At yesterday’s Angelus, Pope Francis prayed for Coptic pilgrims “killed just because they are Christians” (full text, full video). The Ecumenical Patriarch and Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko have signed an accord paving the way for an autocephalous Church. A French priest has claimed that bishops have punished him for a petition calling for a cardinal to resign. George Weigel says Eastern Christianity is experiencing a “tectonic shift”. James Heaney argues that “absolute power over priests corrupts the bishops”. John Allen says Brazil’s new president poses a challenge to the Church. And Luis Dizon explains why he’s returning to the Catholic faith. Follow me on Twitter @lukecoppen for updates throughout the day.