Vatican City news stories on Newser

Mobster's Tomb Opened in Quest to Solve Vatican Mystery

Rob Quinn — Tue, 15 May 2012 05:00:05 CDT

Italian cops cracked open the jewel-encrusted tomb of a murdered mob boss yesterday in a bid to solve the 1983 disappearance of a Vatican employee's teenage daughter. Experts opened the casket of Enrico de Pedis inside the crypt of a prestigious Roman basilica and discovered that he was the only...

Vatican Transfers Corruption Whistleblower

Mark Russell — Fri, 27 Jan 2012 01:46:00 CST

Italy is reeling from news last night that a high-ranking official of Vatican City who tried to blow the whistle on corruption was ignored and was forced to transfer positions, reports Reuters . Archbishop Carlo Maria Vigano, who was the No. 2 man at Vatican City in charge of maintaining the...

Half-Naked Acrobats Shake Up Staid Vatican

Matt Cantor — Thu, 16 Dec 2010 12:31:55 CST

The Vatican's normally a pretty staid place, lined with pure thoughts and celibate clergymen, so more than a few eyebrows raised when four buff guys lined up in front of Pope Benedict himself and ripped their shirts off. The four were actually acrobats, known as the Pilgrim Brothers, who proceeded...

White House Supports Vatican Immunity

Rob Quinn — Tue, 25 May 2010 02:50:00 CDT

The Vatican should not be held liable in civil lawsuits over clergy abuse cases because it's a sovereign nation, according to Obama administration lawyers. The acting solicitor general has urged the Supreme Court to set aside a ruling from an appellate court allowing an Oregon man claiming abuse by a...

Vatican Plans Major Overhaul of Secretive Bank

Rob Quinn — Thu, 24 Sep 2009 04:43:49 CDT

The Vatican bank—so secretive it makes Swiss bankers seem chatty—is getting a major revamp as part of Pope Benedict XVI's campaign for transparency. Italian economist Ettori Tedeschi has been appointed the new chief executive—replacing someone who's been in the post 20 years—and the bank's supervisory board...

Vatican Plans Europe's Largest Solar Plant

Will McCahill — Fri, 17 Apr 2009 15:55:12 CDT

The Vatican plans to build Europe’s largest solar power plant on land it owns north of Rome, Bloomberg reports. The 740-acre site—many times bigger than the 108 acres that make up the world’s smallest nation—is predicted to generate enough power for 40,000 households when it comes online...

Religious Tourists Still Flocking to Italy

Matt Cantor — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 07:56:00 CDT

While industries around the world feel the weight of recession, Italy’s religious tourism appears fairly immune, USA Today reports. “It's one of the only areas where things haven't slowed down much," said a religious tour marketer. "Religious pilgrims still want to have the same experiences”—and with Easter at hand,...

Vatican Splits Off From Italian Law

Peter Fearon — Fri, 02 Jan 2009 01:59:30 CST

The Vatican is getting a divorce from Italian law. The Pope has decreed his city-state within Rome will no longer automatically endorse Italian legislation, but will scrutinize bills for conflicts with Roman Catholic doctrine before adopting them. It's the first time the Vatican has distanced itself from Italy's laws—and...

Vatican Offers Earthly Rewards

Rob Quinn — Fri, 23 Nov 2007 06:35:05 CST

The Vatican is offering corporate-style performance bonuses to its workers for the first time, the Times of London reports. Pope Benedict XVI is offering rewards based on "dedication, professionalism, productivity and politeness." The conditions will apply to the thousands of lay workers who do everything from run Vatican Radio to...