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China & the Vatican -- Cardinal Zen: "Parolin knows he is lying. He knows that I know he is a liar. He knows that I will tell everyone that he is a liar." For Love of Truth I Will Not Remain Silent Cardinal Joseph ZenBishop Emeritus of Hong Kong I read the speech given by Cardinal Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, in Milan on October 3. [Rorate: in that speech, Cardinal Parolin defended the Vatican's attitude and deal, and the confirmation of the deal, with Communist China.] It was sickening! He is in no way stupid or ignorant, he...

[Catholic Caucus] Francis Removes Nephew of Whistleblower Viganò Monsignor Carlo Maria Polvani, a nephew of Whistleblower Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganó, was removed as the head of the Secretary of State’s Information and Documentation Office. Surprisingly, Pope Francis shifted Polvani to the irrelevant Pontifical Council for the Culture where he will be a second under-secretary. He is therefore no longer in Holy See’s diplomatic service. Polvani’s place was taken by Monsignor Mauro Carlino, a protégé of the former Deputy Secretary of State, Angelo Becci, who now is a cardinal. According to Italian media the changes were decided by the Secretary of...

The Vatican’s Secretary of State made a dramatic revelation ahead of Pope Francis’s visit to Israel next Sunday and Monday, declaring that the pope will talk about the “Palestinian people’s right to have a homeland, sovereign and independent.” Cardinal Pietro Parolin holds a role in the Vatican City State, located in the Italian capital of Rome, equivalent to that of a prime minister. … When asked what the pope particularly intends to talk about during the visit, Parolin revealed he would talk about “on the one hand, Israel’s right to exist in peace and security within internationally recognized boundaries.” On...