VATICAN CITY, April 1–A correspondent for Catholic Vote has just learned from a prominent cardinal in the Roman Curia that Pope Francis is scheduled to make a major announcement tonight regarding his forthcoming papal encyclical, Risibile Dominum, which will have profound impacts on the teachings of the Catholic Church.
Included in the document is a complete reversal of the Church’s teaching on the ordination of women to the priesthood and even to the apostolic succession. In a deeply personal decision, Pope Francis will also reveal to the world that he plans to officiate the first gay wedding later this month.
When asked about these far reaching changes to long-held Church doctrine, the Vatican official who spoke with Catholic Vote on condition of strict anonymity in order not to pre-empt the Pope’s announcement said, “Pope Francis was elected with a mandate to bring the Church into the modern era, so these developments are only the beginning.”