Pope Francis's pontificate did not begin with doctrinal controversy. It began with the appearance of an amiable Argentine on the balcony of St. Peter's and endearing stories about a pope who rides the bus and pays his own hotel bills. His papacy seemed to pre­sent an opportunity to draw together…

Reports emerged Monday that Vatican officials have been pressuring two Chinese Catholic bishops to resign their offices in order to be replaced with bishops favored by the Chinese government. The Vatican has not confirmed or denied the reports.