VATICAN CITY – In a brief outdoor ceremony, Pope Francis administered the sacrament of confirmation to 16-year-old Giuseppe Chiolo, who had come to the Vatican by ambulance from Florence.

Pope Francis said Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on Friday morning. In remarks to the faithful following the readings of the day, the Holy Father focused on the nature of the work of Evangelization: it is an art and a discipline – never a vaunt and never a task to be done by rote – and the work of evangelization is never, never, “a walk in the park.”

VATICAN CITY – Religions can play an important role in protecting the environment and defending human rights in their countries, their communities and their schools, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY – Peace cannot be achieved by huge protests or international conferences unless it begins in people's hearts, Pope Francis said.

Resuming the daily Mass at the Casa Santa Marta after the summer break, Pope Francis, in his homily, spoke about the importance of working for peace in small, daily actions – because, he said, it is in small daily gestures that peace on a global scale is born.

VATICAN CITY – While retired Pope Benedict XVI said organization and governance are not his strong suits, he also said, "I am unable to see myself as a failure."

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.

When students attend a new school named Pope Francis, principal Anthony Arcadi hopes children will embrace the Pope’s qualities of caring, compassion and conversation.

VATICAN CITY – Remembering religious women who too often are the targets of violence around the world, Pope Francis led prayers for a Spanish sister murdered Sept. 2 in Haiti.

VATICAN CITY – With a large tapestry bearing the portrait of the woman known as the "Saint of the Gutters" suspended above him, Pope Francis proclaimed the sainthood of Mother Teresa of Calcutta, hailing her courage and love for the poor.

VATICAN CITY – At every canonization ceremony, people connected to the new saint carry to the altar a relic – often a bone shard from the new saint's body. The relic presented at the Mass for St. Teresa of Calcutta was a few drops of her blood.

NAIROBI, Kenya – As the high-profile espionage trial of two evangelical pastors resumes in Khartoum, Sudan, this week, a human rights group is calling on Pope Francis to intervene on their behalf.

In a message released Thursday (Sept. 1) to mark the Catholic Church’s World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which Francis instituted last September, the pontiff noted that the worst impact of global warming was being felt by those least responsible for it — refugees and the poor.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis has welcomed a groundbreaking deal reached between the Colombian government and rebels that promises to end more than 50 years of violent conflict.

VATICAN CITY – To promote Catholic social teaching and ensure appropriate assistance to vulnerable people – especially victims of war, refugees and the sick – Pope Francis has established a new office combing the responsibilities of four pontifical councils.