Pope Francis met with European rabbis on Monday and decried antisemitism, war and terrorism in a written speech he declined to read, saying he wasn’t feeling well.

Francis told the rabbis during the audience in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace that he was very happy to receive them, but added: “I’m not feeling well, and so I prefer not to read the speech but give it to you, so you can take it with you.”

Donald Trump began testifying Monday morning in his civil fraud trial, producing the spectacle of a former president and the leading Republican presidential candidate defending himself against allegations that he dramatically inflated his net worth.

Trump’s turn on the witness stand, in a case that cuts to the heart of the business brand he spent decades crafting, amounts to a remarkable convergence of his legal troubles and his political ventures at a time when he also faces criminal indictments while vying to reclaim the White House in 2024. 

Minneapolis police are investigating another fire at a mosque, and faith leaders want them to look closely at the motive if the fire that destroyed three garages is determined to be arson. The fire at Mercy Mosque happened around midday Wednesday and caused more than $100,000 worth of damage. 

Michael Mendele can be reached at mend6488@stthomas.edu.