On this night, brothers and sisters, let us allow the women of the Gospel to lead us by the hand, so that, with them, we may glimpse the first rays of the dawn of God’s life rising in the darkness of our world.

The new meditation read April 15 called for a moment of silence: “In the face of death, silence is more eloquent than words. Let us pause in prayerful silence and each person pray in their hearts for peace in the world.”

Pope Francis traveled to a prison near Rome to wash the feet of a dozen inmates, a Holy Thursday ritual that symbolizes humility and attention to those on society’s margins.

On “Inside the Vatican,” Rome correspondent Gerard O’Connell and host Colleen Dulle discuss what mobility challenges Pope Francis may face during his eight Holy Week ceremonies.

Jesus’ peace “is not an armed peace, never!” Pope Francis said in his general audience. “The weapons of the Gospel are prayer, tenderness, forgiveness and freely-given love for one’s neighbor.”

The institutional Catholic Church as we currently experience it is simply not going to be able to survive, and yet much of our leadership seems content to blame the messenger and insist on business as usual. So what to do?