VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has decided to begin 2017 in much the same way as he did last year: praying for Christian unity.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has asked young people to tell him, their bishops and pastors about their hopes and struggles and even their criticisms.

VATICAN CITY – The overwhelming majority of sainthood causes the past decade have originated in Italy, said the head of the Vatican office responsible for investigating the causes.

VATICAN CITY – The Catholic Church is "very far" from a situation in which the Pope is in need of "fraternal correction" because he has not put the faith and church teaching in danger, said Cardinal Gerhard Muller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

VATICAN CITY – Parents are charged with guarding the faith given to their children at baptism and helping them become true witnesses by example rather than just rules, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY – nice theory, but must be actively pursued with concrete policies aimed at promoting the common good and the dignity of the human person.

VATICAN CITY – In a new interview published Sunday, Pope Francis said that though his many papal trips are often very tiring, both from a physical and mental standpoint, the people he encounters and the testimonies he hears make all of it worthwhile.

VATICAN CITY – On Sunday Pope Francis announced that his “urgent” prayer for the month of January is for all those who live on the streets with no shelter, especially during the cold winter weather.

ROME, Italy – When it comes to talking about women and their role in the Church, discussion tends to focus almost exclusively on getting ordained or being placed in high ranking, decision making positions.

MADRID, Spain – While Reconciliation is intended to allow Christ’s victory to overcome sin in our lives, what happens when shame over one’s sins is so great that it keeps people away from the sacrament?