After a brief shout-out for the “communal and fraternal” atmosphere within the summit of bishops, speakers at a press briefing in the Vatican on Tuesday acknowledged that sexuality, the abuse crisis and the role of women in the Church are burning topics for many young people today.
Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Vatican’s Congregation for Bishops, accused Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who linked Pope Francis to scandals surrounding former Cardinal McCarrick, of a “deplorable and incomprehensible” attack against the Holy Father.
When people ask why the Vatican has an observatory, one Jesuit priest says it’s because it cannot afford a particle accelerator.
The days of making “weak excuses” in response to the sexual abuse crisis are over, said German Cardinal Reinhard Marx of Munich and Freising.
Caring for the sick, especially those near death, cannot be reduced simply to giving them medicine, but must include providing healing and comfort that gives their lives value and meaning, Pope Francis said.
Folliwing the historic agreement signed between the Vatican and China for the joint appointment of bishops last Sept. 22, a leader of the Catholic Church in Taiwan says he’s “not concerned” about his island nation being left out in the cold.
One day after Pope Francis kicked off this month’s Vatican summit on young people by warning against a temptation to focus on “abstract ideologies” detached from the realities of young people, concrete topics ranging from sex abuse, LGBT issues, migration and technology took center stage.
Catholic aid agencies were among those working to assess the needs and get relief to the island of Sulawesi after an earthquake and tsunami left more than 1,200 people dead.
To strengthen and support young people in the faith, members of the Synod of Bishops will need to listen to their real-life stories, interpret what they hear in the light of the Gospel and make decisions that will lead to an authentic renewal of the Catholic Church, said Brazilian Cardinal Sergio da Rocha.
With Pope Francis midway into the sixth year of his pontificate, the percentage of U.S. Catholics who view him favorably, while still strong, is noticeably down.
