The sainthood cause for Father Joseph Walijewski, a La Crosse diocesan priest who established a Bolivia parish and a Peru orphanage on behalf of the diocese, has been officially opened.

Pope Francis called on the world’s priests to bring the healing power of God’s grace to everyone in need, to stay close to the marginalized and to be “shepherds living with the smell of the sheep.”

Evils within the church are caused by a self-centeredness and “theological narcissism” that forget to share Christ with people outside of the church, Pope Francis said in the days before his election.

Pope Francis appealed for an end to the violence and looting in the wake of a rebel-led coup in the Central African Republic.

The papal coat of arms has undergone a few major adjustments to more clearly reflect the symbolism of Mary and St. Joseph.

Twenty-one Catholic members of Parliament have written to Pope Francis to ask him to relax the rule on priestly celibacy for Latin-rite priests.

Gossiping about someone is a “dark joy” that Christians must resist because it is a betrayal like Judas’ betrayal of Jesus, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis has decided not to move into the papal apartments in the Apostolic Palace, but to live in a suite in the Vatican guesthouse where he has been since the beginning of the conclave that elected him, said Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman.

The Delhi high court asked the Indian government to exempt Christians from working on Good Friday and Easter, after the Ministry of Finance made the two days mandatory work days.

Authorities announced that at least 24 “penitents” are expected to be nailed on the cross on Good Friday, an annual ritual meant to atone for sins and give thanks to God for blessings. But the country’s Catholic bishops warned the faithful against resorting to extreme forms of sacrifice on Good Friday, including crucifixion and self-flagellation, reported the Asian church news agency UCA News.