Photo: CNS. Pope Francis’ anti-corruption law seeks to quash Vatican ‘envelope’ culture
As part of a sweeping new anti-corruption law, Pope Francis last Thursday declared that officials of the Roman Curia should no longer accept personal gifts with a monetary value over €40.
The new rule appears to be an effort to quash the Vatican “envelope” culture, in which large monetary donations are made to bishops and cardinals working in the Roman Curia.
These gifts have been blamed for contributing to corruption in the Church when they were used between high-level Church officials to seek favours, most notably in cases like that of ex-cardinal Theodore McCarrick.
Pope Francis’ April 29 apostolic letter, issued in the form of motu proprio (on his own impulse), added this rule to the General Regulation of the Roman Curia, along with other requirements ensuring that Vatican personnel who handle the Vatican’s economic affairs are not involved in financially corrupt or illegal behaviour.
In the motu proprio on “provisions on transparency in the management of public finance”, Pope Francis said that, the new measures were necessary to “prevent and fight, in every sector, conflicts of interest, methods of patronage, and corruption in general”.
Church must help counter resistance to vaccines
Members of the Catholic Church, especially religious working in health care and schools, have an important opportunity and duty to educate people about Covid-19 and to counter resistance to vaccinations, said an expert on the Vatican’s Covid-19 commission.
Women religious and Catholic organisations who serve others every day and have people’s trust are “our best hope for safe and fair distribution of vaccines as well as the best tool for convincing people of the safety”, said Sr Carol Keehan, a nurse and Daughter of Charity.
The Church also has clear teachings about the need for more ethical ways to produce and test vaccines, but it has said that receiving vaccines is not participating or cooperating with the evil of abortion, she said during an online meeting April 27 sponsored by the Rome-based International Union of Superiors General. The event, dedicated to how women religious can be leaders in bringing Gospel values to new models of the economy and health care, was part of a series of meetings looking at ways sisters can empower women and accompany and support those most affected by the pandemic.
Pope calls for global prayer marathon for end of pandemic
Pope Francis has called for a global prayer marathon for the entire month of May, praying for the end to the pandemic.
“The initiative will involve in a special way all shrines in the world” in promoting the initiative so that individuals, families and communities all take part in reciting the rosary, “to pray for the end of the pandemic”, said the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelisation in a press release April 21.
“It is the heartfelt desire of the Holy Father that the month of May be dedicated to a prayer marathon dedicated to the theme, ‘from the entire Church an unceasing prayer rises to God,’” it said.
The theme refers to the miraculous event recounted in the Acts of the Apostles (12:1-12) when all the Church prayed for Peter, who was imprisoned until God sent an angel to free him, illustrating how the Lord listens to the Christian community’s prayers.
There will be a livestream from one of 30 chosen Marian shrines or sanctuaries to guide the prayer at 5pm GMT every day in May.