Vatican and Palestinian representatives have finalised the text of an agreement formally recognising freedom of religion in the "State of Palestine" (full text, John Allen). Burundi's bishops have given president Pierre Nkurunziza until Sunday to postpone next month's election amid an escalating crisis in the country. The Irish government has cut funding for marriage preparation courses run by a Catholic agency ahead of the country's same-sex marriage referendum. Ross Douthat argues that a major new survey of American belief patterns "may overstate the Roman’s Church’s problems" (Sherry Weddell). John Allen says that before Francis's election "vice-pope" Cardinal Oscar Rodríguez Maradiaga's "entrance into Roman salons triggered an embarrassed silence". Kishore Jayabalan argues that the Vatican is gripped by "economic Manicheanism". And the Archdiocese of San Francisco is preparing to unveil a "digital collection plate" allowing Catholics to donate via an iPhone app. Follow me on Twitter @lukecoppen for updates throughout the day