A German bishop says Pope Francis expressed a “dramatic concern” over the Catholic Church in Germany and its “synodal path” of reform that began last year, which could include reviewing “taboo” issues such as priestly celibacy and a female priesthood.
In early October along the pristine medieval streets of Assisi, a city ubiquitous with references to St. Francis, posters bore the image of a different modern saint-in-the-making: Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian tech whiz.
In a span of a few days, several members of the Catholic hierarchy in Nicaragua have spoken against the government of President Daniel Ortega and his wife, Vice President Rosario Murillo, denouncing them for attacking the freedom of the press and calling the government a dictatorship.
Chinese Catholics say undisclosed details about negotiations between the Vatican and the Chinese government add to confusion about Church leadership in their native country. The confusion also drives a wedge between Catholics willing to cooperate with government regulators and others who want only to recognize the Vatican’s leadership, local Chinese clergy say.
Sister Norma Pimentel, who recently made it on this years’ “Time” 100 Most Influential People list for her work on the U.S.-Mexico border, has lamented the politicization of the immigration issue, insisting that politics should serve people, not partisan interests.
Pope Francis’s new encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti,” outlines his recipe for rebuilding a post-pandemic world, beginning with a complete restructuring of politics and civil discourse in order to create systems prioritizing the community and the poor, rather than individual or market interests.
Calling all people of goodwill to care for one another as brothers and sisters, Pope Francis urged people not to despair of making the world a better place, but to start creating the world they want through personal action and political lobbying.
Has Pope Pope Francis provided the Church with the resources to navigate another such great global struggle and come out the other side, alive and kicking? Only time will tell, but when that assessment eventually is drawn up, the conversation almost certainly will begin with ”Fratelli Tutti”.
Bringing the Vatican official in charge of translations with him, Pope Francis signed his new encyclical, “Fratelli Tutti, on Fraternity and Social Friendship,” at the tomb of St. Francis of Assisi, source of the document’s title and inspiration.
In his first trip outside Rome since the coronavirus pandemic began, Pope Francis celebrated Mass Saturday at the tomb of his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, and signed his new encyclical on human fraternity.
