Pope Francis has given an exclusive interview to Paris Match magazine. The “absence of God" is the root cause of crises today, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re has said at Fatima. Threats to religious freedom have increased in many countries, a US State Department report has concluded (full text). Fr Ray Blake, Grant Gallicho, Carrie Gress, Kathy Schiffer and John Thavis comment on the Pope's apology for "scandals" at the Vatican and in Rome Archbishop Mark Coleridge, Deacon Nick Donnelly, Michael O'Loughlin and Archbishop Tomash Peta reflect on the synod. Vatican official Archbishop Arthur Roche discusses the "liturgy wars" (video). And some 350 priests have taken part in a "Confess-a-thon" at a shopping mall in Colombia. Follow me on Twitter @lukecoppen for updates throughout the day.