Secretariat of State Archives

More and more, Parolin’s the face of authority in Francis’s Vatican
- Analysis
- August 10, 2017
At the beginning, expectations were that “Vatican reform” under Pope Francis would mean a substantially diminished role for the Secretariat of State, traditionally the place’s 800-pound gorilla. Of late, however, things have been trending in the other direction, and in Cardinal Pietro Parolin, we may be looking at the most powerful Cardinal Secretary of State since Eugenio Pacelli in the 1930s.
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Russia, West must put peace before partisan interests – Cardinal Parolin
- Catholic News Agency, Vatican
- August 1, 2017
Before leaving for a trip to Moscow, Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin sat down with an Italian newspaper to discuss his hopes for this diplomatic step-forward in Vatican/Russia relations. The Church’s number two said that in order to achieve peace countries must set aside partisan interests and commit to dialogue.
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Vatican official: Europe not immune to anti-Christian discrimination
- Vatican
- March 31, 2017
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, The Vatican’s Secretary for Relations with States, called on an “institutionalized dialogue” at all levels between civil authorities and religious groups to help foster religious liberty. He said “any form of restriction of religious freedom undermines the harmony of social life.”
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Vatican to crack down on illegal sale of papal symbols, coat of arms

The Vatican announced plans to monitor with a more careful eye those who print official images of the pope or the Holy See and sell them for profit. The Vatican clarified that there was no link between the anti-Francis propaganda and the Secretariat of State’s decision.

Pope rolls the dice on reform blending old guard with new wave

A deal between the Vatican and Italy on taxation of income from accounts at the Vatican bank was decreed by the Secretariat of State, not the new Secretariat for the Economy, confirming that for Pope Francis, more and more reform is a blend of the old and the new.

Vatican advances financial clean-up with Italian tax deal

As part of Pope Francis’s ongoing financial clean-up operation at the Vatican, the Holy See and Italy have entered into a new agreement that requires all individuals and entities with accounts at the so-called ‘Vatican bank’ to report income for Italian tax purposes.