Vatican News: Vatican sites hacked, Pope Defends Benedict XVI, Pope Francis in Africa in 2023 & more

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👉🏻 Sign up here: https://mailchi.mp/ewtn/vatican Hello and welcome to this week’s Vaticano Update, the most important news from Pope Francis and the Vatican. TOP 1: Pope Francis: Benedict XVI was ‘leader’ in responding to sexual abuse In a recent interview Pope Francis said Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI led the way in “taking responsibility” and responding with transparency to clerical sexual abuse — the latest defense by the Holy Father of his predecessor, who is facing criticism in Germany for his handling of several abuse cases as an archbishop decades ago. During his almost eight-year pontificate Benedict XVI dismissed hundreds of abusers from the clerical state, regularly met abuse survivors, and addressed the abuse crisis in Ireland in a 2010 pastoral letter. He resigned from the papacy in 2013. TOP 2: Pope Francis appoints new Vatican 'minister of economy' After just two years, Father Antonio Guerrero is leaving his post as prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy for personal reasons. Replacing him will be Maximino Caballero Ledo, the first layman in history to hold the reins of Vatican finance. Before coming to the Vatican, Caballero was vice president of international finance at Baxter Healthcare, Inc., a medical products company. Born in Merida, Spain, he lived and worked in the United States from 2007-2020. TOP 3: Pope Francis: Make examination of conscience every day Pope Francis has recommended a daily examination of conscience as an “indispensable” practice in spiritual life. An examination of conscience is a prayerful reflection on one’s thoughts, words, and deeds that helps to identify moments of sin and points us towards God’s mercy. This daily examination can be “an invitation to learn from our experiences” and “to stop ourselves from repeating the same mistakes,” the pope said. TOP 4: The Vatican says it’s been hacked The Holy See has taken down its main vatican.va website following a suspected attempt to hack the site. “Technical investigations are ongoing due to abnormal attempts to access the site,” Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni told Reuters Nov. 30, without elaboration. The identity and motives of the alleged hacker or hackers remain unclear. However, the attack comes a day after Russian leaders criticized Pope Francis for comments he made on Russia’s war in Ukraine, and shortly after the Vatican challenged the Chinese government for appointing a bishop without authorization from the Holy See. TOP 5: Pope will travel to the DRC and the South Sudan in the New Year Pope Francis will travel to two countries on the African continent in the New Year, the Democratic Republic of Congo and the South Sudan. Leaving Rome on the 31st of January, he will first spend 4 days in the city of Kinshasha, the capital of the DRC. On the 3rd of February, he will begin the Ecumenical Pilgrimage of Peace to the South Sudan. Joining him on this pilgrimage will be the Most Reverend Justin Welby, Archbishop of Canterbury, and Rt Rev Dr Iain Greenshields, the Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland. The Pope will return to Rome on the 5th of February. 👥 Follow us on our social networks: Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/EWTNVatican/ Twitter: https://twitter.com/EWTNVatican Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/EWTNVatican