About 10 days before he was expected in Rome, U.S. Secretary of State Mike Pompeo tweeted that the Vatican “endangers its moral authority” by considering an extension of its 2018 agreement with China on the nomination of bishops.
Vatican
Pope Francis Holds Private Meeting With Parents of LGBT Children
Pope Francis told a group of parents of LGBT children Sept.16 that God loves them as they are, and that the Church loves them because they are “children of God.” The pontiff’s words came during a short, private encounter with some 40 Italian mothers and fathers of LGBT children that took place following his Sept.16 general audience.
Catholics in Belarus Criticize Lack of Information on Fate of Archbishop
Catholic representatives in Belarus said they were not invited to talks between Vatican and government officials and criticized a “lack of information” about the fate of their exiled bishops’ conference president.
Top Officials Optimistic About Renewal of Vatican-China Deal
Top officials from both China and the Vatican have given indications that the controversial agreement between the two on the appointment of bishops, which expires at the end of September, will be renewed.
Pope Francis Prays for Young People as School Year Begins Amid Pandemic
In a letter to people participating in a virtual Marian pilgrimage, Pope Francis offered words of encouragement to families struggling amid the COVID-19 pandemic.
With Pope Francis’ Okay, Cardinal Says Return to Public Mass ‘Necessary and Urgent’
Calling it “necessary and urgent” to return to public Masses as soon as anti-COVID 19 measures permit, the Vatican’s top official for liturgy has urged Catholic bishops around the world not to let religious worship be relegated to a priority level below “recreational activities” or treated as just another public gathering.
Vatican: Educational Alliance Needed to Confront Pandemic Challenges
The Vatican Congregation for Catholic Education called for an alliance between Catholic and non-Catholic educational institutions in order to confront the challenges stemming from or exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic.
As Vatican Ponders China Deal, Expert Says It’s Brought ‘Little Fruit’
As the Vatican sits poised to renew its historic agreement with China on the appointment of bishops later this month, one of the Catholic Church’s leading experts on Chinese affairs has argued that while the desire for dialogue is understandable, there is still nothing to show for the deal two years later.
Pope Will Sign New Encyclical in Assisi Oct. 3
Pope Francis will travel to Assisi Oct. 3 to sign an encyclical on the social, political and economic obligations that flow from a belief that all people are children of God and therefore brothers and sisters to one another.
Analysis: Priest Baptism Story Offers Memo for Reformers — Look Before You Leap
Robert K. Merton, a famous American sociologist, was, by all accounts, a smart guy. Among other things, he popularized the expression “law of unintended consequences” to refer to situations when a person does something for one reason, but he or she finds that it produces all sorts of other unexpected results.
