Happy Friday! As always, your weekly roundup:
President Obama has directed his administration to allow 10,000 Syrian refugees into the United States in the next year, an increase over the 1,500 this year but far shy of the number that refugee relief organizations had been urging.
Pope Francis on Tuesday radically revised the process by which Catholics may annul their marriages, streamlining steps that many in the church considered too cumbersome and costly.
Parents of children attending Archdiocese of Philadelphia schools are now required to sign a pledge promising their support of the schools’ Catholic identity as well as the archbishop, who holds “final determination” on questions involving church law.
Scientists have discovered a new human-like species in a burial chamber deep in a cave system in South Africa.
House Speaker John Boehner will have a rare private one-on-one meeting with Pope Francis during his visit to the Capitol, one of the many closely held details that are beginning to trickle out two weeks before the pontiff’s trip to Washington.
Pope Francis has again colorfully stressed the need for mercy and forgiveness inside the Catholic community, saying bluntly during his daily homily Thursday that “if you do not know how to forgive, you are not Christian.”
Stephen Colbert’s Late Show premiered Tuesday night on CBS, and there’s a new interview in which he talks about his Catholicism. He had a moving conversation with Vice President Joe Biden Thursday night about loss and faith.
And now for the papal rapid fire roundup
This week, Pope Francis:
- Got new glasses.
- Confirmed he’s going to Africa in November.
- Got an electric bicycle.
