Dozens arrested in Ferguson protests
Nearly 50 people were arrested at protests in Ferguson, Missouri, which have continued in response to the shooting of Michael Brown, 18, at the end of August. The protests were a part of the four-day event deemed “Ferguson October,” a movement that calls for an end to extreme police brutality.
The protests come just after the shooting of Venderrit Myers Jr., also 18, in St. Louis on Wednesday, Oct. 8. While police have determined that Myers shot at the officer first, an investigation continues into the reason behind the 17 shots fired by the off-duty officer.
Myers’s death is the third fatality of a black male by Missouri police.
A grand jury is currently deciding the fate of Officer Darren Wilson, responsible for the death of Brown. The demonstrators in the Ferguson protests call for charges to be brought against Wilson, and in the wake of the Myers shooting, many are calling for the Justice Department to investigate the second unnamed officer, 32, currently on paid administrative leave.
Vatican document signals shift on homosexuality
A preliminary report written by bishops during a Vatican synod called for leaders of the Roman Catholic Church to take a more inclusive approach to the gay Catholic community. While the document didn’t advocate for change in the church’s stance on contraceptives, civil unions, or divorce, many are hailing the report as a leap in the right direction.
“Homosexuals have gifts and qualities to offer the Christian community,” reads the report. While the church is unlikely to open an acceptance to civil unions, the document does acknowledge the “precious support” homosexual unions can provide, emphasizing the need to support children of same-sex families.
The overall tone of the document echoes the remarks of Pope Francis last year, who sparked discussion and controversy when he said, “If a person is gay and seeks God and has good will, who am I to judge?”
The document also suggests a different approach to the church’s treatment of remarried Catholics, perhaps paving the way for divorced and remarried people to receive communion.
– Compiled by Alyssa Ottema