A new motu proprio permits Vatican bishops to serve beyond the traditional retirement age of 75. Religious freedom must be recognised as a right rather than an exception, Australia’s bishops have said (full text). The charge of a key witness in the case against Cardinal George Pell is likely to be withdrawn. The Southern African Catholic Bishops’ Conference has welcomed the “long overdue” resignation of Jacob Zuma. Cardinal Blase Cupich says “you can’t be agnostic about Amoris” (Carl E Olson). George Weigel says that John Paul II and Benedict XVI “could have had the deal now being proposed by Beijing” but declined (Will Inboden, Ian Johnson). And KV Turley pays tribute to “beggar saint” Dobri Dobrev. Follow me on Twitter @lukecoppen for updates throughout the day.