Inside The Vatican

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Is Benedict XVI’s request for forgiveness enough? Feb 10, 2022

Show notes

Two weeks after the release of a report that accused Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI of mishandling sexual abuse cases when he was the archbishop of Munich and Freising, the former pope responded in a brief letter published Feb. 8 by the Vatican. "I have had great responsibilities in the Catholic Church,” Benedict XVI writes. “All the greater is my pain for the abuses and the errors that occurred in those different places during the time of my mandate.”

On this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle analyze the emeritus pope’s letter and the accompanying, more technical, explanatory note drafted by his lawyer friends. The letter confirms, on the record, that Benedict did not write his 82-page testimony to the German investigators and that the factual error about him attending a 1980 meeting where an abuse case was discussed was not intentional.

Although Benedict expresses regret that abuse happened on his watch, he does not take responsibility for any specific cases and his lawyers maintain his innocence. On the podcast, Colleen and Gerry discuss how the letter has been received and how the events of recent weeks will affect his legacy.

Links from the show:

Pope Benedict asks for forgiveness in a ‘confession’ responding to Munich sex abuse report

Read: Pope Benedict XVI’s penitential letter on Munich sexual abuse report

Pope Francis: I’m no saint. I couldn’t be pope without my friends.

Pope Francis, Joe Biden and Grand Imam of Al-Azhar all issue statements promoting human fraternity

Cardinal Marx: Having married priests ‘would be better for everyone’

Top European cardinal: Church teaching on gay people ‘no longer correct’

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Update: Benedict XVI responds to German abuse report Feb 08, 2022

Show notes

Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI has responded to accusations that he mishandled four cases of clerical sexual abuse when he was archbishop of Munich and Freising. His response came 20 days after a German law firm released its investigation into how abuse cases in the diocese were handled over a 74-year period. Benedict’s response today is brief, 1.5 pages, most of it dedicated to asking for forgiveness.

While Benedict apologizes for abuse that happened on his watch, he does not take personal responsibility for any specific cases. He thanks those who have supported him, including Pope Francis, and discloses that his 82-page testimony to the investigators was prepared with the help of four lawyer friends.

The letter is also accompanied by a statement from his legal advisors. In the three-page statement, the lawyers take responsibility for a factual error in the testimony, in which they wrote that Benedict did not attend a 1980 meeting where an abuse case was discussed. They also take responsibility for one of the most criticized arguments in Benedict’s testimony—that a priest who exposed himself to minors was not committing abuse because he did not physically touch them.

For more on this story, visit americamagazine.org.

Links from the show:

Pope Benedict asks for forgiveness in a ‘confession’ responding to Munich sex abuse report

Read: Pope Benedict XVI’s penitential letter on Munich sexual abuse report

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The Vatican’s leading expert in preventing sexual abuse weighs in on Benedict XVI’s predicament Feb 03, 2022

Show notes

An investigation, last month, into sexual abuse in the German archdiocese of Munich and Freising found that when Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI served as its archbishop he had mishandled cases of sexual abuse committed by members of his clergy. His successors in Munich, Cardinal Friedrich Wetter and Cardinal Reinhard Marx, have also been accused of mishandling cases of sexual abuse.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell continue their analysis into the allegations made in the report and Cardinal Marx’s subsequent response. They also discuss Gerry’s interview with Hans Zollner, S.J., a leading abuse prevention expert based at the Vatican.

Gerry reveals the pope emeritus’ contribution to the report was assembled by at least two German lawyers who were given a document that proved Benedict attended a 1980 meeting where one of the four abuse cases was discussed. Despite having the evidence, the lawyers wrote that Benedict was not present at the meeting, and Benedict signed their report. In a statement, Benedict attributed the mistake to an editing error.

Colleen and Gerry also recap Pope Francis’ recent address where he counseled parents of L.G.B.T. children to never condemn their child, and the broader context within which this advice was given.

Links from the show:

Inside the Vatican: The German Synodal Way, Explained

Inside the Vatican: What you need to know about Pope Benedict’s record on sexual abuse

Father Hans Zollner on the German sex abuse report, Pope Benedict and the future of the church

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Pope Benedict was accused of mishandling four abuse cases. Here’s what we know. Jan 27, 2022

Show notes

An investigation into sexual abuse in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising released Jan. 21 found that Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Cardinal Reinhard Marx, the current archbishop, had mishandled cases of clergy sexually abusing minors during each man’s time as archbishop of Munich.

On Jan. 24, Pope Emeritus Benedict issued a statement correcting a key part of his 82-page contribution to the investigators, raising questions about how the aging former pontiff’s contribution was assembled.

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell explain what we know so far about the four cases Pope Emeritus Benedict was implicated in. Gerry and Colleen also discuss some of the issues with Benedict’s contribution to the investigation, including the factual error, and how the contribution might have been handled differently.

Links from the show:

Pope Francis vows justice for sex abuse victims after German audit faults Pope Benedict

Pope Benedict corrects statement to German abuse report, was present at meeting where abusive priest was discussed

Pope Benedict’s correction to the Munich abuse report sparks a debate among German Catholics

Vatican editorial on abuse report: Don’t use Pope Benedict as an ‘easy scapegoat’

‘Deliver Us’ podcast: What Can We Do to Hold Bishops Accountable?

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Deep Dive: The beatification of Rutilio Grande, El Salvador’s first martyr-priest Jan 21, 2022

Show notes

In 1977, driving on a rural, dusty road between Aguilares and El Paisnal, a Jesuit priest named Rutilio Grande S.J. was shot and killed by El Salvador’s government security forces. The assassination helped escalate a bloody period of civil war in which Catholics like Oscar Romero (1985), six Jesuits at the Central American University in San Salvador (1989), and four American churchwomen (1980) were martyred. While Romero became a Catholic household name and celebrated saint, not many know the story of his friend and fellow priest, Rutilio Grande S.J.

That’s about to change. On January 22, 2022, Rutilio Grande will be beatified, after his cause for canonization was delayed by what Pope Francis called “misunderstandings and slander.”

In this “Inside the Vatican” deep dive, host Colleen Dulle talks with scholars, friends and relatives of Grande to learn what inspired this Jesuit’s ministry among the people which led, ultimately, to his martyrdom.

Padre Tío Tilo: Rutilio Grande’s niece talks about her childhood with her martyred uncle

4 lessons from Rutilio Grande, priest, prophet and martyr

Eileen Markey’s book: A Radical Faith: The Assassination of Sr. Maura

Sr. Ana Maria Pineda’s book: Rutilio Grande, Memory and Legacy of a Jesuit Martyr

Rodolfo Cardenal’s book: The Life, Passion, and Death of the Jesuit Rutilio Grande

Radio YSUCA at the Universidad Centroamericana José Simeón Cañas, UCA

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Update: German abuse report faults Pope Benedict, Cardinal Marx Jan 20, 2022

Show notes

A long-awaited report on how sexual abuse cases were handled in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising between 1945 and 2019, was released today, and it accuses both Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI and Cardinal Reinhard Marx, one of Pope Francis’ top advisers, of mishandling abuse cases.

The report looks back at abuse cases spanning more than 70 years, which includes Pope Emeritus Benedict’s five-year tenure as archbishop of the diocese. The lawyers accuse Benedict of mishandling four abuse cases, saying that he allowed two priests who were criminally prosecuted for abuse to continue working as priests, and that no action was taken against them under church law.

Pope Emeritus Benedict denies all allegations of wrongdoing. His personal secretary responded to questions from journalists today, saying Benedict would “examine the text with the necessary attention.”

Cardinal Marx, the current archbishop of Munich and Freising, is also accused of mishandling two cases of sexual abuse. He was not present at the presentation of the document, but said he watched the livestream. In a statement a few hours later, Cardinal Marx asked for forgiveness and said that while the report is important for coming to terms with the past, the priority should be on care for the victims. He said that the diocese would carefully study the report and discern a way forward.

A Vatican spokesman told journalists today that the Vatican would study the almost 1,900-page report, which detailed the cases of 497 victims and 235 abusers. The spokesman said “The Holy See believes it has an obligation to give serious attention to the document” and reiterated the Vatican’s sense of shame and remorse for the abuse of minors by clerics and its commitment to ensuring safe environments for young people.

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Pope Francis calls out ‘cancel culture’ in address to ambassadors Jan 13, 2022

Show notes

Pope Francis addressed ambassadors from the 183 countries that have diplomatic relations with the Holy See about his top international priorities on Monday and, surprisingly, devoted a portion of his talk to the problems he sees with “cancel culture.”

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell take a look at the pope’s talk and why he thinks cancel culture is a threat to international cooperation.

“Under the guise of defending diversity, it ends up canceling all sense of identity,” the pope said, “with the risk of silencing positions that defend a respectful and balanced understanding of various sensibilities.”

Gerry also recaps how Pope Francis baptized 16 children in the Sistine Chapel this weekend—which brought back memories of when then-Cardinal Bergoglio baptized Gerry and his wife’s children in Buenos Aires.

Pope Francis removes from Vatican doctrine office archbishop who is believed to have banned same-sex blessings

Pope Francis stopped by his favorite record store to say ‘hello’

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Pope Francis' 'action-packed' plans for 2022 Jan 06, 2022

Show notes

Pope Francis has an “action-packed” agenda this year, but the relentless spread of Covid-19 worldwide could complicate his plans to visit countries in Africa, Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

But whether or not the pope is able to travel internationally this year, Gerry says he “is clearly not planning to slow down,” and has much work to do from his desk at the Vatican. Chief among the pope’s tasks this year is the completion of the reform of the Roman Curia which will culminate with the issuing of “Praedicate Evangelium,” a document that will serve as a blueprint for not only a revamp of some of the more dated structures at the Vatican but also intends to usher a change in culture within the Roman Curia.

This year is also expected to bring other significant changes at the Vatican including the appointment of several new high-ranking officers, as some cardinals reach the age of retirement and those over 80 become ineligible to vote in the next papal conclave.

This year, “Francis will really leave his mark on the church in a big way,” Gerry tells Ricardo. “These will be men chosen by him alone, not inherited from a previous pontificate.”

Links from the show:

Pope Francis’ action-packed agenda for 2022

Volunteer, stop judging and get off Twitter: 8 New Year’s Resolutions Inspired by Pope Francis

Video: 8 New Year’s Resolution from Pope Francis

Podcast: Inside the top secret process of appointing a Catholic bishop

The Election of Pope Francis: An Inside Account of the Conclave That Changed History

Pope Francis on New Year’s Day: “To hurt a woman is to insult God.”

Pope Francis at Midnight Mass: God comes into the world in littleness.

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Pope Francis' Christmas message: Be humble. Dec 30, 2021

Show notes

Pope Francis’ Christmas messages to “the church and the world” (“Urbi et Orbi”) and to the Roman Curia focused this year on the theme of humility.

“He is the word of God who became an infant, capable only of crying, and in need of help for everything,” the pope said. “He wished to learn how to speak, like every other child, so that we might learn to listen to God, our Father, to listen to one another and to dialogue as brothers and sisters.”

This week on “Inside the Vatican,” host Colleen Dulle gives a summary of the pope’s Christmas messages. You can find links to read them, along with Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell’s reporting on the pope’s Curia address, below.

Pope Francis’ Christmas Urbi et Orbi message

Pope Francis’ address to the Roman Curia

Pope Francis tells Roman Curia ‘Be humble, not proud’ in another humdinger of a Christmas talk

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Update: Vatican doubles down on Latin Mass restrictions Dec 21, 2021

Show notes

On Saturday, Dec. 18, the Vatican issued some clarifications about its restrictions on the pre-Vatican II Latin Mass. These restrictions had been published in July in Pope Francis’ letter “Traditionis Custodes,” or “Guardians of the Tradition.” Since then, The Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship had received some questions about the restrictions, so they put together the most common ones and provided yes or no answers—a format the Vatican sometimes uses called a “responsum ad dubium” or “response to doubts/questions.”

The new clarifications basically double down on the restrictions that were put in place in July: They make it clear that the Tridentine Latin Mass can still be celebrated in oratories and by priests who are specifically tasked with celebrating Mass in the old rite, but it tightens restrictions on old rite Masses outside of those situations.

On this special update episode, host Colleen Dulle explains the new clarifications around the old Latin Mass.

Links from the show:

Vatican clarifies rules for the celebration of the Tridentine Latin Mass

Inside the Vatican Deep Dive: Why Pope Francis restricted the Latin Mass

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