Nicole Winfield
Nicole Winfield is an author at Religion News Service.
All Stories by Nicole Winfield

Vatican says bishops should report sex abuse to police
By Nicole Winfield — July 17, 2020
(AP) — A long-awaited manual on sex-abuse investigations goes beyond current Vatican policy about cooperating with law enforcement agencies.

Vatican prosecutors seize data from St. Peter’s Basilica
By Nicole Winfield — June 30, 2020
ROME (AP) — Vatican prosecutors have ordered the seizure of documents and computers from the administrative offices of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Pope creates new expert commission to study women deacons
By Nicole Winfield — April 8, 2020
ROME (AP) — The 10-member commission, the second of Francis’ pontificate to study the fraught issue, includes equal numbers of men and women representing the United States and six European countries.

Caution, cancellations mark Ash Wednesday in time of virus
By Nicole Winfield and Jim Gomez — February 26, 2020
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis will celebrate Ash Wednesday Mass as planned, but elsewhere in Italy services were canceled over fears of the new coronavirus.

Vatican seeks to explain absence of aide after book scandal
By Nicole Winfield — February 5, 2020
VATICAN CITY (AP) — The Vatican press office denied that Archbishop Georg Gaenswein, who works for both the reigning and the retired pope, had been officially suspended as head of Francis' papal household over his role in the scandal.

Buffalo bishop resigns under fire for handling of misconduct
By Nicole Winfield — December 4, 2019
NEW YORK (AP) — Bishop Richard Malone of Buffalo stepped aside amid mounting calls for his ouster from his staff, priests and public over his handling of allegations of clergy sexual misconduct.

Texas grand jury declines to indict monsignor in consent case
By Nomaan Merchant and Nicole Winfield — October 22, 2019
HOUSTON (AP) — A Texas grand jury has declined to indict the onetime deputy to Cardinal Daniel DiNardo on charges he sexually assaulted a married woman in a case that raised questions about consent in the #MeToo era.
Vatican defends married priest proposal on Amazon agenda
By Nicole Winfield — October 3, 2019
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Organizers of the Synod on the Pan-Amazon Region defended plans to introduce debate on married priests, saying the proposal represents the “the voice of the local church,” not a decision by the pope.

Vatican cardinal skeptical about married priests for Amazon
By Nicole Winfield — October 2, 2019
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinal Marc Ouellet acknowledged the Amazon region's priest shortage and said he was open to debate about it during this month's Amazon synod.

Pope on critics: It’s ‘an honor if the Americans attack me’
By Nicole Winfield — September 5, 2019
ABOARD THE PAPAL PLANE (AP) — Pope Francis acknowledged his growing opposition within the conservative right-wing of the U.S. Catholic Church in off-hand remarks aboard the papal plane Wednesday.

Ex-cardinal’s letters to victims show signs of grooming
By Nicole Winfield — August 6, 2019
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Full of flattery, familiarity and boasts about his own power, the letters provide visceral evidence of how a globe-trotting bishop made young, vulnerable men feel special — and then allegedly took advantage of them.

American cardinal severs ties with Bannon-linked group
By Nicole Winfield — June 25, 2019
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Cardinal Raymond Burke said in a statement Tuesday that he was terminating his relationship with the Dignitatis Humanae Institute immediately.

Woman accuses Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of dismissing sex abuse case
By Nicole Winfield — June 4, 2019
HOUSTON (AP) — Cardinal Daniel DiNardo, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, has been accused of covering up abuse by one of his chief aides. A Texas women says Monsignor Frank Rossi manipulated her into a sexual relationship, while serving as her spiritual counselor and confessor and while asking her for donations. She says DiNardo allowed Rossi to continue as a priest with no penalties. The archdiocese says Rossi was suspended.

Vatican law: Priests, nuns must report sex abuse, cover-up
By Nicole Winfield — May 9, 2019
VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis issued a groundbreaking law Thursday requiring all Catholic priests and nuns around the world to report clergy sexual abuse and cover-up by their superiors to church authorities.

Retired Pope Benedict wades into clergy sex abuse debate
By Nicole Winfield — April 11, 2019
(AP) — His analysis was immediately criticized as 'catastrophically irresponsible' — a conflict with efforts by his successor, Pope Francis, to lead the church out of its crisis.