Vatican News Archives


14 Pope general audience

Pope Francis reflects on the importance of fidelity in relationships, the family

Posted on: October 21st, 2015 by Daniel Harkins No Comments

Freedom is shaped and sustained by our fidelity to choices we make, Holy Father says at general audience in the final week of the Synod on the Family

Pope Francis spoke during his weekly general audience about the importance of fidelity to the family as the synod of bishops in Rome draws to a close. The final deliberations of the Synod on the Family will take place over the next four days, and the Pope used his general audience... read more


16-Quotidiano Nazionale

Vatican brands unfounded rumours Pope has brain tumour as ‘irresponsible’

Posted on: October 21st, 2015 by Ian Dunn No Comments

The Vatican has denied a ‘seriously irresponsible’ rumour that Pope Francis has been diagnosed with a small but curable brain tumour.

The unattributed story was published last night on the Italian website Quotidiano Nazionale (above), reporting that the tumour was discovered ‘months ago’ after a shadow was seen on his brain but no surgery would be required. The Vatican described the report as ‘unfounded’ and ‘seriously irresponsible.’ Vatican Spokesman Fr Federico Lombardi said... read more


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Holy Father condemns bomb blasts in Turkey

Posted on: October 16th, 2015 No Comments

Pope Francis offered a silent prayer last Sunday for the victims of the bombing massacre that killed dozens of people in Ankara, Turkey, the day before. The Holy Father said he received the news with great sorrow and spoke of his pain for those who were killed and wounded in the explosions.

Two suspected suicide bombers targeted a peace rally of pro-Kurdish and labour activists near Ankara’s main train station three weeks before an election, killing at least 95 people and fuelling unease in a country beset by conflict between state forces and Kurdish militants. The Holy Father also said there was sorrow... read more


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Synod hears praise for the St Margaret of Scotland Children and Family Care Society

Posted on: October 15th, 2015 No Comments

The Synod on the Family today heard of the survival of a thriving and vital Catholic adoption service in Scotland in spite of secular challenges that forced lengthy and expensive legal proceedings.

Archbishop Philip Tartaglia (above), the representative of  Scotland’s bishops at this month’s Synod on the Family in Rome, drew on personal experience in his intervention today. Addressing the recommendation ‘that attention be given to the importance of adoption as a means of bringing children who are not being raised by their... read more


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Vatican encouraged by forecast of beating extreme poverty

Posted on: October 14th, 2015 No Comments

A senior Vatican official has said the world is heading towards defeating poverty but much still remains to be done.

Archbishop Bernardito Auza (above), Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the UN, yesterday told the General Assembly that the Vatican was very encouraged by recent global poverty forecasts, ‘which indicate that the number of people living in extreme poverty is expected to fall for the first time below 10... read more


Bishop Muller

‘New Vatileaks’ gives false impression of dispute at synod, say Cardinal Müller

Posted on: October 13th, 2015 by Ian Dunn No Comments

Media storm of less concern than breach of privacy, says German cardinal about letter to Pope on synod process concerns

Cardinal Gerhard Müller has said that, while the leak of a letter allegedly sent to Pope Francis by leading cardinals raising concerns over new synod procedures is ‘a new Vatileaks,’ there is no great dispute over the family synod. The German cardinal (above), who is also Prefect of the Congregation for the... read more


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Greater trust in the synod process

Posted on: October 8th, 2015 by Ian Dunn No Comments

One of the four synod presidents speaks of a more ‘open-handed approach’ this year

Greater emphasis on small-group discussions is helping increase trust in the synod process, one of the four synod presidents has said. “I think this time we are aware of and I think the secretary of the synod [Cardinal Lorenzo Baldisseri] is aware that there are these suspicions and, therefore, I think... read more


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Cardinal Nichols speaks up at synod for refugee families

Posted on: October 8th, 2015 by Ian Dunn No Comments

Cardinal Vincent Nichols has said the Synod on the Family cannot ignore the impact of the refugee crisis on families.Continue Reading

Cardinal Vincent Nichols has said the Synod on the Family cannot ignore the impact of the refugee crisis on families. “We should have the integrity of the family foremost in our minds,” the Cardinal Archbishop of Westminster said, speaking about the many families who have become separated by the migrant crisis. “They... read more


14 Pope general audience

Families are the net for fishers of men, Pope says

Posted on: October 7th, 2015 by Daniel Harkins No Comments

In this morning’s general audience address, the Holy Father said that in families we learn the bonds that unite us

The Church needs a new net to be effective fishers of men—a net made of families—Pope Francis said this morning during his weekly general audience. Families, the Pope said, ‘free us from the sea of loneliness and indifference, so that we can all experience the freedom of being children of God.’ The... read more


Cardinal Andre Vingt-Trois of Paris leaves the morning session of the extraordinary Synod of Bishops on the family at the Vatican Oct. 9. (CNS photo/Paul Haring) See VATICAN LETTER to come.

Synod of sympathy, not surprises

Posted on: October 6th, 2015 by Ian Dunn No Comments

First few days of the Synod on the Family set pastoral tone

Observers expecting the family synod to result in a ‘spectacular change’ of Church doctrine will be disappointed, a senior cardinal has said. Speaking at a Vatican press conference yesterday, Cardinal André Vingt-Trois (above) said: “If you have come to Rome with the idea that you are going to witness a spectacular... read more




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Latest edition

P1-OCT-23-2015

exclusively in the paper

  • Bishop John Keenan of Paisley has urged the prayer campaign for the Scottish nurse who became critically ill with late complications from the ebola virus to continue after doctors said her condition was improving
  • Archbishop Leo Cushley told some of Scotland’s future Catholic teachers that they must teach from the heart and pursue personal holiness.
  • Warner believes Catholics have lost the sensus fidei.
  • Richard Purden discovers the secrets of red-heads from author Jacky Colliss Harvey, and it is not all Celtic roots.

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