Francis abolishes pontifical secret for abuse cases

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 used exclusively for charity, when more than half of the money raised each year goes to plug the Vatican’s deficit. Gerry and I examine the report’s claim and discuss what actions the Vatican is taking to clean up its finances.

Finally, Pope Francis celebrated the 50th anniversary of his ordination to the priesthood on Friday, December 13 and spent that evening shining a light on his spiritual mentor, Jesuit Father Miguel Fiorito. Gerry explains why Father Fiorito was so dear to Francis, and we take a look at how Francis’ spiritual mentor inspired his leadership style.

 

Links from the show:

• Pope Francis abolishes the pontifical secret for sexual misconduct cases involving clerics
• Is the Vatican misleading donors? Peter’s Pence, explained.
• Pope Francis celebrates 50 years as a priest 
• Pope Francis wants the world to know about his Jesuit spiritual director

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