A few hours before Rome’s Jewish community was to begin its Passover observances, Pope Francis sent a brief note praying that God would bless them and asking community members for their prayers.

Meditating on Christ’s passion and the ways people contribute to his suffering, Lebanese youths lamented the ongoing emigration from and violence in the Middle East, divisions among Christians, the abuse of women and children, and the promotion of abortion.

Thousands of people who gathered at one end of the National Mall March 26 in support of traditional marriage took their message to the U.S. Supreme Court as they walked and held aloft placards with signs saying: “Kids do best with a mom and dad.”

The scent of cinnamon from freshly prepared bowls of custard filled a communal kitchen at the Syriac Center before the daily meal preparations began. St. Gabriel Syriac Orthodox Church houses the center, which houses about 150 refugees in this mountain village 19 miles north of Beirut.

The archbishop of Los Angeles called upon the United States to remember the humanity of men, women and children in the country illegally or risk losing its soul.

Pope Francis celebrated his first Palm Sunday Mass as pope March 24, telling an overflow crowd in St. Peter’s Square that Christ’s death on the cross is a source of eternal consolation and joy.

The winding road from the Mount of Olives to the streets of the Old City of Jerusalem was alive with music and song in many languages as global pilgrims joined local Christian Palestinians in the traditional Palm Sunday procession commemorating Jesus’ entry into the city.

With a warm embrace, a helping hand, shared prayer, a long discussion and lunch together, Pope Francis spent several hours with retired Pope Benedict XVI March 23 at the papal summer villa.

Brazilian President Dilma Rousseff said Pope Francis confirmed he would be in Rio de Janeiro in July for World Youth Day and, she said, he also told her he intended to visit Brazil’s National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida.

Sister Kate Kuenstler, a canon lawyer, had finished her talk about the rights of laypeople under Church canons when a man in the audience posed a question: How could he stop the bulldozers from tearing down his beloved church? The more she read, the more she understood the steps required to suppress, or close, a parish. She began to see that bishops did not always follow canon law or were unaware of canons governing closures.