In a “note” from the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Vatican has upheld a rule mandating that the ashes of the deceased be preserved in a consecrated place.

Praying the Angelus with some 25,000 visitors in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Francis urged listeners to disconnect from the “pollution of vain words and chatter” present on social media platforms.

After a canceled trip to Dubai due to a bronchial infection, Pope Francis went into the center of Rome to continue the tradition of praying before the elevated statue of Mary next to the Spanish Steps.

When it came to proposals to ban certain types of medical or surgical gender reassignment procedures for minors who identify as transgender, Christie and DeSantis, the two Catholic candidates on the stage, took different approaches.

“The expectations, the preparations for the reopening are a magnificent sign of hope in a difficult world,” the Rev. Olivier Ribadeau Dumas, Notre-Dame’s rector, said.

Rev. Dowd will succeed Rev. John I. Jenkins, C.S.C., who announced in October that he will step down at the end of the 2023-24 academic year after serving as president for 19 years.