In an open letter to the pope, Jonathan Ficara recounts how, on the night before his ordination, he encountered a glimpse of how the church can fail to act justly, an experience that would ultimately derail his vocation.

Ecclesiastical disobedience is not to be taken lightly nor used as justification for selfish interest. But as Francis of Assisi's life bears witness, there may be times when one has to choose the Gospel above all else.

The Vatican's Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has released a new document describing the "Anglican heritage" of the Catholic Church's personal ordinariates as a permanent reality that makes a "distinctive contribution" to the Church's evangelizing mission.