Happy Friday! Just in case you spent your entire week watching Gilmore Girls on Netflix, here are a few things you may have missed:
Let’s start with the Oct. 5-19 synod of bishops. First, some married couples stole the show. And two more Vatican cardinals say divorced and remarried Catholics should be able to receive communion. It may or may not be enough to overcome strong opposition from some bishops.
Speaking of marriage, the Supreme Court said it will not hear appeals from five states whose same-sex marriage bans had been invalidated by lower federal courts. This will likely lead to the recognition of gay marriages in 11 more states. And while a leading Vatican cardinal said the church doesn’t judge homosexuals, he said the church will never bless gay marriage.
The first man diagnosed with Ebola in the U.S. died Wednesday.
Here’s some good news, though. The Norwegian Nobel Committee awarded the 2014 Nobel Peace Prize to children’s rights activists Kailash Satyarthi and Malala Yousafzay. Malala is the youngest person to ever win the Nobel Prize, prompting one of the greatest tweets ever:
Malala will make her first statement after school at 16.30/UK on her and @k_Satyarthi being honored with #NobelPeacePrize. #IDG2014
— Malala Fund (@MalalaFund) October 10, 2014
Talk about priorities.
Also, did you see the moon this week? We did. If you missed it, take a look.
And now for the papal rapid fire roundup:
This week, Pope Francis:
- Hung out at the family synod.
- Had a bit of an intimate discussion.
- Gave two lucky, fist-pumping kids a ride in the Popemobile.
- Celebrated the 70th anniversary of his first communion. (And here’s a picture from the day–he’s on the left.)
- Didn’t win the Nobel Prize, even though bookies put their odds on him. But everyone seems to think he wouldn’t have wanted it, anyway.
Hey, wait, don’t leave! Please share your thoughts on whether the church needs a new theology of women.
Tune in next week, and have a very happy weekend.
