Inside The Vatican

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I explain why the papal almoner climbed down a manhole this weekend to illegally restore electricity to 450 homeless people squatting in a building in Rome. We also explain who the papal almoner is, and how the job has changed under Pope Francis. Last week, the pope met with the group of women religious who first asked him about ordaining women to the diaconate in 2016. We talk through what he told them, then take a step back to consider how things have changed for women religious at the Vatican in recent years. Finally, the Vatican issued new universal guidelines on how to handle sexual abuse. Included in the new laws are mandatory reporting requirements for all priests and religious, and new provisions for holding bishops accountable for abuse and cover up. Gerry and I talk through some of the key points and what to expect next. Next week, we’ll be raffling off one copy of Gerry’s book, “The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave that Changed History.” You can enter to win by leaving a review of “Inside the Vatican” on iTunes. Then, email us at insidethevatican@americamedia.org and tell us what name you used to leave your review. Links from the show: Pope Francis authorizes the organization of pilgrimages to Medjugorje Pope Francis’ almsgiver restores power (illegally) to homeless shelter in Italy Pope Francis tells women religious church cannot alter revelation on women’s diaconate Cindy Wooden: Holy boldness: Profile of women religious rising at Vatican Pope Francis issues new rules for accountability and response to allegations of sexual abuse Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I talk about three stories from Pope Francis’ trip to Bulgaria and North Macedonia. We’ll talk about what he did on that trip, as well as two stories he commented on during a press conference aboard the papal plane. The first of those is the death of “living saint” Jean Vanier, who founded L’arche, the communities where people with abilities and disabilities live together. I ask Gerry about the pope’s relationship to Mr. Vanier and more. Next, we talk about why Pope Francis visited North Macedonia and Bulgaria, where there are tiny Roman Catholic minorities. Gerry explains the tensions between the Bulgarian Orthodox Church and the Catholic Church, and how far the ecumenical relations have come in the last few decades. And finally, we speak about the breaking news on the question of women deacons. Why hasn’t the Study Commission on the Women's Diaconate reached any conclusions? What, if anything, do they agree on? This episode was brought to you by the documentary “Hesburgh,” available nationwide April 26. Learn more at hesburghfilm.com. Links: Jean Vanier, ‘living saint’ who ministered to people with disabilities, dies at 90An interview with Jean VanierPope Francis meets with Bulgarian Orthodox Patriarch NeofitPope Francis celebrates first Communion with 245 children in BulgariaPope Francis ends visit to Bulgaria, urging its religious leaders to work for peaceIn North Macedonia, Pope Francis encourages peace, prays at Mother Teresa memorialPope Francis makes history in North MacedoniaPope Francis says commission on women deacons did not reach agreement Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I update you on the situation in Sri Lanka following a series of explosions in churches and hotels there on Easter Sunday. Then, we’ll talk about the new editorial board of Women Church World. Will the new editor in charge have more freedom? And finally, we’ll talk through some big reforms Pope Francis has planned for the Roman Curia. What is a super dicastery and what does it tell us about the pope's priorities? This episode was brought to you by the documentary “Hesburgh,” available nationwide April 26. Learn more at hesburghfilm.com. Links: Rural Catholic church defies Sri Lanka threats and holds Mass Vatican newspaper appoints new editorial board for women's magazine Big changes to the Vatican’s Roman Curia are coming   Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I talk briefly about the horrific fire at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. Then, we’ll update you on Pope Francis kissing the feet of South Sudanese leaders, and the importance of gestures like this one. We’ll also talk about a new letter from Pope Emeritus Benedict that addressed the sexual abuse crisis. We go through some of the questions that journalists are raising about the circumstances under which the letter was written and distributed. Finally, I ask Gerry to share one of my favorite stories from his new book on the conclave that elected Pope Francis. This episode was brought to you by the documentary “Hesburgh,” available nationwide April 26. Learn more at hesburghfilm.com.   Links: Father James Martin: Where was God when Notre Dame was in flames? Grieving the fire of Notre Dame during Holy Week Watch: Pope Francis kisses the feet of South Sudan leaders to beg for peace Pope Benedict’s letter on sex abuse is not an attack on Francis (or Vatican II) Exclusive: Inside the election of Pope Francis Gerry's book: Buy from Orbis Books | Buy on Amazon Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerard O’Connell and I update you on Cardinal Sarah’s recent comments on migrants, which strike a different tone from what we’ve come to expect from Pope Francis. We also discuss why Pope Francis prefers to have advisors who disagree with him on some issues. Then, Gerry and I will tell you about an international human rights delegation that visited the Vatican asking for support for the decriminalization of homosexuality. It’s not clear if the Holy See will meet the delegation’s request for an official document supporting the decriminalization, but we’ll examine one case in which Pope Francis may have advocated for just that. Plus, we’ll take a look at what it means for the Vatican to begin a dialogue with this delegation. Our final story is about an ecumenical retreat—possibly the first of its kind—being held at the Vatican this week for the opposing political and ecclesial leaders of South Sudan. We’ll talk about what’s happening at the retreat, and what impact Pope Francis and the Archbishop of Canterbury, Justin Welby, hope it will have on peace efforts in South Sudan. We wrap up the show with a discussion of why the Vatican chose to pursue what seems like a diplomatic goal through a religious retreat. Links: Human rights delegation seeks Vatican support for the decriminalization of homosexuality South Sudan’s political and religious leaders to begin a retreat at the Vatican in effort for peace Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerard O’Connell and I take a look at the joint appeal Pope Francis signed with King Mohammed VI of Morocco to keep the city of Jerusalem and its holy sites open to people of all faiths. Then, we unpack some of our main takeaways from Pope Francis’ new apostolic exhortation on young people, “Christus Vivit.” We’ll also look at some criticism of the document and discuss the importance of looking at the entirety of documents like this one, rather than skipping over the spiritual insights and focusing solely on controversial issues. Links from the show: Pope Francis and Moroccan king sign appeal urging that Jerusalem remain open to all faiths Pope Francis urges young people not to abandon the church Young Catholics aren’t the church of the future—they’re the church of now. And you can see Gerry get a birthday cake from the pope here! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

On the last episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry O’Connell and I brought you an interview with Lucetta Scaraffia, the editor of Women Church World, a monthly magazine that comes out with the Vatican’s daily newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano. On Tuesday, March 26, she and the entire staff of Women Church World resigned in protest of what they saw as attempts by the new editor of the Osservatore Romano to undermine their publication. So this week, Gerry and I take a look at why Ms. Scaraffia resigned, and what she accomplished as editor. Last week, America Magazine also published the exclusive first excerpt from Gerry’s forthcoming book, “The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave That Changed History.” The excerpt we published provides the ballot counts from the first round of voting, and you’ll have to pick up the book to learn what happened at the rest of the conclave. Now, what happens in a conclave is super secret stuff, and Gerry’s book is the first definitive historical record of what happened in the 2013 conclave. So on this week’s episode, Gerry and I talk about his method and what surprised him in his research, and then we examine the way people have reacted to these secrets being published—and what role the Holy Spirit has in all of this. Links for show notes Founder, board of Vatican women’s magazine quit Analysis: Are women’s voices being silenced at the Vatican? Exclusive: Inside the election of Pope Francis The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave That Changed History (Buy from Amazon | Buy from Orbis Books) Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Gerry’s out this week, so instead of following our usual format, this week we’re breaking out of the weekly news cycle to bring you an interview about a slow change that’s beginning for some really important people in the Vatican: Women. Lucetta Scaraffia is the editor of Women Church World. Women Church World is the monthly magazine that comes as an insert in the Vatican’s newspaper. Gerry and I met Lucetta when I was in Rome for the abuse summit. Since Lucetta doesn’t speak English and I don’t speak Italian, we chatted in French, our only common language. You’ll be hearing a dubbed version of our conversation. As promised, if you want to learn more about voting at the synods and women's involvement, check out the links below, specifically: "Why can't women vote at the Synod on Young People?" Links: Women Church World (Donne Chiesa Mondo) The (almost) free work of sisters A manifesto for women in the church Why can’t women vote at the Synod on Young People? Pope Francis on Yemen, Venezuela and the abuse of nuns by clergy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week, we’ll update you on Cardinal Pell and several other high-profile cases of abuse. We’ll also talk about Pope Francis’ sixth anniversary as pope. Cardinal Pell was sentenced to six years in prison. He’ll be eligible for parole in three years and eight months, and he plans to appeal the ruling altogether in June. We'll look at his legacy as a reformer of Vatican finances as well as his recent conviction. We'll also look at several new cases that might show us how authorities inside and outside of the Church are holding bishops accountable for the sex abuse scandal. Jorge Mario Bergoglio was elected Pope on March 13, 2013. In our final story, Gerry and I will look back on the impact Francis has made in his six years as Pope. Links: Cardinal Pell is sentenced to 6 years in prison for child sex abuse Two Baltimore bishops removed from ministry over allegations of sexual harassment The good, the bad and the merciful: Pope Francis after six years Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry O’Connell and I update you on what has been happening since the sexual abuse summit. First, we take a look at the handbook that the Vatican is putting together on how to handle cases of sexual abuse, and how to put the proper structures in place in each diocese. Gerry and I also examine why Pope Francis is opting for a slower pace of reform—and whether this route can be more effective in the long run in preventing the abuse of minors and vulnerable adults. Just after the abuse summit, an Australian court’s gag order was lifted, revealing that Cardinal George Pell had been found guilty of sexual abuse. He now waits in prison until his appeal is heard in June. Meanwhile, the Vatican has opened a canonical investigation of Cardinal Pell. I ask Gerry what it means if the Vatican’s trial reaches a different verdict than the civil trial. Finally, Pope Francis has opened the Vatican’s secret archives on Pope Pius XII. Gerry explains what these archives contain and why it took so long for these documents to be made available to researchers. Read more: The Vatican summit on the protection of minors is over. What’s next? Vatican to open canonical investigation into Cardinal Pell, now in Australian prison Pope Francis will open the secret archives on Pope Pius XII Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices