Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good; National Catholic Reporter, January 8, 2026

 JOHN GROSSO, National Catholic Reporter ; Catholic Vice President Vance takes to social media to justify killing of Renee Good

"Yesterday (Jan. 7), 37-year-old Renee Good was shot and killed in a residential  Minneapolis neighborhood by an Immigration and Customs Enforcement officer. Good was a mother of three and an U.S. citizen.

Today, JD Vance has taken to social media to justify the shooting and blame Good for her own death...

There is no evidence that Good was in any way involved in domestic terrorism. Video evidence seems to entirely contradict Trump's explanation of the situation. The ICE officer does not appear to have been injured and is seen casually walking away after the shooting.

There does appear to be emerging video evidence that Good was confused by the orders she was receiving from multiple officers and was attempting to remove herself from the situation. There does not appear to be any concrete evidence of agitation and the videos do not show Good attempting to run down anyone with her car.

The investigation is ongoing, but the entire situation is a powder keg: Social media is on fire as users viciously debate the justification of the killing and it seems protests are beginning in Minneapolis and beyond.

But in spite of the increasing uproar, Vice President JD Vance said he sees the situation as "simple."...

At the time of publication of this piece, at no point has Vance tweeted any remorse, prayers or condolences regarding Good and her loved ones. Instead, Vance continued his storm of social media posts the morning after the shooting — this time leaning into divisive, tribalistic language to demonize Democrats...

As a Catholic, Vance knows better than to peddle this brand of gaslighting and agitation. Vance knows that, by virtue of her humanity, Good was endowed with inherent dignity, made in the image and likeness of God. Vance knows that only God can take life. Vance knows that protesting, fleeing or even interfering in an ICE investigation (which there is no evidence that Good did) does not carry a death sentence. Vance knows that lying and killing are sins.

Vance knows. He doesn't care. Vance’s twisted and wrongheaded view of Christianity has been repudiated by two popes. His Catholicism seems to be little more than a political prop, a tool only for his career ambitions and desire for power.

The vice president's comments justifying the death of Renee Good are a moral stain on the collective witness of our Catholic faith. His repeated attempts to blame Good for her own death are fundamentally incompatible with the Gospel. Our only recourse is to pray for his conversion of heart."

The Pope has a message for AI executives; Quartz, June 20, 2025

 Michael Barclay, Quartz; The Pope has a message for AI executives

Pope Leo wants AI to be regulated ethically, while the U.S. is poised to bar any state-level regulations for a decade

"At the Second Annual Rome Conference on Artificial Intelligence on Friday, Pope Leo talked about where AI is headed.

The event was attended by Vatican officials, American academics, and Silicon Valley executives from Google, OpenAI, Anthropic, Meta, and more. The new pope urged serious reflection on “the inherently ethical dimension of AI, as well as its responsible governance...

Pope Leo said AI’s benefits and risks must be evaluated using a “superior ethical criterion,” adding that it “challenges all of us to reflect more deeply on the true nature and uniqueness of our shared human dignity.” He added that “access to data — however extensive — must not be confused with intelligence.”"

Trump posts AI-generated photo of himself as pope, drawing internet outrage; Reuters, May 3, 2025

 Andrea Shalal , Reuters; Trump posts AI-generated photo of himself as pope, drawing internet outrage

"President Donald Trump posted an AI-generated photo showing himself as the pope ahead of this week's gathering of cardinals to choose a new leader of the 1.4-billion-strong Catholic Church, and just days after he joked he would "like to be pope".

Trump, who is not a Catholic and does not attend church regularly, posted the image on his Truth Social platform late on Friday, less than a week after attending the funeral of Pope Francis, who died at 88 last month. The White House then reposted it on its official X account."

‘This Moment Is Critical.’ Whither Progressive Christians After Pope Francis?; The New York Times, April 24, 2025

  Elizabeth Dias and Ruth Graham, The New York Times; ‘This Moment Is Critical.’ Whither Progressive Christians After Pope Francis?

"For 12 years, Pope Francis was the most powerful Christian on the world stage, using his voice to elevate the poor and the marginalized.

Millions of progressive Christians in the United States, Catholics and non-Catholics alike, considered him to be a powerful counterweight to a rising conservative Christian power. He was the magnetic center for their values.

His death on Monday leaves behind a question gnawing inside their minds.

In a world without Pope Francis, where their values feel particularly vulnerable, where do they go from here?

“This moment is critical now,” Bishop Sean W. Rowe, the presiding bishop of the Episcopal Church, said. “For those of us who want to embody the Sermon on the Mount, and the Beatitudes, and the love that Jesus showed in the world, this is now more important than ever.”

Pope Francis stood in contrast to a brand of Christianity that has increasing power in the United States. It is mixed with nationalism and, according to Bishop Rowe, is “not only fundamentally not Christian” but “also dangerous.”

“We have to begin to step up and communicate this message in ways that are winsome and compelling,” he added. “Politics are certainly co-opting Christian language and the Christian story. It is now ours to take that back.”...

Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde, the leader of the Episcopal Diocese of Washington, went to Mass on Monday night with her husband, who is Catholic. After her sermon at the inauguration prayer service when she pleaded with Mr. Trump to have mercy, many Christians have turned to her as a moral pillar...

“Whatever happens in the rest of my lifetime or yours, some of us have to keep a candle burning. We can’t let this go,” she said. “Someday the pendulum will swing back.”"

‘Who Among Us?’ The Cardinals Now Face Their Test.; The New York Times, April 21, 2025

Austen Ivereigh, The New York Times; ‘Who Among Us?’ The Cardinals Now Face Their Test. 

"Whatever else emerges in the cardinals’ priorities for a new leader, it is likely to be Francis’ call for “synodality” that most resonates in their discussions. “Synodality” is the word given to the ancient church habit of assembling, discussing, discerning and deciding. Francis adapted the ancient practice of synods and councils in a radically inclusive way that invites all the faithful to be involved. The cardinals may conclude that right now, this is the greatest sign of hope the church can offer the world.

This “culture of encounter,” as Francis called it, may seem a puny thing to the powers that be. But it starts from the idea that those in thrall to the will to power cannot understand: the innate dignity of all, the need to listen to everyone, including those on the margins, and the importance of patiently waiting for consensus. These things are all crucial to the repair of a torn civic fabric.

The cardinals may look at the world and decide that, whatever else they might want from the next pope, the pressing issue facing humanity is how we treat one another."

For Pope Francis, a Last Burst of Pastoring Before Death; The New York Times, April 21, 2025

 Jason HorowitzElisabetta PovoledoEmma Bubola and Michael Levenson, The New York Times; For Pope Francis, a Last Burst of Pastoring Before Death

"For the faithful who began streaming into St. Peter’s Square in tears, Francis’ death at 88 was shocking, coming at the end of a brief period in which he had seemed determined to return to his pastoral duties. He had used his final days to emphasize the themes that defined his papacy, particularly the need to defend migrants and others on the margins of society...

Many said they were particularly distraught because Francis’ style of leadership had made him seem particularly accessible. “He was one of us, one of the people,” Maria Teresa Volpi, 80, said. “He was everyone’s pope.”...

World leaders also mourned the pope’s death, praising his commitment to the poor and marginalized...

His final address was read aloud by a Vatican aide and amplified many of the priorities of his papacy. It called for disarmament and lamented the “deplorable humanitarian situation” in Gaza and the plight of immigrants.

“How much contempt is stirred up at times towards the vulnerable, the marginalized, and migrants!” Francis wrote."

What Francis meant; The Ink, April 21, 2025

 Anand Giridharadas, The Ink; What Francis meant

"Some of you will have followed Francis’s running dispute with Vice President (and Catholic convert) JD Vance; the Pope singled out Vance’s limited interpretations of scripture for criticism on multiple occasions, continuing into this past Easter Week.

On Easter weekend, Francis first sent church deputies to meet with Vance (who was in Italy last week, for meetings with right-wing ally Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni). Francis did finally meet briefly with Vance on Easter Sunday. The in-person meetings were reportedly cordial, though Francis’s criticism of U.S. immigration policy was reportedly on the table, and the Pope did call out the Trump regime in his final Good Friday address:

Today’s builders of Babel tell us that there is no room for losers, and that those who fall along the way are losers. Theirs is the construction site of hell. God’s economy, on the other hand, does not kill, discard or crush. It is lowly, faithful to the earth.

Francis was the rare leader, spiritual or political, who appeared to have taken the Bible literally and seriously. That brings with it plenty of baggage, but his successors, his followers, and people with all manner of religious affiliations or lack of affiliations in the U.S. and everywhere else, could do worse than to emulate his example."

Humble Francis; Thinking About, April 21, 2025

  Timothy Snyder, Thinking About...; Humble Francis

"Awaiting Francis, I was sitting with the other honorees in a pew towards the front and on the left. The church was very full of people, sitting and standing. I noticed, though, that the people with disabilities were led carefully to the first pew on the right. In this setting, I was reminded of the practices of the Ukrainian Catholic University in Lviv, which is dedicated to the "martyrs and the marginalized," including the service of the disabled. I do not know whether Francis would have expected this particular arrangement when he entered the church. I can only report on what he did.

Francis was led down the aisle, resplendent in white, very erect, walking slowly and greeting people along the way. Just before he reached the sanctuary, he halted suddenly and turned to his right, noticing that pew. Then, as the rest of us waited, he walked to its far end, and bent himself to speak. He greeted each person in turn, touching them. As the people with whom he was conversing could not rise, he had to lower himself. So, over and over, Francis knelt down to look someone in the eye and to hold both of their hands in his. This took about fifteen minutes. It was a moment to think about others, and in that sense, for me, a liberation, from my own anxiety and selfishness.

Many words and much grandeur followed. But that moment is what I remember. None of us is perfect. Even Father Omelian Kovch was not perfect. Pope Francis was not perfect. The institution they represented has much to answer for. But imperfection can represent itself as service, in the acknowledgement that we can transcend ourselves when we see others first."

Pope Francis met briefly with Vice President Vance on Sunday; NPR, April 21, 2025

  Joe Hernandez, Rachel Treisman, NPR; Pope Francis met briefly with Vice President Vance on Sunday

"Before he died, Pope Francis met briefly Sunday morning with Vice President Vance. Vance was in Italy over the weekend meeting with Italian officials and celebrating Easter with his family. Vance converted to Catholicism in 2019.

The Holy See Press Office said the pair exchanged Easter greetings in a private meeting that lasted for a few minutes.

In February, Pope Francis warned that the Trump administration's effort to dramatically ramp up deportations was driving a "major crisis." The pope also appeared to criticize Vance directly for claiming that Catholic doctrine justified such policies."

What Would the Church Say About End-of-Life Decisions for a Pope?; The New York Times, March 2, 2025

 

 Jason Horowitz, 

Reporting from Vatican City, The New York Times; What Would the Church Say About End-of-Life Decisions for a Pope?

 "A respiratory crisis suffered by Pope Francis on Friday during his two-week hospitalization for pneumonia has added urgency to a delicate, and uncomfortable, question worrying many in the church: What would happen if the pope remains in critical condition for an extended period, with his health worsening, his faculties fading, his quality of life deteriorating?

And what would his approach be to extended medical interventions, as well as, ultimately, his end-of-life plans?

Francis, 88, has talked about a resignation letter he put on file with the Vatican soon after his election in the event that he became incapacitated, but its contents are unknown. It is also unknown if he has a living will, or whom, if anyone, he has entrusted to make decisions about his health if he no longer can do so himself.

Asked about the pope’s desires, the Vatican responded that “it’s too early” to talk about end-of-life details. And while his prognosis remains guarded, Saturday evening’s health bulletin had encouraging news about the pope’s health."

Vatican says AI has 'shadow of evil,' calls for close oversight; Reuters, January 28, 2025

 Joshua McElwee, Reuters ; Vatican says AI has 'shadow of evil,' calls for close oversight

"The Vatican on Tuesday called for governments to keep a close eye on the development of artificial intelligence, warning the technology contained "the shadow of evil" in its ability to spread misinformation.

"AI generated fake media can gradually undermine the foundations of society," said a new text on the ethics of AI, written by two Vatican departments and approved by Pope Francis.

"This issue requires careful regulation, as misinformation—especially through AI-controlled or influenced media—can spread unintentionally, fuelling political polarization and social unrest," it said."