VATICAN – Pope Francis wished a happy 90th birthday to the "father of liberation theology" and thanked him for his contributions to the Catholic Church and his love for the poor.

How much truth does it take to really set us free? A young journalist, a Latin American cardinal and the ghosts of his past set out to answer this difficult question about sin and redemption on the eve of a conclave that could well see the cardinal elected pope in the new play Omission.

NEW YORK - It used to be that just saying the words “liberation theology” around Catholics was enough to start a schism-level fight, or at least raise a red flag in Rome.

Pope Francis: Untying the Knots by Paul Vallely (Bloomsbury Press, hardcover, 240 pages, $18.81).


I love Pope Francis, but I was not thrilled when I received his biography for Christmas from a friend. But now that I’ve finished reading it, I can say Pope Francis: Untying the Knots is a page turner of a biography.

EDMONTON - Pope Francis is a radical reformer who is facing enemies inside and outside the Church opposed to at least some parts of his agenda, says a prominent Church historian.

ROME - Pope Francis' decision to hold two synods of bishops on the family with a year of consultation and reflection in between fits in exactly with this theological approach to pastoral planning, which emphasizes studying the reality, reflecting on it and, only later, taking action, said retired German Cardinal Walter Kasper.

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican denied Pope Francis had dismissed a controversial Paraguayan bishop because of his mishandling of sex abuse accusations, attributing the decision instead to other failings of governance and friction with fellow bishops.