The Committee on the Rights of the Child (CRC) consists of eighteen independent experts who are nominated by their respective countries and serve in a personal capacity for terms of four years. They are expected to be “persons of high moral character and recognized competence in the field of human rights,” according to Article 43 of [...]
A UN committee heard hours of testimony from Vatican representatives on January 16 on how the Church has implemented policies to confront and limit the sexual abuse of children. But on January 31, the UN issued a searing indictment of the Vatican — probably written before the hearings were held. Here, an analysis if the tense [...]
One of the privileged witnesses to the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI, and to his last months, including the decision to resign his office, was Cardinal Bertone... Pope Benedict chose Italian Cardinal Tarcisio Bertone, to be his Secretary of State in mid-2006, a year after his election. Here, Benedict greets Bertone at the Pope’s summer [...]
On a feast day commemorating the authority Jesus gave to St. Peter and his successors — the Popes — Pope Francis created 19 new cardinals in the presence of retired Pope Benedict XVI... Holy Mass in St.. Peter’s Basilica celebrated by Pope Francis with his new cardinals on February 23. To the great surprise [...]
In Ukraine, what started as demonstrations quickly evolved into violent confrontations. After months of protests, a dramatic change in Ukraine. At a high price — more than 77 people killed. Now Russia is moving. Can further bloodshed be avoided? After a day and a night of violent confrontations on February 18-19, leading to the [...]
As the first year of Pope Francis ends, the pace of events in the Church and world seems to be accelerating: Ukraine, Russia, reform of the Curia, marriage, divorce, the liturgy... Behind them all, the question of man. As we end the first year of the papacy of Pope Francis, time seems to be speeding up: [...]