Rosie Scammell

Pope Francis has criticized those who care more about the letter of the law than people’s individual situations, continuing to assert the overarching theme of the landmark apostolic exhortation on the family he issued last week.

Catholic clergy have a “moral and ethical responsibility” to report sexual abuse, the cardinal tasked with reforming the Vatican’s approach to sexual crimes said after criticism of the Holy See.

Pope Francis is studying an invitation to visit the Grand Mosque of Rome — extended to him several days after his first visit to the city’s Great Synagogue.

A new book-length interview with Pope Francis gives fresh insight into his view of gay parishioners, marriage annulments and other hot topics being debated by Catholics globally.

Pope Francis’ visit to Mexico next month is supposed to be more of a pilgrimage than a spring break, but a viral video of the pontiff joking about tequila with a Mexican man in St. Peter’s Square captures the voluble enthusiasm that is likely to greet the first Latin American pontiff.

Pope Francis will open the Catholic Church’s jubilee on mercy on Tuesday (Dec. 8), a nearly yearlong event that is expected to bring millions of pilgrims to Rome despite security concerns and logistical challenges.r

Some anti-immigrant and conservative leaders in both Europe and the U.S. say refugees arriving from Syria should be considered potential terrorists, and some suggest that requests for asylum should be vetted on the basis of religion.