2014 snapshot
A look back at some of the images that made us laugh, cry and think.
**************************************************************************
National reporter December 31, 2014
Debate, diplomacy, and dynamism: 2014 was a headline-generating year for Pope Francis and the Catholic Church. The pope encouraged open debate about controversial topics, stepped up his diplomatic game on the world stage, and continued to shape the Church in his unpredictable yet wholly entertaining style.
The Synod of Bishops on the Family in October riveted the Catholic world, with cardinals battling one another in the media while taking on previously verboten topics such as divorce and homosexuality. The pope encouraged the back-and-forth, although the result had something of a roller-coaster feel as leaked documents made their way into the press before eventual retraction and clarification.
Ending months of speculation about his future after being booted from the powerful Congregation for Bishops a year ago, Cardinal Raymond Burke was removed as head of the Vatican’s highest court by the pope.
More HERE
