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ACI Africa, Feb 23, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).

Locals at a village in the embattled North Kivu province of the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) are appealing for prayers after approximately 70 bodies were found inside a church building in the village.

Local sources contacted by Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) International said the killings took place between Feb. 12 and Feb. 15 in Maiba, a village in the eastern region of the DRC. 

In a report that ACN published on Feb. 21, the sources said that on Feb. 12, rebels from an Islamist terrorist group, originally from Uganda, entered the village and took approximately 100 people hostage.

The sources recounted that on Feb. 15, about 70 bodies were discovered inside a Protestant church. 

"Many of them had been bound and some beheaded. Among the victims were women, children, and the elderly," said the source, which ACN did not identify for fear of reprisals from the many armed groups that operate in the region.

"It is likely that these victims were unable to resist or endure the forced march, because when the rebels take hostages, they make them travel with them, either as reinforcements for their group or as forced labor for the war effort," the source is quoted as telling ACN. 

According to the source, abductors force people to carry the loot after raiding villages.

"If you get tired on the way, you're done," the source told ACN. "I believe that is what happened to these 70 people."

According to the same sources, the Maiba massacre was carried out by the armed Islamist group Allied Democratic Forces (ADF), which operates in Uganda and the DRC and has terrorized the local population for over a decade.

"The Islamic groups have stepped up their attacks and raids in remote villages, killing thousands of Congolese civilians. Before they used to be in other areas, but now it is Lubero which is being attacked," the local source told ACN.

The source shared that fear has gripped the village because the residents believe that the terrorists have local collaborators who facilitate their operations.

This Maiba massacre comes at a very delicate time for the region, given the worsening of the humanitarian situation in the provinces of North Kivu and South Kivu, which have seen heavy terrorization by another armed group, the March 23 Movement (M23) rebels.

Reportedly supported by neighboring Rwanda and the Congolese armed forces, the M23 has taken important cities and outposts in the region, including Goma and Bukavu, amid heavy fighting.

ACN's local sources have expressed fear that over the next few days, M23 will take Butembo, North Kivu's second-largest city, as it did Goma and Bukavu.

"We are living through very, very difficult times. We are expecting the rebels to enter the city any moment now, as they are only 70 kilometers [about 44 miles] away from here. There is a lot of psychological suffering in Butembo, because the war is literally at our door. We have seen how other regions were overrun by chaos, and now it seems it is our turn," the source is quoted as saying.

The source concluded with a call for prayers, imploring: "Let us pray. Prayer is what keeps our hope alive amidst this situation we are living through."

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

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Denver, Colo., Feb 23, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A live-action theatrical performance depicting Jesus' life, death, and resurrection is selling out mainstream venues across the United States as it begins its spring tour visiting 25 cities before Easter. 

Originally created as a play for youth at New Life Church in Colorado Springs, Colorado, "The Thorn" has grown into a large-scale production featuring a cast of more than 40 including aerialists, dancers, actors, and musicians. It combines choreography, music, and state-of-the-art visuals to create an experience that immerses the audience in the story of Jesus.

John Bolin, the creator of "The Thorn," moved to Colorado Springs in 1997 and was asked to volunteer as a youth pastor at New Life Church. 

"I wasn't trained as a preacher. My background was in marketing and entertainment but not really in church work," he told CNA in an interview. "Instead of preaching sermons, we would do what I called back then 'illustrated sermons.' So it would involve music and video and choreography and things that I knew would keep young people's attention."

One evening during youth group, a 16-year-old girl went up to Bolin crying and holding out her arms. There were visible cut marks on her arms where she had been self-harming. Bolin looked at the young girl and told her: "You don't have to do that because I believe Jesus did that for you 2,000 years ago."

It was then that he decided at the following week's youth group meeting to do an illustrated sermon that portrayed two things: "the price that Jesus paid for us, so that we could identify with his suffering and know that he identifies with our suffering," he shared, and also: "I wanted to show what I call the spiritual battle for the choices, destiny, identity, and calling of young people. That they know that God has a call in their life, but the enemy, I believe, also wants to steal, kill, and destroy God's best plan for them."

That performance for 200 high school students in 1997 was the first of many times "The Thorn" would take the stage. Despite it being what Bolin called "horrible" in terms of costumes, makeup, and production, he said, "I believe God was there and 200 high school students were deeply moved and touched and felt God's love present with them."

The pastor of the church asked Bolin if the show could be performed for Easter, and for the next 10 years, "The Thorn" was performed as an annual Easter tradition in Colorado Springs with thousands of people attending every year.

"Even early on, we were attracting Protestants, Catholics, believers, seekers, agnostics that would come because it was such a different way of communicating and showing the Gospel story that people came from all over the place to experience it," he recalled.

From there, the show became an independent production and began to travel the country performing in large evangelical churches. And then, the COVID-19 pandemic hit and it was forced to stop.

Feeling discouraged in 2021, Bolin had the idea of trying to get "The Thorn" into movie theaters. Thanks to the help of some industry connections, Bolin was able to partner with Fathom Events and in March 2023 "The Thorn" was released in theaters across the country.

While it played in theaters, Bolin thought that one final tour should take part alongside the theatrical run. He reached out to the pastors of churches that had previously hosted the live performance to ask if they'd be interested in hosting one last time, but, to his surprise, they all said no.

"I honestly think God was at work in that," he said. "So then my wife and I thought, 'Well, what do we do? We feel like there's one more live tour in us, but these churches don't want us.' And I felt like God said, 'Go where I would go,' which is in the middle of the marketplace, in the middle of the public square."

It was then that Bolin felt called to look into getting the show in performing art centers, "where you're not in a particular church or anything like that but instead you go to the public square in these performing art centers and present the Gospel."

"So my wife and I took a huge risk. We actually took out a half-million-dollar loan. And we knew that if it didn't work, we would have to sell our house," Bolin shared. "That's the true story behind the story. We knew [the risk] and we agreed to it. We prayed about it and said, we believe in the story enough. We're going to try it."

The husband-and-wife duo went to work booking 10 venues in different cities and promoting the show themselves. They sold out in nearly all 10 cities. 

"That was the beginning of a new chapter and what we see as a miracle," Bolin said. 

Now they're taking part in their largest tour yet with performances leading up to Easter, April 20, in 25 cities including Los Angeles; Austin, Texas; Atlanta; Baltimore; and Charlotte, North Carolina, among others. And for the first time, "The Thorn" will be performed in Spanish in six cities — Los Angeles; Fresno, California; San Diego; El Paso and Grand Prairie, Texas; and Reading, Pennsylvania.  

Bolin said he hopes those who attend a show during the spring tour will leave seeing "Jesus in a way they never have before. I hope that they can feel connected to him in a way they never have before."

"I want people to leave knowing that it's not just a God that's way out there but that he knows your story, he knows your name."

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CNA Newsroom, Feb 23, 2025 / 06:19 am (CNA).

As Pope Francis continued his treatment at Rome's Gemelli Hospital Sunday, he expressed gratitude to medical staff while marking the approaching third anniversary of Russia's invasion of Ukraine in a prepared Angelus message.

"On my part, I am confidently continuing my hospitalization at the Gemelli Hospital, carrying on with the necessary treatment; and rest is also part of the therapy!" the pontiff said Feb. 23.

The Holy Father thanked "the doctors and health workers of this hospital for the attention they are showing me and the dedication with which they carry out their service among the sick."

Vatican sources confirmed that following a prolonged respiratory crisis on Saturday, the pope continues to require supplemental oxygen through nasal cannulas. The latest medical bulletin noted that he also received a blood transfusion to address platelet deficiency associated with anemia.

Despite his health challenges, Pope Francis spoke about current pastoral matters: He acknowledged the ordination of new permanent deacons at St. Peter's Basilica, where Archbishop Rino Fisichella presided over the ceremony for the Jubilee of Deacons in the pope's absence.

The pope had special words for the newly ordained deacons: "Dear brother deacons, you dedicate yourselves to the Word and to the service of charity; you carry out your ministry in the Church with words and deeds, bringing God's love and mercy to everyone."

Turning to global concerns, Francis marked Monday's "painful and shameful occasion" of the third anniversary of the "large-scale war against Ukraine." He renewed his solidarity with "the suffering Ukrainian people" and called for prayers for victims of armed conflicts worldwide, specifically mentioning Palestine, Israel, the Middle East, Myanmar, Kivu, and Sudan.

The pope also expressed appreciation for the many messages of support he has received, particularly noting letters and drawings from children.

"Thank you for this closeness and for the prayers of comfort I have received from all over the world!" he said, entrusting himself to the intercession of Mary.

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Vatican City, Feb 23, 2025 / 06:59 am (CNA).

Pope Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis, the Vatican said. After a full week in medical care, the Vatican announced Feb. 22 the Holy Father had suffered a respiratory crisis and required a blood transfusion. 

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CNA Newsroom, Feb 22, 2025 / 14:11 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis remains in critical condition and "is not out of danger," the Holy See Press Office announced Saturday evening in Rome.

The 88-year-old pontiff "experienced an asthma-like respiratory crisis of prolonged intensity" Saturday morning that required the administration of high-flow oxygen, according to the Vatican's medical update.

Blood tests revealed a low platelet count (thrombocytopenia), associated with anemia, which required blood transfusions.

While the Holy Father remains alert and spent the day in an armchair, he is "more uncomfortable than yesterday," the statement said, describing the prognosis as guarded.

The Vatican confirmed earlier Saturday that the pope will not lead the traditional Sunday Angelus prayer on Feb. 23. During a press conference at the Gemelli hospital on Friday, the medical team caring for the pontiff had described his condition as serious, noting that Pope Francis was fully aware of his situation.

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Vatican City, Feb 22, 2025 / 14:20 pm (CNA).

Pope Francis was admitted to Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Friday, Feb. 14, to undergo testing and treatment for bronchitis, the Vatican said. After a full week in medical care, the Vatican announced Feb. 22 the Holy Father had suffered a respiratory crisis and required a blood transfusion. 

Follow here for the latest news on Pope Francis' health and hospitalization:

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Vatican City, Feb 22, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

Every year on Feb. 22, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of the Chair of St. Peter, a tradition that dates back more than 1,600 years.

The feast honors not just a physical chair but what it represents: the authority of St. Peter, the first pope, and the unbroken line of his successors.

References to the "Chair of Peter" date back to the early centuries of Christianity. St. Jerome, a biblical scholar of the fourth century, wrote in a letter: "I follow no leader save Christ, so I enter into communion with … the Chair of Peter, for this I know is the rock upon which the Church is built."

The feast itself has been celebrated on Feb. 22 since at least A.D. 336, according to Monsignor Tiziano Ghirelli, a canon of St. Peter's Basilica. By the fifth century, its importance had grown, with the imperial family participating in celebrations at the old St. Peter's Basilica in Rome in 450 and 467.

The word "cathedra" refers to the seat of the bishop, which is why the mother church of a diocese is known as a cathedral. The bishop of Rome, as Peter's successor, holds a unique role in guiding the Church.

Pope Benedict XVI explained in a 2006 catechesis that the Chair of Peter "is the symbol of the bishop's authority and in particular, of his 'magisterium,' that is, the evangelical teaching which, as a successor of the apostles, he is called to safeguard and to transmit to the Christian community."

The phrase "ex cathedra" — Latin for "from the chair" — is still used to describe the pope's most authoritative teachings.

"Celebrating the 'chair' of Peter means attributing a strong spiritual significance to it and recognizing it as a privileged sign of the love of God, the eternal Good Shepherd, who wanted to gather his whole Church and lead her on the path of salvation," Benedict said.

Yes, there is actually a chair relic kept in St. Peter's Basilica

In addition to the symbolic meaning, there is also a physical relic known as the Chair of St. Peter housed in St. Peter's Basilica.

The wooden chair, dating back to the ninth century, was displayed for public veneration last fall amid the restoration efforts underway in the basilica.

Prior to that, the chair was last publicly exhibited in 1867, when Pope Pius IX allowed it to be seen for 12 days to mark the 1,800th anniversary of the martyrdom of Peter and Paul. Before that, the chair had not been seen since 1666 when it was first encased inside Gian Lorenzo Bernini's monumental bronze sculpture under the stained-glass Dove of the Holy Spirit window at the basilica's apse.

Historical records indicate that the wooden chair was likely a gift from Holy Roman Emperor Charles the Bald to Pope John VIII in 875. It features ivory panels depicting scenes from Greek mythology, including the labors of Hercules.

During the Middle Ages, the popes were solemnly enthroned on the chair. Innocent III used the wooden chair for his consecration on Feb. 22, 1198. 

"Since the 11th century, the feast of Feb. 22 has been celebrated in Rome, and at the Vatican Basilica, with particular emphasis," Ghirelli explained.

Bernini's monument

In the 17th century, Pope Alexander VII commissioned Bernini to create an elaborate reliquary to house the chair. Bernini's design, completed in 1666, features a gilded bronze throne elevated above the ground crowned by a stained-glass window depicting the Holy Spirit as a dove.

The structure is supported by statues of four doctors of the Church — two from the West, St. Augustine and St. Ambrose, and two from the East, St. John Chrysostom and St. Athanasius — symbolizing the unity of the Church through the ages, bringing together the teachings of both the Latin and Greek Church Fathers.

Above the throne, cherubs hold a papal tiara and keys, a reference to the authority given to Peter in the Gospel of Matthew: "You are Peter, and upon this rock, I will build my Church."

Though the chair relic is once again enclosed within Bernini's sculpture, visitors to St. Peter's Basilica continue to pause before this symbol of the special mission of Peter and his successors to pray for the pope and his intentions.

"As we contemplate it with the wonder of faith," Pope Francis said, "let us remember that this is the chair of love, unity, and mercy, according to Jesus' command to the Apostle Peter not to lord it over others but to serve them in charity."

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Washington D.C., Feb 22, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church during a visit to Washington, D.C., this week advocated for a lasting peace in Ukraine "that does not appease dictators" as the U.S. begins negotiations with Russia.

"Putin's objectives are clear: He wants to erase Ukraine, its people, and its church," Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk stated during a panel discussion at the Hudson Institute on Thursday.

"If Russia succeeds in occupying Ukraine, our church will not survive. For us, it's a matter of life and death," Shevchuk said. 

He continued: "History teaches us that whenever Russia takes control of territories with Eastern Catholics, it enforces them into the Russian Orthodox Church, drives them into exile, or sends them to perish in prison camps."

Shevchuk's visit comes as the Trump administration begins to open diplomatic channels to Russia in an attempt to end the Ukraine war. Top U.S. and Russian diplomats met in Saudi Arabia on Tuesday, marking the first major communication between Washington and Moscow since the start of the war three years ago. Ukrainian diplomats were notably excluded from the meeting. 

During the discussion, which also included the metropolitan archbishop of Philadelphia, Borys Gudziak, and Archpriest Marc Morozovich, Shevchuk warned of the danger to Ukraine and to other nations if Ukraine is occupied by Russia.

"We seek a just peace, not a temporary ceasefire that lets the aggressor return stronger," Shevchuk said during the discussion. 

He further asserted that the Baltic countries, Poland, Georgia, Armenia, and other central Asian countries would also soon be in danger of occupation should Russia prevail over Ukraine. "Putin wants to rebuild the Russian Empire — if Ukraine falls, others will be next," Shevchuk said.

"We cannot afford to be naive," he continued. "As the Apostle Paul warns, 'While people are saying peace and security, then sudden disaster comes upon them.'" 

President Donald Trump recently signaled his administration's intention to definitively pull back U.S. support for Ukraine. In a social media post on Wednesday, he said that Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, whom he described as a "modestly successful comedian" had manipulated the U.S. into spending $350 billion "to go into a war that couldn't be won." 

Trump further shifted blame for the conflict's duration and its death toll on Zelenskyy, asserting that the Ukrainian president "has done a terrible job," leaving his country "shattered."

Shevchuk expressed that he believed Trump's statements mirrored "Russian propaganda talking points" and that Ukraine's future, and that of the church, depends on a lasting peace. 

He cited the example of how in December 2022, Russian authorities declared the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church illegal, outlawing Caritas Ukraine and the Knights of Columbus. He also spoke of two Ukrainian priests who suffered "brutal torture" over the course of 18 months of Russian captivity. Their release, he said, was "thanks to the special effort and mediation of the Holy See." 

"But at least 10 others, Protestants, pastors, are in the same condition and they are tortured right now, at this moment. We have to remember them and speak up on behalf of their release," he noted. 

"Despite Russian propaganda that falsely claims Ukraine suppresses religious freedom, the truth is quite the opposite," Shevchuk continued. "Ukraine guarantees religious liberty, allowing all faiths to practice freely. Meanwhile, in Russian-occupied territories, religious groups not aligned with the Russian Orthodox Church are persecuted."

Shevchuk described the forced deportation of Ukrainian children as "one of the most horrifying crimes of this war." 

"Thousands have been taken from occupied territories and placed in Russian families, orphanages, or so-called reeducation camps," he said. "These children are forced to forget their Ukrainian identity; many aren't even back from Russia. Many are even given new names."

"Each deported child represents another family torn apart by war," Shevchuk reflected. 

To end the war in Ukraine, he said, Ukraine "must have a clear strategy for peace, one that does not appease dictators." 

The Ukrainian patriarch likened the Russian political concept "Ruskiy Mir," or "Russian World," to that of radical Islamism. "The ideology of the 'Russian world' is Russian jihadism," he said. "The whole ideology of the war is to come back to the times of the Soviet Union."

For this to occur, Shevchuk said, would be for Ukrainians to return "back to the catacombs."

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Washington D.C., Feb 21, 2025 / 19:50 pm (CNA).

In the wake of the 2024 election and with Republicans in full control of the White House, Senate, and House of Representatives, social conservatives gathering at the 2025 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) said they are relishing the opportunity to switch from a defensive to offensive posture on several policy fronts.

Mercedes Schlapp, a senior fellow at the American Conservative Union (ACU) Foundation and wife of ACU chairman and CPAC organizer Matt Schlapp, told CNA Friday she believes that specifically, "the death of wokeism and gender ideology has been a crucial part of President [Donald] Trump's victory and the Republicans' victory." 

"[Trump] talks about the revolution of common sense when he's talking about two genders," said Schlapp, who is Catholic. Schlapp said Trump's focus on gender ideology "really hit home for parents," including Catholic and other Christian parents, and their desire to "protect their children." 

"I think it really hit home to so many Catholic families who are teaching their children Catholic values," she said. "And that's why you saw this shift, I think, where more Catholics ended up voting for Donald Trump."

"The Democrats lost the common sense — and their loss is our gain," Michael Knowles, a Catholic political commentator for The Daily Wire, declared during a Thursday afternoon speech at the event.

Knowles emphasized the importance of Trump winning the popular vote, which he did not win in his first presidential victory in 2016, calling the election "a mandate for common sense."

During the campaign, Trump leaned heavily into criticisms of gender ideology, including transgender surgeries for children, biological men in women's sports, and regulations that imposed "gender identity" constructs in public life. Since taking office, he has initiated executive actions to end all those federal policies.

Pope Francis has referred to gender ideology as "one of the most dangerous ideological colonizations" in the world today.

Knowles said that until recent years, "transgenderism did not exist in public life at all," arguing that "LGBT gender-bending ideology" was "forced upon us" and ultimately rejected by voters.

He said American society has historically been based on God and referred to the current secularist trends as an "aberration and a national scandal [that] needs to be reversed." He noted God is mentioned in the Declaration of Independence, on American money, and in the full version of the national anthem.

"Religion is not just some private privilege," Knowles said. "Religion is a public right. Our very country is predicated on the idea that God exists and we are made in his image."

An emboldened social conservatism

During a CPAC panel titled "Culture Warriors: Take Your Truce and Shove It," American Principles Project President Terry Schilling, who is Catholic, called Trump the "most pro-family president" in American history for signing executive orders to "protect our children and families."

Speaking on the same panel as Schilling, Concerned Women for America President Penny Nance pointed out that although Trump's executive actions against gender ideology are welcome, the United States Congress still needs to pass laws to enact the same policies to prevent a future administration from reversing Trump's orders.

"We cannot give up until we are actually able to codify this policy," said Nance, who is an evangelical Christian. 

Some speakers also went further than Trump has on other cultural issues.

Knowles, for example, criticized the federal sanctioning of homosexual marriage, noting that most Democrats were against it until the 2000s. He said marriage "is a natural institution" of a man and a woman and there's "nothing bigoted about that observation."

"That is the only definition of marriage that distinguishes it from other types of relationships," Knowles said. 

Schilling and Nance both criticized cultural norms leading to a decline in marriage and having children. 

"Being a father — it's the most amazing thing," said Schilling, who has seven children. 

Specifically, Schilling criticized the prevalence of pornography and the popularity of marijuana among other cultural vices, which he said distract from "important things like getting married."

Nance also expressed concern over falling fertility rates in the United States, saying: "We're not at replacement rate for our children, for our families." She said that although not everyone can get married, "it's OK to realize and to state that it's the ideal."

"I would suggest there's some real systemic causes of [the declining marriage and fertility rates] that we have to deal with," Nance added.

Schlapp told CNA that society will "prosper" and "thrive" when "you have families who pray to God and have a religion," adding: "It is how you can have a stable community, and quite frankly, a stable society and a stable nation."

"We always believe that at CPAC, it is a spiritual warfare because we're fighting against evil," she added.

"We are fighting against diabolical influences," she said. "And when you're dealing with … taking down the communists and … taking down the globalists, these are people who do not believe in God and they hate the Catholic Church, and they hate Christian values."

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Vatican City, Feb 21, 2025 / 16:30 pm (CNA).

A ruling by the High Court of England and Wales published Feb. 21 has confirmed that the Vatican Secretariat of State was deceived by Italian financier Raffaele Mincione in the irregular purchase of a London building.

For this transaction that ended in fraud Mincione was sentenced in December 2023 by a Vatican lower court to five years and six months in prison for financial crimes related to the case.

In addition, he was ordered to forfeit 200.5 million euros (about $210 million), one of the largest financial penalties ever imposed in the Vatican courts.

In that trial, Cardinal Angelo Becciu was also sentenced to five and a half years in prison for embezzlement of public funds.

According to the ruling, Becciu arranged the acquisition of property located on Sloane Avenue when he was deputy secretary of state from 2011 to 2018.

To do so, he used a third of the reserved funds of the Secretariat of State: that is, $200 million that was paid between 2013 and 2014 at the request of Becciu.

This amount was used to buy shares through a fund managed by the Italian intermediary Mincione, who was also convicted along with Becciu by the Vatican lower court for money laundering, embezzlement, and corruption.

Following the sentence, Mincione filed a lawsuit against the Vatican Secretariat of State in British court in June 2020, and the court published its ruling Feb. 21.

The Italian financier's aim was to obtain a series of legal declarations in his favor regarding his handling of the buying and selling of the Sloane Avenue building.

Mincione argued that his conduct in the transaction had been transparent and in accordance with the standards of good faith. However, the British court rejected his allegations, confirming that the Vatican had reasons to consider itself the victim of a damaging financial scheme.

According to Judge Robin Knowles' 50-page ruling, Mincione and his companies withheld key information and misrepresented the value of the London property, causing significant harm to the Vatican.

The court found that Mincione made "unrealistic" statements, inflating the price of the property and taking advantage of the Vatican's lack of experience in such investments.

Much of the lengthy summary of the verdict focuses on the reconstruction of the irregular transaction.The British court made it clear that the Vatican Secretariat of State was deceived, which coincides with the primary thesis of the Vatican court, which had previously convicted Mincione of money laundering, embezzlement, and corruption.

As a lower court ruling, Mincione has the possibility of appealing the decision.

For the Vatican, the ruling "has important implications not only for Mincione but also for future cases involving the financial operations of the Holy See," according to a Vatican News editorial on the subject.

According to Vatican journalist Andrea Tornielli, the ruling "establishes an important precedent by recognizing that the Vatican was the victim of financial fraud in one of its most important real estate investments."

He also confirmed that according to the Vatican "the lack of transparency and ethics with which Mincione and his entourage operated could influence other ongoing judicial proceedings."

The sentence reinforces, Tornielli said, "the conclusions of the Vatican tribunal, which had already convicted Mincione for crimes related to fraudulent investments of funds of the Holy See."

Tornielli also referenced a statement by the Vatican promoter of justice, Alessandro Diddi, expressing his satisfaction with the British court's ruling against Mincione.

"The British judges have shared the view of the Vatican tribunal and have confirmed that Raffaele Mincione did not act in good faith as required in this type of transaction. With this ruling, it is clear that the Vatican court acted correctly in its assessment of the case," Diddi said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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