AC Wimmer

AC Wimmer is the News Editor for Europe and Asia at EWTN News. The multilingual Australian, raised in Bavaria and South Africa, served as editor-in-chief of several news media outlets. A graduate in Philosophy and Chinese Studies from the University of Melbourne, the veteran journalist is a former Honorary Research Fellow in Communications at his alma mater and served on the Board of Caritas in Munich.

‘Benedict trusted Francis. But he was bitterly disappointed,’ biographer says in new interview

Pope Benedict XVI’s biographer, Peter Seewald, has raised concerns about how Pope Francis is managing the legacy of his predecessor.

Pope Francis confesses in St. Peter's Basilica. | Credit: L’Osservatore Romano

Hearing the Pope’s Confession: Vatican Confessor Reflects on Sacrament

A veteran Vatican confessor spoke about his time as confessor to Pope Francis, stressing the enduring and essential role of...

Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, Germany, (left) and Archbishop Stanisław Gądecki of Poznań, Poland. | Credit: Bistum Limburg/Episkopat.pl. / Bistum Limburg/Episkopat.pl

Confronting Controversy: German-Polish Bishops’ Dialogue Highlights Synodal Way Tensions

A public dispute between the German Bishops’ Conference president and his Polish counterpart took another turn on Monday.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin. | Claude Truong-Ngoc via Wikimedia Commons (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Vatican Draws Line on Women’s Ordination and Homosexuality in New Letter to German Bishops

The Vatican has informed German bishops in writing that the ordination of women and changes in the Church’s teaching on...

Pope Benedict XVI. | Credit: Paul Badde/EWTN

Police: Suspect in Theft of Benedict XVI’s Pectoral Cross Arrested

A 53-year-old suspect has been arrested in the theft of Pope Benedict XVI’s pectoral cross.

Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun departs the Pontifical Urbaniana University in Rome, Nov. 18, 2014. | Bohumil Petrik/CNA.

Chinese Cardinal Expresses Concerns about Synod on Synodality in Leaked Letter to Bishops

Just days before the Synod on Synodality kicked off its first round of meetings at the Vatican, a letter from...

Bishop Georg Bätzing addresses journalists on Sept 28, 2023. | Credit: Martin Rothweiler/EWTN Germany

German Bishops Conclude Tense Gathering with all Eyes on Synod on Synodality in Rome

Conscious of mounting tensions and open defiance around certain issues, the assembly in Wiesbaden served as a charged prelude to...

Faith Meets Ecology: World Youth Day Rosaries Made from Ocean Plastic

In a unique blend of faith and environmental activism, pilgrims from Vancouver handed out rosaries crafted from recycled ocean plastic...

Archbishop Georg Gänswein in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 25, 2019. | Daniel Ibáñez/CNA.

Marian Embrace: Archbishop Gänswein Speaks of Loneliness,Solace in First Public Appearance

In the bustling heart of Catholicism that is Rome, Archbishop Georg Gänswein once stood as a close aide to Pope...

Birgit Mock, a vice president of the ZdK, on July 31, 2023, attacked Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki of Cologne for admonishing a priest his statements against blessing same-sex unions. | Synodaler Weg / Maximilian von Lachner

German Cardinal Under Fire for Admonishing Priest Over Same-sex Blessings

A German cardinal was publicly criticized by the powerful Central Committee of German Catholics (ZdK) on Monday for formally warning...

World Youth Day Kicks Off: ACN Champions the Cause of Persecuted Christians Worldwide

As the World Youth Day (WYD) kicks off in Lisbon this week, the international Catholic charity Aid to the Church...

Pope Francis and Vietnam President Vo Van Thuong at the Vatican Apostolic Palace, 27 July 2023 | Vatican Media / ACI Group

Holy See and Vietnam Progress Towards Diplomatic Relations

In a significant move towards establishing full diplomatic relations, the Holy See and Vietnam have agreed to work towards the...

Unrest in France: Religious Leaders Call for Dialogue and Calm

France’s bishops joined other religious leaders over the weekend in responding to the ongoing unrest in their country with a...

The Catholic Cathedral of Limburg in Hesse, Germany. | Mylius via Wikimedia (GFDL 1.2).

German Exodus: Half a Million Catholics Abandon Church in Historic Departure

The Catholic Church in Germany is facing an unprecedented crisis, with more than half a million baptized Catholics leaving the...

Bishop Gebhard Fürst blesses the bell from St. Albertus Magnus in Oberesslingen in front of the church in Żegoty (Siegfriedswalde), Germany, which has now returned to its homeland of Poland. | Credit: Diocese of Rottenburg-Stuttgart/Arkadius Guzy

Ringing in a New Era: The Historic Return of Nazi-plundered Bells to Poland

This past weekend, a German bishop and a German state premier took part in an initiative to bring bells stolen...

Pope Benedict XVI at the World Family Meeting in Milan with Cardinal Angelo Scola on June 4, 2012. | Credit: CNA/World Meeting of Families 2012

Pectoral Cross Bequeathed by Late Pope Benedict XVI to Parish in Bavaria, Germany, Stolen

A pectoral cross bequeathed by the late Pope Benedict XVI to a parish in his native Bavaria has been stolen...

Archbishop Arthur Roche at a Vatican press conference on Feb. 10, 2015. | Bohumil Petrik/CNA.

Vatican Cardinal Intervenes against German Church’s Plan for Laity to Give Homily, Baptize

The Prefect of the Vatican Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments has intervened against the implementation of resolutions...

Bishop Franz-Josef Bode of the Diocese of Osnabrück served as vice president of the German bishops' conference from 2017 to 2023. | Courtesy of Synodaler Weg/Maximilian von Lachner

Pope Francis Accepts Resignation of Vice President of German Bishops’ Conference

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of a German bishop on Saturday who played a key role in the German Synodal...

The Frauenkirche, the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising. | Diliff via Wikimedia (CC BY 2.5)

Prosecutors Drop Case of Alleged "cover up" Against Benedict XVI

A potential legal case against Pope Benedict XVI over his handling of abuse during his time as archbishop of Munich...

Despite "no" from Vatican, German Bishops Moves Forward with Plans for Synodal Council

Despite repeated warnings from the Vatican, a letter by the president of the German Bishops’ Conference published Wednesday confirms that...