Happy Friday! It’s almost St. Patrick’s Day, and we’ve interviewed Dublin Bishop Diarmuid Martin just in time. And, as always, here’s your weekly roundup:
A Vatican official who helped draft Pope Francis’ upcoming encyclical on climate change has signaled the direction the document will take. Though the encyclical won’t be released until June or July, Cardinal Peter Turkson gave a talk last week in Ireland that Vatican observers consider an sneak peek of what Francis will say.
Chicago Archbishop Blase Cupich criticized GOP tactics on immigration policy at a Chicago gathering organized by the Illinois Business Immigration Coalition.
A decision by Pope Francis to assign a bishop in Chile who is linked to a notorious clerical sex abuser has locals gathering signatures to try to block the appointment.
Archbishop Oscar Romero of El Salvador, who was assassinated in 1980 while saying Mass, will be beatified on May 23.
Pope Francis will perform the Holy Thursday foot-washing ritual at Rome’s main prison this year.
The Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Cincinnati plans to update language in its teachers’ contract that will clarify what is expected of employees. The clarifications come after last year’s contract sparked protests for its language prohibiting “homosexual lifestyles,” abortion, artificial insemination, and public support for any of those causes.
Muslim leaders worry following the murder of an Iraqi man shot in Dallas as he stood outside his apartment to photograph his first snowfall.
The pope has named a new bishop for the Diocese of Lexington and another for the Diocese of Spokane.
The Vatican said it has received a ransom demand to recover letters signed by Michelangelo that were stolen from the Holy See nearly 20 years ago.
This week’s episode of FOX sitcom The Mindy Project featured Catholic comedian Stephen Colbert as “Father Michael O’Donnell”—a reformed leather jacket-wearing priest who sends spaghetti emojis and wants to say Mass in Latin.
And now for the papal rapid fire roundup:
This week, Pope Francis:
- Has an official milkshake.
- Likes Mass in modern languages.
- Said he’s “a big wimp” when it comes to physical pain.
- Has a fan.
