All articles tagged with #vatican
A priest from the Society of St. Pius X, excommunicated after four bishops were ordained without papal approval, says there will someday be another pope who opens the door to return to the Church, referencing Benedict XVI’s 2009 gesture of lifting excommunications; the Vatican says the ordinations were grave and not intended to create a parallel church, and dialogue with the group was offered.
In a letter released to mark America’s 250th birthday, the first U.S.-born pope praises the nation’s founding ideals but stresses that defending human life includes welcoming immigrants, signaling a clash with Trump’s immigration crackdown and highlighting Vatican concerns about migrants and humanitarian needs.
The Vatican declared excommunication for four priests of the ultraconservative Society of Saint Pius X who were consecrated as bishops against papal authority, including Rev. Michael Goldade from Minnesota. The decree labeled the act schismatic and extended the penalty to adherents and SSPX sacramental acts. The move highlights ongoing tensions between Vatican II reforms and SSPX’s dissent within the Catholic Church.
Under Pope Leo XIV, the Vatican excommunicated six SSPX clerics after they consecrated bishops without papal approval, calling it a schismatic act and extending the ban to all SSPX members. The move underscores deep tensions over traditionalism vs. modernization within the Church and highlights the group’s far-right ties that have appealed to some MAGA-era Catholic supporters, even as it isolates hardline conservatives.
The Vatican excommuninated top clerics of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X and loyal followers after they defied Pope’s orders by attempting to consecrate four bishops, marking the church’s most significant schism in decades while signaling a path toward possible reconciliation.
Pope Francis appointed Sister Alessandra Smerilli as Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, with Cardinal Fabio Baggio as Pro-Prefect and Monsignor Jozef Barlaš as Secretary; the trio’s appointments take effect on 1 September 2026.
At a closed Vatican conference, the Church’s doctrinal head accuses the EU of applying international law selectively and calls for rethinking the just-war doctrine as cardinals debate how the Church should respond to modern conflicts and redefine legitimate self-defense.
The Society of St Pius X issued an open letter and a 154-point declaration of Catholic faith to Pope Leo XIII and the College of Cardinals as it approaches a Vatican consistory, signaling a public reaffirmation of traditional Catholic teaching amid tension with Rome and ahead of plans to consecrate bishops without papal approval.
Ahead of an extraordinary Vatican consistory (June 26-27) and planned July 1 episcopal consecrations without papal approval, the Society of Saint Pius X issued an open letter and a 154-point declaration affirming traditional Catholic teachings. The Vatican has warned that such unapproved consecrations would be schismatic, while Pope Leo XIV urged dialogue and communion within the Church as the SSPX maintains its traditional stance.
The Vatican’s liturgy office rejected the German bishops’ March request for an indult to allow laypeople to deliver the homily in exceptional circumstances, saying the homily is reserved for ordained ministers as a matter of the liturgy’s nature. It notes multiple ways for lay proclamation outside liturgy and urges ongoing priest formation on preaching, reflecting a broader pattern of Vatican responses to German bishops in recent months.
The Vatican rejected the German Bishops’ request to allow a layperson to deliver the Mass homily, stating the homily is an integral part of the Liturgy of the Word and must be preached by ordained ministers; the decision, communicated in a letter to Bishop Heiner Wilmer, also urges stronger formation of clergy and notes lay preaching can occur outside the Eucharist in other forms compliant with canon law.
A senior banker pressed Pope Leo XIV to consider rare-earth mining as a path to development, recounting a private audience with mining executives; weeks later, the Vatican launched a divestment push and urged dialogue with Indigenous communities about extraction, underscoring the tension between mineral wealth and environmental and social costs as Leo prepares a Peru visit.
Pope Leo XIV said the traditionalist SSPX’s plan to consecrate new bishops without papal mandate would be a schismatic act and, while he is considering another appeal to keep them in communion, the decision to proceed rests with the SSPX; Vatican officials warned that without papal authorization the ordinations would breach Church law. The pope also voiced guarded optimism about a US-Iran accord meant to end the war and support reconstruction, and discussed his Spain visit, summer plans, and potential future trips to France, Peru and Mexico.
U.S. Vice President JD Vance says his April meeting with Vatican officials, including Cardinal Pietro Parolin, was unsettled because the Vatican would not move beyond generic moral guidance on migration; the encounter occurred days before a Easter-morning meeting with Pope Francis, who Vance said appeared frail. In the memoir, he also notes that Francis’ successor should be careful about theology and advocates for honest, non‑cliche dialogue on moral issues.
In Barcelona, Pope Leo XIV addressed three youths’ struggles—finding a vocation in a self-centered society, dealing with depression, and forgiving a family history marked by violence—advocating healthy spiritual restlessness, honest dialogue, and accompaniment. He stressed that God does not abandon us, cautioned against oversimplifying pain, and described forgiveness as a gradual journey that requires personal responsibility, prayer, and small, merciful steps.