Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
AKU, Azerbaijan – Catholics cannot "economize" when it comes to spending time in prayer with God and in service to other people, Pope Francis told members of Azerbaijan's tiny Catholic community.
Dialogue, respect for differences are key to progress, Pope says
BAKU, Azerbaijan – Cooperation, peace and prosperity come when people know how to hold fast to their cultural and religious identities without ever denigrating or trying to deny the rights and identities of others, Pope Francis said.
TBILISI, Georgia – Pope Francis said a global war against marriage is underway and Catholics must respond by helping couples stay strong and by providing pastoral care to those experiencing difficulty.
With Chaldean Catholics, Pope prays for peace in Syria, Iraq
TBILISI, Georgia – At a brief prayer service with Chaldean Catholics in Georgia, Pope Francis pleaded with God to grant peace to persecuted Christians and the victims of war, especially in Syria and Iraq.
Pope, Georgian patriarch pledge to witness to Gospel as brothers
TBILISI, Georgia – Paying honor to the steadfast faith of Orthodox Christians in Georgia, Pope Francis nevertheless urged them to draw closer to other Christians and work together to share the Gospel.
Pope urges dialogue to end Georgian-Russian territorial stalemate
TBILISI, Georgia – Subtly acknowledging Georgia's ongoing territorial dispute with Russia, Pope Francis urged greater efforts to sow peace throughout the Caucasus region.
Doctrinal congregation convokes meeting on role of women in the church
VATICAN CITY – Leaders of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith spent three days in late September listening to women theologians, canon lawyers, Scripture scholars and specialists in other academic fields talk about roles women have played in the Catholic Church and roles they could play in the future.
Vatican concerned about North Korea's nuclear capabilities
VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis and the Vatican are concerned about continuing tensions on the Korean peninsula "on account of the nuclear tests carried out by North Korea," the Vatican spokesman confirmed.
Fight hatred with love, respect for others, Pope tells Nice survivors
VATICAN CITY – With some stoic and others sobbing, survivors and family members of the victims of the July terrorist attacks in Nice met Pope Francis during a special audience at the Vatican.
Catholic-Orthodox commission approves statement on authority
VATICAN CITY – Catholics and Orthodox need to explore ways authority can be understood and exercised so that is not an obstacle to unity, a group of top-level theologians said.