The tragedy of the last week is that the faithful are left to read tea leaves to understand what their bishops and their pope are trying to do in the first place. The Vatican’s action, which in the past could have been interpreted and explained over time, instead provokes a crisis of faith in church leadership.

An Italian court has ordered Archbishop Viganò to pay back to his brother more than $2 million, which he had, according to the Italian press, “illegally and illegitimately” taken from him over many years.

America’s Vatican correspondent Gerard O’Connell has some ideas about the reasons behind the controversial, 11th-hour intervention from Rome at the U.S. bishops’ November meeting.

Men and women for others “are persons who cannot conceive of love of God without love of neighbor,” Father Arrupe once said. “Theirs is an efficacious love that has justice as its first requirement.”

At the request of the Vatican, the U.S. bishops postponed a vote on a set of proposals aimed at holding themselves accountable over sexual abuse.

In the backyard of his modest home, the 90-year-old waters and nurtures waist-high plants known as "Job's Tears." He picks the round grains when they ripen in late summer and uses them for rosary beads.