Earlier, the pontiff highlighted the plight of vulnerable immigrants and robustly defended a bishop accused of covering up sexual abuse at the end of a visit to Chile overshadowed by controversy.
In the northern border region of Iquique — which he said was “the land of dreams” for so many — the pop

day blessing from the main balcony of St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, Monday, Dec. 25, 2017. CREDIT: AP Photo/Alessandra Tarantino
Pope Francis dealt a sharp rebuke to President Donald Trump in his annual Christmas message on Monday, hitting the U.S. leader on immigration and calling for a pea

In a press statement released on Sunday, the Holy See Press Office reiterated the Pope's concerns regarding the volatile situation in and around Jerusalem.
In expressing sorrow for the clashes of the past few days that have left people dead, the Holy Father renews his appeal for wisdom and prudence

Bangladesh President Abdul Hamid and a delegation of political and religious authorities were on the tarmac to meet him together with a group of children who welcomed him with flowers, singing and dancing.
After the welcome ceremony the Pope visited the National Martyr’s Memorial and Bangabadhu Mem

as well as by crowds of ordinary people who lined the road to the archbishop’s residence where he’ll be staying for the three-day visit.
Philippa Hitchen is in Yangon to report on this papal journey and was among the crowds waiting for the Pope and his entourage to arrive in the city centre.
It’s

and urged Christians to overcome indifference and seek ways to actively love the poor that they meet.
“In the poor, we find the presence of Jesus, who, though rich, became poor,” the Pope said Nov. 19. Because of this, “in their weakness, a saving power is present. And if in the eyes of the world t

The cordial conversation that took place on Saturday morning during a private audience in the Apostolic Palace between the Pope and President Bai Koroma focused mainly on the good relations that exist between the Holy See and the west African nation of Sierra Leone and on the important contribution

and leaving more than 500 injured as thousands of frantic concert-goers screamed and ran for their lives, Clark County Sheriff Joseph Lombardo said Monday. It was the deadliest mass shooting in modern U.S. history.
President Trump called the attack "an act of pure evil" and said the FBI and Depart

In remarks prepared for the occasion, and delivered to participants during the course of an audience that began shortly before noon in the Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, Pope Francis reflected particularly on the Extraordinary Jubilee Year of Mercy that ran through 2016, und

shared an emotional meeting with Pope Francis, saying that throughout his time as a prisoner, he offered his suffering for the Pope and the Church.
According to a Sept. 13 article published in the Vatican newspaper L'Osservatore Romano, the encounter took place at the Pope's residence in the Vatica

Pope Francis expressed his “deepest sympathy” for the victims of Thursday’s terrorist attack on Barcelona “Las Ramblas Boulevard” with a telegram to the city’s Archbishop, Cardinal Juan José Omella.
The telegram was signed by Cardinal Secretary of State, Pietro Parolin.
Pope Francis condemned the

Fr. Peter Sebastian Goveas, the Vicar General of Bhagalpur Diocese, also in Bihar, is the new bishop of Bettiah. The see of Bettiah has been vacant since July 13, 2013, when Pope Francis transferred Bettiah’s first Bishop Victor Henry Thakur to the Archdiocese of Raipur.ý
Education and training

The message was read out by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican Secretary of State.
At the end of the message, Cardinal Parolin officially announced that Pope Francis will visit the Rome headquarters of the FAO on World Food Day, 16 October 2017, at the invitation of its Director-General, José Grazian

President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi said he had ordered strikes against what he called terrorist camps, declaring in a televised address that states that sponsored terrorism would be punished.
Egyptian military sources said six strikes took place near Derna in eastern Libya at around sundown, hours afte

in a friendly encounter which included an emphasis on protection of life and freedom of conscience.
According to a May 24 Vatican communique, Pope Francis and Trump expressed satisfaction "for the good existing bilateral relations between the Holy See and the United States of America, as well as th