AP provides in-depth coverage of a historic schism in the Catholic Church 

Nicole Winfield has been tracking a traditionalist group in the Catholic Church, the Society of St. Pius X, for years while covering the Vatican, but hadn’t been able to speak to itsleadership in a very long time and never had spoken to its faithful. When church officials announced they would be consecrating four bishops without the Pope’s consent, Winfield immediately recognized both the significance of the act and the unique, incredible opportunity to gain access to this reclusive group. Collaborating with colleague Jamey Keaten in Geneva, they were able to put together a coverage plan that allowed AP to dominate this major story and be head and shoulders above the competition. 

Keaten went to great lengths to secure permission for the AP to offer live coverage ofthe entire six-hour-long event in Switzerland, while photographer Baz Ratner shot throughout. The local coverage paired with Winfield’s expertise and the team’s follow-ups from Switzerland and the Vatican, supported by editors in all formats, delivered thoroughly comprehensive coverage of the rupture in the church.