Morning Briefing

News out of the Vatican this morning: Honduran bishop serving as deputy to Cardinal Rodriguez resigns after abuse allegations

New sexual abuse allegations leveled against Cardinal McCarrick Man Says Cardinal McCarrick, His ‘Uncle Ted,’ Sexually Abused Him for Years

Over the next few days, we will be running some commentaries asking if the Catholic church is having a #MeToo moment. The first one: A Catholic trifecta of disgrace: Next step in abuse saga is due

The Trump administration has summoned at least 70 children under 1 year old to immigration court for their own deportation proceedings since Oct. 1, according to new Justice Department data provided exclusively to Kaiser Health News.

How Humanae Vitae changed the Church After Paul VI released Humanae Vitae 50 years ago, Catholics split into warring tribes

Have you been reading NCR's coverage? 'Humanae Vitae': The maturing of church teaching

Here's the news: The Church of England is examining ways to analyse the personalities of new priests in an effort to understand the types of people it is attracting. New tests would measure how well a trainee copes with stress and being in a position of authority. Here's the headline that caught my eye: Church considers psychometric tests as experts raise fears about clergy narcissism

Recognizing St. Mary Magdalene's role as the first to witness Christ's resurrection and as a "true and authentic evangelizer," Pope Francis raised the July 22 memorial of St. Mary Magdalene to a feast on the church's liturgical calendar in 2016. This year the feast falls on Sunday: Mary of Magdala's profound connection to Jesus shows us the power of love

Some articles I have been pondering this week:

• Analysis: 5 words that reveal Trump still isn't convinced Russia meddled in the 2016 election
• Analysis: Republicans Are Having A Hard Time Rationalizing Trump’s Helsinki Performance
• Analysis: Discord over Trump's Helsinki humiliation hands Putin another win
• Commentary: The Unwinding of Donald Trump
• Scary: National Security Council’s Intelligence Chief Is Leaving as John Bolton Cleans House. A growing list of vacancies.

Actions against her began in April, now Philippines orders deportation of Australian nun Immigration bureau says Sister Fox's activities 'are inimical to the interest of the state'

Nicaragua’s President Daniel Ortega blamed "satanical criminals," Catholic bishops and the United States for a wave of unrest he has violently sought to extinguish, as he marked on Thursday the 39th anniversary of the leftwing revolution that first brought him to power.

A new set of religious directives from the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops could make it more complicated for Catholic and non-Catholic health systems to forge merger or partnership deals, even as more systems are entering or exploring such tie-ups.

Pope Francis' exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate ("Rejoice and Be Glad") has inspired many. NCR and Celebration have the resources to help you on yourjourney of 'small holiness'.

• Start your day inspired with daily Scripture reflections. Join NCR's sister publication, Celebration, for Daily Bread, a series of short reflections written by four authors who meet regularly to share the readings.
• Or reflect on Pencil Preaching by Pat Marrin. Every morning Pat Marrin breaks open the Word with a pencil sketch and a short meditation.