Marking the centenary of the first plenary council of the Catholic Church in China, the Vatican hosted a conference earlier this week on challenges and opportunities for Chinese Catholics.

Pope Francis’ comments are clearly far more nuanced than many initial reactions suggested.

In this episode of “Inside the Vatican,” Colleen Dulle Gerard O’Connell unpack the pope’s comments and broader highlights of the interview.

Let us cultivate universities and workplaces where the contemplative life is valued, where introverts and extroverts alike can thrive, and where every person can feel recognized.

A Reflection for Thursday of the Eighth Week in Ordinary Time, by Colleen Dulle

Pope Francis formally recognized a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Carlo Acutis, a 15-year-old Italian teenager whose birth in 1991 will make him the first “millennial” to become a saint.

“Brothers and sisters, humility is everything. It is what saves us from the Evil One,” Pope Francis said at today’s general audience, concluding his cycle of catechesis on virtue.

“Authentic palliative care is radically different from euthanasia, which is never a source of hope or genuine concern for the sick and dying,” the pope said in a message to the first International Interfaith Symposium on Palliative Care in Toronto.

Father Agbonkhianmeghe Orobator is the first dean of the Jesuit School of Theology in Berkeley born outside of the United States.

The pope’s response surprised some who believed he was open to the possibility of ordaining women as deacons.