I’ve read two very interesting articles on the Pope’s resignation recently. The first, by Stephen Crittenden of The Global Mail, casts the resignation as an act that almost heralds the end of Catholicism. He gives a strong argument to suggest that the Vatican is in total crisis. It’s certainly a dramatic take on the situation, and is well worth a read.

From a totally different perspective, Xuyang Jingjing writes in the (similarly named but very different) Global Times about the particular challenges the Pope’s resignation poses for Chinese Catholics. The fact that I was previously unaware of the difficult relationship between China and the Vatican probably reveals more about my own ignorance than anything else, but it made the article far more intriguing for me.

2D posts appear on alternate Wednesdays. For 2D, I pick two interesting articles that look at an issue from two different – though not necessarily opposing – perspectives. I hope you enjoy them!