a “synodal parish”.

Links from the episode here.

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As the war in the Holy Land continues to escalate and protests break out on university campuses around the world, Pope Francis persists in his calls for peace. But is it possible? Where does peace begin?

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” David Neuhaus, S.J., an Israeli priest who teaches Scripture in Israel and Palestine, joins hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell for a conversation on what he believes can bring peace in the Holy Land war. He reflects on how Israeli Jews and Palestinian Arabs can engage in dialogue without dismissing each other’s painful histories, and emphasizes the need for sensitive language when addressing each other’s traumatic histories.

Find full show notes and links for further reading here.

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Pope Francis made history by becoming the first pope to attend the iconic Venice Biennale cultural festival in its 128-year history. After a Vatican-sponsored exhibition at a women’s prison, he met with inmates and staff before celebrating Mass in St. Mark’s Square.

Looking ahead, host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell preview the pope’s forthcoming visits to Italian cities, including his expected appearance at the G7 summit in Puglia next month. Pope Francis will become the first pope to address the G7, sharing his concerns about the unchecked growth of artificial intelligence and its profound ethical implications.

Find full show notes and links for further reading here.

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“A negotiated peace is better than a war without end,” said Pope Francis in an exclusive interview with CBS Evening News anchor Norah O’Donnell, marking the first such interview for network television in the U.S. Amid conflicts in Gaza and Ukraine, the pope advocated for global peace. The full interview airs May 19 on CBS’s “60 Minutes,” covering topics such as child welfare, women’s roles, L.G.B.T.Q. ministry and speculation on the pope’s resignation.

Recording “Inside the Vatican” live from Buenos Aires, host Colleen Dulle reflects on her visit to the pope’s homeland, which has given her a deeper understanding of his emphasis on “being amongst the people,” she says, and his belief that “you can’t do theology behind a desk.” She highlights the vibrant lay ministry in Argentina and the impact of the newly instituted ministry of catechist, which she’s now seen in action firsthand.

Later, Gerry shares insights from his interview with Mark Lewis, S.J., who will lead the newly merged Gregorian University. The integration of the Biblical and Oriental Institutes with the Gregorian under Father Lewis’ leadership marks a historic first step by the Jesuits in the effort for greater synergy and collaboration among the pontifical institutions in Rome.

Find links from the show here

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After being removed by Pope Francis as head of the papal household, evicted from his Vatican apartment and returned to his native diocese in Germany, Archbishop Georg Gänswein is reportedly set to be appointed as a nuncio, or papal ambassador.

On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle analyze the reported forthcoming appointment of Benedict XVI’s longtime secretary and how it fits into the archbishop’s often publicly tumultuous relationship with Pope Francis.

In the second half of the show, Colleen and Gerry break down Pope Francis’ brief but dense statement responding to the military escalation between Iran and Israel this past weekend.

Find full show notes and links for further reading here.

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The Vatican released a document on human dignity this week with sections denouncing what it calls “gender theory” and “sex change.”

In this special round table episode of “Inside the Vatican,” America’s Editor-in-Chief Fr. Sam Sawyer, S.J. and the Executive Director of Outreach, America’s LGBT Catholic resource, Michael O’Loughlin, join host Colleen Dulle for a discussion on the document “Dignitas Infinita” and the pastoral challenges it presents in the guests’ ministry to LGBT Catholics.

Find full show page and links for further reading here.

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This week, the Vatican issued a new document on human dignity. Although it primarily reiterates established Catholic teaching on various topics, it has already become controversial because of its condemnations of gender theory, sex change efforts, and surrogate motherhood.

On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell analyze the document. Since much of what is covered in the document has already been addressed by the Vatican, Colleen asks, why publish this declaration now? And why did it take five years to put together?

Find full show notes and links for further reading here.

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Catholics from the pews to the pope are worried about young priests. The October 2023 synod recommended a number of changes to the seminary system, but to understand them, one first needs to understand how priests are formed, and how that process has undergone major changes in recent years.

In this special “Deep Dive” episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle speaks to seminarians, rectors (seminaries’ top administrators), professors and psychologists from across North America to give a comprehensive picture of seminary formation today and the challenges formators are seeing. Along the way, the episode explains the synod’s specific reform requests and what we know about what will happen next.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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As Catholics around the world observe Holy Week, the hosts of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell, take a look at Pope Francis’ Holy Week plans.

In the second half of the show, Gerry and Colleen discuss Gerry’s recent interview with Vatican Secretary for Relations with States, Archbishop Paul Gallagher. Colleen also gives updates on a recent meeting between the German bishops and Vatican officials over the controversial “Synodal Way” project, and on Pope Francis’ Holy Week letter to Catholics living in the Holy Land.

Find full show notes and links for further reading here.

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The Vatican announced the creation of 10 study groups to focus on themes that arose at last October’s Synod on Synodality, an announcement that prompted mixed reactions: Are the groups a way to “kick the can down the road,” on controversial questions like the possibility of ordaining women deacons, asks host Colleen Dulle, or are they the beginning of a new, synodal way of making decisions in the church?

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen and Gerry discuss the study groups along with new appointments to the Pontifical Council for the Protection of Minors, and Pope Francis’ new book, Life, My Story Through History.

Find full show notes and links for further reading here.

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Over the weekend, Pope Francis was strongly criticized by Ukrainian civil and church leaders for a comment he made in an interview, saying that Ukraine needed “the courage of the white flag” to negotiate with Russia for peace.

On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle examine the pope’s comments, give an update on the Holy See’s diplomatic push for peace both in Ukraine and Gaza, and talk about what’s next for Pope Francis on this 11th anniversary of his election.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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Anglican Bishop Jo Bailey Wells spoke at a meeting of Pope Francis’ Council of Cardinal Advisors on Feb. 5., about her own experience as an ordained woman in the Church of England and the journey her church  took before reaching the decision to ordain women. She was one of two women to present at the meeting, the second in a series of encounters with women theologians that Sister Linda Pocher, F.M.A., is arranging for the pope’s cabinet, aimed at looking more deeply at the role of women in the church between the 2023 and 2024 sessions of the Synod on Synodality.

Bishop Wells joins host Colleen Dulle to discuss her experience addressing Pope Francis and his closest advisors.

Find a text version of this interview in lieu of our usual show page here.

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Five years after Pope Francis convened a global summit on sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, two previously anonymous alleged victims of Father Marko Rupnik decided to speak out about their experiences.

On “Inside the Vatican,” guest host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., recaps the Rupnik case before interviewing veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell about a press conference held on Feb. 21 at the Rome headquarters of the Italian National Press Federation. There, Gloria Branciani and Mirjam Kovac publicly discussed the alleged abuses they endured, imploring Vatican authorities to be transparent regarding the ongoing investigation by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.

Gerry reports that the dicastery has interviewed all the alleged victims and has all but concluded its investigation. “He risks, I understand, being removed from the priesthood,” Gerry says. “But, at the end of the day, because of the process that is underway in the dicastery, it’ll be the pope who has to make that final decision.”

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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This week, the Vatican is relatively quiet, as Pope Francis and the top Roman Curia officials make their Lenten retreat. As he has done since 2021, the pope has asked each official to make their retreat individually, centered on private prayer and spiritual exercises.

Austen Ivereigh’s latest book, First Belong to God: On Retreat with Pope Francis, helps all people of faith do just that. The author joins host Colleen Dulle this week to discuss his proposed retreat, as well as his experience covering Pope Francis both as a journalist and now—with his latest book—as a spiritual writer. He also shares his plans for his third biography of the present pope, focussed on the pope’s trajectory since the Covid-19 pandemic.

Find the full episode page and links for further reading here.

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This week on “Inside the Vatican,” producer Ricardo da Silva—filling in for host Colleen Dulle—joins veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell to discuss what Gerry is calling “Argentine Weekend” at the Vatican. This past weekend brought the canonization of Argentina’s first woman saint, along with a surprisingly warm meeting between the pope and Argentina’s new, ultraconservative president Javier Milei. The hosts also debrief the story of “Mama Antula,” the new Argentine saint Pope Francis canonized this weekend.

In the second half of the show, Gerry and Ricardo analyze the pope’s meeting with his council of cardinal advisors, to which a female Anglican bishop was invited to speak about women’s ordination.

Find the full episode page and links for further reading here.

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In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell recap the recent Anglican-Catholic summit that took place in Rome and Canterbury, England. Gerry explains what he sees as the major shift in Anglican-Catholic dialogue from theological discussion to concrete action under Pope Francis.

In part two of the episode, Colleen and Gerry analyze a letter Pope Francis sent to Israeli Jews. Why did the pope choose to address a religious group within Israel, rather than the entire nation?

Find the full episode page and links for further reading here.

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This week on “Inside the Vatican,” veteran correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle discuss Pope Francis’ recent interview with the Italian daily newspaper La Stampa. There, the pope opens up about his feelings of loneliness and once more reaffirms his defense of the Vatican’s declaration approving blessings for couples in “irregular situations.” In the second half of the show, Colleen and Gerry explore the appointment of three new bishops and the approval of a new diocese in China, actions that indicate rapid developments in the Vatican’s complex relationship with China.

Find the full episode page and links for further reading here.

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In this episode, Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle discuss Pope Francis’ recent meeting with journalists, exploring his views on journalism and comparing them to past popes. They also parse the pope’s comments about declining birth rates across much of Europe and address the politicization of the issue and his call for global economic reforms that promote and support the well-being of young families.

Find the full episode page and links for further reading here.

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On Dec. 18, Pope Francis opened the possibility for priests to bless same-sex couples and couples who the church considers to be living in what it calls “irregular” situations.

In this roundtable episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle, Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell, and America national correspondent Michael J. O’Loughlin dive into “Fiducia Supplicans,” the Vatican’s declaration on these blessings, examining its content, the reactions it has prompted among bishops and laypeople, and what it might signify for the future of the church. 

Find the full episode page and links for further reading here.

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In their first episode of the new year, veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle dissect Pope Francis’ “State of the World” address and reveal his plans for 2024, including significant international trips, high-level Vatican appointments, and the opening of Jubilee Year 2025.

Find the full episode page and links for further reading here.

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A Vatican tribunal has sentenced Cardinal Angelo Becciu to five and a half years in prison, the first such sentence in at least 500 years.

This week on Inside the Vatican, veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle explain the financial scandal that led to the trial, the dramatic revelations that emerged throughout it, and what happens next—both to Cardinal Becciu and with Pope Francis’ financial and judicial reforms.

Read the full show notes and find links for further reading here.

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On Monday Dec. 18, the Vatican’s doctrinal office issued a declaration stating that priests can bless same-sex couples as long as the blessing does not resemble a marriage or coincide with a civil union ceremony.

This declaration follows up on a controversial 2021 response from the dicastery that stated same-sex unions could not be blessed in a liturgical context. The new declaration does not overturn the previous teaching against liturgical blessings, but does allow priests to give non-liturgical blessings to couples in irregular situations, such as a same-sex relationship.

James Martin, S.J., editor-at-large at America Magazine, discusses the significance of this development, noting that it is a step forward and offers a deeper theological reflection. Requesting a blessing is “a holy desire for God's help,” says Father Martin. “Rather than saying God doesn't bless sin, it’s saying, God blesses all of us in our desire for God’s presence in our lives.” Father Martin believes that this declaration is an important step towards inclusivity and pastoral care for L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics, their families and friends.

“This is an early Christmas present for the Catholic Church and for so many people who have felt that God really isn’t accompanying them—and that the church, more specifically, is not accompanying them—and now they will feel more accompanied and able to do these things in public.”

Read more

Pope Francis’ same-sex blessings declaration is a major step forward for LGBTQ Catholics

Pope Francis allows blessings of couples in same-sex relationships

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In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle is joined by Mike Lewis, the editor in chief of Where Peter Is, a blog site dedicated to countering criticism of Pope Francis from the small but vocal resistance in the U.S. church. 

In the wake of Pope Francis’ recent decisions to remove Bishop Joseph Strickland from his diocese in Tyler, Tex. and revoke Cardinal Raymond Burke’s salary and Vatican apartment, Colleen and Mike discuss the long-simmering tensions between Francis and certain voices in the U.S. church, why those tensions are boiling over in this particular moment, and potential opportunities for bridge-building between Pope Francis and his critics.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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Pope Francis canceled his trip to the United Nations’ COP28 climate conference due to his ongoing bout of bronchitis. In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle discuss the Pope's health and his message on climate change. 

Colleen and Gerry also cover Pope Francis' decision to cut Cardinal Raymond Burke's salary from the Vatican’s payroll and possibly evict him from his Vatican apartment. They analyze the probable reasons behind this decision and the implications this move might have for the pope's relationship with his critics. Finally, they touch on the escalating conflict in Gaza and the pope's relentless calls for peace.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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The synod delegates have returned home and the round tables have been put away. So now, a month after the first Roman meeting of the Synod on Synodality, many Catholics are left wondering: What just happened?

This deep dive episode of “Inside the Vatican” explains the key events and dynamics of the synod, combining recordings from synod events with a diverse selection of interviews, inviting you to “listen in” on this historic meeting.

Interviews include:

• Vimal Tirimanna, C.Ss.R., a synod member and moral theologian from Sri Lanka
• Dr. Catherine Clifford, an ecclesiologist and member of the synod
• Bishop Bill McGrattan, president of the Canadian bishops’ conference and a synod member
• John Thavis, former Rome bureau chief of Catholic News Service
• Olivier Poquillon, O.P., a member of the synod’s methodology commission and rector of the École Biblique in Jerusalem

Find the full episode page and links for further reading about the synod here.

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Pope Francis has canceled his scheduled trip to Dubai for the COP28 climate conference on doctor’s orders. In this brief update episode, host Colleen Dulle explains what we know about the pope’s illness so far.

Links from the show:

On doctor’s orders, Pope Francis cancels trip to Dubai for climate conference

Pope Francis punishes Cardinal Burke, revokes Vatican apartment and salary

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The “Inside the Vatican” team is hard at work on a deep dive episode unpacking what happened at last month’s Synod on Synodality. So this week, we’re bringing you a brief news update.

On the day this update is released, Nov. 22, Pope Francis is expected to meet with families of Israelis being held hostage by Hamas, and separately with a group of Palestinians who have relatives in Gaza. He’s expected to meet each group for around 30 minutes just before his general audience. Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said the meetings are “exclusively humanitarian in nature” and are meant to express the pope’s closeness to those suffering.

At the end of next week, the pope will travel to Dubai to address the COP28 climate summit. Gerry will be traveling with him on the visit, and you can follow his reporting at americamagazine.org.

Finally, please consider making a tax-free donation to America Media for #GivingTuesday! Visit americamagazine.org/donate. Thank you!

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In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell analyze Pope Francis’ headline-making decision to oust Bishop Joseph Strickland as the head of the Diocese of Tyler, Texas.

They also review Gerry’s recent interviews with cardinals and bishops from around the world to learn how these leaders are implementing synodality in their dioceses. 

Find the full episode page, show notes and links here.

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In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss Pope Francis’ diplomatic approach to the ongoing war in Israel and Gaza.

They also talk about the pope’s historic announcement that he will attend the COP28 Climate Conference in Dubai next month.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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Theologian Catherine Clifford is an expert on ecclesiology and the history of Vatican II, and she was a full voting member of the Synod on Synodality representing North America. She joined host Colleen Dulle in Rome near the end of the synod to explain the major implications the synod has on the Catholic Church’s structures and its hierarchical nature.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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On this special crossover episode of Jesuitical and Inside the Vatican, Zac Davis speaks with his colleagues Gerard O’Connell, Sam Sawyer, S.J., and synod member James Martin, S.J., about the concluding document of the recent synod on synodality in Rome. They discuss:

• The open debate about women’s ordination to the diaconate
• Why reference to L.G.B.T. Catholics was not included in the synthesis document
• What the synthesis document is and how it can be read and used widely
• Was this really a synod of bishops?
• Plus, new paths for appointing bishops and performance reviews

Links:

• Father James Martin: What happened at the Synod on Synodality
• Cardinal Cupich on the synod, women deacons, giving bishops job reviews and why ‘LGBTQ’ was left out of the final doc
• Synod publishes final report and votes: Calls for more discussion on synodality, women deacons and more
• Full text: Pope Francis’ homily closing the 2023 Synod on Synodality

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In this “Inside the Vatican,” episode host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss the final week of the Synod on Synodality and the Letter to the People of God, released Oct. 25 after the approval of synod participants. The letter is the first of two documents expected from the synod before it concludes its business in Rome on Oct. 29.

They also talk about the Vatican’s response to the ongoing crisis in Israel and Gaza, including Pope Francis’ weekend phone call with President Biden. Plus, some late-breaking news on Pope Francis’ speech decrying institutional clericalism.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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The Rev. Clarence Devadass, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, a synod delegate, and a host of the “Catholics at Home” podcast, joins Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell to talk about his experience of bringing together Asia’s diverse cultures in one continental synod document, and how he hopes he has represented those experiences in the synod hall.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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In this bonus “Inside the Vatican” episode, host Colleen Dulle interviews Inés San Martín, former Rome bureau chief of Crux and current vice president of marketing and communications at The Pontifical Mission Societies U.S.A.

Inés speaks with Colleen about World Mission Sunday, happening on Oct. 22, and the changes that The Pontifical Mission Societies U.S.A. have made following a $10.2 million financial scandal. They also discuss synod secrecy guidelines, where Inés provides a unique perspective into Vatican communications for the synod.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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Pope Francis has asked synod participants to “fast from public words”—and they’ve been instructed in the synod’s official rules not to speak about their own or others’ interventions in the synod, even after the meeting ends.

In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle interviews John Thavis, the former Rome Bureau Chief of Catholic News Service and author of “The Vatican Diaries” and “The Vatican Prophecies,” about how synods and their guidelines around secrecy have evolved over time.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss developments from the second week of the Synod, including the inclusion of L.G.B.T. people, the global migration crisis, the plights of the world’s most impoverished people, and women’s roles—including ordination to the diaconate and positions of influence and authority in the church.

They also discuss the “delicate diplomatic line” that Colleen says the Vatican must tread in relation to the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict and Pope Francis’ appeals for peace.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle interviews Julia McStravog, a senior advisor on the Synod on Synodality at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, to get an inside look into how the U.S. church organized itself to carry out the national and continental phases of the synod. 

Julia played a pivotal role in guiding the U.S. church throughout the synod process. She is also part of the team that wrote the national and continental synthesis documents. She describes her team’s mission as “sacred work,” stressing the need “to include as many voices as possible within the editing process” to create “documents in dialogue” that resonate with everyone’s experiences.

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In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle and Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss the first week of the Synod on Synodality. They analyze the strong emphasis from Pope Francis and the synod team to maintain discussions between participants confidential, both during and after the synod. They also provide an overview of synod discussions, including topics like the roles of women and young people in the church and the surging global migration crisis.

At the top of the show, Gerry reports on the immediate responses of Pope Francis and other senior church leaders to the escalating violence in Israel and Palestine, which has already ended hundreds of lives and threatened the security of civilians living on and around the Gaza Strip.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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Today, we're releasing an episode of America Media's "Jesuitical" podcast, hosted by Ashley McKinless and Zac Davis, who are joined by Inside the Vatican's co-host Gerard O’Connell, a journalist who has covered the Vatican since 1985. They bring questions from listeners about the Synod on Synodality, which began this week: How will the discussions inside the synod hall work? How will the synod deal with internal polarization? What will determine the success of this synod? They also discuss:

• The changes that Pope Francis has brought to the synod, making it more open and inclusive.
• How to listen and remain open to the Holy Spirit.
• Lay involvement in the synod, especially of women and young people.

Links from the Show

• Analysis: The synod is not Vatican III. It’s Pope Francis’ implementation of Vatican II.
• America’s synod coverage

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In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss the opening of the Synod on Synodality and the list of “dubia” sent to Pope Francis by a group of retired cardinals.

They also talk about the ecumenical prayer vigil hosted by the Taizé community on Sept. 30 and the retreat that the synod participants attended Oct. 1-3. Colleen and Gerry highlight the talks given by Father Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., and the significance of the synod for the broader Christian community.

They also mention the upcoming publication of the document “Laudate Deum” and give updates on the case of Father Marko Rupnik and a proposed Vatican law that would remove abuser priests and any superiors who covered up for them.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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This past weekend Pope Francis traveled to Marseille for a meeting of bishops and young people from around the Mediterranean basin, where he delivered a powerful message about integrating migrants into society.

On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle recap three major moments from the pope’s visit, before giving a preview of three major Vatican events coming up  in the next week: The consistory to create new cardinals on Sept. 30, the opening of the Synod on Synodality, and the release of Pope Francis’ follow-up to “Laudato Si’”.

The “Inside the Vatican” and “Jesuitical” podcast teams will be in Rome covering the synod in October! Send your questions about the synod to insidethevatican@americamedia.org and Gerry may answer them on “Jesuitical” next week!

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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This week, a letter found in a previously sealed section of the Vatican's archives reveals Pope Pius XII may have been aware of the Holocaust and the mass deaths of Jewish and Polish people in Nazi concentration camps. Gerard O'Connell and Ricardo da Silva, S.J., give the latest updates on what we know.

Sergei Lavrov, the foreign minister of Russia, announced publicly for the first time that he is prepared to receive Cardinal Zuppi, Pope Francis' special envoy on peace talks between Russia and Ukraine.

Gerry joins Ricardo for a conversation on the peace mission—and what it was about Cardinal Zuppi’s visit to Beijing that may have influenced the Russians to open their doors to the cardinal.

In the second half of the show, Gerry and Ricardo unpack Gerry’s interview with Boris Gudziak, Metropolitan of the Ukrainian Catholic Church in the United States.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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At the Synod on Synodality’s Roman meetings, lay men and women have both been included for the first time as full, voting members. But, argues the Rev. Louis Cameli, if this synod is not to be a “parliament,” as Pope Francis often warns, perhaps there should be no voting in the synod at all.

Father Cameli, who is Cardinal Blase Cupich’s Delegate for Formation and Mission and a priest of the Archdiocese of Chicago, joins veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle for a conversation on voting at the synod.

Read the full show notes and find links to read more here.

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Gerry traveled to Mongolia with Pope Francis from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4. On this episode of “Inside the Vatican”—the premiere of season six—Gerry and Colleen analyze the pope’s trip to the world’s most sparsely-populated country and the message he sought to deliver there.

Click here to read the full show page with additional stories and links for further reading.

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While much of the world’s attention has focused in recent years on global superpowers Russia and China, the vast and sparsely-populated nation sandwiched between them, Mongolia, has often gone overlooked.

Once the seat of the mightiest land empire in history, Mongolia has a rich history and strong cultural identity rooted in Genghis Khan and the Mongol Empire. The Catholic Church in Mongolia, however, is young: Aside from a few missionary visitors in the Middle Ages, the church has only had a presence in Mongolia for about 30 years.

Pope Francis will visit Mongolia’s 1,400 Catholics from Aug. 31 to Sept. 4, speaking to civil and religious leaders, including missionaries and participants at an ecumenical and interreligious gathering, and will dedicate a new House of Mercy, one of the charitable organizations that are often Mongolians’ first encounter with the Catholic Church.

In this deep dive episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle speaks with historian Dr. Timothy May, current missionary Br. Andrew Tran and former missionary Fr. Peter Turrone about the history and current situation of Catholicism in Mongolia, and what Pope Francis hopes to achieve in his visit.

Read more:

Explainer: Mongolia only has 1,400 Catholics. Pope Francis is going there anyway.

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World Youth Day wrapped up Sunday, Aug. 6, having gathered 1.5 million young people from around the world. On this special summer episode of “Inside the Vatican,” America editors Ricardo da Silva, S.J. and Gerard O’Connell, who reported on the ground from Lisbon, recap the event with host Colleen Dulle.

Links from the show:

Spanish teen says she regained her sight at World Youth Day Mass

Pope Francis fields questions on abuse, his health on return flight to Rome

Pope Francis at World Youth Day: ‘Live each day with hearts free of fear.’

Behind the scenes of a Way of the Cross like no other at World Youth Day

Podcast: ‘Todos! Todos! Todos!’ A rejuvenated Pope Francis tells young people the church is for everyone

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America editor Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell report from Lisbon on the opening of World Youth Day in this special episode of Inside the Vatican.

An energized Pope Francis arrived yesterday, Aug. 2, giving a speech to Portuguese civic leaders in which he urged them to invest in young people and work for peace, especially in Ukraine. He also celebrated vespers and met with a group of survivors of clerical sexual abuse.

The pope is scheduled to participate in several more World Youth Day events and travel to Fatima, where he is again expected to pray for peace in Ukraine.

Links from the show:

Ricardo da Silva, S.J.: How reporting from World Youth Day is reinvigorating my faith

James Martin, S.J.: ‘Does God exist?’ and other FAQs about faith and religion (World Youth Day address)

Ricardo da Silva, S.J.: Ahead of World Youth Day, the head of the Jesuits had a candid Q&A with six young pilgrims

Gerard O’Connell: In Portugal, Pope Francis challenges Europe to invest in young people, not weapons

Catholic News Service: As sex abuse crisis hits Portugal, Pope Francis says listen to the ‘anguished cry of the victims’

Gerard O’Connell: Pope Francis to university students in Portugal: Your degree is a mandate to work for a better society.

Follow Gerry on Twitter: @gerryorome 

Follow Ricardo on Twitter: @ricdssj 

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Two U.S. dioceses recently had visits from Vatican investigators, and one led to the resignation of a bishop. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen and Gerry unpack what these official reviews mean, then look to some of the younger bishops Pope Francis has been appointing to ensure his legacy.

After that, Gerry and Colleen give a preview of what’s happening in the Vatican this summer.

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Other links from the show

Exclusive interview with Archbishop Frank Leo, Pope Francis’ ally in Toronto

Pope Francis appoints Archbishop Victor Manuel Fernandez as the new head of Vatican office for doctrine

Days after Wagner coup attempt, Pope Francis sends cardinal for peace talks

Deep Dive: Inside the top secret process of appointing a Catholic bishop

Two U.S. bishops were recently subject to Vatican visitations. What do these interventions mean?

Pope Francis is appointing more young bishops. Will they secure his legacy?

Ignatian Wisdom Fellowship from Loyola University Chicago

Sacred Heart Major Seminary’s online course "An Introduction to Spirituality”

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Colleen and Gerry unpack the Synod on Synodality's working document and the clues it provides about the synod’s first global meeting in October. They explain the unique approach of “conversation in the Spirit” and explore the document’s key questions on communion, participation, and mission.

Find the full show page and links for further reading here.

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We have an exciting new podcast from America Media to share with you. It’s called “Preach: The Catholic Homilies Podcast.” 

On each episode listeners will first hear an inspiring homily, especially delivered for the podcast, and then take a privileged peek into the heart and mind of the preacher in a conversation with the host, Jesuit priest and America’s associate editor, Ricardo da Silva, S.J. 

Whether you’re a preacher looking for inspiration or a Catholic in the pews, who believes like Pope Francis, that Catholic homilies could use some work, I hope you’ll check out the Preach podcast!

To give you a taste of the show, we’re sharing this week’s episode of Preach, featuring America’s editor in chief, Sam Sawyer, S.J.

Listen to more episodes of Preach.

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The Society of Jesus (the Jesuits) announced today that the well-known religious artist Fr. Marko Rupnik has been dismissed from the Jesuit order after he was credibly accused of sexually, psychologically and spiritually abusing adult women between 1985 and 2018.

Read more: Jesuits expel prominent artist Marko Rupnik after allegations of abuse against adult women

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Pope Francis has been in the hospital since Wednesday, June 7, recovering from an operation on an abdominal hernia. In this episode, Colleen and Gerry give an update on the pope’s recovery and analyze how the Vatican has been communicating about the pope’s condition.

Find the full show page and links for further reading here.

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Pope Francis is back in the hospital for surgery on a hernia that likely formed on the scar from his 2021 colon operation.

Also in this episode: A nude man protests in St. Peter’s Basilica, Cardinal Matteo Zuppi visits Ukraine to begin Pope Francis’ peace mission, and Benedict XVI’s secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein, is given a deadline to move out of the Vatican.

Find the full show page and links for further reading here.

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The Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication issued a new document called “Towards Full Presence: A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media.” The document lays out how Catholics should be thinking about their social media engagement—and like the pope’s encyclical Fratelli Tutti, it takes as its model the story of the Good Samaritan, urging people to reach out and listen to those who are different from them, to build community with those people, and to step beyond social media into working creatively for a positive change in the physical world.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle analyze the document’s strengths and weaknesses. 

On the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry revisit the story of Sister Lucía Caram, the Argentine nun who drove 2,000 miles each way to bring refugees from Ukraine to Spain, where she lives. In the last 14 months, Sister Lucía has visited Ukraine 18 times, delivered 92 ambulances and helped resettle some 4,000 refugees. Gerry caught up with Sister Lucía in Rome last week; he gives an update on what she has done and seen.

Links from the show

Dicastery for Communication issues document about social media behavior

• Full Document: A Pastoral Reflection on Engagement with Social Media
• Vatican tells the bishops of Catholic Twitter: be reflective, not reactive
• When bishops attack: How Pope Francis handles his critics

Pope Francis meets with Argentine nun about field hospitals in Ukraine

• What an Argentine nun has seen on the frontlines of Ukraine after 18 trips
• Pope Francis is fighting for peace in Ukraine. Here’s how NATO and the US can help his cause.
• Pope Francis’ secret Ukraine-Russia peace mission, explained
• The Convent de Santa Clara Foundation
• Follow Sister Lucía Caram on:
• Twitter (@sorluciacaram)
• Instagram (@sorluciacaram) 

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Last Saturday, Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, the head of the Italian bishops conference and a consummate diplomat to visit Moscow, to lead a mission “to help ease tensions in the conflict in Ukraine.”

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell explains why Cardinal Zuppi was chosen for this job despite not being a Vatican diplomat.

In the second half of the show, Gerry and host Colleen Dulle discuss the pope’s planned trip to World Youth Day in Lisbon, August 2 through 6. The pope plans to spend almost a full week in the country currently grappling with a devastating clerical sexual abuse scandal.

While in Portugal, Pope Francis also plans to visit Fátima, the site of a recognized Marian apparition. Gerry and Colleen explain how the “secrets of Fátima” revealed there relate to the war between Russia and Ukraine.

Links from the show

Cardinal Matteo Zuppi to lead peace mission

• Update: Pope Francis has asked Cardinal Matteo Zuppi to conduct Ukraine peace mission
• ​​Pope Francis’ secret Ukraine-Russia peace mission, explained

Pope Francis plans to visit Fatima for World Youth Day

• Vatican confirms Pope Francis trip to Lisbon and Fatima for World Youth Day
• What does Our Lady of Fátima have to do with Russia and Ukraine?

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President Volodymr Zelensky of Ukraine visited the Vatican on Saturday for a private meeting with Pope Francis. The Ukrainian President spent 40 minutes with the pope. Holding his hand to his heart, and speaking in French, Mr. Zelensky told the pope it was a “great honor” to meet him. 

The pope has repeatedly expressed his desire to visit the war torn Ukraine but only with the proviso that he can also visit Russia. Dialogue with Russian President Vladimir Putin, despite the pope’s many attempts, has proved impossible.

On “Inside the Vatican” this week, we decode what this latest meeting between the pope and the Ukrainian president might mean for the Vatican’s mediation efforts to end Russia’s war on Ukraine. 

“Francis has made very clear that he's open to conversing with both Zelensky and Putin,” Gerry says. “In fact, Francis didn't have to send anybody to talk with Zelensky because there is a highway of communication all the time going on; whereas on the highway to Moscow, there is very little traffic.” 

Links from the show

Pope Francis meets with Ukranian president Volodymyr Zelensky

• Pope Francis meets with President Zelensky in the Vatican for first time since the war in Ukraine began
• Reports: Zelensky could visit Pope Francis in first papal meeting since beginning of war
• Pope Francis’ secret Ukraine-Russia peace mission, explained

New leadership in Caritas Internationalis

• Interview: New Vatican charity leaders look to the future after workplace crisis

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Last week, the Pontifical Council for the Protection of Minors had its first meeting since the shocking resignation of abuse expert Hans Zollner, S.J. His resignation over issues “that need to be urgently addressed” led to a public disagreement between him and the commission’s president, Cardinal Sean O’Malley, O.F.M.

[Listen and subscribe to “Inside the Vatican” on Apple Podcasts and Spotify.]

In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle explain the big questions the abuse commission faces and what is next for this advisory body, following last week’s meeting.

In the second half of the show, Gerry reports on the secret “mission” Pope Francis says he has undertaken to end the war in Ukraine. The pope was sparse on details, but Gerry’s sources have offered him greater insight into the pope’s plan and the people he has engaged to reach Russia and Ukraine.

Links from the show

Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors meets without Hans Zollner, S.J.

• Pope Francis to conflict-ridden sex abuse commission: This is ‘the moment of reparation.’
• Pope Francis tells bishops of Latin America, where new sex abuse protections aren’t in place, to make it a priority
• Jesuit abuse expert Hans Zollner explains decision to resign from Vatican safeguarding commission
• Jesuit sex abuse expert Hans Zollner resigns from papal commission over ‘urgent concerns’
• Jesuit sexual abuse expert discusses the Marko Rupnik case, the Society of Jesus and the state of the abuse crisis
• Jesuit sex abuse expert appointed to Vatican office for child protection

Pope Francis reveals plan for peace between Russia and Ukraine

• Pope Francis’ secret peace mission, explained
• Kremlin denies working with Vatican on Ukraine peace talks
• Pope Francis: ‘When it’s public I’ll talk about it’—hints at secret talks to end Ukraine-Russia war
• In Hungary, Pope Francis meets with Ukrainian refugees and Russian church official
• Asked if Putin is committing genocide in Ukraine, Pope Francis doesn’t say no

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Colleen is back!

This week on Inside the Vatican, hosts Colleen Dulle (with baby William) and Ricardo da Silva join veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell to discuss Pope Francis’ recent visit to Hungary.

The pope used his public messages during the visit to highlight the plight of migrants and refugees, saying “Jesus is an open door.” Pope Francis has been at odds with Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán over the prime minister’s restrictions on migration. Hungary has made exceptions to welcome Christian refugees in particular; the pope, in his homily at Mass, lamented “"the doors we close toward those who are foreign or unlike us.”

Colleen and Gerry also discuss the pope’s words on Ukraine, which borders Hungary, during the apostolic visit. After Pope Francis hinted at a secret peace “mission” to Russia and Ukraine, both the Kremlin and Ukrainian officials denied knowing anything about such a mission. The Vatican has made headway in its humanitarian efforts during the war, but can it get both parties to the table for peace negotiations?

Links from the show

Pope Francis returns from weekend papal visit to Hungary

• Amid Hungary’s ‘no migrants’ policy, Pope Francis urges open doors and welcome
• Pope Francis praises Hungary’s protection of traditional values—and pushes the country to welcome migrants
• Pope Francis reflects on his visit to Hungary and building bridges of peace
• Pope Francis will travel to Hungary at the end of April
• Pope Francis meets Hungary’s Victor Orban—with Ukraine war as the backdrop
• Pope Francis in Budapest calls on the Hungarian Catholic Church and its pastors ‘to be builders of bridges and promoters of dialogue’
• What to expect from Pope Francis’ trip to Hungary and Slovakia
• American conservatives have fallen in love with Hungary. Pope Francis is less impressed.
• Lesson from Hungary: Anti-Catholicism is not a good response to anti-L.G.B.T.Q. laws

Pope Francis’ secret peace mission

• Pope Francis: ‘When it’s public I’ll talk about it’—hints at secret talks to end Ukraine-Russia war
• In Hungary, Pope Francis meets with Ukrainian refugees and Russian church official
• At the Vatican, Ukrainian prime minister asks Pope Francis for help returning children kidnapped by Russia

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Pope Francis announced on Monday, April 24, that all the participants at the first assembly of Synod on Synodality will have a vote when they meet at the Vatican this October. This is the first time women will have a vote at such a major church event. 

“More than 20 percent of the participants will be non-bishops,” says Gerry. “This can be priests, it can be consecrated women and men, it can be lay women and men.” 

The announcement of the change to the synod’s voting pattern happened just days before Pope Francis is set to visit Hungary on an official state visit. On arrival, he will honor his diplomatic commitments, meeting with government officials and various dignitaries, among them XX the country’s president. Significantly, he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Viktor Orbán who aside from “being the longest-serving prime minister in Europe,” Gerry says, is also “a close ally of Vladimir Putin in Russia.”  

“We are seeing the Pope try every which way to get the message across to Vladimir Putin,” says Ricardo, “about the importance of coming to the table and dialoguing on the issues in the war between Ukraine and Russia.”

While in Hungary the pope will also take the opportunity to exercise his role as pastor to the worldwide Catholic Church. He will meet with young people, refugees and some of the other most impoverished people in the land, but he also plans to meet with the Jesuits who minister in this landlocked central European country.

In the second half of this week’s show, Ricardo and Gerry discuss a new controversy that was sparked after remarks made in a speech by Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life led some to suggest that the church has drastically changed its position on euthanasia and medically-assisted suicide. 

But, it appears that Archbishop Paglia’s “comments were misconstrued,” Ricardo says. “He is clearly feeding into this highly charged debate in Italian parliament... He is worried that any implications or any changes to the law will have implications on the church's defense of life … its moral teaching on the sanctity of life, dignity, and care for the human person.”

Finally, Gerry talks about Pope Francis’ revelation in an interview for La Nacion, the leading Argentine newspaper, that he has asked Archbishop Georg Gänswein to leave his residence at the Vatican, and either find alternative lodgings in Italy or return to his native Germany. “Some might read this eviction as a kind of retribution from Pope Francis for the polemical things written in his book,” Ricardo says, a claim that Gerry refutes. “Benedict died in the end of December, we are now almost at the beginning of May,” Gerry says. “Six months to change houses? Not exactly an offense to anybody.”

Links from the show

Pope Francis announces all synod participants will vote at the upcoming synod

• For first time in history, Pope Francis gives women right to vote at the synod

Pope Francis prepares for weekend papal visit to Hungary

• Pope Francis will travel to Hungary at the end of April
• Pope Francis meets Hungary’s Victor Orban—with Ukraine war as the backdrop
• Pope Francis in Budapest calls on the Hungarian Catholic Church and its pastors ‘to be builders of bridges and promoters of dialogue’
• What to expect from Pope Francis’ trip to Hungary and Slovakia
• American conservatives have fallen in love with Hungary. Pope Francis is less impressed.
• Lesson from Hungary: Anti-Catholicism is not a good response to anti-L.G.B.T.Q. laws

Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia comments on medically-assisted suicide

• Head of the the Pontifical Academy for Life affirms his opposition to euthanasia

Archbishop Georg Gänswein is asked to leave the Vatican

• Pope Benedict XVI’s secretary, advocate and confidant: What you need to know about Georg Gänswein
• Archbishop Gänswein says he was “pained” by Francis’ decision to reassign him

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Pope Francis publicly denounced allegations made against Pope John Paul II on Italian television last week by Pietro Orlandi, the brother of Emanuela Orlandi. Last year, Ms. Orlandi’s mysterious disappearance from the Vatican almost 40 years ago, when she was just 15-years-old, inspired “Vatican Girl,” a documentary series on Netflix.  

Mr. Orlandi, speaking on an Italian TV program, said that he had learned from a source that “John Paul II sometimes went out at night with two Polish monsignors, and he clearly did not go out to bless houses.” His comments have been understood to imply that the late pope was out sexually grooming young women at night. They were all the more surprising because they were made immediately after a lengthy meeting earlier that day between Mr. Orlandi, his lawyer and Alessandro Diddi—the Vatican’s chief prosecutor—to discuss the case.

When pressed after his interview to share the details of the comments implicating the saint-pope, Mr. Orlandi and his lawyer invoked their legal privilege no to disclose their source. Mr. Orlandi, through his lawyer, said that his comments “never accused John Paul II of these attempts at going out after girls,” Gerry reports. “This frustrated the prosecutor,” Gerry says, and “the prosecutor says, this is a break in the investigation, stopping the investigation,” and jeopardizes the ongoing process.

In the second half of the show, Gerry and Ricardo share what happened at a press conference in Rome on Monday, April 17, where Hans Zollner, S.J., explained in greater detail why he resigned suddenly last month from the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors. Father Zollner is a German, Jesuit priest and the most recognizable authority on dealing with the scourge of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church.

Father Zollner has said his resignation was necessary because of shortcomings on “responsibility, compliance, accountability and transparency,” within the commission. 

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Links from the show

Pope Francis defends John Paul II

• Pope Francis defends John Paul II in ‘Vatican Girl’ case
• Pope Francis wants the truth out on decades-old cold case of the missing ‘Vatican girl’ in safeguarding commission
• ‘Vatican Girl’: Netflix’s true-crime documentary on the Holy See’s 40-year-old missing person mystery
• Vatican Intrigue: A Jesuit’s secret identity and a new Netflix true crime series

Hans Zollner, S.J., resigns

• Jesuit abuse expert Hans Zollner explains decision to resign from Vatican safeguarding commission

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China has breached its long-fought-for agreement with the Vatican on the appointment of bishops. On April 4, Bishop Shen Bin was transferred from the Diocese of Haimen, where he had been an auxiliary bishop, and installed as the bishop of Shanghai, the largest Roman Catholic diocese in mainland China. 

Matteo Bruni, the director of the Vatican Press Office, confirmed the installation in a statement on April 6. The Holy See had been informed of the appointment only “a few days prior,” Mr. Bruni said, and was only alerted to the bishop’s installation through reporting in the mainstream media. It appears the appointment is in direct violation of the highly controversial bilateral agreement that the Vatican reached with China in 2018, and renewed last October. “It's the pope's prerogative to nominate the bishop to a diocese,” says Gerry. “Many people are now—even those who are quite in support of the agreement—are raising questions.”

In the second half of the show, Gerry and Ricardo review “The Pope: Answers,” a new documentary film on Hulu. In the documentary, Pope Francis has a conversation with 10 young people from Spain, Senegal, Argentina, Peru, Colombia and the United States, aged between 20 and 25 years old. 

Among them are an atheist; a porn content creator; a nonbinary person; a survivor of sexual abuse; and a former nun from Peru, who is lesbian. They talk candidly about sexual abuse, the pope’s salary, loss of faith and dating apps like Tinder. “It’s such an intimate and personal film,” says Ricardo. “It really was a good example of what it is to live out synodality, which is what Pope Francis is calling us to do, really listen to each other.”

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Links from the show

New bishop installed in Shanghai

• China installs new bishop in Shanghai, in apparent violation of Vatican-China deal

Holy Week

• Pope Francis’ Easter Message: The international community must strive to end the war in Ukraine
• Pope Francis’ Easter Vigil homily 2023: The women at Easter bring the news that will change life and history forever
• Pope Francis to miss Way of the Cross event in cold Rome
• Pope Francis washes the feet of young prisoners in Holy Thursday rite, telling them: ‘Any of us’ can fall into sin.

“The Pope: Answers”

• Watch “The Pope: Answers” on Hulu

Twenty-five years of the Good Friday Agreement

• Pope Francis prays for lasting peace in Northern Ireland on 25th anniversary of the Good Friday Agreement

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When most people are admitted to the hospital, they stay in bed and recover. Unless, you are Pope Francis! Not even two days after he started treatment for a respiratory infection, the pope took to visiting the sick at Gemelli General Hospital in Rome, last Friday. In the pediatric oncology wards, he played and prayed with sick children. He had a pizza party with his medical team and the hospital’s care staff, and baptized a baby. And even on his way home, he stopped to console grieving parents whose child had died the night before.

“Inside the Vatican” hosts, Ricardo da Silva, S.J. and Gerard O’Connell discuss how the pope bounced back from bronchitis, silencing the ever-growing stirrings of his resignation in time to preside at the Mass that ushers in the holiest week of the Christian calendar.

In the second half of the show, Gerry and Ricardo reflect on the pope’s homily for Palm Sunday and preview the Vatican’s plans for the Easter Triduum. 

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Links from the show

Pope Francis in hospital

• After hospital pizza party and baptizing a baby, Pope Francis expected to return to Vatican Saturday
• Pope Francis’ hospitalization actually gave me hope for the Catholic Church

Holy Week at the Vatican

• Pope Francis, out of hospital, presides at Palm Sunday celebration
• Read: Pope Francis’ homily for Palm Sunday 2023. ‘The abandoned’ are the ‘Christs of our day.’
• Cardinal Farrell: Pope Francis’ critics are wrong. He’s no autocrat.

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The Vatican has rejected the six-centuries-old “Doctrine of Discovery” that helped justify the occupation and takeover of Indigenous Peoples’ lands throughout colonial times, and still today forms the basis of property law in many parts of the world. In the U.S. and Canada, the doctrine has also been used to defend the unjust acquisition of land in legal disputes in their Supreme Courts. The decision by the Vatican comes after Pope Francis made a historic long-awaited and promised apology for the Catholic Church’s involvement in the operation of residential schools and the abuses perpetrated in this system of education for more than a century by clergy and consecrated religious men and women.

For more background, analysis, and developments on the doctrine of discovery and its impact over the centuries, please visit americamagazine.org. We also have an Inside the Vatican Deep Dive on the Pope’s visit to Indigenous Peoples in Canada last year and a video explainer on our Youtube channel.

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“Balenciaga Pope!” That is what the internet is calling it. 

Photos of Pope Francis wearing a luxury oversized, white puffer jacket, that sells for anywhere up to $6,000, went viral this weekend. 

A single tweet of the pope’s updated winter wardrobe invited 25,000 retweets, and Google Trends reported a dramatic increase in pope-related searches. 

But, however realistic and convincing the photo might have appeared, it was a total fake, generated using an artificial intelligence platform. 

On “Inside the Vatican,” this week co-hosts Ricardo da Silva, S.J. and Gerard O’Connell, look at why some tech bosses are turning to the Vatican for moral guidance as new and evermore sophisticated waves of artificial intelligence take hold.

“What is the moral position on A.I.?”, Ricardo asks. “Has the Vatican said anything about the rapidly growing sophistication of algorithms and artificial intelligence, and the frightening capacity they have to deceive us?”

Later in the show, we parse the revised “Vos Estis Lux Mundi,” Pope Francis’ landmark instruction on the Vatican's procedural norms for dealing with the scourge of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church which goes into effect next month. 

Until now, the instruction had been issued on an experimental three-year basis. On April 30, it will be promulgated definitively into official church law.

Most of the document has remained the same but there are a few important changes, among them the fact that leaders of international lay movements can now be disciplined under church law for abuses committed against those in their care, and those to whom they minister

“This is a work in progress,” Gerry says. “Nobody says the law as issued now is the final word. We may find that in another two years, Francis may well make another amendment to this law.”

Links from the show:

The Vatican is worried about artificial intelligence

Should we be worried about A.I.? Theologians, philosophers and Catholic thinkers weigh in

Pope Francis confirms ‘vulnerable adults’ are covered by updated Vatican sex abuse law

Pope Francis tells bishops of Latin America, where new sex abuse protections aren’t in place, to make it a priority

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Pope Francis has been admitted to hospital where he is undergoing treatment for a respiratory infection. 

The pope was taken to hospital by ambulance today, Wednesday, Mar 29, after he complained that he was experiencing chest pains following the celebration of the Angelus at midday in St. Peter’s Square. 

According to sources at the Vatican, Massimiliano Strappetti, the pope’s personal health care assistant decided to call the ambulance, which took him to the Gemelli Hospital in Rome where he was taken immediately to the cardiac unit for examination. 

But, following further examination and tests, including a test that ruled out a Covid-19 infection, Matteo Bruni, the director of the Vatican press office, issued a statement confirming that Pope Francis was experiencing a respiratory infection and would undergo some days of treatment in hospital. 

Hans Zollner, S.J, who has speerheaded the Vatican’s response to the sexual abuse crisis within its own ranks has resigned from his position on the Pontifical Council for the Protection of Minors.

Father Zollner, a psychologist and leading expert in the protection of minors and vulnerable adults, said that his resignation has arisen because, quote, “I have noticed issues that need to be urgently addressed and which have made it impossible for me to continue further.”

He went on to cite specific concern for how the commission had gone about achieving its goals, “over some years now” he said, with respect to quote “responsibility, compliance, accountability and transparency.” And he questioned the selection process of the commission’s members, financial accountability and transparency in its decision-making. 

Read more:

Pope Francis will remain in hospital for several days with respiratory infection

Jesuit sex abuse expert Hans Zollner resigns from papal commission over ‘urgent concerns’

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On July 27, 2021, a trial began inside the Vatican Museums before a bench of three judges of the Vatican City State’s court. Now, more than 600 days since arguments began in the specially remodeled Vatican rooms, the trial continues.

At the center of the trial is Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the substitute for General Affairs at the Vatican’s Secretariat of State from 2011-18, the equivalent of the Vatican’s chief of staff. He is being tried for embezzlement and abuse of his office. The cardinal is also the highest-ever prelate to be tried by the tribunal since Pope Francis changed the Vatican’s rules in April 2021 to allow bishops and cardinals to stand trial in civil and criminal matters. 

Cardinal Becciu was effectively responsible for the day-to-day operations of the Holy See for 7 years, before he was appointed prefect of the then-Congregation for the Causes of Saints, before he suddenly resigned from that role and relinquished his privileges as cardinal, which include the right to vote in any future conclave. 

The trial principally investigates the controversial $225 million purchase of an investment property in Chelsea, London, which is one of the wealthiest districts in the world. It is alleged the property was paid for, in part, using funds collected from Peter’s Pence, a Vatican fund intended to help the church in its various needs across the world, especially in its outreach and relief to the most materially impoverished people and places. 

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” co-hosts Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and Gerard O’Connell discuss the most recent happenings at the Vatican’s mega-trial of the century and what has surfaced from the testimony of key witnesses. In the second half of the show, the hosts look at allegations arising from a new documentary on Polish television which alleges that when Pope John Paul II was archbishop of Krakow he knew of and covered up allegations of the sexual abuse of minors by three priests under his care.  

Related links:

Top Vatican official says London property deal was a double ‘Via Crucis’

John Paul II knew of and concealed child sex abuse as archbishop, Polish TV reports

In a historic first, a cardinal stood trial at the Vatican over involvement in a real estate scandal

The biggest criminal trial in modern Vatican history begins tomorrow. Here’s what you need to know.

Powerful Vatican Cardinal Becciu resigns amid financial scandal

Cardinals and bishops to lose special legal privileges under new papal decree

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President Daniel Ortega of Nicaragua suspended diplomatic ties with the Vatican over the weekend in what appears to be retaliation for the pope’s strong public criticisms on March 10 of his “rude dictatorship,” likening it to “a communist dictatorship in 1917, or a Hitlerian one in 1935.” These comments were made by the pope in an interview with Infobae, an Argentine news outlet. “I have no other choice,” the pope said, “but to think that the person in power is mentally unbalanced.” 

On “Inside the Vatican” this week, host Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell are joined by senior editor Kevin Clarke to discuss the ongoing conflict between the Nicaraguan president and the Holy See. 

“There are so few independent voices left within Nicaragua,” Kevin says on the podcast. “Thousands of non-governmental organizations have been shut down. The independent press is essentially acting in exile to cover political developments in Nicaragua. The last man standing was the Catholic Church.”

Later on, Ricardo and Gerry discuss another interview Pope Francis gave last week. In the interview with Elisabetta Piqué, who is Gerry’s wife and a Rome-based correspondent for La Nacion, the Argentine news outlet, the pope again criticized the ongoing war in Ukraine, stopping short of labeling the wanton killings there a genocide, he also condemned what he called “the ideological colonization of gender,” and announced “everyone will have the right to vote” at the upcoming “Synod on Synodality,” settling a long-held question as to whether women would be allowed to vote for the first time in a church synod. The revelation has taken even senior Vatican officials by surprise.

In celebration of Pope Francis’ first decade at the helm of the Catholic Church, Ricardo and Gerry close the show sharing their abiding sense of Pope Francis. For Gerry, who has known the pope for 18 years, “this man is a pastor,” he says. “I have seen this at a very personal level, at a level of the family, but I see it also at the level of the leader of the Catholic Church in relation to Catholics, [and] in relation also to the people of the world.”

“The phrase that he uses over and over is a ‘culture of encounter,’” Ricardo says. “He’s somebody who is constantly trying to read where people are at, what people are struggling with, what people are talking about. Not shutting down conversations, but also not scared to say what he thinks in all of this.”

Please consider supporting Inside the Vatican by purchasing a digital subscription to America at www.americamag.org/subscribe.

Related links:

• Nicaragua proposes cutting Vatican ties after Pope Francis compared Ortega regime to Hitler
• With a ‘sham trial’ of a Nicaraguan bishop about to begin, a clampdown on the nation’s Catholic Church continues
• Asked if Putin is committing genocide in Ukraine, Pope Francis doesn’t say no
• Pope Francis denounces imprisonment of Nicaragua’s Bishop Rolando Álvarez
• With a ‘sham trial’ of a Nicaraguan bishop about to begin, a clampdown on the nation’s Catholic Church continues
• Pope Francis says ‘ideology of gender’ is ‘dangerous’ and that ‘everyone’ will vote in the Synod, in new interview with La Nacion
• Why can’t women vote at the Synod on Young People?
• Video: Top 10 moments of Pope Francis

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In 2013, Pope Francis hit the ground running. He wanted a poor church for the poor; a church that gave a voice to those living on the margins, especially migrants and refugees. He put ecology and care for creation at the center of the church’s work. Inside the church, attitudes had to change. Authority had to be exercised as service. Everything had to be geared toward the mission of the church to evangelize. He denounced clericalism, called for a synodal church that listens first, and encourages all the baptized to speak their minds.

10 years later, all of this has provoked heated debates in the Catholic Church. Everyone has an opinion about the direction Francis has led his flock. In this special deep dive episode for Francis’ 10th anniversary of election, we’re exploring key themes of the Francis papacy that have sparked intense fear, unexpected joy and furious debate among the faithful. 

Inside the Vatican is made possible by our digital subscribers. To become a subscriber, visit americamagazine.org/subscribe

The Disaster Services Corporation (DSC) serves families impacted by man-made and natural disasters. Please consider giving the gift of a fresh start to a disaster survivor family. Donate at svdpdisaster.org

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In this news update, America Media’s Executive Producer Sebastian Gomes shares the biggest headlines to emerge from the Vatican this week:

• Pope Francis announces his visit to Hungary in April 2023
• Pope Francis says he does not ‘condemn capitalism’ in new book
• Pope Francis calls for greater dialogue, fraternity and peace between Pasletinians and Israelis, and prays for the migrants who perished in a shipwreck off the coast of Italy. 

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This week, Pope Francis again confirmed restrictions on the celebration of the Traditional Latin Mass, making it clear that permission to celebrate the pre-Vatican II liturgy is reserved to the Vatican and that bishops do not have the freedom to interpret the Pope's previous instruction at whim.

On his recent visit to Africa, Pope Francis told Jesuits in the Democratic Republic of Congo that he has no intention to resign early from the papacy, and that the decision for any pope to resign should not become “a fashion, or a normal thing.”

Finally, we’ve entered the season of Lent. Pope Francis has asked Catholics to journey not alone, but in community with others; who together, sustain, encourage, listen and challenge one another.

Related stories:

Interview: Vatican foreign minister on a year of war in Ukraine, the growing nuclear threat and relations with Putin

Pope Francis reaffirms bishops must get Vatican approval to allow Latin Mass

​​Pope Francis: ‘The pope’s ministry is for life,’ resignation should not become ‘the normal thing’

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Catholics love their saints. But it's not easy to become one. On this special Deep Dive episode of “Inside the Vatican,” we take you inside the grueling process of saint-making, which starts at a local diocese and involves dozens of people, a long paper trail with the Vatican, travel for miracle verification and a lot of money.

We’ll hear from Vatican historians and journalists about how the process evolved from folks being devoted to holy people in their cities to a codified Vatican process. We’ll talk with individuals who are working on Dorothy Day's canonization cause in New York about how the significant cost and local politics can lead to causes being delayed indefinitely. And finally, we’ll look into how miracles are verified—and why some people think that ought to change.

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Pope Francis has returned to the Vatican after his six-day visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan, which he called a pilgrimage of peace. 

America Media’s associate editor, Ricardo da Silva, S.J. and veteran Vatican reporter, Gerard O’Connell discuss the pope’s visit to these two conflict-ridden, yet faith-filled, African countries. 

Gerry was aboard the plane, traveled with Pope Francis from place to place, and was there to witness the Pope's meetings with the millions of people who lined the streets and stadiums to see him. 

On the show, Gerry shares some of what he experienced among the people of the Congo and South Sudan this past week, and offers us a taste of a church, which he says is amazing and alive.

Please consider supporting Inside the Vatican by purchasing a digital subscription to America at www.americamag.org/subscribe.

Related links:

Pope Francis tells foreign exploiters in Congo: ‘Hands off Africa!’

Pope Francis tells young people: ‘You are the seed of a new South Sudan.’

Pope Francis preaches peace to one million Congolese people at Zaire rite Mass

Pope Francis arrives in South Sudan with a message that ‘may appear blunt and direct’ to its leaders

‘We thank God for the pope’: Takeaways from Pope Francis’ visit to the D.R.C.

Pope Francis: Critics who used Benedict’s death ‘have no ethics’

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Pope Francis has begun his visit to the peoples of the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan. He will be on the African continent from Jan. 31 through Feb. 5 for his 40th apostolic visit abroad. 

The Democratic Republic of Congo is the first stop on his visit to the African continent, where he will remain until Friday, Feb. 3. Pope Francis has said he is on a “mission of peace” to these African nations. 

The D.R.C. is rich in mineral wealth, and though it won independence in 1960, it has continued to be embroiled in political, tribal and even interreligious conflicts. It is also the largest Catholic community in Africa—45 million Catholics, about 50 percent of the D.RC.’s total population.  

On the show this week, Ricardo da Silva, S.J., interviews Toussaint Kafarhire Murhula, S.J., a priest, political analyst, and the director of Centre Arrupe, a center for research and formation in Lubumbashi, on the country’s southeastern tip, ahead of the first visit a pope has made there in 38 years.

To support Inside the Vatican please consider getting a digital subscription at americamagazine.org/subscribe

Links from the show:

Congolese Jesuit on Pope Francis’ Africa visit: ‘Women are expecting some changes to happen’

VIDEO Why Pope Francis will visit South Sudan  

VIDEO Pope Francis is on a mission of peace in the Democratic Republic of Congo

Pope Francis taps Chicago-born bishop to lead Vatican department that evaluates new bishops

Pope Francis preaches peace to one million Congolese people at Zaire rite Mass

Pope Francis tells foreign exploiters in Congo: ‘Hands off Africa!’

What to expect during Pope Francis’ visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan

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Cardinal Gerhard Müller, the former German head of the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, and an open critic of many of Pope Francis’ initiatives has released a new book, In Good Faith: Religion in the 21st Century, in which he blasts, among others, the Synod on Synodality and papal resignations, and criticizes the pope’s relationship with U.S. President Joe Biden.

The day after Ricardo and Gerry recorded this episode, Pope Francis gave a wide-ranging interview to Nicole Winfield, the Vatican reporter for the Associated Press, in which he addressed a range of topics including homosexuality, his own handling of the sexual abuse crisis, the Vatican’s agreement with China on the selection and appointment of bishops, and his own health. But perhaps most relevant to this episode, Pope Francis responded in the interview to his critics on many fronts.

You can read Ricardo’s summary of the AP interview with Pope Francis here. 

Pope Francis has instructed all bishops traveling to Rome for the first main session of the Synod on Synodality this October to arrive four days early for a silent retreat. The retreat will be led by Timothy Radcliffe, O.P., the former head of the worldwide Dominican order, a popular preacher and writer. The pope has also called the leaders of Christian churches and their faithful to assemble with him in Rome ahead of the Synod to pray for its success alongside the Catholic faithful and bishops who will be there.

Pope Francis will visit the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan from Jan. 31 to Feb. 5, in a long-awaited visit to the Christian churches postponed last year because of his recurring knee troubles. We look at the pope’s weeklong itinerary and tease out his reasons for making this first-ever visit to these two sub-Saharan African countries long blighted by famine and civil unrest, but filled with hope.

Links from the show:

• Pope Francis gives major interview on his critics, sex abuse, decriminalizing homosexuality and more
• Deep dive: The ‘Synod on Synodality’ — What’s done and what comes next?
• Pope Francis postponed his trip to South Sudan. What does this mean for people living there?

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Pope Francis gave a wide-ranging interview to the Associated Press, on Wednesday, January 25, 2023. It the interview, he addressed a range of topics including- homosexuality, his own handling of the sexual abuse crisis, the Vatican-China agreement, how he responds to his loudest critics and his own health. 

You can read an article summarizing the interview, by Ricardo da Silva S.J., at americamagazine.org.

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The late Cardinal George Pell is now the confirmed author of the once-secret memorandum that sought to discredit the papacy of Pope Francis. This, read in concert with a letter by the cardinal, published posthumously—which characterizes Pope Francis’ succession to the chair of St. Peter as a “catastrophe”—offers stark insight into the dueling forces present within the ranks of the church’s most senior figures.

On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and Gerard O’Connell dive into the revelations since the cardinal’s death and recall Cardinal Pell’s anti-Pope Francis actions over the years, which date back to the conclave that elected the present pope. 

“As one Vatican official said to me,” Gerry says, “maybe he saw quite clearly what direction Pope Francis was leading the church and didn’t like what he saw; especially in terms of the position on moral questions but also in the position of moving away from clericalism, giving more responsibility to the laity in the church.”

In the second half of the show, they discuss the latest developments in a class-action lawsuit filed in Quebec, Canada, last summer. The case implicates at least 88 clergy members and notably includes Cardinal Marc Ouellet, the prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, which is the Vatican office that manages the selection process of the world’s bishops. 

In a shocking move this December, which Gerry believes is “unprecedented,” Cardinal Ouellet filed a $100,000 countersuit for defamation against “Ms. F.” He alleged his accuser had tarnished his name by bringing false accusations against him and claimed he did not even know her. Last Friday, Jan. 13, Ms. F. chose to respond to the cardinal’s escalated action by publicly revealing herself as Pamela Groleau, saying she intends by this move to reclaim her dignity and bring the church to acknowledge the crimes of its clerics.

“I think something else we can expect,” Ricardo says, “which undoubtedly will happen, and which Pamela Groleau herself says in the statement that she made when she revealed her identity, is that this, she hopes, will inspire others to come forward and tell their stories. And so this will open the floodgates.”

And the floodgates have already started to crack. Shortly after recording the episode, Golias Hebdo, a French news magazine revealed that a second woman, known only as “Marie,” had also brought accusations of sexual misconduct against Cardinal Ouellet. 

Links from the show:

• Explainer: Cardinal Pell’s complicated (and critical) relationship with Pope Francis
• Cardinal Pell blasts Pope Francis in secret memo: ‘This pontificate is a disaster’
• Cardinal Ouellet announces lawsuit against woman who claimed sexual assault 
• Pope Francis says not enough evidence to try Cardinal Ouellet, a close adviser, for sexual assault
• Podcast: Vatican issues new universal laws on sexual abuse (listen around 11:50)
• Pope Francis issues new rules for accountability and response to allegations of sexual abuse

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Cardinal George Pell, an Australian prelate who served as the Vatican's first financial overlord, has died. The cardinal was also intimately involved with the present revision of the English translation of the Mass and had been the most senior Catholic cleric to be convicted and imprisoned for child sexual abuse. The judgment was later unanimously overturned by a full bench of Australia's high court, but only after he served more than 400 days in maximum-security prisons.

On “Inside the Vatican” this week, hosts Ricardo da Silva, S.J., and Gerard O’Connell, delve into Cardinal Pell’s legacy dealing with sexual abuse—not only the charges of which he was exonerated, but also the controversial approach he took in dealing with the clerical sexual abuse of minors when he was the archbishop of Melbourne, which some people argue, Ricardo says, “was much more reform to protect the abusers than those abused.” They also look at his stealthy and much-praised reforms to Vatican finances, when he served as the first prefect for the then-Secretariat of the Economy under Pope Francis, with whom he “was not exactly 100 percent on the same theological vision of church as,” says Gerry. “One of the first things the pope aimed at was the reform of Vatican finances—he knew that that really was a jungle,” Gerry adds. “And so he chose what he called the ranger, the Australian ranger. And he said, ‘You take charge.’”

Cardinal Joseph Zen Zi-kiun, the 90-year-old prelate from Hong Kong, who was arrested on suspicious charges last year, was given special permission to travel to the Vatican to attend the funeral of his friend, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. While in Rome, Cardinal Zen also met with Pope Francis. The meeting sparked questions about what many have thought to be an adversarial relationship between the two. Gerry and Ricardo parse the meeting, which Gerry judges to have been “something great; a healing event, a moment of reconciliation.” For Ricardo, the meeting between the two reveals how “complex these issues are,” he says. And it also reveals a larger move “by certain religious media—Catholic media—to put Pope Francis in opposition to others, or others in opposition to Pope Francis,” he argues. “This is a simplification that doesn’t tell half of the story.”

In the second half of the show, Ricardo and Gerry dig into the news surrounding Archbishop Georg Gänswein, who was Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s closest aide and confidant as well as his personal secretary. Gänswein is releasing a tell-all book that he says will answer long-held questions about, among others, the complicated relationship between Pope Francis and the pope emeritus; the drama surrounding the butler responsible for the “Vatileaks” scandal—which sought to expose the Vatican's dirty finances; and the 30-year-old missing person case of Emanuela Orlandi or “Vatican Girl,” as she has come to be known in the title of a Netflix documentary. Ricardo and Gerry address some of the questions the book raises, and whether the book will further compromise the archbishop’s already tenuous relationship with the present pope. 

Gerry has read an advanced copy of the book, and with it, he says that “Gänswein has shot himself in the foot.”

Links from the show:

Australia’s Cardinal Pell dies suddenly at 81

Pope Francis meets with Hong Kong’s Cardinal Zen the day after Benedict XVI’s funeral

Pope Benedict XVI’s secretary, advocate and confidant: What you need to know about Georg Gänswein

Pope Francis has private audience with longtime Benedict aide amid tell-all book fallout

Cardinal Pell blasts Pope Francis in secret memo: ‘This pontificate is a disaster’

‘Vatican Girl’: subject of Netflix’s true-crime show has case reopened by Holy See

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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI was laid to rest just before noon (Rome time) on Thursday, Jan. 5, 2023, in the grottoes underneath St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, where the mortal remains of many pontiffs reside. 

About 50,000 people came to the Vatican to pay their final respects to Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI—who served the Catholic Church for nearly eight years before his historic retirement in February 2013—the first time in 600 years that a pope had resigned from office. From the time of his resignation until his death, Benedict had led a life of relative quiet and contemplation at a monastery inside the Vatican.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Ricardo da Silva, S.J., an associate editor at America Media, speaks with Gerard O’Connell, our regular co-host on the show, and David Gibson, the director of the Center on Religion and Culture at Fordham University in New York and the author of The Rule of Benedict: Pope Benedict XVI and His Battle with the Modern World. 

In the first part of the show, Ricardo talks with Gerry and David about what made this first-ever funeral of a pope emeritus different from that of a pope who dies while still in office. They also address the criticism that Pope Francis’ homily did not sufficiently eulogize and recognize the legacy of the former pope. 

In the second half of the show, Ricardo, Gerry and David discuss the legacy of Pope Benedict’s nearly eight years as pope and his 24 years as head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

 Read more on the life and legacy of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at americamagazine.org.

Links from the show:

A video version of this podcast on America’s YouTube channel

Pope Francis presides over historic funeral for Benedict XVI

What you need to know about the historic funeral of Pope Benedict XVI

Eulogy vs. homily: When should you talk about the deceased in a Catholic funeral?

Pope Benedict XVI, defender of orthodoxy defined by historic resignation, dies at 95

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Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI died at 9:34 a.m. Rome time, today, Saturday, December 31st, 2022. On this special update episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell joins host Colleen Dulle for a conversation on the emeritus pope’s funeral arrangements, his legacy, and Gerry’s memories of him.

Joseph Ratzinger was elected pope and took the name Benedict XVI in 2005 after the long papacy of John Paul II. In 2013, Benedict XVI became the first pope in 600 years to resign voluntarily from his office, which made it possible for future popes to resign if they should find their mental or physical health failing or the weighty burden of office too much for them to bear.

Benedict lived as an emeritus pope for almost 10 years, a period longer than he was pope. 

This evening at the Vatican, Pope Francis said of his predecessor, “With emotion we remember his person so noble, so kind. And we feel in our hearts so much gratitude: gratitude to God for having given him to the Church and to the world; gratitude to him, for all the good he accomplished, and especially for his witness of faith and prayer, especially in these last years of his retired life. Only God knows the value and strength of his intercession, of his sacrifices offered for the good of the Church.”

Read more on the life and legacy of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI at americamagazine.org.

Links from the show:

Pope Benedict XVI, defender of orthodoxy defined by historic resignation, dies at 95

Pope Benedict’s theological legacy: An Augustinian at heart who influenced the course of Vatican II and beyond

Pope Benedict XVI’s devotion to the Eucharist: A key to understanding his life and theology

Pope Francis will preside at Benedict’s funeral in St. Peter’s Square on Jan. 5

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In a surprise statement at the end of his public audience on Dec. 28, Pope Francis appealed for “a special prayer” for Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI because, he said, “he is very sick.” Just after the audience, Francis went to visit Benedict at his residence in the Vatican.

On “Inside the Vatican” this week, veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle give an update on the former pope’s health. According to a Vatican spokesman, by the time of the podcast’s release, his condition had stabilized somewhat overnight but remained serious.

The rest of the podcast looks at three of Pope Francis’ Christmas messages: His homily for Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, his Christmas Day Urbi et Orbi message, and his pre-Christmas address to the Roman Curia.

Gerry first gives an inside look at Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter’s Square where, he said, the crowds had nearly returned to their pre-Covid size. Colleen and Gerry unpack the pope’s homily, which focused on the image of Jesus’ manger and urged those present, including foreign dignitaries, to do “something good” this Christmas.

On Christmas Day, the pope used his Urbi et Orbi address to draw attention to places of suffering in the world through the eyes of children. “May the Lord inspire us to offer concrete gestures of solidarity to assist all those who are suffering,” he said. “Tragically, we prefer to heed other counsels, dictated by worldly ways of thinking. Yet who is listening to the voice of the Child?”

Finally, in his annual address to the Roman Curia, Pope Francis continued the theme of his addresses in past years, using insights from the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius Loyola to call those who work in the Vatican’s central offices to conversion.

Links from the show:

Pope Francis asks for special prayer for ‘very ill’ Benedict XVI

Vatican update: Benedict XVI is ‘lucid and alert,’ but condition remains serious

Pope Francis: Rediscover the meaning of Christmas in the manger

Listen to the cries of the newborn Prince of Peace, pope says on Christmas

Pope Francis compares Roman Curia to the Prodigal Son’s ‘elder brother’ in annual address

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In the last few days, much more information has come out detailing the timeline of the abuse allegations and restrictions against Marko Rupnik, S.J., the Jesuit priest-artist who was, we now know, excommunicated for absolving a woman with whom he had a sexual relationship.

On this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and producer Ricardo da Silva, S.J., who is filling in for Gerard O’Connell, walk listeners through the timeline of what we now know, along with the important questions and takeaways about this case.

“I think the important thing to know here is that we are coming to a place where it is very difficult, near impossible, to hide anything happening inside the church among very powerful people. And so this has shown that we will get at answers,” Ricardo explains. “The great takeaway for me is, is really more one as a member of a religious order, and it's an appeal that I make to religious orders out there including my own: It is really important for us to set the story straight immediately and to reveal all the known facts in a case, and not to hide behind legalese, not to hide behind legal prescriptions, but to say what happened when it happened as quickly as we can.”

In the first half of the show, Ricardo and Colleen recap several other recent Vatican news stories, including Pope Francis’ revelation that he has already signed his letter of resignation and the removal of outspoken anti-abortion activist Frank Pavone from the priesthood.

Links from the show:

Vatican investigator says abuse allegations against Jesuit Marko Rupnik are true

Jesuits ask victims to come forward in abuse case of Jesuit artist Marko Rupnik

Pope Francis reveals he signed resignation letter in case of medical impairment

Vatican defrocks Father Frank Pavone for blasphemous posts, disobedience

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This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell give an update on the new facts that have emerged in the case of the Jesuit artist Marko Rupnik, who was suspended from parts of his ministry in response to allegations of abuse against him.

The facts are difficult to confirm, so this week on the podcast Colleen and Gerry also explain the process they use to determine whether information is credible.

The day after this episode was recorded, Father Arturo Sosa, superior general of the Society of Jesus, confirmed to the Associated Press that in 2019, two years prior to the most recent allegations of abuse, Father Rupnik had been “convicted and sanctioned” by the Vatican for granting absolution in the confessional to a woman with whom he had “engaged in sexual activity.” A priest absolving someone of a sin he committed with that person is a serious crime according to church law, and it results in automatic excommunication. The excommunication can only be lifted if the priest admits to the crime, which Father Sosa said Father Rupnik did. You can read more on this story here.

In the second part of the show, Gerry and Colleen turn their focus to Ukraine. Pope Francis grew overwhelmed with emotion last week while praying for what he calls the “martyred” nation, pausing in the middle of his prayer to choke back tears. The hosts recount how Russian and Ukrainian have responded to this display of emotion, and Gerry provides some historical context for past times popes have cried publicly.

Links from the show:

‘We have not hidden anything’: Jesuit superior general interviewed on abuse allegations against Marko Rupnik

Jesuit abuse expert calls for more Vatican transparency in how it dealt with a prominent Jesuit artist

Jesuits reveal artist had been excommunicated for absolving woman for engaging in sexual activity with him

Pope Francis breaks down in tears while praying to Mary for peace in Ukraine

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The Slovenian Jesuit artist Marko Rupnik has been barred from hearing confessions or offering spiritual direction after allegations that he spiritually and sexually abused adult members of a religious order of women in Slovenia. On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell explain what is known about the case.

Up next, the Vatican’s website showed a 404 error message (page not available) on and off for a few days last week, following the publication of America’s interview with Pope Francis in which the pope heavily criticized Russia, naming Putin several times, calling Russia the aggressor in the war against Ukraine, and naming two Russian minority groups – the largely Buddhist Buryati and the largely Muslim Chechens – as being particularly cruel in the war in Ukraine.

The Vatican Press Office issued a statement last week attributing the crash to “anomalous” attempts to access the site that it said did not all come from one country. On the podcast, Gerry explains what more he has learned about the hack. “What I do know from informed sources is that this was a highly sophisticated operation, not the effort of amateurs,” Gerry says. 

Colleen and Gerry also give an update on papal almoner Cardinal Konrad Krajewski’s new campaign to bring donated thermal shirts to Ukraine. Donations can be sent to: Elemosineria Apostolica, Cortile Sant’Egidio, 00120 Città del Vaticano.

Finally, Pope Francis’ visit to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan is back on. The pope will visit the two countries in late January and early February. For more background on peacemaking efforts in South Sudan, listen to “Inside the Vatican”’s interview with Elizabeth Boyle of Sant’Egidio here.

Links from the show:

Prominent Jesuit artist restricted from ministry after allegations of sexually abusing women religious

After postponing, Pope Francis has rescheduled his trip to Congo and ecumenical visit to South Sudan

Pope Francis postponed his trip to South Sudan. What does this mean for people living there?

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Last week, the Tuesday before Thanksgiving, Nov. 22, several members of the America Media team had an exclusive two-hour sit-down interview with Pope Francis; it was published Monday the 28th.

The interview was wide-ranging and included questions on political polarization, lack of trust in the U.S. bishops conference, the war in Ukraine, transparency on sexual abuse cases, women’s ordination, encouragement to Black Catholics, and discussion of the Vatican-China deal. Since its release, international media coverage has focused on the pope’s decision to single out two Russian minority groups as being “perhaps the cruelest” in the war against Ukraine.

On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle analyze the pope’s comments on Ukraine, as well as those on political polarization, the U.S. bishops, and women’s ordination.

In the first part of the show, Gerry gives an inside look into what it was like to interview the pope, and Colleen shares some exciting news.

Links from the show:

Exclusive: Pope Francis discusses Ukraine, U.S. bishops and more

Russia protests Pope Francis’ comments on Ukraine made in America magazine interview

Gerard O’Connell: Ukraine, abortion, racism, women’s ordination: Highlights from America’s interview with Pope Francis

Kerry Weber: Behind the scenes: What it’s like to interview Pope Francis

The Gloria Purvis Podcast: Gloria Purvis and Father Matt Malone on what their interview with Pope Francis means for the U.S. church

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Exclusive: Pope Francis denounces polarization, talks women’s ordination, the U.S. bishops and more in a new interview with America Media!

It’s an exciting time for America Media! We've transformed the organization under the leadership of Matt Malone, S.J. into a modern media entity that leads the conversation on faith and culture. There is no doubt that this transformation will continue at America under the leadership of Traug Keller, president and Father Sam Sawyer, SJ, 15th editor in chief. 

We're especially grateful to our digital subscribers, who can access all of our award-winning content. But subscriptions alone do not cover the cost to produce our magazine, videos and podcasts, so we are really dependent on fundraising to bridge that gap.

With Giving Tuesday upon us, we hope you will consider a tax-deductible gift of any size to support America Media. Visit our website and click the “Donate Now” button to join our media ministry, which enables us to continue producing Inside the Vatican. We truly could not continue to bring you these episodes without your support, so thank you, so much, for your consideration.

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For Thanksgiving week, “Inside the Vatican” is bringing you a brief update on a few of the top Vatican stories from the last week.

Up first, the way Catholics calculate when to celebrate Easter could be changing.

This past Saturday, Nov. 19, Pope Francis met with Mar Awa III, Catholicos-Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East, which is an Eastern Christian church based in Iraq. In the meeting, the pope took the opportunity to express his support for the idea that Eastern and Western churches should celebrate Easter on the same date—usually they’re about a week apart, with the Eastern Palm Sunday falling on the Western Easter.

Echoing Vatican II, Pope Francis said that he is willing to accept any proposal for a common date of Easter provided that the other churches that are not in communion with Rome agree.

Next, Pope Francis assigned a lay man and father of two as secretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life last week. Gleison De Paula Souza is the first layperson to serve as second-in-command in this dicastery; three of the four top positions in that office are now held by lay people.

Finally, on Nov. 22, Pope Francis overhauled the leadership of Caritas Internationalis, which is the church’s charity arm; it includes 162 charitable groups including Catholic Charities USA and Catholic Relief Services. The pope removed Caritas’ entire executive team after a review of the organization revealed management weaknesses that had damaged staff morale. Some current and former employees report bullying and favoritism within the organization’s Rome headquarters. A statement from the Vatican made clear that there was no financial mismanagement or sexual misconduct.

Links from the show:

Pope Francis says Catholics are ready for a common Easter date with the Assyrian Church

Pope Francis appoints a father of two to No. 2 spot at Vatican family office

Pope Francis fires top leadership of Caritas Internationalis after review found poor staff morale

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Pope Francis met with America editor-at-large James Martin, S.J. in the Vatican’s apostolic palace on Nov. 11 for 45 minutes. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Father Martin joins hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell to discuss their exchange, which focused mostly on ministry to LGBT Catholics.

Gerry explains the significance of the meeting’s duration—about twice as long as most heads of state have with the pope—and its location. “It’s a message to be received in the apostolic palace,” Gerry says on the podcast. “It means that the pope wants this known publicly.”

Father Martin also discusses the pope’s endorsement of his latest book, Learning to Pray.

In the second half of the show, Gerry and Colleen dig into Pope Francis’ message for this year’s World Day of the Poor, and how the pope hopes that his initiatives for the day will trickle down to dioceses around the world.

Finally, the hosts give an update on the case of French Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard, who despite publicly confessing to abusing a 14-year-old girl remains a cardinal with full privileges, including the ability to vote in a conclave. The Vatican now says it will investigate the cardinal after French prosecutors have finished their own investigation. Despite the confession, the cardinal has neither been removed nor suspended from ministry, although he admitted in his letter of confession that he would go on retreat to pray and meditate on his actions.

“I have been here long enough in the Vatican to see we get statements [that] say something to satisfy the public demand, but they don’t give the whole story,” Gerry tells Colleen. “So, I would not exclude that other things are happening behind the scenes [at the Vatican].”

Links from the show:

Pope Francis received Father James Martin in private audience for the second time

Pope Francis praises Father James Martin during audience with Vatican communicators (on Outreach, a publication of America Media)

Pope Francis on World Day of the Poor: Do not listen to ‘prophets of doom’ but instead ‘light candles of hope.’

Cardinal Ricard confessed to abusing a 14-year-old. What we know and what the Vatican will do next

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At a meeting of the French bishops’ conference, a letter from Cardinal Jean-Pierre Ricard was read aloud, in which the cardinal admitted that he had “conducted himself in a reprehensible fashion” with a 14 year old girl, adding, “My behavior necessarily caused in this person grave and lasting consequences.”

On “Inside the Vatican” this week, host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell explain what is known about the case. Cardinal Ricard was up to now a member of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican office tasked with investigating abuse cases, though it isn’t clear whether Cardinal Ricard himself ever investigated a case.

The French church is currently reeling from a series of major abuse revelations. First, a report released last fall looked into sexual abuse of minors in Catholic institutions and estimated that up to 330,000 minors had been abused since 1950. More recently, there’s been the case of Bishop Michel Santier, who retired as bishop of Creteil in 2020 citing health reasons. It was recently revealed that he was actually removed by the Vatican for “using his influence over two young adult men for sexual purposes” and abusing the sacrament of confession by holding “striptease confessions.” Colleen and Gerry discuss the lack of transparency in all these cases.

In the second half of the show, Gerry and Colleen discuss Pope Francis’ trip to Bahrain over the weekend, where he attended an interreligious gathering, the “Bahrain Forum for Dialogue: East and West for Human Coexistence.” The hosts view the trip in the context of Pope Francis’ relationship with the Sunni Grand Imam of Al-Azhar, who also attended the meeting and with whom the pope wrote a milestone 2019 document on human fraternity.

Links from the show:

French cardinal admits to abusing teen girl 35 years ago

Pope Francis in Bahrain: What to know and expect

Pope Francis slams ‘childlike’ whims of powerful that start wars as Putin’s invasion of Ukraine rages on

In Bahrain, Pope Francis calls for full religious freedom and an end to the death penalty

Pope: ‘Every time a woman comes in to do a job in the Vatican, things get better’

Pope Francis: 'Three world wars in one century: be pacifists!' (Full press conference text)

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The first global report for the Synod on Synodality came out last week, and it’s the Vatican’s first official word on what they’ve been hearing in listening sessions since August 2021.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” producer Ricardo da Silva, S.J., joins host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell for a roundtable discussion on what stood out in the synod document. Ricardo was struck by how the report presented feedback in the respondents’ words, including quotes from more than 70 countries, and how it raised issues that had previously been taboo. Gerry, on the other hand, thinks little was surprising in the report, and emphasizes how the document was to be read “with the eyes of the disciple.” Colleen describes how the report pulled no punches when discussing sexism in the church.

In the second part of the show, the hosts have a lively discussion on their differing views of the document, hashing out questions of what magisterial standing the document has, if any. Ricardo, a Jesuit priest, reflects on the significant questions that the synodal process raises for priests, after the document strongly criticized clericalism and pointed out low synod participation rates by priests. The three hosts together discuss the report’s section on liturgical reform—something that touches the life of every Catholic.

Links from the show:

Read the global synod report (Document for the Continental Phase)

Making the church more inclusive while staying true to teaching: Vatican releases synod’s synthesis document

Deep dive: The ‘Synod on Synodality’ — What’s done and what comes next?

I helped write the first global synod document. Here’s what we heard from Catholics around the world.

Pope Francis will be the first pope to visit Bahrain

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Host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell dig into three eye-catching Vatican stories this week: First up, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin spoke at a dinner for EWTN’s Europe-based staff, stressing the importance of Catholic media being in communion with the pope rather than “fan[ning] the flames of polarization.” He prayed that a “spirit of communion” with the pope would be “the distinctive sign of your work.” But EWTN’s Spanish-language press agency ACI Prensa ran a headline that, Gerry says, surprised many in the Vatican: “Cardinal Pietro Parolin defines EWTN as ‘a work of God at the service of truth.’”

The Vatican released the full text of Cardinal Parolin’s speech two days later, which showed that the quote from the headline had been taken out of context. “They [the Vatican] didn’t comment on the headline or anything, but you didn't have to be a genius to understand that this was a direct response,” Gerry says on this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican.”

Up next, Colleen and Gerry turn to the story of the Jesuit historian Peter Gumpel, who spent his long career shepherding saints’ causes through the Vatican’s canonization process. A few days after his death on Oct. 12, America ran a story by someone who had known Father Gumpel, who wrote: “Peter’s last name, Gumpel, was a pseudonym. He told me the family name he was born with—the family he was born into—was Hohenzollern, the royal dynasty of kings and princes, electors and emperors (1871-1918) who ruled all or parts of Germany and Romania beginning in the 11th century, a royal family that continues to this day.” Gerry also knew Father Gumpel well, and weighs in with his take on the Jesuit’s secret identity.

Finally, the hosts turn to the long-enduring mystery of the disappearance of Emanuela Orlandi, a 15-year-old girl who lived in the Vatican. The still-unsolved case has caught new attention thanks to a Netflix true-crime documentary series. Colleen gives an update on the series’ new revelations, and Gerry weighs in on what it’s been like watching the case unfold in Rome over several decades.

Links from the show:

Vatican cardinal tells EWTN: Catholic media must be in communion with pope

Full text of Cardinal Parolin’s speech

The final secret of the Vatican’s Jesuit saint maker

A deep dive into the secret archives of Pope Pius XII

‘Vatican Girl’: Netflix’s true-crime documentary on the Holy See’s 40-year-old missing person mystery

The Vatican and China renew agreement on appointing bishops for third time

Making the church more inclusive while staying true to teaching: Vatican releases synod’s synthesis document

I helped write the first global synod document. Here’s what we heard from Catholics around the world.

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On Sunday, Pope Francis announced that the Synod on Synodality will be extended. Instead of one final meeting in the Vatican in October 2023, there will now be two Vatican meetings: One in Oct. 2023 and another in Oct. 2024.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle explain the pope’s reasoning behind this decision, and whether the extension of the synodal process makes this synod, as some have said in recent days, a type of “Vatican III.”

[Missed our deep dive episode on the Synod on Synodality? Listen here!]

The hosts also discuss what message Pope Francis is sending by extending the synod: Is it a sign he does not intend to resign, an effort to ensure synodality continues with future popes, or simply a declaration that becoming a “listening church” is one of his top priorities?

In the second part of the show, Colleen and Gerry discuss the pope’s new book, I Ask You in the Name of God. Ten Prayers for a Future of Hope. Colleen explains the papal speech on economics that the book is based on, and Gerry gives his takeaways from the volume. The hosts revisit the question of where books like these fall in the hierarchy of papal teachings.

After this show was recorded, America published a report by Kenneth Woodward on the secret identity of a Jesuit who shepherded more than 150 canonization causes through the church’s saint-making process. Read “The final secret of the Vatican’s Jesuit saint maker” here.

Links from the show:

Deep dive: The ‘Synod on Synodality’ — What’s done and what comes next?

Pope Francis’ 9 commandments for a just economy

WATCH: The Pope, the Environmental Crisis, and Frontline Leaders | The Letter: Laudato Si Film on YouTube

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Cathy Harmon-Christian’s SUV has been getting a lot of attention lately. Last year, after a nun and priest friend asked her to work full-time holding listening sessions for the global Synod on Synodality with people on the margins, or outside, of Catholic parish life—who the church might have a hard time reaching—she printed a massive decal of Pope Francis extending his hand in blessing. At the bottom, was a message, which included her email address: “Pope Francis wants to hear from you!” 

“It was bigger than my window, unfortunately,” Ms. Harmon-Christian said, “so I did have to do some maneuvering.” The sign covers the back window of her Subaru and extends onto the door below.

And it worked: Ms. Harmon-Christian received emails from people who saw her driving around Atlanta. She was stopped at the gas station and even had a listening session with her mechanic, who had left the Catholic Church to become Evangelical.

Ms. Harmon-Christian’s listening work was not limited to those she encountered on the road. She has held listening sessions on Zoom, in cafés, outdoors with people experiencing homelessness, and even received a long letter from a prison inmate in Texas. Although she has not received confirmation that the results of her listening sessions were accepted by either her diocese or the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops—her 600-page report far exceeds each diocese’s 10-page limit—she has received messages of support from Vatican officials, who have encouraged her to continue her work.

So, why is the Vatican gathering all of this feedback from people like Ms. Harmon-Christian and others around the world?

For a new deep dive episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell interviewed three officials in the Vatican’s synod office, along with Catholics like Ms. Harmon-Christian, who are holding listening sessions around the world. Colleen also spoke with someone who is more critical of the synod. All this to help explain the Vatican’s Synod on Synodality—what its puzzling name means and what it’s meant to accomplish.

Links from the show:

Gerard O’Connell | Exclusive: Cardinal Grech on drafting the first global synod synthesis—and what’s in store for phase 2

Gerard O’Connell | Cardinal Grech: The synod ‘needs time’ on the question of married priests

Colleen Dulle | Explainer: So, what exactly is a synod?

Colleen Dulle and Doug Girardot | We contacted every diocese in the U.S. about their synod plans. Here’s what we found.

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Pope Francis dedicated his entire Angelus address this past Sunday, Oct. 2, to denouncing the war in Ukraine. Recent weeks have seen the Ukrainians pushing back Russian forces on the ground, while Russian president Vladimir Putin has escalated his threats, claiming that four Ukrainian regions now belong to Russia, and that Russia will take any attempt to reclaim them as a threat to its territorial integrity. Putin said that in the face of such a so-called invasion, Russia would respond by all means necessary–including using nuclear weapons.

The Vatican has responded to the war so far by advocating peace and focusing on sending humanitarian aid. But the pope’s response has been criticized on the world stage for being too soft on Russia; for example, after he said that NATO had been “barking at Russia’s gate” before the invasion, or when he prayed for a Russian civilian killed by Ukrainian forces, who had in turn been used for Russian propaganda.

This week on Inside the Vatican, host Colleen Dulle interviews Joe Donnelly, the U.S. ambassador to the Holy See—President Biden’s representative to the Vatican. We talk about the anguish the pope is clearly feeling over Ukraine, and how Ambassador Donnelly navigates working with the Vatican, even when its approach and goals differ from those of the United States.

Links from the show:

Gerard O’Connell | Interview: U.S.-Vatican Ambassador Joe Donnelly on Ukraine, China and his meeting with Pope Francis

Colleen Dulle | Review: When popes play peacemaker (Review of God’s Diplomats)

Gerard O’Connell | Pope Francis makes dramatic appeal to Putin: Stop the war in Ukraine

Victor Gaetan | What critics of Pope Francis’ NATO comments don’t understand about Vatican diplomacy

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With reports from at least 112 of the 114 bishops’ conferences around the world, the Synod on Synodality has entered its next phase as 35 laypeople, priests and bishops meet in Frascati, Italy, to discern the outcome of the worldwide listening process that started last October. 

On “Inside the Vatican” this week, veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell reveals some of the highlights of his interview with Cardinal Mario Grech, the secretary general of the Synod of Bishops. (The interview was conducted for an upcoming deep dive episode on the synod which will be released on your “Inside the Vatican” podcast feed next month.) 

“The Pope is very keen that the synods and the synod process is not hijacked by pressure groups,” Gerry said. “In fact,” Gerry tells host and producer Colleen Dulle, “the cardinal said to me… I said, ‘Are you afraid of pressure groups: people with an agenda who want to get it through these?’ And he said, ‘I’m not afraid of these, but I hope if it’s going to be hijacked, it’s going to be hijacked by the Holy Spirit.’”

This week, Pope Francis also announced the first in what is expected to be a series of major personnel changes in high-ranking positions at the Vatican. Cardinal José Tolentino Calaça de Mendonça, a 56-year-old Portuguese prelate, is the first head of a newly created Vatican department known as the Dicastery for Education and Culture, combining what were previously two separate departments. 

Cardinal Tolentino is a lauded poet, author and theologian in his native Portugal. He has received numerous literary prizes and academic accolades and rose to prominence in the Vatican when the pope invited him to preach the Lenten retreat for Vatican staff in 2018. “Pope Francis is clearly a big fan of this cardinal,” Colleen tells Gerry. Though, she adds, “I think that he is more popular in other parts of the world than in the United States.” 

“It's a perfect fit in many ways,” says Gerry of Pope Francis’ appointment of Cardinal Tolentino to the new culture and education department. “He is a polyglot and he really has an open vision, and he is completely on the page of Pope Francis.… a church that is open, that is inclusive, that is not condemnatory, that's trying to encourage, not to discourage, that's trying to open doors, not to close doors.”

Links from the show:

Pope Francis names Portuguese cardinal new head of Vatican office for Culture and Education

Italy could elect its first woman prime minister—and its most right-wing government since becoming a republic

Videos from inside the Frascati Synod meeting

Exclusive: Cardinal Grech on drafting the first global synod synthesis—and what’s in store for phase 2

Cardinal Grech: The synod ‘needs time’ on the question of married priests

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Pope Francis was in Khazakstan last week for a major Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions—although his visit was overshadowed in the press by criticism from a Khazak bishop, Athanasius Schneider, who said the meeting was “dangerous” and could come off as the pope supporting “a supermarket of religions,” “undermin[ing] the uniqueness and absoluteness of Jesus Christ as savior.”

Meanwhile, the Khazak government rolled out the red carpet for the pope, who was the first to attend the international congress, although John Paul II and Benedict XVI had been invited in past years. The nation’s foreign minister also signed an agreement with his Vatican counterpart to make it easier for Catholic missionaries to enter the country.

On “Inside the Vatican” this week, veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle give an update on what happened at the meeting, and why Bishop Schneider disapproved of it.

In the second part of the show, the hosts turn to Ukraine, where Pope Francis’ almoner, or almsgiver, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, came under fire while delivering aid in a war zone near Zaporizhzhia. He emerged unscathed and was able to bring food, other aid, and rosaries blessed by the pope to the soldiers and civilians there.

Colleen and Gerry discuss the aid the Vatican has provided to Ukraine and examine how Pope Francis parsed the morality of delivering arms to Ukraine when speaking with a German journalist over the weekend. How do his comments advocating self-defense square with his past denunciations of the arms trade?

Links from the show:

Pope Francis in Kazakhstan: ‘How many deaths will it take’ for peace to prevail in Ukraine?

‘There is only one true religion’: Kazakh bishop says his criticisms of Pope Francis’ interfaith outreach are a sign of collegiality

Pope Francis, asked about Ukraine, says nations can buy weapons for self-defense under right moral conditions

Review: When popes play peacemaker

Gunmen fire upon Cardinal Krajewski in Ukraine

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Queen Elizabeth II died last week, Sept. 8, after 70 years on the throne. She was 96 and was England’s longest-reigning monarch. And while most people, when asked to describe the relationship between the papacy and the British monarchy, would likely think of the Henry VIII affair, in reality the relationship between the two heads-of-state-slash-heads-of-churches is quite cordial.

On “Inside the Vatican” this week, host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss Queen Elizabeth II’s relationship with the five popes she met as queen, her role as a religious leader, and what we can expect in terms of Vatican relations from the reign of King Charles III.

Up next, Pope Francis traveled to Kazakhstan this week for an international congress of the leaders of world and traditional religions—that is, the world’s major religions and some that have a more regionally-specific history, like Indigenous religions. The pope is expected to use his speech at the congress and his meetings with other religious leaders to make the case for peace, a poignant message in a nation that borders Russia.

Colleen and Gerry discuss the political buzz around the visit, as well as the history of the nation’s tiny Catholic minority. Gerry gives his impressions of the country from 2001, when he covered Pope John Paul II’s visit there just ten days after the September 11 attacks on the United States, and explains how Pope Francis’ message of interreligious cooperation has extended even farther than past popes’.

Finally, Gerry and Colleen look at the pope’s health: After canceling his scheduled visits to Lebanon and South Sudan, and not traveling to Ukraine as he had hoped to do, why has the pope decided to make this trip?

Links from the show:

Queen Elizabeth turned privilege into a life of Christian service

What Catholics need to know about Kazakhstan before Pope Francis’ visit

Pope Francis heads to Kazakh interfaith congress—without hope for a meeting with Patriarch Kirill

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Pope Francis called all the world’s cardinals to the Vatican to discuss the reform of Roman offices, called dicasteries. The meeting follows the release of “Praedicate Evangelium,” a document issued earlier this summer outlining new structures and processes for the Catholic Church’s central offices. 

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” hosts Colleen Dulle and Gerard O’Connell share what went on in the cardinal’s two-day meeting in Rome, and also look into the recent beatification of Pope John Paul I, who led the church for a mere 33 days before his sudden death. 

While the cardinals were still in Rome, Gerry took the opportunity to talk with many of them about what unfolded in their closed meeting with the pope and after meeting many of their brother cardinals for the first time. 

Gerry also shares details of his exclusive interview with Cardinal Robert McElroy, the bishop of San Diego, who is now the newest prelate from the United States, and the key themes he saw emerging from the meeting. Colleen stresses the importance of knowing, as a lay person, what happens at these meetings inside Vatican walls. “I think it's helpful for us to know that these conversations that we've been having and that anybody who's following this synodal process are having, about this tension between synodality and hierarchy,” Colleen tells Gerry. “Those conversations are also being had among the Cardinals in the halls of the Vatican.”

In the final half of the show, Gerry sets the scene for the beatification ceremony of Pope John Paul I that took place at a ceremony in St, Peter’s Square this past Sunday, Sept. 4, 2022. Blessed John Paul I was the last Italian pope to be elected over a period of 400 years. Gerry shares a few personal anecdotes about the man who was affectionately known as “the smiling pope,” and what it was like to be there at his installation.

This week’s show closes with a discussion about the politics and economics of saint-making. And given the controversies that have arisen since the rapid canonization of Pope John Paul II and the subsequent release of the McCarrick report—which reveals that the polish pope knew about some of the accusations of abuse against Mr. McCarrick—Colleen, again, asks an important question: “Should we really be canonizing these recent popes?” 

Read more:

Exclusive: Cardinal Robert McElroy’s first interview since receiving the red hat

Cardinal McElroy on Curia reform, Vatican finances and the Pope Francis resignation rumors

Pope Francis beatifies John Paul I, the ‘smiling pope’ who governed the church for 33 days in 1978

Book recommendation: 

The September Pope, Stefania Falasca, Our Sunday Visitor, 2021

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“Inside the Vatican” is back from summer break this week, just as the Vatican wraps up an unusually jam-packed late August. On August 27, Pope Francis created 20 new cardinals, 16 of whom will help choose his successor. On the podcast, host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell recap the appointments and what makes the solemn ceremony relatively simple by Vatican standards.

Most of the world’s cardinals came to Rome for the creation of the new cardinals, and stayed for meetings with the pope on Monday and Tuesday to discuss his reform of the Roman Curia that went into effect in June. Although no reporters were allowed inside the meeting, Gerry shares what he learned from several participants about what happened.

In between these two important events, Pope Francis flew by helicopter to the central Italian city of L’Aquila, which has not fully recovered from an earthquake that killed nearly 300 people in 2016. The pope met with the families of those who had died, before visiting the tomb of Celestine V, the first pope to voluntarily resign.

The visit to Celestine’s tomb, combined with the unusual meeting with the cardinals, had led some to assume Pope Francis could resign this week. Gerry explains that, while he doesn’t believe Francis intends to follow in Celestine’s footsteps and resign yet, Francis has become the first pope in more than 700 years to follow Celestine’s lead in opening the Holy Door of the L’Aquila basilica for a special feast of forgiveness known as the “Celestinian pardon.”

Read more:

Podcast: Is Pope Francis preparing for the next conclave?

Meet the 16 New Cardinal Electors

Pope Francis creates 20 new cardinals including Robert McElroy of San Diego

Pope Francis prays at tomb of Celestine V, urges mercy and humility

Pope Francis tells College of Cardinals to ‘speak freely’ at first meeting since 2014

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Pope Francis is about to make a historic visit to Canada, where he will apologize for the harm inflicted on Indigenous peoples through the earliest colonial missions and the more recent operation of residential boarding schools.  

On this special deep dive episode of Inside the Vatican, we’re looking into the history of residential schools in Canada, the impact they had on survivors, and what Pope Francis’ apology might mean in a long, but important process, of truth-telling and reconciliation. 

We’ll hear from Archbishop Richard Smith of Edmonton, the leader of one of the dioceses Pope Francis is set to visit, along with Phil Fontaine, a leading Indigenous voice, residential school survivor, and three term National Chief of the Assembly of First Nations.

We’ll also talk with Fr. Ken Thorson, who leads the Lacombe Province of the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate in Canada, the religious order that ran most of the Catholic residential schools, to hear how his community has changed its position over years of listening to Indiginous voices. 

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Pope Francis, in a wide-ranging interview with Philip Pulella a Reutuers reporter, has announced that he plans to name two women to the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops, the group that helps the pope choose bishops. Until now, only men have served on the Vatican committee responsible for selecting bishops.

We don’t know who these women are yet, but we do know the kind of work they’ll be doing—it’s part of the top-secret process of appointing bishops that we explained in a deep dive episode last year. We’re re-publishing that episode today, which looks into both how bishops are appointed and how that process continues to change, particularly during Pope Francis’ pontificate.

Links from the show:

Pope Francis to give women a role in choosing bishops

Can the Catholic Church find a better way to choose bishops?

Women are rising to new heights at the Vatican. Could they change the church forever?

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Pope Francis was set to visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan this week, July 2-9, before his doctors advised against making the trip. But the trip’s postponement doesn’t mean that the Catholic Church’s work for peace in the conflict-torn country is on pause.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle speaks with Sant’Egidio’s Elizabeth Boyle about the lay group’s efforts to foster peace and friendship in South Sudan. Elizabeth explains the most important facts about the conflict, and what Sant’Egidio’s work to foster peace looks like. She also gives an update on what effect the postponement has had in the country.

Also in this episode, Colleen gives a brief update on the Vatican’s two responses to the overturning of Roe v. Wade by the U.S. Supreme Court. While the Vatican welcomed the decision, it emphasized the importance of protecting life through caring for those in need, calling for universal healthcare, and fighting gun violence.

This is our last episode before our summer hiatus, but we have one last request before we go: Please help us improve Inside the Vatican by responding to our listener survey! Your feedback will help us return even stronger in September.

Links from the show:

On Roe v. Wade:

Vatican: After Roe v. Wade, it’s time for widespread pro-life work

Vatican editorial: For life, always

Pontifical Academy for Life response to U.S. Supreme Court decision

On South Sudan:

Pope Francis apologizes for canceling trips to Congo and South Sudan

Community of Sant’Egidio

World Food Programme

U.N. Food and Agriculture Organization

International Committee of the Red Cross

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The World Meeting of Families is happening in Rome this week, and there has been much family-related news out of the Vatican recently. The Vatican has issued new guidance on marriage preparation, saying couples should go through a yearlong program before getting married in the church, and the Vatican’s office of Laity, Family and Life has seen a few big reforms.

To learn more about these stories, America Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell recently interviewed Cardinal Kevin Farrell, prefect for the Vatican’s Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and host Colleen Dulle recap the Vatican’s recent family-related news through the lens of Gerry’s interview with Cardinal Farrell.

Two reforms Cardinal Farrell has made: First, he has increased the share of lay people working in his office. Today, only four of the office’s almost 40 employees are priests, and Cardinal Farrell told Gerry he believes he could be the last cleric to head the office. Second, he established term limits for members of lay movements like Sant’Egidio and the Focolare. (If you don’t know what those are, don’t worry; we explain it all on this week’s show.)

Together the Vatican’s updates to formation for married couples, families and members of lay movements are aimed at realizing Pope Francis’ vision of a dynamic church in which older people teach and share leadership with younger people, and in which no one’s pastoral needs are overlooked.

Lastly, we’d love your feedback on the show! Please take this brief 2022 ITV Listener Survey and let us know what you’d like to hear in future episodes!

Links from the show:

Cardinal Farrell: ‘I believe I could be the last cleric in charge of this dicastery’

Citing ‘superficial’ marriage prep, Pope Francis calls for yearlong program for engaged couples

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