A Honduran bishop has been brokering talks between rival gangs in an attempt to calm a country with the highest homicide rate in the world. Auxiliary Bishop Romulo Emiliani Sanchez of San Pedro Sula, Honduras, told local media that Mara Salvatrucha and 18th Street gangs would start honoring a truce May 28 and enter into dialogue, which he hopes would allow the Central American country to recover from recent years of crime, corruption and political strife.

Vatican officials are making strategic phone calls to some of the world’s most far-flung dioceses, trying to verify that in each of the world’s inhabited time zones there will be an organized hour of eucharistic adoration coinciding with 5-6 p.m. Rome time June 2.

Gerardo Bueso, 26, has been deported from the United States twice. He is trying a third time to reach the United States, where he previously worked as a gardener. Bueso is among the more than a million immigrants deported from the United States over the past five years, even as the administration of President Barack Obama presses for comprehensive immigration reform.

The head of the Tanzanian bishops’ conference warned of a growing threat from militant Islamists and urged police and government to act more forcefully against violence and intimidation.

The Boy Scouts of America’s National Council voted late May 23 to allow openly gay youths admittance as members into the 103-year-old organization, effective Jan. 1, 2014.

In the face of difficulty, it’s natural to hope just to get by, but being Christian means patiently enduring trials and overcoming oppression with love, Pope Francis said at a Mass that included special prayers for China.

Human trafficking is “a despicable activity, a disgrace for our societies, which describe themselves as civilized,” Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis will visit the birthplace of his namesake, St. Francis of Assisi, on the saint’s feast day, Oct. 4. The Vatican confirmed the trip May 23.

By Carol Glatz The depth of a bishop or priest's love for Jesus and his willingness to give up everything for God are the litmus test for how well the pastor is fulfilling his ministry, Pope Francis said. "We are not the face of an organization or an organizational necessity," he told hundreds of Italian bishops during a solemn ceremony in St. Peter's Basilica May 23. "We are calle...

Pope Francis received a bloodstained relic of slain Archbishop Oscar Romero as a gift from El Salvador’s President Mauricio Funes Cartagena.