Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life, highlighted the urgency of this initiative, emphasizing that every human life must be valued and protected. In his introduction to the resource, he drew attention to contemporary crises—including war, violence, poverty, and discrimination—that make a pastoral approach to life more necessary than ever. He also referenced the Vatican’s recent declaration «Dignitas Infinita», which reaffirmed the inalienable dignity of every human being, regardless of their condition or circumstances.

The document is the result of extensive dialogue with bishops from around the world, many of whom expressed their concerns during their “ad limina” visits to Rome. According to Archbishop Dario Gervasi, the Dicastery’s Adjunct Secretary, this collaboration reflects a collective desire to enhance the Church’s efforts in defending human life at all stages. A webinar held in 2024 with representatives from episcopal conferences laid the groundwork for this process, ensuring that the pastoral strategy aligns with the Church’s latest teachings.

A Synodal Approach to Defending Life 

The new resource offers a method for applying synodal discernment to life-related issues, helping dioceses develop tailored pastoral programs suited to their specific cultural and geographic contexts. Rather than providing rigid guidelines, it encourages an open and dynamic approach, allowing local churches to adapt their strategies according to their needs.

Bishop Gervasi underscored the importance of collaboration in this endeavor, stating that the goal is to equip dioceses with the tools necessary to train laypeople effectively and engage younger generations in the defense of life. The hope is that the resource will inspire a broader movement, reaching not only clergy and religious leaders but also parents, teachers, and youth.

Free Access and Global Distribution 

To ensure widespread accessibility, the document has been made available for free in Italian, English, and Portuguese on the Dicastery’s website (www.laityfamilylife.va). French and Spanish versions are set to be released soon. The Vatican urges clergy and laypeople alike to study the resource and take active steps toward integrating its principles into pastoral work.

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Koch has served as the head of the Dicastery for the Promotion of Christian Unity since 2010, overseeing the Vatican’s efforts to foster dialogue and collaboration among Christian denominations. His extended tenure suggests that Francis values continuity in the Church’s ecumenical work at a time when unity is both a theological and practical challenge.

Koch’s office engages with diverse Christian communities, navigating theological and cultural differences that shape ecumenical dialogue. As he explains, discussions vary greatly depending on the group involved.

«We share a deep theological heritage with the Eastern Churches but are shaped by different cultural traditions,» Koch observed. «With Protestant communities, we have more cultural similarities but fewer theological commonalities.»

This contrast highlights the complex nature of Christian unity—sometimes bound by shared beliefs, sometimes by shared history, but often hindered by both. Despite these challenges, Koch remains hopeful that more believers will recognize the importance of unity, citing Jesus’ own prayer for his followers to be one.  

The Road to Nicea 2025 

Observers speculate that Koch will continue in his role at least through May 2025, when Christian leaders will mark the anniversary of the First Council of Nicea in Iznik, Turkey. The historic council, convened in 325 AD, produced the Nicene Creed—a foundational statement of Christian belief still used by many denominations today.

Koch sees the event as an opportunity for churches to commemorate their shared history. «It is a wonderful occasion for all Christian communities to reflect together on this ancient confession of faith,» he said. The symbolic significance of gathering in Nicea is undeniable, even if little remains of the original council site.

Pope Francis has expressed interest in attending the event, but his participation remains uncertain due to health concerns. The Vatican has not confirmed any travel plans, and at a recent press conference, medical officials offered a cautious response: «The trip is not confirmed.» Koch, however, remains optimistic. «I hope it will be possible,» he said. «It would be a powerful gesture to celebrate together in Nicea.»

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This decision seems to respond to a request of the Community itself, specifically to the desire to be supported in its work, in its organization and government. “I thank God for this decision, because I’m convinced that it’s good to let ourselves be looked at by the Church,” said the General Moderator, Michel-Bernard de Vregille, in a letter to the members of the Community.

This Visit, “will make possible a sustained support to our Community in this important step towards the future.”

Founded in France in 1972,  the Emmanuel Community has close to 13,000 lay members, priests, and consecrated people, spread across 70 countries worldwide. Among them are 300 priests, 32 permanent deacons, some one hundred seminarians and 225 consecrated laymen. The Community has also given the Church ten Bishops. Recently, the Founder, Pierre Goursat, has been declared Venerable.

Following a seminar, organized in July 2024, on the subject of governance, differences of opinion arose among the members of the Community. “Before and after this summer seminar, we have experienced tensions in the heart of the Community government,” explained the Moderator. “We realized that we would not be able to go ahead alone.” So the International Council and the Moderator wrote to Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline, Archbishop of Marseille and the Community’s Ecclesiastical Assistant, to ask for the help and advice of the Church. Meetings were held with the Archbishop of Marseille and with Cardinal Kevin Farrell, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family and Life, who considered that an Apostolic Visit was the most appropriate way to respond to this request for outside help.

The Apostolic Visit could last between three  months to a year, and will be of great support to the Community, which has “become a great boat” and faces many internal challenges, including its growth, very different international realities, the need to inculturate the charism and the complexity of its organization. “I have the feeling that this will require much work. I’m also conscious that this Visit will raise questions and that we’ll have to respond to them,” added Michel-Bernard de Vregille. “Therefore, leaning on the discernment of the Church, we trust in the fruits that this Visit will bear because, through it, it’s Jesus who accompanies us.” “Yes, we can be thankful, because this Apostolic Visit is truly a gift the Church gives us to accompany us. Through it, the Holy Spirit will make all things new,” Vregille concluded.

With information from ZENIT’s French edition.

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Bishop Mauricio Landra, Auxiliary Bishop of Mercedes-Luján, has been appointed as the pontifical delegate responsible for overseeing the institute’s closure. His appointment brings an end to the tenure of Archbishop Jorge Ignacio García Cuerva, who had served as the Vatican’s commissioner for «Miles Christi» since late 2022.

A Troubled History Leading to Dissolution 

Founded in 1994 in the Archdiocese of La Plata, Argentina, «Miles Christi» was once regarded as a promising religious institute. However, in recent years, its reputation suffered due to serious allegations against its founder and members.

In February 2020, the institute’s founder, Roberto Juan Yannuzzi, was expelled from the clerical state after being found guilty of offenses including sexual misconduct with adults, abuse of authority, and violating the secrecy of confession to absolve a complicit party. This marked the beginning of increased scrutiny of “Miles Christi” and its internal governance.

By December 2022, under the leadership of Archbishop Víctor Manuel Fernández, the Archdiocese of La Plata terminated the institute’s management of San Luis Gonzaga Parish and San Francisco de Asís School, institutions it had overseen for 16 years. These responsibilities were transferred to the archdiocese.

Shortly thereafter, additional concerns emerged. A formal complaint of sexual abuse involving a «Miles Christi» priest had reportedly been filed with the religious institute’s leadership in early 2022. The case was later escalated to the archdiocese, then expanded, and ultimately submitted to civil authorities.

By early 2023, Archbishop García Cuerva, in his role as Pontifical Commissioner, announced the closure of «Miles Christi’s San Ignacio Center in La Plata, further signaling the Vatican’s growing intervention in the institute’s affairs.

Final Steps in the Dissolution 

On March 6, 2025, Bishop Landra issued a statement confirming that Miles Christi had been formally notified of the Vatican’s decision. Acknowledging the complexity of the situation, he expressed hopes that the closure would be carried out with “justice and charity” and entrusted the process to the intercession of Mary, Mother of the Church.

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The Holy See frequently receives requests, both from the clergy as well as lay people, for clarification of the Church’s position on Maria Valtorta’s writings, such as “The Poem of the Man God,” known today with the title “The Gospel As It Was Revealed to Me,” and other publications. 

Reiterated in this connection is that the alleged “visions,” “revelations,” and “communications” contained in Maria Valtorta’s writings or, in any case, attributed to her, cannot be considered of supernatural origin, but must be considered simply as literary forms that the author used to narrate, in her own way, the life of Jesus Christ. 

In her long Tradition, the Church does not accept the apocryphal Gospels and other similar texts as normative, as she doesn’t recognize their divine inspiration, remitting to the safe reading of the inspired Gospels. 

Vatican City, February 22, 2025

Translation of the Italian original into Spanish by ZENIT’s Editorial Director and, into English, by Virginia M. Forrester

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* * *

On the duty to respect the bona fama defuncti (c. 220) in current Canon Law,

Prot. 18316, September 5, 2024

Vatican City, September 5, 2024

Very Reverend Monsignor,

I acknowledge receipt of your letter of last July 3, in which you requested this Dicastery for an opinion on the matter of the “bona fama defuncti” [“good reputation of the deceased,” not] in the current canonical conception. After a careful examination of this delicate question, having collected the opinion of two esteemed expert canonists on the matter, I am pleased to communicate to you the following observations.

Canon 220 establishes a general principle that prohibits calumny and defamation (cf. also in nos. 2477-2479 CCC), affirming that “it is not licit for anyone to injure illegitimately the reputation one enjoys.” This means that, in some cases, the harm to the good reputation can be legitimate, for instance, to avoid any danger or threat to people or the community; consequently, it would not be at all legitimate when such a risk can be reasonably excluded, as in the case of alleged deceased offenders, in which there can be neither a legitimate nor proportionate reason for the harm of the reputation. Hence, it does not seem admissible to justify the publication of such news for alleged reasons of transparency or reparation (unless the subject gives his consent and, therefore, excluding again deceased persons). However, the legal problem is not reduced to the impossibility of defending oneself from the accusations of a deceased person, without it affecting at last two principles of law universally accepted.

1)the principle of presumption of innocence of every person until proof – judicial – to the contrary and definitive (see also can. 1321 §1);

2)the principle of non-retroactivity of the crime, in virtue of which one cannot judge and, consequently, not even accuse – for a conduct that in the moment of its possible commission did not constitute a crime from a formal point of view. Criminal norms are only applied pro futuro (cf. cc. 9; 18;1313) and cannot be applied to acts and conducts that in the moment of their commission did not constitute grievances or crimes.These principles, of structural scope, cannot reasonably be annulled by a generic «right to information» that makes public any kind of news, no matter how credible it may be, to the concrete detriment and existential damage of those personally involved, even more so if it is inaccurate, or even unfounded or false, or completely useless, such as that relating to deceased persons. Moreover, to determine if an accusation is “founded” often rests on a non-canonical foundation and requires a relatively low level of proof, which gives place to the publication of the name of a person simply accused, but an accusation not proved, without the benefit of any exercise of the right of defense.

In conclusion, having as an inalienable legal basis the affirmation of the Supreme Pontiff Francis that «the publication of lists of accused must be avoided, even by the dioceses, before the preliminary investigation and the definitive sentence» 1, the answer can only be negative regarding the disclosure of hidden information relating to any person, even more so when dealing with deceased persons. Hoping to have provided you with a useful opinion, I take this opportunity to greet you very cordially.

In the Lord,

Filippo Iannone

Prefect

Juan Ignacio Arrieta

Secretary

Translation of the Italian original by ZENIT’s Editorial Director and, into English, by Virginia M. Forrester.

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The dicastery, which oversees legal interpretations for the universal Church, warned that such public lists could violate fundamental legal rights. While acknowledging the Church’s duty to protect communities from potential harm, the Vatican’s legal experts argued that publicly naming accused clergy—especially those who are deceased—could result in unjust damage to reputations, particularly when no formal legal judgment has been made.

The document emphasized that the presumption of innocence remains a cornerstone of justice, both in secular and ecclesiastical law. The dicastery noted that diocesan determinations of «credibility» often rely on minimal evidence and do not afford the accused a full legal defense. It also argued that broad claims of «transparency» do not override the fundamental principles of due process.

Stance aligns with previous statements from both the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for the Clergy, as well as Pope Francis himself. In 2019, during a global summit on clergy sexual abuse, the Pope explicitly rejected the practice of publishing such lists, reiterating the need to uphold the presumption of innocence until guilt is definitively established. The Vatican’s 2022 legal handbook on abuse cases reinforced this position, cautioning against public statements that could preempt legal outcomes.

The debate surrounding the publication of accused clergy’s names remains deeply divisive. Many U.S. dioceses began releasing such lists in response to widespread abuse scandals, particularly as state-level investigations and legal reforms lifted statutes of limitations. Advocates for survivors argue that these lists validate victims’ experiences and encourage others to come forward. They contend that for those abused by deceased clergy, public acknowledgment may be the closest they will ever get to justice.

On the other hand, critics of the practice warn that it can create lasting harm, particularly when accusations remain unproven. Some priests, once included on such lists, find themselves permanently sidelined, even if no conclusive evidence emerges against them. The Vatican has expressed concern that such outcomes could effectively impose a lifelong punishment without due process.

While the Vatican’s directive is clear, its implications for diocesan policies—particularly in countries like the United States, where transparency measures have become a norm—remain uncertain.

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The commission’s primary role is to «encourage donations from the faithful, episcopal conferences, and potential benefactors», emphasizing their importance in sustaining the Vatican’s mission and humanitarian efforts. Additionally, it will seek out financial contributions from willing donors to fund «specific projects proposed by the Roman Curia and the Vatican City Governatorate, while respecting the autonomy and competencies of each institution.

To oversee this new initiative, Pope Francis has appointed «five members, though the commission may expand to six. The initial team includes:

– Monsignor Roberto Campisi, Assessor for General Affairs of the Secretariat of State, who will serve as the commission’s president

– Archbishop Flavio Pace, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity

– Sister Alessandra Smerilli, Secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development

– Sister Silvana Piro, Undersecretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA)

– Lawyer Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, Deputy Secretary General of the Vatican City Governatorate

One of the commission’s key responsibilities is to act as a coordinating body for various existing fundraising initiatives, both formal and informal. This includes managing contributions under Canon 1271 of the Code of Canon Law and the well-known «Peter’s Pence» collection, while ensuring that the distinct purposes of each fundraising mechanism remain intact.

Each year, the commission will define awareness and fundraising campaigns, setting their focus areas, implementation methods, and activity schedules. It will also identify, assess, and prioritize projects requiring financial support and, in cases where no specific projects are submitted, may raise reserve funds for future needs.

A detailed regulatory framework for the commission’s operations is expected to be finalized within the next three months.

This move reflects Pope Francis’s ongoing commitment to financial transparency and sustainability within the Vatican. By centralizing and streamlining donation efforts, the Holy See aims to reinforce its ability to fund key initiatives, ensuring that resources are allocated efficiently and ethically.

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His remarks formed part of a broader theological conference that examined the foundations of Catholic teaching on human dignity. Fernández expressed concern that the use of medical and technological means to alter one’s identity goes beyond cosmetic procedures and into the realm of constructing an artificial reality. While acknowledging that some individuals experience profound distress regarding their identity, he urged caution in responding to such cases, emphasizing that extreme measures should not be viewed as simple solutions.

He pointed to the Church’s theological anthropology as a unique and unparalleled framework for understanding human nature. Referring to «Dignitas Infinita», a recent Vatican document on human dignity, Fernández invoked the words of Pope John Paul II, who in 1980 reminded the faithful that God’s love bestows immeasurable worth upon every human being. The cardinal stressed that those who suffer from physical or spiritual difficulties are especially embraced by Christ’s love.

The event, titled «The Catholic Foundation of Human Dignity,» was intended to connect Catholic theology with other academic disciplines and worldviews. Christoph Ohly, rector of KHKT, highlighted that questions of dignity and human rights are not exclusive to Christianity but resonate with all of humanity. Over the course of several days, theologians and scholars explored how dignity is defined, its connection to human rights, and the evolving debates surrounding its application in modern society.

Fernández’s intervention reaffirmed the Church’s commitment to a vision of human nature rooted in theological tradition rather than shifting cultural trends. His remarks add to an ongoing Vatican discourse that seeks to defend the integrity of the human person while engaging with the complexities of modern thought.

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The summit, organized in the framework of the Jubilee of Hope 2025, is an opportunity to explore the most advanced scientific discoveries and to reflect on the fundamental ethical values that guide research in this field. Among the participants are Professor Shyn’ya Yamanaka, Nobel Prize laureate in Medicine in 2012, whose discoveries on cellular reprogramming are opening innumerable applications, and Professor Venki Ramakrishnan, Nobel Prize winner in Chemistry in 2009, whose presence confers on the summit an exceptional scientific and cultural level.

The First Vatican Summit on Longevity was thought by Father Alberto Carrara, President of the International Institute of Neuro-Bioethics, and Viviana Kasam, President of the BrainCircleItalia,who died in October of 2024. The event is sponsored by the Pontifical Academy for Life (PAL), whose President will open the events and is in synergy with the Longevity Summit of Milan.

THE PROGRAM FORESEES THE FOLLOWING

Opening Greeting

• Monsignor Vincenzo Paglia, President of the Pontifical Academy for Life
• Professor Giulio Maira, Founder and President of the Athena Foundation

Lectio Magistralis:

• Shyn’ya Yamanaka, introduced by Professor Juan Carlos Ipsizua Belmonte
• Venki Ramakrishnan, introduced by Professor Valerio Orlando

Round Table:

Moderated by Professor Nir Barzulai, the round table will address innovative and multi-disciplinary topics:

• Juan Carlos Ipsizua Belmonte: How the Yamanaka factors influence longevity perspectives
• Valerio Orlando: Readjust the time of human dignity
• Vittorio Sebastiano: The ovary and its secrets for longevity
• Valentina Bollati: Not only the genes: behaviour can also help to lead a healthy life
• Eileen Crimmins: The challenge between the hope of life and the duration of health
• Camillo Ricordi: What models for longevity?

Conclusion:

• Nir Barzilai: From Methuselah to us: What follows?

A Global Plan for Global Human Longevity

The Vatican’s Longevity Summit will not be an isolated event, but the first step of an ambitious global plan, led by the Vatican, in collaboration with international scientific and academic institutions. This project hopes to promote a model of longevity that is not limited to increase the years of life, but that enriches them in terms of quality, dignity and sustainability, integrating science, ethics and spirituality.

In consonance with shared ethical and anthropological principles, the International Institute of Neuro-Bioethics intends to develop an inter-disciplinary platform, to foment dialogue between scientists, philosophers, bioethicists and political leaders. Integral human longevity will be the central theme of future activities, with the objective of building a society that values all the stages of life  and promotes inter-generational solidarity.

This summit represents not only a scientific reflection but also an appeal to consider aging as an ethical responsibility and an extraordinary opportunity of innovation for the common good.

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