FSSPX.News has selected 10 events that have occurred during the past year, which did not all directly spring from the religious sphere, but which are all linked to it, and which have had an important influence on religion throughout the world.
Eastern Orthodoxy Shattered by the War in Ukraine
The illegal Russian invasion of Ukraine marks a major rupture within Eastern Orthodoxy. At the same time, relations between the Moscow Patriarchate and the Roman Catholic Church have chilled during the duration of the war.
The Consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary
On March 25, Pope Francis carried out the consecration of Russia to the Immaculate Heart of Mary: “Mother of God and our Mother, we entrust and solemnly consecrate to your Immaculate Heart ourselves, the Church, and all humanity, especially Russia and Ukraine.”
The Pope Reforms the Curia
Through the apostolic constitution Praedicate evangelium, Pope Francis carried out a radical reorganization of the Roman Curia. The reform seems to call into question the very nature of jurisdiction in the Church.
The Legality of Abortion in the United States
The United States Supreme Court overturned the 1973 Roe v. Wade decision which had allowed the spread of abortion throughout the country, with some legislation authorizing abortion up to 24 weeks of pregnancy. The decision ended nearly half a century of legalized abortion in some parts of the country.
The Pope’s Authoritarian Takeovers
Whether with Caritas, the Order of Malta, or Opus Dei, Pope Francis has shown he is willing to withdraw some of the prerogatives from each of these entities. Some progressives now regret seeing “the Church functioning as an absolute monarchy.”
The Vatican Trial
Started in July 2021, the financial corruption trial at the Vatican continues to hold the media spellbound. The trial concerns the opaque investments of the Secretariat of State and has seen Cardinal Angelo Maria Becciu appear on several occasions, a porporato stripped of his cardinal prerogatives by Pope Francis.
The 4th Assembly of the Synodal Path
This assembly issued some concrete proposals: reassessment of homosexuality; equality of women in ministries and positions of responsibility; and the creation of a diocesan governing body comprised of clerics and laity.
The Show Trial of Cardinal Joseph Zen
Cardinal Joseph Zen appeared before a judge this autumn and was sentenced on November 25, 2022 to a symbolic fine for not registering a Solidarity Fund. This conviction vindicates the prelate, who expressed fears of seeing Hong Kong lose its autonomy.
The Death of Elizabeth II
The effect of the death of the long-reigning British monarch, head of the Church of England, drew worldwide attention. At the same time, an official census revealed that England is no longer a predominantly Christian country.
Notre-Dame de Paris Reconstruction
The year 2022 saw the south transept returned to its original state and the vault of the north transept rebuilt. 2023 will see the return of the great organ’s 8,000 pipes, the identical creation of the Viollet-le-Duc spire, and possibly the end of the interior restorations of the north transept and the nave.
On the interior layout, controversy persists because religious leaders have expressed their intent to “translate the Second Vatican Council into the space.”
