Analysis

On pope’s Asia swing, doctrinal tension is the dog that’s not barking
- Nov 20, 2019
As Pope Francis opens his third trip to Asia today, visiting Thailand and Japan, there’s a pretty big doctrinal dog that hasn’t uttered a peep – debates over the theology of religious pluralism.

By John L. Allen Jr.
Memo to Synod: If you don’t want focus on married priests, give us something else
- Oct 13, 2019
One difficulty in getting those of us in the media to focus on subjects such as ecology, poverty and extractive industries in the Amazon is that it’s hard to know what the Catholic Church can really do about them.

By John L. Allen Jr.
‘Francis effect’ in Argentina’s alternate reality a mix of light and shadows
- Aug 24, 2019
After being away from my home country of Argentina for the past five years, only going back to visit with the family for Christmas and the odd long weekend, I decided to avoid Rome’s scorching summer this year and head back on a reporting mission to take the country’s temperature regarding my fellow Argentinian, Pope Francis.

By Inés San Martín

Spain grapples with legacy of clerical sexual abuse crisis
- Dec 17, 2018
Bishop Jose Maria Gil Tamayo, former secretary and spokesman of the Spanish bishops’ conference, said there’s an attempt to “extend an unfair veil of suspicion over the immense multitude of priests.”

By Inés San Martín

If bishops’ summit was ‘rigged’ on synodality, one question: So what?
- Oct 28, 2018
The God’s honest truth is that of the 28 Synods of Bishops held since Pope Paul VI launched the institution in 1965, every one probably has been “rigged” to some extent.

By John L. Allen Jr.
Silence surrounds abuse crisis on day one of Synod of Bishops
- Oct 4, 2018
In four official speeches opening an Oct. 3-28 summit of Catholic bishops from around the world, there was no direct reference to the clerical sexual abuse scandals that have rocked the Church during summer 2018.

By John L. Allen Jr.
Accountability for abuse cover-ups may be acid test for pope’s Irish trip
- Aug 21, 2018
A new letter to the People of God from Pope Francis on the child sexual abuse scandals in the Church may frustrate as many people as it reassures.

By John L. Allen Jr.
After Wuerl’s pullout, Pope in Ireland may have to face not just crime but cover-up
- Aug 19, 2018
After Cardinal Donald Wuerl of Washington followed Cardinal Sean O’Malley of Boston in withdrawing from the World Meeting of Families in Dublin this week, Pope Francis may be pressed in a new way to tackle the question of what to do about bishops who drop the ball on abuse allegations.

By John L. Allen Jr.