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Pope wanted apostles' relics united to encourage Christian unity

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis said giving fragments of St. Peter's bones to the head of the church founded by Peter's brother, St. Andrew, was meant to be a reminder and encouragement of the journey toward Christian unity.
Ideological fixation, not 'loyal criticism,' feeds possibility of schism, pope says

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM MADAGASCAR — Pope Francis told reporters he hoped and prayed the Catholic Church would not experience a new schism, but human freedom means people always have had and will have the "schism option."
Help the poor, protect the environment, pope says in Madagascar

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar — In Madagascar, where the destruction of the environment and the suffering of the poor are inextricably bound, Pope Francis urged government officials to promote development projects that protect nature.
WATCH: Pope leaves Mozambique urging reconciliation, care for one another

MAPUTO, Mozambique — When Jesus told his disciples to love one another and pray for their enemies, he meant it -- even disciples in a nation like Mozambique, where political tensions have led to violence, war and death, Pope Francis said.
Pope to create 13 new cardinals in October

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis announced he will create 13 new cardinals Oct. 5, choosing prelates from 13 different nations as a sign of "the missionary vocation of the church that continues to proclaim the merciful love of God to all men and women of the earth."
Repent, convert, pray, give up fossil fuels, pope says

VATICAN CITY — "Now is the time to abandon our dependence on fossil fuels and move, quickly and decisively, toward forms of clean energy," Pope Francis said as he marked the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.
Pope encourages interreligious dialogue initiative

VATICAN CITY — At a time when conflict and division dominate the world's headlines, people need to know there are a growing number of important initiatives to promote interreligious dialogue and understanding, Pope Francis said.
'ABCs' of Christian charity require helping those in need, official says

VATICAN CITY — A patriotic love for one's country and culture does not mean closing off oneself to others, particularly those in need, said the Vatican foreign minister.
Popular movements key to social change, pope says

VATICAN CITY — Popular movements can spark the change needed to ensure a future that is no longer in the hands of elites and powerful people, but includes the poor who have the inalienable right to a life of dignity, Pope Francis said.
Vatican official: Church must be prudent judging Medjugorje apparitions

KNOCK, Ireland — Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, is a place of prayer, conversion and pilgrimage for millions of people, but the church must be prudent and not rush to any judgment on the alleged Marian apparitions there, said Archbishop Rino Fisichella, president of the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization.
Pope approves new statutes for Vatican bank

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis approved new statutes for the Institute for the Works of Religion, often referred to as the Vatican bank, that include structural changes and a mandatory external audit.
In new interview, pope explains aim of synod, warns against nationalism

VATICAN CITY — The upcoming Synod of Bishops on the Amazon is an "urgent" gathering, not of scientists and politicians, but for the church whose main focus in discussions will be evangelization, Pope Francis said in a new interview.
Vatican confirms Medjugorje approval by joining youth festival

WARSAW, Poland — Senior Vatican representatives joined the first officially approved church festival at Medjugorje, three months after Catholic pilgrimages to the site in Bosnia-Herzegovina were authorized by the pope.
Pope encourages priests dejected by abuse crisis

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis acknowledged the shame and frustration felt by priests who are discouraged by the actions of fellow clergy members who betrayed the trust of their flock through sexual abuse and abuse of conscience and power.
Hush hour: Silence seen as journey toward God

Near the elevators people take to reach the papal study or meeting halls, the pope hung a copy of the icon of Our Lady of Silence -- an image of Mary with her index finger poised gently in front of her closed lips.
Beatification for British missionary?

MANCHESTER, England — The Vatican has allowed the bishops of Zimbabwe to open the sainthood cause of a British missionary murdered after he refused to abandon his ministry to people with Hansen's disease during the country's civil war.
Pope calls for quick action to prevent further migrant deaths

VATICAN CITY — Days after rescue workers recovered the bodies of dozens of migrants in the Mediterranean Sea, Pope Francis urged the international community to "act quickly" to prevent future tragedies.
Forensic experts to study 'thousands of bones' found in Vatican ossuaries

VATICAN CITY — During a search for the remains of a young Italian woman missing for more than 30 years, workers discovered an enormous number of bones inside two ossuaries in a building next to a Vatican cemetery.
Pope urges Syrian president to protect civilians, seek peace

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis urged Syrian President Bashar Assad to put an end to his country's eight-year-long conflict and seek reconciliation for the good of the nation and its vulnerable people.
Being curator of meteorites allows Jesuit to 'find God' in all things

HOUSTON — At the Vatican Observatory in Castel Gandolfo near Rome, Jesuit Brother Robert Macke finds his work as the curator of meteorites for the Vatican Observatory — formally founded in 1891 by Pope Leo XIII — allows him to, as the Jesuit saying goes, "find God in all things."
Praising God for gift of creation leads to respect for it, pope says

VATICAN CITY — Human beings are called to praise God for his gift of creation, not be predators out to plunder the earth and all it contains, Pope Francis said.
Vatican discovers empty tombs as it searches for missing woman

VATICAN CITY — Opening the Vatican tombs of a princess and a duchess July 11 in a search for the remains of a young Italian woman missing for more than 30 years, the Vatican found no human remains at all.
Migrants are people, not just a social issue, pope says at Mass

VATICAN CITY — Christians are called to follow the spirit of the beatitudes by comforting the poor and the oppressed, especially migrants and refugees who are rejected, exploited and left to die, Pope Francis said.
Vatican to open tombs looking for young woman missing since 1983

VATICAN CITY — The Vatican City State tribunal has ordered the opening of two tombs in a small Vatican cemetery at the request of the family of Emanuela Orlandi, a young woman who disappeared in 1983.
Pope meets Putin; two leaders talk about Ukraine, Syria, Venezuela

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis welcomed Russian President Vladimir Putin to the Vatican July 4, and the two discussed the ongoing wars in Eastern Ukraine and in Syria, the Vatican said. Russia plays a major role in both conflicts.
World becoming more elitist, cruel toward excluded, pope says

VATICAN CITY — The excluded, especially migrants and refugees, are the ones who ultimately pay the price for humanity's greed, Pope Francis said.
Pope: Receive Communion every time as if it were the first time

VATICAN CITY — Every time a Catholic receives Communion, it should be like his or her first Communion, Pope Francis said.
Vatican official praises Catholic media for coverage of sex abuse crisis

ST. PETERSBURG, Fla. — In a remarkably frank and detailed speech, the Vatican official heading the department charged with reviewing clergy sexual abuse allegations told an assembly of Catholic journalists that his investigators and the press "share the same goal, which is the protection of minors, and we have the same wish to leave the world a little better than how we found it."
Gender ideology is opposed to faith, reason, Vatican office says

VATICAN CITY — Catholic schools must help parents teach young people that biological sex and gender are naturally fixed at birth and part of God's plan for creation, said the Congregation for Catholic Education.
Pope says he wants to visit Iraq in 2020

VATICAN CITY — Announcing his desire to visit Iraq in 2020, Pope Francis called for a peaceful resolution to crises in the Middle East.
WATCH: Freedom, mercy are lasting legacy of martyred bishops, pope says

BLAJ, Romania — The memory and witness of Romania's martyred bishops are a reminder that Christians are called to stand firm against ideologies that seek to stifle and suppress their cultural and religious traditions, Pope Francis said.
Pope urges Romanian leaders to care for country's poor, disadvantaged