---
title: "Pope warns the Catholic Church risks “falling like a house of cards”, and other stories – our morning round-up"
date: "2013-09-20T08:21:30+01:00"
modified: "2013-09-20T08:21:30+01:00"
url: "https://newhumanist.org.uk/2013/09/20/pope-warns-the-catholic-church-risks-falling-like-a-house-of-cards-and-other-stories-our-morning-round-up/"
post_id: 5931
categories: ["Uncategorised"]
---

# Pope warns the Catholic Church risks “falling like a house of cards”, and other stories – our morning round-up

[Pope Francis: Church’s “obsession” with gays, abortion and contraception means it risks “falling like a house of cards”](http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/pope-francis-churchs-obsession-with-gays-abortion-and-contraception-means-it-risks-falling-like-a-house-of-cards-8827784.html)

The recently-appointed Pope gives a frank interview to an Italian journalist. (Independent)

[Russia “seizes” Greenpeace ship after Arctic rig protest](http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-24170129)

29 activists are being held after Russian forces stormed the ship at gunpoint in the Barents Sea. (BBC)

[UKIP drops its veil ban policy](http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/09/19/ukip-veil-ban-policy-reversed_n_3954164.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003)

The right-wing UK Independence Party announces it has dropped its policy, announced in 2010, to ban the Muslim face veil. (Huffington Post)

[Iran’s only Jewish MP to visit the United Nations](http://www.theguardian.com/world/2013/sep/19/hassan-rouhani-jewish-un)

Hassan Rouhani, the new president of Iran, will bring Siamak Moreh Sedgh to the UN with him as part of a bid to soften the country’s image abroad. (Guardian)

[Greek government moves to ban far-right Golden Dawn](http://www.trust.org/item/20130919182215-q8ari)

After the murder of a left-wing musician by an associate of the neo-Nazi group, Greece’s prime minister publicly condemns Golden Dawn. (Reuters)