Officials around the world are responding to the school shooting in Uvalde, Texas, the deadliest such incident to take place in the U.S. in nearly a decade.
"It is time to say enough to the indiscriminate trafficking of arms," Pope Francis said on Wednesday, as he sent condolences to families in Uvalde, Texas.
On what is supposed to be Christianity's most joyful day, Pope Francis made an anguished Easter Sunday plea for peace in the "senseless" war in Ukraine and in other armed conflicts in the world.
Pope Francis met with Indigenous leaders and survivors of Canada's residential schools this week. He had expressed sorrow in the past on behalf of the church, but this is the first formal apology.
Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass before an estimated 2,000 people in St. Peter's Basilica, going ahead with the service despite the resurgence in COVID-19 cases.
President Biden's meeting with the pope is a fairly recent tradition for U.S. presidents. His meeting will mark the 31st time a U.S. president has met with the leader of the Catholic Church.
President Biden has been scrambling to make a deal at home with lawmakers in his own party before heading to the G-20 summit in Rome and the U.N. Climate Summit in Glasgow.
The pope spoke about a report released Tuesday that estimated some 330,000 French children were abused by clergy and other church authority figures dating back to 1950.
The first major revision of Catholic canon law in nearly four decades redefines clerical sex abuse and mandates specific punishments. It also sets punishments for the attempted ordination of women.
Pope Francis decreed that all bishops and cardinals can be tried if suspected of criminal behavior. He also banned Vatican employees from accepting gifts amounting to more than 40 euros (about $48).
The new rules are also aimed at shutting down the churches "envelope" culture — requiring a limit on the value of gifts that cardinals and managers can receive.
During Sunday's ceremony, the pope had harsh words for armed forces, support for struggling countries, and urged the use of vaccinations to curb the pandemic.
The pontiff arrived at Baghdad International Airport where he was greeted by the prime minister. During his four-day visit, Francis will focus on Iraq's ancient but dwindling Christian community.
The pope and the president share liberal stances on climate change and economic disparity. A theology scholar argues U.S. Catholic Church leadership is increasingly allied with the political right.
Many Iraqis — Christian and Muslim — say they are excited about the first papal visit to the country, raising hopes of religious tolerance in the face of extremist violence.
Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Cardinal Robert Sarah as head of the Vatican's liturgy department. The Vatican did not provide a reason for the removal of the outspoken conservative.
In remarks at the Vatican on Sunday, Pope Francis condemned the violence at the U.S. Capitol and urged Americans to come together for the "common good."
"Vaccines for all, especially for the most vulnerable and needy of all regions of the planet," Pope Francis said at the Vatican on a subdued Christmas Day.
