60 Minutes explores Vatican orphan adoptions and Christopher Nolan interview

A Vatican-linked adoption pipeline sent thousands of Italian children to the United States from 1950 to 1970, even though many had living mothers. On July 12, 2026, Bill Whitaker reported a 60 Minutes segment on the case and spoke with American adoptees still searching for their Italian families.

The story centered on orphan visas and the records left behind by a system that moved children from Italy into American homes. Many of those children were born to unwed mothers who were alive.

The episode also turned to the Principality of Sealand, a self-declared sovereign state on Roughs Tower in the North Sea off the coast of England. Roy Bates declared Sealand independent on 2 September 1967, and the Sealand family still governs the site as hereditary royal rulers with its own flag, constitution, currency, stamps, passports, and a permanent population. Britannica places Sealand about 12 kilometers off the English coast.

The final segment featured Christopher Nolan, the director of Oppenheimer, Inception, Interstellar, and The Dark Knight. The interview focused on his next major project, The Odyssey, and Nolan said he approaches each film as if it might be his last.