VATICAN CITY - While protests against Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro raged across the country, National Guard forces loyal to the embattled head of state launched tear gas at churchgoers attending Mass at a local parish.

CARACAS, Venezuela – Cardinal Jorge Urosa Savino of Caracas has repudiated Sunday's attack on a referendum in which the vast majority of participants expressed their opposition to the constituent assembly called by President Maduro.

VATICAN CITY – After meeting Pope Francis and seeing how moved he was by their description of the crisis gripping Venezuela, the leaders of the country's bishops' conference said they hoped the Pope would help draw the world's attention to the suffering of their people.

VATICAN CITY – Venezuela's opposition party pleaded with Pope Francis to mediate discussions with President Nicolas Maduro's government to find a solution to the current crisis that has left most of the country without food or basic necessities.