Driving with a young friend, I was not surprised that she had the car window completely down and her face turned towards the breeze on one of these finally-gentle days of spring.  I enjoyed her enjoyment of the sweet fresh air sweeping in. 

VATICAN – In a time when the world is mired in conflicts, religious leaders have a duty to show that it is possible to set aside differences and work together for the common good, Pope Francis said.

Eunice Gichuhi and her family came to Canada for more opportunity, but it didn’t mean that she would forget the community she left behind. 

ROME – Pope Francis visited Rome's popular Shrine of Our Lady of Divine Love to pray the rosary for peace, especially in Syria.

MEXICO CITY – The bishops' conference of Nicaragua has accepted an invitation to mediate talks aimed at calming the Central American country, which has been roiled by protests over proposed changes to the national social security system and discontent with an increasingly authoritarian government.

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.

SEOUL, South Korea – Bishop Peter Lee Ki-heon of Uijeongbu has been waiting years for this moment, with the leaders of the two divided Koreas poised to meet for a historic summit just inside South Korean territory April 27.

VATICAN – Sharply criticizing a failure to find nonviolent means of bringing peace to Syria and other parts of the world, Pope Francis appealed to world leaders to work for justice and peace.

What is peace? What does it mean in the Christian sense? 

VATICAN – Pope Francis' call for a day of prayer and fasting for peace in war-torn countries like South Sudan and Congo is also a reminder for world leaders to protect their countrymen from violence and injustice, a Vatican official said.

ACAPULCO, Mexico – The Bishop of Chilpancingo-Chilapa, Mexico denied that Fr. Germain Muñiz Garcia, who was murdered on a Mexican highway Feb. 5 along with Fr. Iván Añorve Jaimes, had any connection to organized crime, as the Guerrero State Prosecutor's Office has recently claimed.

VATICAN – Pope Francis began the New Year praying the world would demonstrate a marked increase in solidarity and welcome for migrants and refugees.

LAS VEGAS – Hate and violence can not have the last word, said Las Vegas Bishop Joseph A. Pepe at an emotional interfaith prayer service a day after the mass killing of at least 59 concert goers on Oct. 1.

VATICAN CITY – Christians must learn to expect and recognize God's consolation and hold dear the peace and tranquility it leaves behind, Pope Francis said.