Faith isn’t something decorative one adds to life, but is a commitment that involves making choices that may require sacrifice, Pope Francis said.

Speaking on behalf of Catholics in Egypt, Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sedrak said the violence and unrest in his country are “not a political struggle between different factions, but a war against terrorism.”

Workers for Catholic relief agencies prepared to deliver aid to tens of thousands of displaced people in Manila and surrounding communities after flooding caused by seasonal monsoon rains and an offshore typhoon.

Here is the English text of the Aug. 18 statement by Coptic Catholic Patriarch Ibrahim Isaac Sedrak on recent events in Egypt.

A Coptic Catholic bishop who served as a member of the assembly that drafted Egypt’s 2012 constitution said his country will not have a civil war, and foreign powers — including the United Nations — should not interfere.

As the official death toll rose from clashes Aug. 14 in Egypt and as the damaged done to Christian churches was being assessed, Pope Francis invoked Mary, queen of peace, to bring calm to the country.

While the shores of Lake Albano are speckled with swimmers and sunbathers, the historic center of Castel Gandolfo has been quiet this summer — too quiet for many.

Mary, the mother of Jesus and mother of the church, already is in glory in heaven, but she is always with the church and helps it face the trials of the devil, Pope Francis said.

A spokesman for Egypt’s Catholic Church defended a police and army crackdown against Egyptians protesting the ouster of former President Mohammed Morsi.

Immediately after meeting Pope Francis, Gianluigi Buffon, captain of the Italian national soccer team, and Lionel Messi, captain of Argentina’s team, lent their hands — actually just a finger — to the Pontifical Academy of Sciences.