Jan 13, 2020

Pope Benedict prods Pope Francis on Catholic Church's celibacy policy

Axios

In 2017, Pope Francis (left) and Pope Benedict meet at the Vatican on the occasion of the elevation of five new cardinals. Photo: Maurix/Gamma-Rapho via Getty Images

Former Pope Benedict, 92, in a book written with a conservative cardinal, defends priestly celibacy in an apparent strategic appeal to Pope Francis, 83, to keep the centuries-old rules, reports Reuters.

What's happening: Pope Francis is considering a recommendation that would allow the ordination of married men as priests in the remote Amazon.

  • Francis' Apostolic Exhortation on this and other issues — including the role of women — is expected in the next few months, Reuters said.

Details: "Benedict wrote the book, 'From the Depths of Our Hearts,' with Cardinal Robert Sarah, 74, a Guinean prelate who heads the Vatican’s Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments."

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Pope Francis, Jan. 26. Photo: Vincenzo Pinto/AFP via Getty Images

Pope Francis on Sunday prayed for those killed or infected by the coronavirus outbreak in China and praised the Chinese government’s “great commitment” to contain the virus, Reuters reports.

Why it matters: The new coronavirus strain, which originated in Wuhan, China, has killed 56 people and infected nearly 1,975.

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Pope Francis urges people to vow "never again" on Holocaust

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Pope Francis on Sunday invited prayers and reflection on the Holocaust and called people to vow “never again," AP reports.

Why it matters: Tomorrow marks the 75th anniversary of the liberation of the Auschwitz-Birkenau death camp where the Nazis murdered 1.1 million men, women and children, mostly Jews, according to the New York Times.

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Amazon touts favorable survey of small firms before House antitrust hearing

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According to an Amazon-commissioned survey out Thursday, small businesses see revenue growth from selling on the platform and don't rely on Amazon alone for their online sales.

Why it matters: The survey results offer a touch of counter-programming for Amazon as it girds itself for criticism of its market power at a House antitrust subcommittee hearing Friday. That session features a small business that has publicly complained about the online retail giant's tactics.

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