Pope Francis on Sunday expressed his spiritual closeness to Catholics in China, voicing hope that the church there operates in "freedom and tranquility,'' but making no mention of a 90-year-old cardinal who was recently arrested in Hong Kong.
As the Catholic Church continues to reflect on synodality through a two-year process of listening and dialogue, a panel of six notable theologians and canonists discussed the nature of consultation and decision-making in a synodal church.
A Vatican cardinal testified that Pope Francis himself ordered the ouster of the Holy See's auditor-general, turning the tables on a scandal that had sparked questions about the Vatican's commitment to financial transparency and accountability.
