Pope Francis’ decision to tap Paolo Ruffini as Prefect of the Vatican dicastery for communication is not only important because it is the first time a lay person is at the helm of a Holy See’s dicastery. It rather represents a definitive shift of paradigm by Pope Francis. And there is something paradoxical [...]

With three decisions made on June 26, Pope Francis gave his final shape to the Roman Curia and to the College of Cardinals. The decision to expand the order of Bishops within the College of Cardinals, the appointment of the new president for the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See [...]

Meeting the World Council of Churches on June 21, Pope Francis said dialogue is not a strategy, but a necessity, and that in the end dialogue always seems to be “operating with a loss.” He was obviously referring to ecumenical dialogue, but the speech showed Pope Francis’ rationale.

On June 20, excerpts [...]

The 25th meeting of the Council of Cardinals ended with the release of a “progress report” on reforms and the title of the new Apostolic Constitution that will regulate functions and competences of the Curia office. Pope Francis will obviously be able to make all the adjustments he wants to the draft. At [...]

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State, attended last week the Bilderberg Meeting. His attendance can be seen from two different points of view. In both cases, it is a clear indicator on the Church’s impact in the world.

The “Bilderberg Meetings” are Chatham House Rules (that means that the information exchange can [...]

If it is true, as it is, that Pope Francis’ real reform is that of the profile of bishops, this reform can be carried out because this Pontificate is also taking place in a moment of transition. There are many bishops who have reached the age of 75 —when, according to canon law, [...]

The announcement of a consistory for the creation of 14 new cardinals did not come completely by surprise. For some time a consistory in June was expected, since there were six slots to get to the limit set by Bl. Paul VI, and confirmed by St. John Paul II, of 120 cardinals [...]

There is no obvious connection between the new document issued by the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for the Promotion of the Integral Human Development, and the discussion of Bl. Paul VI encyclical Humanae Vitae on its 50th anniversary. However, a link can be made, and it is [...]

What is Pope Francis’ pontificate direction? There are no definite answers to this question, but there are many clues, even controversial, that reveal Pope Francis’ way of governing. One of these clues is the new statute of the Dicastery Laity, Family and Life, released last week. The new Statutes replace those [...]

Giulio Andreotti was an Italian statesman who dominated the Italian political scene for more than 40 years. Eight times premier, Andreotti was both a target of attacks and praises. Among the attacks, that of embracing an excessively “philo-arabic” policy in the Middle East, not maintaining the right equidistance between Israeli and Palestinian people. To [...]