Cardinal Gerhard Muller, the former German head of the congregation of the doctrine of the faith, and an open critic of many of Pope Francis’ initiatives has released a new book: “In Good Faith: Religion in the 21st Century,” in which Cardinal Muller blasts, among others, the Synod on Synodality, papal resignations and criticizes the pope’s relationship with the U.S. President Joe Biden.
The day after Ricardo and Gerry recorded this episode, Pope Francis gave a wide-ranging interview to the Associated Press, in which he addressed a range of topics including- homosexuality, his own handling of the sexual abuse crisis, the Vatican-China agreement and his own health. But perhaps most relevant to this episode, Pope Francis confronted the firestorm of criticism surrounding his papacy. 
You can read Ricardo’s summary of the AP interview with Pope Francis here. 
Pope Francis has instructed all bishops traveling to Rome for the first main session of the Synod on Synodality this October to arrive four days early for a silent retreat. The retreat will be led by Father Timothy Radcliffe, the former leader of the worldwide Dominican order, a popular preacher and writer. The pope has also called the leaders of Christian churches and their faithful to assemble with him in Rome ahead of the Synod to pray for its success alongside the Catholic faithful and bishops who will be there.
Pope Francis will visit the Democratic Republic of the Congo and South Sudan from January 31st to February 5th, in a long-awaited visit of the Christian Churches postponed last year because of the pope’s recurring knee troubles. We look at the pope’s weeklong itinerary and tease out the pope’s reasons for making this first-ever visit to these two Sub-Saharan African countries long blighted by famine and civil unrest, but filled with hope.
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