ROME – Argentine soccer legend Diego Maradona says it was the influence of his countryman Pope Francis that revived his faith and brought him back to the Catholic Church.

VATICAN CITY – In choosing 17 new members of the College of Cardinals, Pope Francis has once again looked to countries and dioceses that had never been represented in the body that advises the Pope and will elect his successor.

The death knell for the nuclear family continues to ring out in a new compilation of statistics from the Vanier Institute of the Family. But the good news is that grandparents are more involved than ever in raising their grandchildren and helping out their extended families.

VATICAN CITY – Catholic missionary orders like the Oblates of Mary Immaculate have as much work to do as ever, Pope Francis said.

ROME – In a narrow alley a few miles from the center of Rome, around 250 migrants gather at sunset.

VATICAN CITY – Wherever public policy, communities and even religions may have failed, sports and recreation are ready and set to lift wounded spirits and build cooperation and peace in the world, said a number of speakers at a Vatican conference.

VATICAN CITY – The following is the text from Pope Francis’ general audience at the Vatican Oct. 5.

ROME – Pope Francis and Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury together charged 19 pairs of Catholic and Anglican bishops to return to their home countries and work together to promote joint prayer, joint proclamation of the Gospel and, especially, joint works of charity and justice.

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM AZERBAIJAN – Catholics who are homosexual, confused about their sexuality or convinced they were born in the wrong body deserve the same attentive pastoral care as anyone else, Pope Francis said.

EDMONTON – Ask Fred Prather about the job Basilian Father Bob Kasun did as pastor of Edmonton’s St. Alphonsus parish, and the response is immediate.