Inside The Vatican

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 the synod are taking into account the urgent need for ministers in remote regions of the Amazon rainforest.

In addition to the synod’s concrete proposals, we take a look at the larger themes of the document, like the bishops’ commitment to take the side of the poor in the Amazon region. Faced with rapid industrialization by little-regulated corporations and the deaths of indigenous leaders, are the region’s bishops ready to follow in the footsteps of the “new martyrs” of the Amazon?

Links from the show:

• Bishop McElroy on the Amazon’s ecological crisis and what’s next for the women’s diaconate
• Synod votes to ordain married men, and to protect Amazon’s indigenous peoples and rainforests
• The cry of the poor is the hope of the church, Pope Francis says, closing Amazon Synod

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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 document this weekend.

Then, we take you outside the synod hall and into two extra-synodal meetings: one with indigenous leaders speaking about the challenges they face, and another with bishops and synod auditors in a catacomb outside Rome. We unpack the famous 1965 Pact of the Catacombs and this updated version that was signed this weekend amid resistance to the synod, and we look at what these documents teach us about the evolution of the Latin American church since the Second Vatican Council.

Links from the show:

• The Amazon synod is halfway over. Here’s what we know so far.
• Synod groups propose an Amazonian rite and new ministries for women
• Amazon Synod is a place of discernment that ‘must leave space for the Spirit’
• Thieves steal wood carvings used at synod prayer and throw them in the river
• Synod members sign new pact in the Catacombs of Domitilla, pledge simplicity

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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 will replace Mr. Giani.

Next up, the Amazon synod is in full swing, and it looks a little different from past synods: Lay auditors are sitting with bishops rather than in separate sections, and many bishops are wearing clerical suits instead of cassocks. Gerry describes the scene in the synod hall, and we talk about how the participants’ familiarity and level of comfort with one another has led to the synod taking on big ideas like women’s ministry, the possibility of ordaining married men and economic challenges early in its first week.

Finally, Pope Francis canonized Cardinal John Henry Newman this week. He is England’s first saint born after 1800, and to mark the occasion, Charles, Prince of Wales, penned an op-ed in the Vatican’s newspaper. Gerry and I discuss why Cardinal Newman is such an important figure to Prince Charles and to England in the time of Brexit.

Links from the show:

• Head of Vatican security resigns following news leak connected to internal financial investigation
• Pope Francis appoints cybersecurity expert to head Vatican Security Services
• Amazon Synod Weekly Roundup: Calls for ecological protection and new ministries for women
• Pope Francis canonizes five new saints, including John Henry Newman
• Cardinal Nichols on why John Henry Newman is ‘a patron saint for everyone’

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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 was received.

Finally, the Synod on the Amazon is in full swing. Gerry explains the moving prayer service that kicked off the synod, and we unpack the direction Pope Francis has laid out for this meeting. We also talk about why women haven’t been allowed to vote in the synod, and whether that may change.

Links from the show:

• Vatican police raid Secretariat of State and finance watchdog offices
• Vatican employees suspended as finance investigation continues
• Pope Francis creates 13 new cardinals, emphasizes the need for ‘compassion’ and ‘loyalty’
• Pope Francis opens Amazon synod, says to ‘light the fire of the Gospel’ in the region
• As Amazon Synod begins, Pope Francis looks to proceed with a ‘pastoral heart’
• Catholic sisters and nuns call for voting rights for women at the Amazon synod

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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 discuss the sculpture’s provenance and how it fits with Pope Francis’ priorities.

Finally, Cardinal William Levada died last week. A former head of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith a friend of Pope Benedict, we discuss Cardinal Levada’s legacy and how the college of cardinals looks different today than it did under Pope Benedict’s pontificate.

Links from the show:

• Pope Francis meets with Father James Martin in private audience
• Pope Francis unveils new sculpture in St. Peter’s Square
• U.S. Cardinal William Levada, former head of C.D.F., dies in Rome

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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 authority in the church; sexual morality; the priesthood, including mandatory celibacy; and the role of women in the church, including the possibility of expanding their roles in ministry. 

Finally, Pope Francis addressed the United Nations summit by video this week, saying world leaders have not gone far enough to implement the Paris Agreement to limit greenhouse gas emissions and slow climate change. We take a look at the particulars of Pope Francis’ stance on climate change and his encouragement of young climate activists.

Links from the show:

• Vatican releases list of participants for Synod on the Amazon
• Why can’t women vote at the Synod on Young People?
• Vatican officials offer guidance for German church ‘synodal journey’
• Pope Francis implores global community to do more on climate change

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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 according to new Vatican laws on sexual abuse investigations. Gerry and I explain why although at least one investigation has been ordered, the laws have a long way to go before they are fully implemented.

Finally, we talk about Pope Francis’ recent dialogues with Eastern Catholic bishops, and what he means when he says that unity does not mean uniformity when it comes to the Eastern churches. We also explain, briefly, the differences between Eastern Catholics and the Eastern Orthodox Church, and unpack the significance of Pope Francis’ gift of relics of St. Peter to Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew.

Links from the show:

• Father Sosa: Attacks against Pope Francis are aimed at influencing the next conclave
• Analysis: Why do some Catholics oppose Pope Francis?
• Minnesota archbishop opens sexual misconduct investigation into fellow bishop
• Pope urges Eastern Catholic bishops to promote ecumenism
• Pope Francis gives Orthodox patriarch relics of St. Peter

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This week’s “Inside the Vatican” is all about Pope Francis’ trip to sub-Saharan Africa. First, Gerry will give us some context on the three nations the pope visited: Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius. What sets these nations apart?

Then, we’ll talk about what Pope Francis’ goals were for this visit: what issues and people he wanted to highlight, and why.

Finally, Gerry and I will unpack the pope’s comments about his critics aboard the papal plane. “I am honored when the Americans attack me,” Pope Francis said on the way to Mozambique. On the return trip, he addressed the possibility of a schism, saying “I am not afraid of schisms. I pray they do not happen.” Fresh off the papal flight, Gerry explains some of the context for these comments, and whether a schism may actually happen.

Links from the show:

• Pope Francis to journalist: ‘I am honored that the Americans attack me.’
• Pope Francis celebrates the fruits of peace in Mozambique
• The anti-poverty project Pope Francis will visit in Madagascar
• Pope Francis to Mozambicans: ‘You have a right to peace’
• Pope Francis calls on Madagascar’s leaders to fight corruption, eliminate poverty and protect the environment
• Pope Francis tells Madagascar’s bishops: Be sowers of faith, hope and peace in this land of contradictions
• Pope Francis in Madagascar: We cannot remain indifferent.
• “Poverty is not inevitable!”: Pope Francis’ message to the young people of Madagascar
• 400 years after first Jesuits arrived, Pope Francis celebrates Mass in Mauritius
• Pope Francis praises diversity of Mauritius but encourages greater openness to migrants
• Pope Francis on plane: ‘I am not afraid of schisms. I pray they do not happen.’

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This week on “Inside the Vatican,” Gerry and I update you on who Pope Francis has chosen to make cardinals next month. The surprise announcement came after the pope was stuck in an elevator for 25 minutes! In this episode, we break down who has been chosen for a red hat, and what these selections tell us about the pope’s priorities.

Next, we talk about the fires that have raged in the Amazon rainforest and the tension that is growing between the Catholic church in Brazil and the Bolsonaro administration there. What is it about the Synod on the Amazon that makes the government so nervous?

Finally, we’ll give you an update on the case of Cardinal George Pell, the Australian Cardinal found guilty of sexually abusing a child last year. His most recent appeal was rejected, but the Vatican’s investigation may continue for years.

Links from the show:

• Pope to create 13 new cardinals in October, including three Jesuits
• Pope Francis rescued from trapped elevator by Vatican firefighters
• Pope Francis urges action to save burning Amazon rainforest
• Latin American bishops sound the alarm: “If the Amazon suffers, the world suffers”
• Vatican issues statement after Australian court dismisses Cardinal Pell’s appeal

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This week on “Inside the Vatican,” we’ll talk about the pope’s address to a group of theologians in Naples, which included a call for online learning opportunities for refugees who want to study theology.

Then, we’ll update you on Cardinal Pell’s appeal case in Australia, and what awaits him after a decision is made. What effect will the civil court’s decision have on his church investigation? 

Next, we ask: What does the pope do on vacation? 

Finally, since it’s our last episode before our summer break, we’ll talk about some of the stories we’ll be keeping our eyes on over the next few months, including a visit by Vladimir Putin to Vatican City.

Links from the show:

• Pope Francis to theologians in Naples: One cannot do theology without freedom
• Inside the Vatican examines Cardinal Pell’s mixed legacy

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