King Mohammed VI of Morocco has written to Pope Francis arguing that an amendment to a 1993 agreement between the Holy See and Israel "is likely to impede" Israeli-Palestinian peace talks. Pope Francis sees the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church as a model of collegiality and synodality, Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk has said. The Irish bishops have announced that they will hold a national pastoral conference next September. US president Barack Obama described Pope Francis as an "extraordinarily thoughtful, and soulful, messenger of peace and justice" yesterday. Archbishop Joseph Kurtz, Phil Lawler and John Thavis respond to the creation of the new Vatican commission on child protection (video). Edward Hadas says Pope Francis is challenging economists to end their "pro-rich bias". And Rome's wax museum will unveil its figure of Pope Francis, made from silicone, wax, wood and resin, on Sunday. Follow me on Twitter @lukecoppen for updates throughout the day.