“Let us join hands and pray as the Lord taught us.” That sentence should not cause me dread—but it does.

What is coming up in 2020, from Holy Days of Obligation to the presidential election and the Summer Olympics.

Hint: Most of them are just ‘regular Catholics wanting to deepen their devotion.’

The accusations of paganism and idolatry at the Synod on the Amazon sent a troubling message about the universality of the church, writes Mary McAuliffe, a teacher at a Jesuit school in the Pacific.

“These options are in no way Christian: to anonymously scatter ashes in nature, air or water; to install an urn in a private home or apartment; to bury remains in a private garden; or to divide ashes into multiple ‘remembrance objects,’” the bishops wrote, also criticizing the trend to convert loved ones’ ashes into jewelry.