ROME — Even by the feverish standards of the Pope Francis era, the period between Sept. 30, when the pontiff created 21 new cardinals , and Oct. 7, when the dust settled on the opening act of his keenly anticipated Synod of Bishops , likely will be remembered as among the most raucous and riveting weeks of his papacy. Consider what we've witnessed over those seven days. A consistory in which 21 new 'Princes of the Church' received their red hats, including 18 under 80 and therefore eligible to elect the next pope, which not only reshaped the electoral math of the next conclave, but also gave us several new plausible contenders for the top job.

https://angelusnews.com/voices/whirlwind-week-rome/

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Several hundred people gathered Sept. 20 near the cathedral in Cologne, Germany, to hold a blessing service that catered especially to LGBTQ+ people and people who remarried after a divorce, while those protesting the service prayed the rosary next to it. Some participants waved rainbow flags and held up placards with statements such as "Love wins" or "Blessings for all" on the square in front of Cologne Central Station in the shadow of the world-famous twin-towered cathedral. A carpet of flowers in the shape of a heart laid in front of an altar.

https://angelusnews.com/news/world/same-sex-blessings-germany

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A community's response to suspected burials is 'a very sensitive conversation,' a  guide  from the National Advisory Committee on Residential Schools Missing Children and Unmarked Burials points out. The Canadian government-funded independent body is composed of predominantly Indigenous Canadians and experts in archival research, archeology, forensics, and police investigations. The guide notes that Indigenous communities may be reluctant to excavate, in part because of various laws, protocols, and teachings about honoring burial sites.

https://angelusnews.com/news/world/canada-bishops-indigenous-empty-graves/

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California courts' child custody decisions must consider whether a parent affirms a child's 'gender identity or gender expression,' under a bill the California Legislature approved Friday. The California Assembly passed Assembly Bill 957 on Friday by a party-line vote of 57-16, with several Democrats not voting, KCRA 3 News reported . The state Senate passed the legislation on Wednesday in a 30-9 vote, with all Republicans voting against the bill. Gov. Gavin Newsom is expected to sign the bill by the legal deadline of Oct.

https://angelusnews.com/local/california/gender-affirmation-california-child-custody/

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ROME — When most people say 'the Vatican,' they correctly have in mind the central government of the Catholic Church under the pope. Few, however, could tick off more than a handful of its component parts. Catholic insiders probably could name the Secretariat of State as the 800-pound gorilla of the Vatican scene, or maybe the dicastery formerly known as the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith as the dogmatic watchdog agency. Fueled by potboiler novels and movies, others probably could tick off the Vatican bank (if likely not its actual name, the 'Institute for the Works of Religion'), or maybe the Vatican Secret Archives.

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I can imagine the late great baseball legend Yogi Berra, a man who never met a malaprop he did not like, summing up the recent drama involving the Los Angeles Dodgers like this: 'If you don't like diversity, then get OUT!' For several years now, the Dodgers have proudly hosted a 'Pride' night in June to celebrate — in every sense of that word — the lifestyle of those with same-sex attraction. For someone who objects to the ideology that such events promote, I dismissed 'Pride' night as really only one game out of the whole season, an unfortunate consequence of the influence that the movement has on corporate America.

https://angelusnews.com/voices/dodgers-breakup/

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