Vatican reform Archives

Shabby exit of anti-abuse reformer captures Vatican’s HR pandemic

Apr 8, 2021

The recent departure of American Monsignor Robert Oliver as secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Minors forms a small part of a bigger picture about a largely undiagnosed HR pandemic in the Vatican.

By John L. Allen Jr.

Cardinal Parolin says church divisions stem from misunderstanding ‘reform’

Apr 5, 2021

Three days after the preacher of the papal household called on Catholics to repent for the ways they are dividing the church, the Vatican secretary of state said the divisions are real and they are harmful.

By Cindy Wooden

With latest shakeup, has the music stopped on Vatican financial reform?

Dec 29, 2020

Pope Francis has taken away away the power of the purse from the Secretariat of State, traditionally the Vatican’s 800-pound gorilla, and transferred it to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), the Vatican’s central bank. At the same time, he beefed up the oversight role of the Secretariat for the Economy.

By John L. Allen Jr.

Taking a broader view of Vatican ‘anti-corruption’ reforms

Oct 31, 2020

It’s a consistent finding of organizational studies that changing laws and individual personnel may be necessary conditions to prevent corruption, but they’re hardly sufficient. The real trick is changing the organization’s culture.

By John L. Allen Jr.

Corruption in the church must be stamped out continually, pope says

Oct 30, 2020

Corruption is an “ancient evil” that continues to plague the Catholic Church in different ways, Pope Francis said.

By Junno Arocho Esteves

Pope, Council of Cardinals meet online to discuss Curia reform

Oct 15, 2020

Pope Francis and his international Council of Cardinals met virtually Oct. 13, discussing the updated draft of a constitution reorganizing the Roman Curia and steps to implement it, the Vatican press office said.

By Cindy Wooden

Vatican updates transparency laws to strengthen financial management

Oct 13, 2020

Continuing its efforts to combat money laundering and financial mismanagement, the Vatican amended its transparency laws and expanded the role of its financial watchdog agency in monitoring financial transactions.

By Junno Arocho Esteves

Thoughts on Pope Francis’s ‘great defenestration’ of Cardinal Becciu

Sep 26, 2020

By now, a great deal has been said and written about the defenestration of Italian Cardinal Angelo Becciu, once arguably the most influential man in the Vatican after the pope himself, who now finds himself suddenly stripped of both his Vatican sinecure and the rights pertaining to being a cardinal.

By John L. Allen Jr.