In 'Laudate Deum,' Pope Francis takes direct aim at the failure of human action on climate change on the global level.

The archbishop of San Francisco, Salvatore Cordileone, released a lengthy statement on Thursday, praising the late Senator Dianne Feinstein’s “civility.”

Cardinal Stephen Brislin, 67, the archbishop of Cape Town, said he sees “enormous signs of hope” for South Africa today, notwithstanding the poverty and “enormous” corruption.

In his first Mass as cardinal, he acknowledged the flood of congratulations he had received from all quarters and all sects of his diocese. “Cardinals in our time are no longer the princes of the church,” Cardinal Pizzaballa said, “but its servants and those of the people of God.”

Pope Francis sees secrecy as paramount for ensuring that synod participants can speak freely. But what if people start talking anyway?

As delegates prepare to gather in Rome for the Synod on Synodality, is clear that in the present moment, Pope Francis is calling us to be a truly listening church—a church of discernment.

In this episode, host Colleen Dulle and veteran Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell discuss the “dubia” and what Pope Francis’ responses, sent earlier this summer, reveal about the pope’s approach to these closely-watched topics as the synod begins.

I have spent the better part of the past two years trying to understand what synodality is. Today, it finally started to click.

During this coming election cycle, Americans (including Catholics) need to hear far more about the moral duty to protect the environment.

I believe that the apostolic exhortation “The Joy of the Gospel” holds the key to understanding Pope Francis’ hopes for the synod. And that is why I’m hopeful about the synod.