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.

VATICAN (CNS): Pope Francis met privately at the Vatican with French president, Francois Hollande, who said he felt it necessary to thank the pope in person for his words after the slaying of a French priest and other terrorist attacks in France.

Hollande arrived in Rome on August 17 and went directly to the French national church, St. Louis, to visit a chapel which was set up as a place of prayer for the victims of terrorism.

VATICAN (SE): Although diplomatic in timing, Ankara was on the war path early on the day after Pope Francis returned to the Vatican from his visit to Armenia, saying that Turkey is disappointed with the language he used when describing the massacre of over one million people in Armenia.

MANILA (Agencies): Father Rolando de la Rosa has become the first Asian to be appointed rector of a pontifical university in Rome.

The Filipino Dominican will take on the top job at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas, also known as the Angelicum.

Father Dela Rosa will serve a four-year term from the beginning of the next academic year, September 1, through to 2020.

VATICAN (SE): From June 1 this year, dioceses must consult with the Vatican prior to the establishment of any religious institute of consecrated life in order for it to be valid.

A rescript, signed by the Vatican secretary of state, Pietro Cardinal Parolin, on May 11 and made public by the Holy See Press Office on May 20, says that in future, diocesan bishops will be required to consult with the Vatican.