Only Francis Can Go to China?

by George Weigel

The Holy See's puzzling passion for getting a deal done with Beijing. Continue Reading »

1 Jun 2016

A Response from the Pontifical Academy of Sciences

by Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo

The following letter from Archbishop Marcelo Sánchez Sorondo, chancellor of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences (PAS), is a response to an article written by Stefanno Gennarini. The format of the letter was a paragraph-by-paragraph response to the article, and thus for clarity, we . . . . Continue Reading »

25 Jun 2015

The Vatican and Arms Dealers

by Mathew Block

Pope Francis recently criticized those who call themselves Christians but invest in the arms industry. But what about rumours that the Vatican itself invests in arms manufacturing?
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23 Jun 2015

Evangelical Challenges for Vatican Diplomacy

by George Weigel

The bilateral diplomacy of the Holy See is unique in world affairs, in that it has little or nothing to do with the things with which diplomats typically occupy their time: trade issues, security matters, visas. Rather, the reason why the Vatican engages in bilateral diplomacy is to secure the freedom of the Catholic Church to be itself in the countries with which the Holy See has, or wishes to have, diplomatic relations. To be sure, in crisis situations, the Holy See’s representative in a crumbling or violence-ridden state can also serve as an honest broker amidst contending local parties, or a voice for persecuted Catholic communities, or a channel for humanitarian assistance. But whatever the situation, the first task of the pope’s representative to another sovereignty is to help maintain free space for the Church’s evangelical, sacramental, educational and charitable missions, all of which are essential to what it means to be “the Catholic Church” in any human situation. Continue Reading »

4 Feb 2015

A Pastoral Failure

by Matthew Schmitz

I was recently accused of (actually, praised for, but it seemed to me an accusation) supporting “marriage equality”—a slogan that indicates whoever uses it fails to understand either of the terms it combines. The occasion for this slander was, rather ironically, a piece I had written rejecting calls for gay marriage. The piece was misread, I think, because I had positive things to say about gay people and about the love present in countless gay relationships. Apparently this fact was significant enough that there was no need to attend to my actual conclusion. Continue Reading »

14 Oct 2014