OXFORD, England – The president of the Zambian Catholic bishops' conference joined other religious leaders in deploring worsening tensions in the east African country, accusing its president of intimidating opponents and silencing the media.

VATICAN CITY – To best respond to new challenges in the field of communication, the Vatican needs smart, courageous teamwork, not nostalgia for a glorious past or doomsday forecasts, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis said Friday that when it comes to solving the immigration crisis, the media needs to stop perpetuating negative stereotypes and explain the big picture, shedding light on the causes behind migration.

VATICAN CITY – At a time when the media seem to feed a "vicious cycle of anxiety" and a "spiral of fear," Christians should respond with honest stories that identify problems and evil, but also inspire real solutions, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY – Governments need to report, condemn and address all forms of discrimination against Christians, including intolerance shown in the media and public debates, said a Vatican diplomat.

WASHINGTON - Mother Angelica "reflected the Gospel commission to go forth and make disciples of all nations" said Archbishop Joseph E. Kurtz of Louisville, Kentucky, president of the U.S. bishops' conference.

Seeds of the Word: Finding God in the Culture (Word On Fire, hardcover, 275 pages, $24.95).

The teen vampire series Twilight has at least one thing in common with the prolific 20th-century Catholic writer and monk Thomas Merton — they both have a part in teaching us about God in the culture.

Marvel’s Ant-Man is the 12th instalment in the Marvel Cinematic Universe and Marvel Studios’ 12th consecutive top-grossing opening at the box office. With a gross of more than $8 billion at the worldwide box office, the MCU currently sits as the highest grossing film franchise in the world. And if that’s not enough, the highest grossing film worldwide, The Avengers, is also an MCU instalment.

WASHINGTON - Pornography is sexualizing the innocence of the nation's young children, causing a race to adulthood before the end of childhood.

Rabbi Arthur Waskow, author of a rabbinical letter on climate change, said he can sum up his response to Pope Francis’ groundbreaking encyclical on the environment in one word:

Hallelujah.

TORONTO - Fr. Borna Puskaric has a major project awaiting him when he returns to his home diocese of Zagreb, Croatia.

The Vatican is dragging its media machine into the 21st century, promising to promote social media and streamline its fragmented services with the help of a former BBC executive.

VATICAN CITY - Despite media reports that Pope Francis refused the candidate France proposed as its next ambassador to the Holy See — speculating that it is due to the fact Laurent Stefanini is homosexual — the French government has yet to receive an official response from the Vatican, said a spokesperson for the French government.