In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” America’s Rome correspondent Gerard O’Connell and producer Colleen Dulle cover how Pope Francis and other Vatican leaders are making a concerted effort to draw people’s attention to the major ethical questions arising from the coronavirus pandemic—especially, how to protect poor and vulnerable people amidst economic instability. “The governments that face the crisis” with social distancing and lockdowns “show the priority of their decisions: the people fi...
Apr 01, 2020•26 min
In the first special coronavirus update episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell and producer Colleen Dulle discuss Pope Francis’ unprecedented “urbi et orbi” blessing given Friday, March 27. Colleen spoke with Gerry just after Pope Francis blessed “the city and the world.” Pope Francis spoke about how the world currently feels the way Jesus’ disciples felt when a storm threatened to flood their boat but Jesus stayed asleep. “We have realized that we are on the ...
Mar 28, 2020•14 min
As Italy’s death toll rises and Catholics worldwide find their access to churches and the sacraments limited, the Vatican has taken two initiatives to grant the faithful forgiveness of their sins. One measure from the Apostolic Penitentiary, the Vatican’s “tribunal of mercy,” grants an indulgence specially for those who are suffering from the coronavirus and anyone who cares for them, even simply through prayer. A second decree also allows for priests to absolve sins without hearing one-on-one c...
Mar 25, 2020•23 min
With more countries shutting down nonessential businesses because of the coronavirus, church leaders have faced tough decisions about whether to keep churches open to the faithful or to close them to mitigate the spread of infections. This week, Pope Francis weighed in after a Vatican cardinal announced that all of Rome’s churches would close. The pope prayed for pastors at his daily Mass the day after the announcement, saying, “Drastic measures are not always good. Therefore, we pray that the H...
Mar 18, 2020•22 min
Vatican City reported its first case of coronavirus last week after a non-Vatican resident passed through its medical center for a routine medical evaluation. Over the weekend, the Italian government announced a total lockdown and a ban on public gatherings, advising residents not to leave their homes. On “Inside the Vatican” this week, America’s Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell details what it’s like living in Rome under the lockdown and how the Holy See and the pope are handling the cris...
Mar 11, 2020•23 min
Pope Francis canceled his public audiences beginning Thursday, February 27 due to what his spokesman called a “slight indisposition.” Amid media reports that Francis had been tested for coronavirus, the pope addressed a smaller-than-normal crowd in St. Peter’s Square and said he had a cold. On this week’s “Inside the Vatican” podcast, Rome correspondent Gerard O’Connell describes the fear surrounding coronavirus that has gripped the Eternal City. Then, Gerry and producer Colleen Dulle unpack the...
Mar 04, 2020•22 min
This week’s “Inside the Vatican” explores the relationship between faith, global politics, and the Catholic understanding of sainthood. First up, Colleen and Gerry discuss Pope Francis’ recent address to the Mediterranean bishops in the Southern Italian city of Bari. Speaking to a diverse group from North Africa, the Middle East, and Southern Europe, the pope addressed the many conflicts in the Mediterranean and North Africa that have displaced millions of refugees, and the global rise of populi...
Feb 26, 2020•26 min
Pope Francis’ highly-anticipated exhortation “Querida Amazonia” or “Beloved Amazon” came out last week, sparking more conversation about what the document did not say, that is, anything on ordaining married men as priests, than what it did say. Pope Francis expressed his discontent with the media’s fixation on married priests to a group of American bishops last week. This week on the “Inside the Vatican” podcast, the hosts take a deep dive into “Querida Amazonia,” beginning with its calls for en...
Feb 19, 2020•25 min
The Vatican published Pope Francis’ long awaited follow-up document to the Amazon Synod, “Querida Amazonia,” or “Beloved Amazon,” this morning. This document was highly anticipated because it was expected to include Pope Francis’ final decision on whether or not to allow the ordination of mature, Indigenous, married men as priests or of women as deacons in the Amazon region. Although the synod bishops recommended that Pope Francis approve the ordination of married men, the pope avoided the topic...
Feb 12, 2020•3 min
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and producer Colleen Dulle explain why Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s personal secretary and prefect of Pope Francis’ household, has been missing from public events in recent weeks. The Vatican said it was due to an “ordinary redistribution of his responsibilities,” but the timing seems to suggest it has to do with Archbishop Gänswein facilitating Benedict’s involvement in a recent controversial bo...
Feb 12, 2020•23 min
Last week, Pope Francis met with Argentinian President Alberto Fernández, whose country is currently weathering an economic crisis that has led to widespread hunger and a crippling national debt. In their meeting, Pope Francis expressed his solidarity with his home country and offered to help however possible. On this week’s “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I explain what form that help might take. This past week also brought “news” on Pope Francis’ forthcoming document on the Amazon: an Italian ...
Feb 05, 2020•25 min
On a recent episode of “Inside the Vatican,” in the midst of Cardinal Robert Sarah’s book controversy, Gerry and I discussed how Archbishop Georg Ganswein’s role as Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s personal secretary—and often, by default, his gatekeeper and spokesman—has been called into question. Since the start of his papacy, Pope Francis has expressed a desire to keep his personal secretaries out of the spotlight. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” we look at how Francis has changed the role and...
Jan 29, 2020•22 min
Last week, Pope Francis appointed a woman to a top role in the Vatican’s Secretariat of State for the first time, while also upgrading that role from the department head level to the undersecretary level. On “Inside the Vatican” this week, Gerry and I take a look at these two decisions and what they reveal about Francis’ international priorities as well as his desire to include more women at leadership levels in the Vatican. Then, we look forward to the upcoming election of a new dean of the Col...
Jan 22, 2020•19 min
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I dedicate the entire episode to the questions surrounding the new book From the Depths of Our Hearts, written by Cardinal Robert Sarah with a contribution from Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI. The book argues against the ordination of married men as priests, a subject that Pope Francis is currently considering as he prepares his final document following up on the Vatican’s Synod on the Amazon. In October, the synod bishops recommended ordaining mature, ma...
Jan 15, 2020•22 min
Last week, a viral video circulated on social media showing Pope Francis slapping the hand of a woman who yanked his arm as he walked through a crowd in St. Peter’s Square. On “Inside the Vatican” this week, Gerry and I explain what happened and discuss the pope’s apology for losing his patience. Then, we turn to the growing tensions between the United States and Iran following the assassination of Iranian General Quasem Suleimani. Without mentioning the two nations directly, Pope Francis called...
Jan 08, 2020•19 min
Happy New Year from Inside the Vatican! For our New Year’s Day episode, Gerry and I are taking a look back at some of the biggest Vatican stories of 2019. We start with February’s Vatican summit on the protection of minors, which Gerry and I covered together in Rome. We talk about the steps Pope Francis has taken to follow up on that meeting, including the elimination of the “pontifical secret” in December which paved the way for the long-awaited Vatican handbook that will establish universal no...
Jan 01, 2020•16 min
On Saturday, Pope Francis gave his annual Christmas speech to the Roman curia, which in past years has been the time that the pope speaks very clearly about where he thinks the curia needs improvement. In 2014, Pope Francis used his Christmas address to lead the curia through an examination of conscience, pointing out what he called the “curial diseases” of careerism, gossip, rivalries, and so on. In years since, he has spoken on the need for ongoing reforms and updated his collaborators on his ...
Dec 25, 2019•16 min
Yesterday morning, the Vatican announced that Pope Francis had abolished the pontifical secret, a confidentiality measure, in cases of sexual abuse of a minor or vulnerable person by clergy. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I explain what information will now be available about these cases. Next up, we dive into the Wall Street Journal’s report on the pope’s Peter’s Pence collection. The report alleged that the Vatican had misled donors by telling them that the Peter’s Pence fund was...
Dec 18, 2019•17 min
In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I discuss the sudden cancellation of Archbishop Fulton Sheen’s beatification. We talk about why the beatification was postponed indefinitely, and Gerry explains what happened the last time a beatification was unexpectedly postponed. Pope Francis selected Cardinal Luis Antonio “Chito” Tagle to head the Vatican’s Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples this weekend. The congregation, which handles evangelization in Africa, Asia and Oceania,...
Dec 11, 2019•18 min
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I recap the pope’s visit to Thailand and Japan, which Gerry believes is “one for the history books.” First up, in Thailand, the “land of smiles,” Pope Francis received a warm welcome. Gerry and I talk about the pope’s visits with his cousin and the leader of the nation’s Buddhists. Then, we look at the issues the pope hoped to bring to light: interreligious cooperation, migration, human trafficking, and giving Catholicism “a Thai face.” Then, the pope...
Dec 04, 2019•19 min
This week the team at Inside the Vatican are sharing a new podcast from America Media. In “Plague,” America’s Michael O'Loughlin investigates stories of AIDS and the Catholic Church. The release of the first episode coincides with World AIDS Day. In this first episode, Mike tells the story of David Pais, whose journey exemplifies the experience of many gay Catholics who were personally affected by the AIDS epidemic in the early days. He describes the role his faith played helping him cope with h...
Dec 01, 2019•42 min
This week, veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O'Connell speaks to Sebastian Gomes, who is filling in for Colleen Dulle. First, they discuss a possible papal trip to South Sudan. Second, they talk about the pope's confirmed trip in a few weeks to Japan and Thailand. Lastly, they talk about the meeting of the U.S. Bishops Conference which takes place this week, and the news that Bishop Jose Gomez will be the new president of the conference. The next episode of Inside the Vatican will be in December, ...
Nov 13, 2019•15 min
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I explain the latest developments in the Vatican’s ongoing investigation into possible financial misconduct in the Vatican state department’s $200 million purchase of a building in an upscale London neighborhood. Cardinal Angelo Becciu was implicated in leaked documents about the deal, and this week denied any wrongdoing. Gerry and I cover what questions remain in the investigation. For our second story, the Jesuits celebrated 50 years of their Secret...
Nov 06, 2019•27 min
The Amazon synod is finally over after approving its final document of suggestions for Pope Francis. This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I unpack that document, and we dive into the specifics of its suggestion that the church ordain married men to the priesthood. We also take a look at the synod’s call for additional research into women deacons. While Pope Francis’ commission to study women deacons previously focused on the role female deacons played in the early church, new calls from ...
Oct 30, 2019•21 min
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I devote the entire episode to the Amazon synod, which just entered its final week. First, we discuss some of the ideas that have been brought up in the synod hall, including the establishment of an Amazonian rite, a permanent human rights observatory in the region and Catholic university education for indigenous people. After taking a look at what has been discussed, we break down what will happen between now and the release of the synod’s final docu...
Oct 23, 2019•21 min
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I update you on the resignation of the head of Vatican security, Commander Domenico Giani, who was nicknamed “the pope’s guardian angel.” Mr. Giani stepped down from his position after he was unable to identify who leaked Vatican security photos of the five employees who were suspended as part of a financial investigation last week. On the podcast, we explain why it was so important to Pope Francis that the source of this leak be identified, and who w...
Oct 16, 2019•24 min
Last week, Vatican police raided five of the Vatican’s top offices as part of a financial investigation. On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I break down what we know and what questions remain about this raid—the first of its kind to have been made public by the Vatican. Next up, Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Pope Francis delivered a strong message about loyalty to the pope to the 13 new cardinals the pope created this weekend. Gerry gives us some insights about how this message ...
Oct 09, 2019•24 min
On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I discuss our colleague James Martin, S.J.’s meeting with Pope Francis. It was the pair’s first extended conversation, though Pope Francis is familiar with Father Martin’s work and read his book on LGBT Catholics, Building a Bridge. Up next, the first new sculpture in 400 years was unveiled in St. Peter’s Square on September 29. Titled “Angels Unawares,” the bronze sculpture shows 140 migrants and refugees from different historical eras. We disc...
Oct 02, 2019•17 min
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I take a look at who has been invited to the synod on the Amazon region. Who decides who goes to a synod, and what kinds of people do they look for? We talk about several of the high-profile guests and the viewpoints they will bring to the synod hall next month. Next up, we examine some of the plans that the German bishops are making for a national “synodal journey,” a meeting of bishops and lay people that will cover challenging topics like power and...
Sep 25, 2019•24 min
This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I discuss new comments by the Superior General of the Society of Jesus, Arturo Sosa, about Pope Francis’ critics. “The attacks against Pope Francis in the church today,” Father Sosa said, are “a fight between those who want the church dreamed of by the Second Vatican Council and those who do not want this.” Next, Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Minneapolis-St. Paul has become the first bishop to be asked by the Vatican to investigate a fellow bishop accor...
Sep 18, 2019•27 min
