Church in Italy Archives

Italy cancels Venice carnival in bid to halt spread of virus

Feb 23, 2020

Scrambling to contain rapidly rising number of new coronavirus infections in Italy, the largest amount outside Asia, authorities on Sunday stepped up measures to ban public gatherings, including stopping Venice’s famed carnival events, which has drawn tens of thousands of revelers to a region that is now in the heart of the outbreak.

By Luca Bruno and Frances D'Emilio

Francis: Loving your enemies is the ‘Christian innovation’ to combat ‘culture of complaint’

Feb 23, 2020

At a time when many within the Catholic Church are at odds with each other, Pope Francis on Sunday said that Jesus wasn’t “using nice turns of phrase” when he called upon those who follow him to “love your enemies.”

By Inés San Martín

Priests in group shut down by Vatican accused of sex abuse

Jan 29, 2020

Nine priests and brothers of a Catholic group recently shut down by the Vatican are under investigation by Italian authorities for allegedly sexually abusing two brothers, officials and news reports said Wednesday.

By Nicole Winfield

Italian bishops face blowback for opening to divorced/remarried Catholics

Nov 26, 2019

Two Italian bishops are currently making waves after issuing public statements allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive the sacraments and apologizing for having “ignored” these couples in parish life, insisting that their decisions are in line with Pope Francis’s own view.

By Elise Harris

Ancient basilica on lagoon island hard hit in Venice flood

Nov 19, 2019

One of the most ancient churches of Venice, a Byzantine basilica established in the year 639, counts among the 60 churches damaged in three exceptional floods last week, officials said Tuesday.

By Colleen Barry

Italian city signs agreement with church to help migrants get documents

Oct 29, 2019

Bureaucratic miracles are his specialty, and on Monday he finalized one: Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski arranged a contract offering a lifeline for thousands of refugees in the Italian region of Foggia.

By Paulina Guzik