Pope Francis has assured Argentine president Cristina Kirchner of his prayers as she recovers from an operation to remove a blood clot on the brain (video). The Archbishop of Canterbury, the Most Rev Justin Welby, has urged Anglicans to adopt the "enormously powerful" practice of Confession. The Vatican has passed a new law aimed at promoting financial transparency (full text, commentary by Archbishop Dominique Mamberti, video). Kevin Clarke says a group of Italian gay Catholics were "shocked" to receive a personal letter from the Pope. Bishop Robert McElroy argues that "Pope Francis’s teachings on the rights of the poor have enormous implications for the culture and politics of the United States". Irina Metzler claims that Pope Innocent VIII declared in 1484 that the cat was "the Devil’s favourite animal". And Pope Pius XII has joined Twitter (@SSPioXII). Follow me on Twitter @lukecoppen for updates throughout the day