Papal press conference Archives

A potpourri of nuggets from a week on the Vatican beat
- News Analysis
- September 17, 2017
Sometimes on the Vatican beat in a given week, what you get isn’t one grand narrative but lots of little ones. This was one of those weeks, so here’s a potpourri of nuggets on contrasting antidotes for different diseases, counter-intuitive patron saints, and what to make of papal press conferences in terms of the pontiff’s own personal priorities.
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Why are opposing sides in U.S., Europe cheering Pope on immigration?
- News Analysis
- September 13, 2017
Pope Francis on Monday called out U.S. President Donald Trump for threatening the DACA program, but also told Italians he recognized the need for limits and “prudence” on immigration. One way to explain the apparently different emphasis is that when Francis addresses immigration, he usually makes a (sometimes silent) distinction between spiritual and moral dispositions, and concrete acts of governance.
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Abuse survivor wants papal panel to push back on Vatican resistance
- Interviews, Vatican
- May 16, 2017
On Saturday, Pope Francis called Marie Collins, an abuse survivor who recently quit his Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors citing Vatican resistance to reform, a “great woman” and said she’s “right on some things.” In a Crux interview, Collins expressed gratitude but also said that the Church still needs uniform global standards and a way to hold bishops accountable.
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Pope says abuse survivor who quit Vatican panel was ‘right on some issues’

Pope Francis on Saturday praised an abuse survivor who quit his own reform commission citing Vatican resistance, saying she was “right on some issues,” but also defended the Church’s record in recovering from the abuse scandals. He also talked about his looming May 24 meeting with Donald Trump, the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X, and Medjugorje.

Pope speaks on refugees, women priests, Protestants, and more

Pope Francis on Tuesday said that fear is a poor adviser for countries struggling to set policies for immigrants and refugees, suggested that Catholicism’s ban on women priests is “forever,” and also confirmed that the Vatican will participate in talks to try to address Venezuela’s tensions under President Nicolas Maduro.