“It is inconceivable to be a pontifical representative and to criticize the pope behind his back, to have a blog or even to unite himself to groups hostile to him, to the [Roman] curia and to the church of Rome,” Pope Francis stated.
A nationwide third-party system for receiving confidential reports of “certain complaints” against bishops took a step closer to being implemented during the spring general assembly of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.
The bishops' proposed draft about the death penalty states that "today it is no longer just nor reasonable to apply the death penalty," stressing that it is not needed to protect society and its application is "inequitable and flawed."