VATICAN – Pope Francis prayed that the hopes for peace strengthened by the meeting of the leaders of North and South Korea will not be dashed, and he urged Catholics during the month of May to pray the rosary for peace.

VATICAN – Love is a miraculous force that helps the parents of sick children focus on the beauty of their children's lives and keeps the flame of hope for a cure alive, Pope Francis told an Italian couple and a group of their supporters.

VATICAN CITY – Heaven is not an eternally dull existence but rather the completion of a journey toward a promised encounter with the Lord, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN – Pope Francis has united the Diocese of Alexandria-Cornwall with the Archdiocese of Ottawa "in the person of the bishop," Archbishop Terrence Prendergast of Ottawa, indicating the situation may change in the future.

VATICAN – The example of selfless love and humble service set forth by Jesus at the Last Supper are the foundation of the Catholic Church's mission in the world, Pope Francis said.

LIVERPOOL, England – A group of doctors has criticized the refusal of some of their colleagues and a court to allow Alfie Evans to travel to Italy for treatment as "medical tyranny."

VATICAN – Pope Francis led thousands of people in St. Peter's Square in prayers for the success of the inter-Korean summit, scheduled for April 27.

VATICAN – Pope Francis will travel to Bari, the southern Italian Adriatic port city, July 7 to host a day of reflection and ecumenical prayer for peace in the Middle East.

VATICAN – Pope Francis and his international Council of Cardinals have reviewed a complete draft of the apostolic constitution that would govern the Roman Curia, the Vatican spokesman said.

VATICAN – The church is like a bicycle -- it stays upright as long as it keeps moving, Pope Francis said.

ROME (CNS) -- Cones raised in the air, the crowd gathered for dinner at the Sant'Egidio Community's soup kitchen toasted Pope Francis on his name day, the feast of St. George.

WASHINGTON – Caritas Internationalis, the Catholic Church's worldwide network of humanitarian aid agencies, three German banks and more than 30 other Catholic institutions are planning to divest at least part of their financial portfolios from the fossil fuel industry.

VATICAN – Pope Francis appointed three women as consultors to the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. It marks the first time women and laypersons were named as active contributors -- not support staff.

VATICAN – The Italian government granted citizenship to Alfie Evans, a seriously ill British toddler, in a last-minute effort to prevent doctors in England from withdrawing life-support.

VATICAN – In its efforts to help advise the Pope, the Roman Curia, bishops' conferences and local churches on protecting minors from abuse, a Vatican commission listened to abuse survivors from Great Britain and discussed the results of Australia's public inquiry into its country's institutional responses to abuse.