As Zimbabwe’s church leaders called on the country’s political parties to accept the results of July 31 elections, a spokesman for the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference said he hoped that the church can help mediate a peaceful resolution.

As a sign of his “esteem and friendship,” Pope Francis said he personally wanted to write this year’s Vatican message to Muslims about to celebrate the end of their monthlong Ramadan fast.

Mercy is a word Pope Francis uses often, and an attitude he believes the Catholic Church must embody and all Catholics must mirror.

At a weekly public audience earlier this year, the pope underscored one of his characteristic themes: the countercultural implications of membership in the church.

Zimbabwe’s general elections took place peacefully and have put the country “on the path to a democratic dispensation,” said Father Frederick Chiromba, secretary-general of the Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference.

Nigerians who live in areas targeted by Islamist insurgents Boko Haram must be observant and vigilant about happenings around them, said a bishop in an area hit by recent bombings.

A committee of religious and civic leaders said a South Sudanese rebel leader was being supported by a foreign government in an effort to destabilize the young nation.

Celebrating the feast of St. Ignatius with more than 200 of his Jesuit confreres, Pope Francis prayed that he and all of them would receive “the grace of shame” for their failures and the humility to recognize that whatever good they accomplish is really done by the Lord.

When Pope Francis told reporters July 28, “Who am I to judge” a homosexual person, he was emphasizing a part of Catholic teaching often overlooked by the media and misunderstood by many people.

Irish pro-life campaigners vowed to work to repeal a new law that permits abortion in limited circumstances. President Michael D. Higgins signed the Protection of Life During Pregnancy Bill July 30 after tense parliamentary debates during which several legislators resigned.