Articles by Andrea Gagliarducci
A new hope: the Church of Naples after Pope Francis' visit
Mar 23, 2015 / 23:08 pmPope Francis’ visit to Naples on Saturday fostered the commitment of the local Church to combat corruption and to continue work on the ground that has already born much fruits in the city's peripheries, according to an official.
A feisty Pope Francis slams corruption, unemployment in Naples
Mar 21, 2015 / 04:39 amAddressing the crowds in Naples' notorious outskirts of Scampia, Pope Francis gave a verbal slap to corrupt leaders who exploit local laborers, charging that they “cannot claim to be Christian.”
Vatican archives shed light on tragedy of Armenian genocide
Mar 20, 2015 / 10:14 amAhead of Pope Francis’ Mass commemorating the 100th anniversary of the Armenian genocide, newly released historic documents confirm the Holy See’s broad commitment to helping the Armenian people at a time when few others would.
Use of force is a last resort against Islamic State – Vatican diplomat
Mar 17, 2015 / 17:03 pmBy presenting a joint statement to the United Nations’ Human Rights Council to support Christians and other communities in the Middle East, the Holy See has fostered a new diplomatic approach to protect communities and raise the international focus on a top issue.
Holy See's hospital works to help inmates re-enter society
Mar 14, 2015 / 05:59 amOn Holy Thursday, Pope Francis will celebrate Mass for inmates at the Rebibbia New Complex Prison in the suburbs of Rome. But the Vatican’s concern for those at the prison does not stop there.
Journalist blasted for lying in confessional, recording priests' answers
Mar 13, 2015 / 03:01 amThe confessional is one of the most private and privileged places in the world. So when an Italian journalist violated the bond of trust between penitent and priest, the Archbishop of Bologna decried her “grave lack of respect” for all Catholics.
Curia reform may include an office for negotiations in the Secretariat of State
Mar 11, 2015 / 17:08 pmThe Vatican Secretary of State suggested Wednesday that an ‘office for pontifical mediation’ may established within the ranks of the Secretariat of State, in order to function as a link between the on-the-ground commitment of papal diplomacy and its commitment within international institutions.
Italian bishop to offer Good Friday Way of the Cross meditations at Colosseum
Mar 10, 2015 / 23:08 pmThe bishop who preached the final Lenten spiritual exercises for St. John Paul II has been chosen to prepare meditations for the Way of the Cross to be celebrated on Good Friday at the Colosseum before Pope Francis.
How did the Vatican respond to the sinking of the Lusitania during WWI?
Mar 10, 2015 / 03:01 amThe 1915 torpedoing of the passenger liner RMS Lusitania, which galvanized anti-German sentiment in the US during World War I, was much-discussed at the top of the Vatican's ranks, revealing the Holy See's approach to current events and its place in international diplomacy.
Italy's bishops help the poor through a 'Loan for Hope' microcredit
Mar 5, 2015 / 00:08 amThe Italian bishops conference relaunched on Monday its microcredit initative for families and small businesses, a program first begun in 2009 in response to the global financial crisis.
Cardinal Pell's Vatican economy office gets new statutes
Mar 4, 2015 / 17:05 pmStatutes for the Vatican's three finanical oversight bodies were released earlier this week, largely consolidating the influence of the Secretariat for the Economy and its prefect, Cardinal George Pell.
New statutes for economic reform are in effect at the Vatican
Mar 2, 2015 / 21:51 pmStatutes of the Vatican Council for Economy, Secretariat for the Economy, and General Auditor went into effect March 1, having been signed Feb. 22 by Msgr. Bryan Wells, assessor of the Secretariat of State.
Will there be an ecology department at the Roman Curia after reform?
Feb 28, 2015 / 06:08 amAn upcoming presentation of a Vatican-sponsored Pan-Amazonia Network may shed light on how a possible curial office for human ecology would work, if curial reform is shaped as it was presented at the Feb. 12 consistory.
African bishops aim for observer status at African Union
Feb 27, 2015 / 00:08 amThe African bishops took the first step on Monday toward having representation at the African Union, with the appointment of a liaison between the AU and the ymposium of African bishops conferences.
A brief history of spiritual exercises for the Roman Curia
Feb 24, 2015 / 00:08 amBy gathering the members of the Roman Curia for Lenten spiritual exercises this week, Pope Francis is participating in a tradition that stretches back more than 80 years, to the pontificate of Pius XI.
For Thailand's new cardinal, secularism is the face of the devil
Feb 23, 2015 / 17:12 pmThe main challenge facing the Church today is secularism, according to Cardinal Francis Xavier Kriengsak Kovithavanij of Bangkok, who boldly called the phenomenon the devil's face in the modern world.
Vatican Secretary of State urges 'quick response' to crisis in Libya
Feb 18, 2015 / 20:02 pmAfter a meeting with Italian officials on Tuesday, Cardinal Pietro Parolin told reporters that swift action is needed in Libya, where continual conflict since a 2011 revolution has resulted in rival governments and a foothold for Islamists.
At the consistory, a strong dedication to Vatican reforms
Feb 13, 2015 / 14:18 pmReform was the watchword as cardinals met at the Vatican for briefings about the state of Vatican finances and about the work of a pontifical commission that protects minors.
A cardinal for migrants: Italy's Archbishop Francesco Montenegro
Feb 13, 2015 / 02:03 amArchbishop Francesco Montenegro of Agrigento still feels himself more of a priest with concern for the poor than a cardinal, even though he will be given the red biretta this Saturday.
'A reform to promote harmony' – Pope Francis opens a much-debated consistory
Feb 12, 2015 / 14:13 pmA reform to promote a greater harmony in the work of the Roman Curia, in Pope Francis’ words, was the topic of discussion on Thursday, the opening day of an extraordinary consistory of cardinals held at the Vatican.