Singapore

The Prefect of the Congregation for Bishops writes an open letter to the former nuncio to Washington. In it, he describes the former nuncio’s accusations as a baseless “political manoeuvre”. “I cannot understand how you could have allowed yourself to be convinced of this monstrous accusation which has no standing,” he writes.

On the feast day of Our Lady of the Rosary, Pope Francis renewed his invitation to pray the Rosary every day and recite the prayer to Saint Michael the Archangel "to repel the attacks of the devil who wants to divide the Church". In marriage, Jesus "does not accept repudiation". The Church confirms "the beauty of the family" but tries to accompany "those who live the experience of broken relationships or carry on in a painful and tiring way". For the pontiff, "wounded love can be healed by God through mercy and forgiveness."

During a meeting with some 7,000 young people, Francis urged them to find themselves as they search what is good, “being on the way” and not “sit on the couch.” For him, "Nowadays, populists are a bit trendy, but they have nothing to do with the people and the way the latter express themselves, in culture, in celebrations, also in celebrations. Populism is the opposite, [it is] closure, 'only us'."

The Vatican responds to Mgr Viganò’s dossier. "Both abuse and its cover-up can no longer be tolerated and a different treatment for Bishops who have committed or covered up abuse, in fact represents a form of clericalism that is no longer acceptable."

"We reduce the Gospel to a social, sociological fact, and not to a personal relationship with Jesus. Jesus speaks to me, speaks to you, speaks to each one of us". "Let us ask the Holy Spirit to open the doors of our heart, so that Jesus may enter, that we may not only hear Jesus", but let us listen to his message.

Card de Rocha noted that for those who want to accompany young people towards life in fullness, "it is essential to know the realities that they live in, starting from the most painful ones such as want, war, prison, migration and all other forms of poverty".

Francis opened the Synod on youth. Recognising, interpreting and choosing are the path to follow during the meeting to arrive at discernment and thus be able to listen to what the Spirit suggests to us. Three minutes of silence to reflect will follow every five interventions.

At the Mass for the opening of the Synod, Francis underlined the presence, for the first time, of two bishops from mainland China. Sincere listening "protects us from the temptation of falling into moralistic or elitist postures, and it protects us from the lure of abstract ideologies that never touch the realities of our people".

Today the Church celebrates guardian angels. They are "the particular help" that the "Lord promises to His people and to us who walk on the path of life". "Our angel is not only with us, but he sees God the Father. It is in relationship with Him. It is the daily bridge, from the time we get up at the time we go to bed, that accompanies us and is a link between us and God the Father ".

The two are Mgr John Baptist Yang Xiaoting, bishop of Yan'an, and Mgr Joseph Guo Jincai, bishop of Chengde. The latter is one of the seven excommunicated bishops who reconciled with the Pope following the Sino-Vatican agreement, which Beijing leaked a few days ago.

"We experience almost universally a strong tendency towards the legalisation of euthanasia", but "we know that when there is serene and participatory human accompaniment, chronic pain sufferers and terminally ill patients can see this thoughtfulness."

The program for the Synod dedicated to Young people, faith and vocational discernment. Making the Church "credible" to the new generations and aware of its missionary task of "accompanying every young person, no one excluded, towards the joy of love, which Jesus Christ offers ". In first ever there will be two bishops from mainland China.