Francis urged the Vatican inner circle to bless more and talk less badly of others. It wasn’t the first time he had used the occasion to scold them.

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A surprise congressional standoff remind us that big, discordant change could be coming.

© Philotheus Nisch for The New York Times

Yes, people want justice — as long as justice costs them nothing or very little.

Critics argue the pact legitimizes China’s control over church affairs, while defenders say it helps support Catholics faithful to the Vatican in the Communist country.