TAIPEI (UCAN): The president of Taiwan, Tsai Ing-wen, met with Oscar Andres Cardinal Rodriguez Maradiaga, the coordinator of the nine-member Council of Cardinal Advisers to Pope Francis during her recent visit to four Central American nations.

On the second day of her tour in Honduras, Tsai attended a Mass at the Basilica of Suyapa in Tegucigalpa and received a blessing from Cardinal Maradiaga.

VATICAN (CWN): A new book based on research in the Vatican’s secret archives shows that the apostolic delegate to Turkey, Archbishop Angelo Mario Dolci, took extraordinary measures to stop the genocidal campaign against Armenians in the early 20th century.

While acting as apostolic delegate in Constantinople, the archbishop wrote to Turkish authorities in 1915 arguing against the genocide, researcher, Valentina Karakhanian, claims.

VATICAN (CWN): Pope Francis has taken the broom to the entire Congregation for Divine Worship and Discipline of the Sacraments, the Vatican body in charge of all liturgical questions in the Church.

While it is routine for the pope to rotate a few members each year, on October 28, Pope Francis made the surprise announcement that he was replacing the complete complement of 27 people in the congregation, a total transformation of its makeup.

VATICAN (SE): A delegation from the Holy See, headed by the undersecretary of state, Archbishop Antoine Camilleri, met with a delegation from Vietnam, led by Bui Thanh Son, the permanent deputy minister of foreign affairs, at the Vatican from October 24 to 26 with a view to establishing full diplomatic relations.

VATICAN (SE): Representatives from sporting bodies the world over—athletes at all levels and ages—along with coaches, franchise owners, managers, corporate sponsors and experts in fields ranging from sports medicine and psychology to training, discipline, education and formation, gathered at the Vatican on October 7 to discuss the contribution of sport to humanity with leaders from the world’s great religious.

Vatican (SE): The Congregation for the Causes of Saints has announced there will be new rules governing the role of medical boards investigating miracle cures in the beatification and canonisation processes.

They strengthen requirements for acceptance of authenticity and set stricter standards for the documentation of payment to experts.

HONG KONG (SE): A talk given by the Vatican secretary of state, Pietro Cardinal Parolin, in the Italian town of Pordenone on August 27 was described by Francesco Sisci, from Renmin University in Beijing, as a hint to how much the Vatican is prepared to suffer in order to achieve peace and establish a more workable relationship with China.