Pope beatifies Paul VI after remarkable synod on families, says God isn’t afraid of new things
Pope beatifies Paul VI after remarkable synod on families, says God isn’t afraid of new things
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis on Sunday beatified Pope Paul VI, concluding the remarkable meeting of bishops debating family issues that drew parallels to the tumultuous reforms of the Second Vatican Council which Paul oversaw and implemented.
Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI was on hand for the Mass, which took place just hours after Catholic bishops approved a document charting a more pastoral approach to ministering to Catholic families.
They failed to reach consensus on the two most divisive issues at the synod: on welcoming gays and divorced and civilly remarried couples. But the issues remain up for discussion ahead of another meeting of bishops next year.
While the synod scrapped its ground-breaking welcome and showed deep divisions on hot-button issues, the fact that the questions are on the table is significant given that they had been taboo until Francis’ papacy.
“God is not afraid of new things!” Francis exclaimed in his homily Sunday. “That is why he is continually surprising us, opening our hearts and guiding us in unexpected ways.”
After finding remains, police hunt for clues in college student’s disappearance
CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — After finding remains that could be University of Virginia student Hannah Graham, authorities interviewed nearby residents and picked through leaves on the side of a sparsely populated highway, searching for any clues or evidence.
Forensic tests were needed to confirm whether the remains match the 18-year-old Graham. They were discovered by a deputy Saturday in a heavily wooded area of Albemarle County that is home to horse farms about 12 miles from campus. Graham disappeared Sept. 13 after a night out with friends.
Her parents were notified that the remains were found, Charlottesville Police Chief Timothy Longo said. It wasn’t immediately clear Sunday how long it would take for them to be identified. Investigators also wouldn’t say if they had found anything else.
The last person seen with Graham, 32-year-old Jesse Leroy Matthew Jr., has been charged with abduction with intent to defile Graham. He is being held in the Albemarle-Charlottesville Regional Jail. A preliminary hearing is set for Dec. 4.
The remains were discovered roughly 6 miles from where the body of 20-year-old Virginia Tech student Morgan Harrington was found three months after she vanished in 2009.
As Gov. Scott cites Florida’s economic recovery, many in state feel left behind
LAKELAND, Fla. — By many measures, Republican Rick Scott should have a strong case for a second term as governor.
Elected four years ago, the former businessman reduced taxes, cut regulations and recruited businesses to help revive the economy. Florida is bouncing back, and Scott is claiming credit for adding 613,000 jobs and trimming unemployment to 6.1 percent.
But along this stretch of central Florida, a crucial swing-voting area, the numbers are little more than an abstraction to middle-class voters who see a tepid turnaround.
“I keep hearing there’s a recovery, but I don’t know if I see a recovery,” said Kevin McVeigh, a 49-year-old software developer who described himself as an undecided Republican. “You feel like you’re just standing still.”
That’s a main reason that Scott and incumbents from both parties are struggling to keep their jobs more than five years after the recession ended.
By wire sources