Inside The Vatican

The “synod on synodality,” Pope Francis’ two-year effort to move the church toward a more collaborative and decentralized model, kicked off in Rome on Sunday with a Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica. In his pre-synod speech on Saturday, Pope Francis laid out his vision for the synod, outlining three challenges and three opportunities that the synod faces.The challenges, as host Colleen Dulle and Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell explain on this week’s episode of “Inside the Vatican,” aren’t limited to those the pope mentioned: In addition to the difficulty of changing the attitudes of Catholics accustomed to what author Austen Ivereigh called a “command and control model,” there are a number of logistical challenges including the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, long distances and conflicts that make diocesan gatherings difficult, and the challenge of holding a large number of meetings in only a short time.Still, the syond’s purpose is not to complete a transformation in the church, but to begin it.Links from the show:Pope Francis clears the way for the beatification of Pope John Paul I‘There is no need to create another church, but to create a different church,’ Francis says before synodPope Francis: Synod calls us to become experts in the art of encounterPope Francis receives Speaker Nancy Pelosi in private audience Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pope Francis welcomed 40 leaders of the world’s major religions to the Vatican this week to call for definitive action on climate change ahead of the United Nations’ COP26 conference in Glasgow. On “Inside the Vatican,” Gerard O’Connell and Colleen Dulle explain who attended the meeting and what initiatives they called for.The document the religious leaders signed was seen by many as a parallel to Pope Francis’ environmental encyclical Laudato Si (“Praised Be”), which gave a major push to world leaders to sign on to the Paris Climate Agreement in 2015.With the COP26 conference focused on advancing the goals of the Paris Agreement, Colleen and Gerry ask, can this interreligious document play a similar role to “Laudato Si,” changing the hearts and minds of political leaders from around the world?Links from the show:Pope Francis and 40 faith leaders call for urgent action to combat climate change: ‘Future generations will never forgive us’Report: 330,000 child victims of sex abuse in France’s Catholic ChurchAnalysis: In Vatican real estate trial, prosecution made mistakes—but not enough for charges to be dropped against Cardinal Becciu Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Women are rising to new heights in the Vatican, but there is still a long way to go before women’s voices and leadership are satisfactorily integrated in the Vatican.In this deep dive episode based on Colleen Dulle’s cover story in America Magazine’s October issue, Colleen and producer Maggi Van Dorn take a look inside the corporate culture of the Vatican to examine how things have been changing for women—and why it’s difficult to have conversations about women’s empowerment there.You’ll also hear from three prominent women working in or with the Vatican: Cristiane Murray of the Holy See Press Office describes her experience over 26 years working in the Curia’s most female office; celebrity economist Kate Raworth gives voice to a new understanding of women’s contributions that Pope Francis seems to have adopted; and Sr. Nathalie Becquart, undersecretary of the synod of bishops, explains why she sees synodality as the way toward recognizing men and women’s God-given equality.Links from the show:Women are rising to new heights at the Vatican. Could they change the church forever?Read America’s women’s month issueDoughnut Economics Action Lab Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Last week, Pope Francis visited Hungary and Slovakia—two countries with about 1,000 years of Christian history. But today, that history is being re-interpreted for political ends, as nationalist or populist leaders like Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban use Christian identity as an argument for keeping new migrants out.On this bonus episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Slovakian religion historian Agata Sustova Drelova joins host Colleen Dulle for a closer look at Pope Francis’ interpretation of the countries’ religious history, reframing it as a history of openness, stretching all the way back to Sts. Cyril and Methodius, who first evangelized the area in the ninth century.Agata and Colleen also discuss the pope’s visit to Slovakia’s largest Roma settlement and why Agata believes this papal visit was “a crash course in synodality.”Links from the show:Pope Francis wants a better future for Slovakia’s Roma communities. Roma women are making it happen.Pope Francis to populist leaders: Do not use the cross for political purposes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In a Q&A session with Jesuits in Slovakia, Pope Francis revealed that after his colon surgery this summer, some prelates wanted him to die. He also issued a thinly-veiled criticism of EWTN, saying the Catholic network’s attacks on him are “the work of the devil.”America’s Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell wrote about the pope’s comments and reported that Pope Francis had previously confronted an EWTN reporter about the network’s attacks on him. On this episode, Gerry joins host Colleen Dulle to discuss the pope’s distinction between attacks on him and on his office, and between legitimate criticism and attacks.Gerry and Colleen also look into Pope Francis’ comments that “some people wanted [him] to die” after his colon surgery and even held meetings to prepare for a conclave.With the pope facing resistance both in the Vatican and in the media, Gerry said, “I found it sad that the pope has to defend himself. EWTN is based in the United States, can not the [U.S.] Catholic bishops’ conference defend the pope on this?”Links from the show:Gerard O’Connell | Pope Francis responds to attacks from EWTN, other church critics: ‘They are the work of the devil.’Full transcript of Pope Francis’ Q&A with Slovak Jesuits Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Fresh off the papal plane, Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell joins host Colleen Dulle to discuss Pope Francis’ response to his question about the U.S. bishops’ debate over denying communion to pro-choice politicians.“Every time the bishops have not dealt with a problem as pastors they have taken sides politically,” the pope told Gerry. “What must a pastor do? Be a pastor. Don’t go condemning.” He added that he had never denied anyone communion.In the second half of the show, Gerry and Colleen recap the pope’s packed visit to Hungary and Slovakia this week and give their takeaways.At the end of this episode, Gerry described Slovakian President Zuzana Caputova’s emotional farewell to the pope. After our recording, local news outlets in Slovakia reported that the president’s father had passed away a few hours before the pope’s departure.More on the papal press conference:Pope Francis: ‘I have never denied Communion to anyone.’ by Gerard O’ConnellEarly Takeaways: Pope Francis on Biden, Bishops, Abortion and Communion by Zac Davis and Ashley McKinlessPope Francis speaks about abortion and Communion: Don’t ‘excommunicate’ pro-choice politicians by Junno Arocho Esteves - Catholic News ServicePope Francis said he doesn’t understand why people refuse to take Covid-19 vaccines by Nicole Winfield - Associated PressGerry’s coverage of Pope Francis’ trip:Pope Francis in Budapest calls on the Hungarian Catholic Church and its pastors ‘to be builders of bridges and promoters of dialogue’Pope Francis urged priests to limit homilies to 10 minutes in a speech to religious in SlovakiaPope Francis to populist leaders: Do not use the cross for political purposes Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pope Francis is visiting Hungary and Slovakia next week, and America’s Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell will be traveling with him. On this week’s show, Gerry and host Colleen Dulle lay out the basics of the trip and examine some of the political and spiritual issues the pope will be looking to address in these two former Soviet Bloc nations.After that, the hosts look at the health questions surrounding this trip: Pope Francis is still recovering from colon surgery, and new variants of Covid-19 make large events risky even in highly-vaccinated countries like Hungary. Colleen outlines the Covid restrictions for the papal trip, and Gerry gives the latest on Pope Francis’ recovery and how it could impact this papal trip.Links from the show:Pope Francis denies reports that he considered resigning due to ill healthIn first interview since his July operation, Pope Francis says his life was saved (for the second time) by a nurseWhere else will Pope Francis travel in 2021? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This summer, Pope Francis made the controversial decision to place significant restrictions on the celebration of the Tridentine Latin Mass. He said that a survey of the world’s bishops showed that John Paul II and Benedict XVI’s generosity in allowing the pre-Vatican II Mass to be celebrated had been “exploited to widen the gaps, reinforce the divergences, and encourage disagreements that injure the church...and expose her to the peril of division.”In this special deep dive episode of “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle unpacks Pope Francis’ decision, the history behind it, and how it has affected devotees of the old Latin Mass. With a church that seems even more divided after this decision, the question remains: Where do we go from here?This episode features interviews with:Fr. John Baldovin, SJ, professor of historical and liturgical theology at the Boston College School of Theology and Ministry and author of several books on Vatican IIRita Ferrone, author of several books about liturgical renewal and a contributor to Commonweal magazine and PrayTellBlogJonathan Culbreath, a Latin teacher and writer on Catholic Social Teaching who has attended the Latin Mass since the late 1990sLinks from the show:Rita Ferrone: “A Living Catholic Tradition” | Commonweal MagazineJonathan Culbreath: “I love Latin Mass and Pope Francis. Please don’t let a few (very loud) traditionalists ruin it for the rest of us.” | America MagazineJames T. Keane: “Explainer: What is the history of the Latin Mass?” | America MagazineGerard O’Connell: “Pope Francis restricts celebration of the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass in new decree” | America Magazine Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pope Francis has issued a motu proprio–an authoritative declaration made on the Pope’s personal initiative–to restrict the celebration of the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass in the Catholic Church.The decision overrides and reverses a previous decree of Pope Benedict XVI, who allowed priests to celebrate the pre-Vatican II Mass without limitation. Francis has become increasingly concerned that the celebration of the pre-Vatican II Mass, sometimes called the "extraordinary form," has created division in the church and even hostility towards the reforms of the Second Vatican Council.His decree grants bishops the full authority to authorize and regulate the pre-Vatican II Mass in their diocese. “I desire,” Pope Francis wrote, “to press on ever more in the constant search for ecclesial communion.”Follow America's coverage of this developing story at americamagazine.orgPope Francis restricts celebration of the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass in new decreeExplainer: What is the history of the Latin Mass? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Pope Francis is in the hospital recovering from a scheduled intestinal surgery he had on Sunday afternoon, July 4. According to Vatican statements based on the pope’s doctors’ reports, his recovery is going well and he can expect to be in the hospital for about a week.The pope underwent surgery for symptomatic stenotic diverticulitis, which is a colon condition that causes part of the intestine to become too narrow for food waste to pass through, causing abdominal pain. The surgery involves removing the narrow section and reattaching the healthy parts. It’s a fairly common procedure, and medical experts say a man of Pope Francis’ age should be able to make a full recovery within a week.Links from the show:July 7: Pope Francis suffered severe restriction of the bowel, continues to make ‘satisfactory’ progress after surgeryJuly 6: Pope Francis’ recovery going well, results of post-op tests are good, doctors sayJuly 5: Pope Francis ‘in good general condition’ after surgery, expected to remain in hospital for one week Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices