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Pope Francis made the announcement on the position previously filled by George Pell

Pope names economic chief to succeed disgraced cardinal

Pope Francis has named the Vatican's new economy minister to succeed Cardinal George Pell, who is appealing a conviction in his native Australia for sexually assaulting two teenage choir boys.

Religious and Social Affairs • 14 Nov 19

Cardinal George Pell is the most senior Catholic convicted of child sex abuse

Australian court to hear final appeal by George Pell

Australia's High Court has agreed to hear former Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell's final appeal to overturn his conviction for sexually assaulting two teenage choirboys.

World • 12 Nov 19

The controversy affects two departments at the Vatican

Five Vatican employees suspended following police raid

Five Vatican employees, including the number two at the Vatican's Financial Information Authority and a monsignor, have been suspended following a police raid, the Italian magazine L'Espresso has reported.

World • 02 Oct 19

George Pell's lawyers have filed an appeal in bid to have his conviction overturned

Ex-Vatican treasurer Pell seeks appeal over conviction

Lawyers for former Vatican treasurer Cardinal George Pell filed an appeal to Australia's High Court in a final bid to overturn his conviction for sexually abusing two 13-year-old boys, the High Court said.

World • 17 Sep 19

Pope Francis waves to the faithful in St Peter's Square

Pope Francis stuck in lift before weekly prayer

Pope Francis has said he was late to his weekly Angelus prayer because he had been stuck in a Vatican elevator and had to be freed by fire fighters.

World • 01 Sep 19

George Pell arriving at the Supreme Court of Victoria to hear its ruling

Cardinal Pell loses child sex abuse conviction appeal

Convicted paedophile George Pell had his appeal against child sex abuse charges rejected by an Australian court.

World • 21 Aug 19

Emanuela Orlandi disappeared in June 1983

Vatican search fails to locate remains of missing girl

Vatican officials have said that experts have found no recent bones in their examination of an ossuary as part of a search for a teenager who disappeared 36 years ago.

World • 28 Jul 19

Two tombs were opened earlier this month in the search for Emanuela Orlandi

Vatican opens burial chambers in missing teen search

The Vatican has opened two burial chambers discovered under a trapdoor as it attempts to get to the bottom of a riddle involving two 19th century princesses and a teenager who went missing 36 years ago.

Europe • 20 Jul 19

Emanuela Orlandi's remains were not found in the Vatican tombs

Vatican graves dug in missing teen search empty

The mystery surrounding the disappearance of an Italian teenager 36 years ago deepened after two graves at the Vatican thought to possibly hold her remains were discovered to be empty.

Europe • 11 Jul 19

Pope Francis has met the Russian President twice before

Pope Francis meets Russian president at the Vatican

Russian President Vladimir Putin arrived in Rome for a lightning visit including talks with the pope and Italy's government, which has called for an easing of sanctions despite Moscow's ongoing crisis with the West.

Europe • 04 Jul 19

Most countries' legal systems respect the religious right of a Catholic priest not to reveal what he has learned in confession, similar to attorney-client privilege

Priests cannot be forced to reveal confessions - Church

The Vatican has today reaffirmed Catholic teaching that priests cannot reveal what they learn in confession, in an apparent response to moves in Australia and elsewhere to force them to do so in cases of sexual abuse.

World • 01 Jul 19

TENI chairperson said the document was confusing

Vatican gender document 'denies reality' of LGBTQ lives

The Chairperson of the Transgender Equality Network has said a new document published by the Vatican challenging gender theory, is upsetting to LGBTQ people as it denies them their identity.

Ireland • 11 Jun 19

During Pope Francis' visit to Ireland, Archbishop Vigano issued a statement accusing US church officials of covering up for Mr McCarrick

Pope denies he knew of cardinal's sexual misconduct

Pope Francis has denied he knew about sexual misconduct by former US cardinal Theodore McCarrick before the start of Church investigations that found him guilty.

World • 29 May 19

Non-believers in God do not lack morality - report

The idea that non-believers in God lack morality has been disputed in new research by the University of Kent.

World • 28 May 19

Ben Hoffman became emotional as he spoke of the abuse he and his brothers, Luke, (L), and Stephen (R) had suffered

US abuse victims sue Vatican to name predatory priests

Five Americans who say they were sexually abused by Catholic priests have filed a lawsuit against the Vatican to compel the church to open its archives and hand over the names and details of abusive clergy.

US • 15 May 19

It is understood that the cause of the fire was accidental

Macron hopes to rebuild Notre-Dame in five years

French President Emmanuel Macron has vowed to rebuild the Notre-Dame Cathedral "even more beautifully" within five years, as France reeled with shock from the fire that gutted the great Paris landmark.

World • 16 Apr 19

Wilton Gregory is the first African-American to hold the position

Atlanta's Wilton Gregory named as Washington archbishop

Pope Francis has named Atlanta Archbishop Wilton Gregory as the new head of the Catholic Church in Washington DC, the Vatican said.

US • 04 Apr 19

The judge said the actions of Cardinal George Pell had a 'profound impact' on the life of the boy who survived his abuse

Cardinal George Pell jailed for child sexual abuse

Disgraced Australian Cardinal George Pell has been sentenced to six years in prison for sexually abusing two choirboys, in what the judge lambasted as a "brazen" attack and "grave" abuse of power.

World • 13 Mar 19

Pope Pius XII has been accused of turning a blind eye to the Holocaust during WWII by not speaking out forcefully

Vatican to open secret archives of Pope Pius XII

Pope Francis has announced that he has decided to open fully the Vatican's secret archives on the wartime pontificate of Pope Pius XII, something which Jews have been seeking for decades.

World • 04 Mar 19

Cardinal Pell arrives in court in Melbourne for sentencing on historical child abuse charges

Vatican to open investigation into Cardinal Pell

The Vatican's doctrinal department will open its own investigation into accusations against Cardinal George Pell, who was found guilty of sexual abuse of minors in his native Australia.

World • 27 Feb 19

Summit must force church to confront 'enemy within'

Religious and Social Affairs Correspondent Joe Little has been monitoring the Vatican's four-day child protection summit

Analysis and Comment • 24 Feb 19

The landmark summit was called by Pope Francis

Testimonies have brought us to our knees - archbishop

Archbishop Eamon Martin has told a landmark Vatican summit on tackling clerical sexual abuse that testimony from abuse survivors has 'brought all of us to our knees'.

World • 23 Feb 19

Pope Francis was speaking at the opening of the summit

Abuse conference hears church must fight 'enemy within'

Pope Francis has promised that concrete action against child sexual abuse by priests will result from a major conference on abuse that he opened this morning.

World • 21 Feb 19

Pope Francis hosted a historical summit at the Vatican on the protection of minors

Pope's approach to clerical sex abuse criticised

Two cardinals have criticised Pope Francis's approach to the clerical sexual abuse crisis, saying "abuse of power" was not to blame but homosexuality.

World • 05 Mar 19

Pope Francis called the meeting in September

Silence on Catholic Church abuse scandal 'no-go' option

An organiser of this week's summit of Catholic Church leaders on clerical child sexual abuse has warned that silence about the scandal is a "no-go" option.

World • 18 Feb 19

Vatican