VATICAN CITY – Women religious are often the first people to discover problems emerging in society because they work directly with so many people in need, an anti-trafficking advocate said.

VATICAN CITY – His toes curl in pain, his veins bulge from exertion, his bony chest heaves in the last throes of death.

VATICAN CITY – Delegations from the Vatican and from Vietnam reported continued progress in discussions between their two countries, a Vatican press statement said.

VATICAN CITY – Professing belief in the resurrection of the dead and affirming that the human body is an essential part of a person's identity, the Catholic Church insists that the bodies of the deceased be treated with respect and laid to rest in a consecrated place.

VATICAN CITY – Along with the Christmas-tree lighting ceremony and the unveiling of the Nativity creche, Pope Francis' raffle to benefit those in need is becoming an annual holiday tradition at the Vatican.

VATICAN CITY – Several senior cardinals in Rome are apparently furious about plans to open a new McDonald’s restaurant in the shadow of St. Peter’s Basilica and have reportedly asked Pope Francis to stop the expansion from going ahead.

VATICAN CITY – The seven new saints of the church were holy not because of their own efforts but because of "the Lord who triumphs in them and with them," Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY – The sun is not yet up and Gianni Crea is making his way down a pitch-black corridor inside the Vatican’s world-famous museums.

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.

VATICAN CITY – In an effort to ensure transparency as well as historical and scientific accuracy, Pope Francis has approved revised norms for the Congregation for Saints' Causes regarding medical consultations on healings alleged to be miracles.

VATICAN CITY – The Holy See has adhered to the UN Convention Against Corruption, an international treaty focused on preventing, outlawing and prosecuting corruption within nations and internationally.

The only abuse survivor currently serving on a panel set up by Pope Francis to fight clerical sexual abuse says the Catholic Church is making good progress and welcomed changes initiated by the Vatican and the pontiff.

VATICAN CITY – The world's Benedictines offer precious gifts by providing quality education, quiet refuge in a hectic world and loving hospitality to anyone in need, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY – Be cautious about scientific data that offer to be the sole basis and single explanation for the differences between men and women, the Vatican newspaper said.

VATICAN CITY – Sex should be focused on love, not egotism or pleasure, according to the Vatican.