A Vatican court on June 12 handed down a nine-month suspended sentence to two environmental activists who glued themselves to an ancient statue in the Vatican Museums in a protest over climate change. Guido Viero and Ester Goffi, members of the Italian environmental activist group Ultima Generazione (Last Generation), were convicted of aggravated damage and were also ordered to pay…

ROME—A chipper-sounding Pope Francis was discharged Saturday from the Rome hospital where he was treated for bronchitis, quipping to journalists before being driven away that he’s “still alive.” Francis, 86, was hospitalized at Gemelli Polyclinic on Wednesday following his weekly public audience in St. Peter’s Square after reportedly experiencing breathing difficulties. The pontiff received antibiotics…

Pope Francis will spend several days in hospital for treatment for a respiratory infection that has caused breathing difficulties, the Vatican said in a statement on March 29. The Vatican said the 86-year-old pope, who had part of one lung removed as a young man, had complained of breathing difficulties in recent days and was taken to…

Commentary The deaths of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Cardinal George Pell, within 11 days of each other, have focused attention on Pope Francis’ legacy. Jorge Bergoglio was elected pope to stem the flow of the faithful away from the Church, particularly in South America, clean up Church finances, and sexual abuse scandals. However, on…

Commentary Given that permanent European settlement in Australia dates back just some 235 years, this country has had more than its fair share of extraordinary Catholics. Of course, we have St Mary of the Cross, better known as Mary MacKillop. As far as churchmen go, three giants spring to mind: the English Benedictine, Bede Polding,…

Commentary Before he became Pope, a Mexican colleague of mine and her family saw Cardinal Ratzinger near the Vatican. They introduced themselves, and he graciously took the time to get to know them. He then asked them a series of questions about the Church in Mexico. My colleague remarked on the depth of his questions…

Cardinal George Pell and formerly the Vatican’s top finance minister, has died aged 81. Pell was the former Catholic Archbishop of Melbourne and Sydney before becoming the Secretariat of the Economy for the Vatican in 2014, regarded as the third highest position in the hierarchy. It was the highest position ever held by an Australian….

A well-known pro-life priest in the United States has been stripped of his priesthood by the Vatican due to his alleged “blasphemous communications on social media” and “persistent disobedience.” Father Frank Pavone, who leads the pro-life advocacy organization Priests for Life and sits on the board of directors for the National Association of Christian Lawmakers (NACL), was stripped of his priesthood…

Cardinal Joseph Zen, Bishop Emeritus of the Catholic Diocese of Hong Kong, was arrested by the National Security Department of the Hong Kong Police Force in May this year. It is alleged that he colluded with foreign powers when he was one of five trustees of the 612 Humanitarian Relief Fund. Recent sources reported that…

Crack!  went the gavel as the auctioneer announced I had won the five-day trip to Rome for an audience with the pope and a tour of the Vatican — completely by accident. Having always dreamed of a trip to Italy, I’d raised my hand for an opening bid far outside my budget, certain that one…