Vatican financial is reform going in the right direction, Pell says
- Jan 15, 2021
The constant comparison as well as false reports of division between Pope Francis and retired Pope Benedict XVI by both secular and Catholic media outlets threaten the dignity of the papacy and the faith of many, a former top Vatican official said.
According to one University of Notre Dame professor, the revelations of the Holy See’s report on laicized ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick and the totality of the clergy sex abuse crisis are grounds enough to increase the number of years after a person dies before a sainthood cause can be opened.
In an unusual move, both Pope Francis and retired Pope Benedict XVI subjected themselves to questioning by Vatican investigators charged with compiling a report on how church decisions were made regarding the career and ultimate expulsion of Theodore E. McCarrick.
On Thursday Benedict XVI made his first trip outside of retirement, heading to Regensburg, Germany, where he is visiting his older brother, Monsignor Georg Ratzinger, 96, who is reportedly seriously ill.
Retired Pope Benedict XVI “is well,” although the coronavirus pandemic restrictions mean he will receive no visitors April 16, his 93rd birthday.
The outgoing head of the World Council of Churches reflects on his ecumenical work together with Pope Francis.