On Sept. 19, the Vatican officially recognized Medjugorje as a place of pilgrimage and popular piety, stopping short of confirming the supernatural origin of the apparitions. The next day, Pope Francis, in a fiery speech to global grassroots organizers, criticized the wealthy for obstructing social justice and advocated for higher taxes on billionaires, an end to sports betting, and a universal basic income. Also on the show, host Colleen Dulle and Vatican reporter Gerard O’Connell discuss Pope Francis’ visit to Belgium and Luxembourg from Sept. 26-29 and what he might find in these increasingly secularized, historically Catholic countries. Find links for further reading from the episode here. Please support this podcast by becoming a digital subscriber to America Media. Links for further reading Vatican finally approves Medjugorje devotion: visit Mary but not the visionaries Pope Francis says tax billionaires, stop sports betting in fiery economics speech Vatican cancels papal audiences because Pope Francis has ‘slight flu’ Why supernatural apparitions are a mixed blessing for the Vatican Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices