“The figures for 2021 show the profound crisis in which we find ourselves as the Catholic Church in Germany," said Bishop Georg Bätzing.

Retired Bishop Lucas Van Looy of Ghent, Belgium, asked Pope Francis to withdraw his nomination, and the pope agreed.

“Migration is a complex issue, but it is not resolved by delegating our roles and responsibilities to other countries,” said Bishop Paul McAleenan.

Pope Francis sent well-wishes to Queen Elizabeth II as the reigning British monarch began the celebrations of the 70th anniversary of her coronation.

The danger with returning to characters who have struggled to find their way and earned their success is that if you don’t have a new story worthy of them, you risk undermining all that they have achieved.

The world is at war, but we must think about the post-war world. We should not repeat old mistakes and underestimate the spiritual energy of the world’s religions.