Pope Francis is welcomed by hundreds of men, women and children at Bratislava international airport 12 September. After his arrival in Bratislava, Pope Francis was whisked away to the apostolic nunciature, where he met with ecumenical leaders and reflected on the freedom shared in the country.

Pope Francis has last weekend told members of the organisation, Leaders Pour la Paix (Leaders for Peace) that it is important to promote a ‘culture of faces,’ which places the dignity of the person at the centre, a respect for his or her story, especially if they are wounded and marginalised.

In this exclusive story as part of the lead up to the First Assembly of the Plenary Council, Australian Catholic Bishops Conference President Archbishop Mark Coleridge from Brisbane has this week given a historical recount of the events that led to the calling of the Fifth Plenary Council of Australia.

By means of policies and regulations, lawmakers can protect human dignity from whatever may threaten it. Those were the words of Pope Francis who spoke to members and representatives of the International Catholic Legislators Network, who were in Rome for an annual conference, on 27 August.

The volunteering spirit is alive and well in Willetton where John Paul Care gardening volunteers Elisabeth and Neil Macpherson have been helping their community for nearly 30 years.

“Have I visited my grandparents, my elderly relatives, the older people in my neighborhood? Have I listened to them? Have I spent time with them?” Pope Francis has said Sunday 25 July in his homily marking the first World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly.

Pope Francis has restored limits on the celebration of the Mass according to the Roman Missal in use before the Second Vatican Council.

Pilgrims and well-wishers gathered at Rome’s Gemelli hospital to greet Pope Francis as he made his first public appearance in a week after undergoing intestinal surgery, appearing on the 10th-floor balcony of his suite of rooms at the hospital on 11 July.

While the suffering brought on by the coronavirus pandemic continues to make headlines, Pope Francis has recently highlighted another serious illness plaguing today’s world that deserves attention.

Writing to vulnerable Catholics, Pope Francis said that God is close to them and still has plans for their lives. “I was called to become the bishop of Rome when I had reached, so to speak, retirement age, and thought I would not be doing anything new,” said the pope, in conjunction with World Day for Grandparents and the elderly. By Cindy Wooden, CNS