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Pope Francis waves as he leads the Angelus in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 13.

Pope marks third anniversary of election with talk on mercy

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis celebrated the third anniversary of his election with a simple Tweet — “Pray for me" — and the usual Sunday recitation of the Angelus prayer with tens of thousands of people gathered in St. Peter's Square.

A man holds an Argentine flag at the Vatican in this July 13, 2014, file photo. The sainthood cause of Argentine Cardinal Eduardo Francisco Pironio, who organized the first World Youth Days as president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, has been forwarded to the Vatican.

Sainthood cause of Argentine cardinal moves forward

VATICAN CITY - The sainthood cause of Argentine Cardinal Eduardo Francisco Pironio, who organized the first World Youth Days as president of the Pontifical Council for the Laity, has been forwarded to the Vatican.

Pope Francis leads the Mass for a canonization in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican on Oct. 18, 2015.

Pope Francis tries to clean up costly saint-making process

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis has approved new rules to tighten financial oversight of the canonization process after leaked documents revealed abuses and high costs in creating saints.

A man waits to go to confession at Old St. Mary's Church in Detroit, Feb. 29.

Pastors find options to help coax people back to Sacrament of Reconciliation

DETROIT - When Fr. Benjamin Kosnac decided to start offering confessions 30 minutes before every Mass, he wasn't sure anyone would come. 

Oksana Vydash holds on to her goddaughter Veronika Victoria Shalai during her baptism at St. Mary's Assumption Ukrainian Catholic Church in St. Louis in this Jan. 12, 2013, file photo.

Vatican statistics report increase in baptized Catholics worldwide, strong growth in Africa and Asia

VATICAN CITY - The number of baptized Catholics worldwide has grown at a faster rate than that of the world's population, according to Vatican statistics.

Yemeni pro-government fighters guard outside a Missionaries of Charity elderly home March 4 after unidentified gunmen targeted the home in Aden, Yemen. Four Missionaries of Charity and 10 to 12 other people were killed in the attack.

Pope Francis calls murdered nuns in Yemen ‘today’s martyrs’

Pope Francis said four nuns executed by gunmen in Yemen at a home where they cared for elderly and disabled residents are “today’s martyrs.”

Pope Francis looks on during his general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican March 2.

Pope Francis changes remarriage rules (for heads of state)

There is intense anticipation in the Catholic Church — and no small amount of anxiety for traditionalists — over what Pope Francis will say about Communion for divorced and remarried Catholics in a key document expected in the coming weeks.

Rachel McAdams, Mark Ruffalo and Brian d'Arcy James star in a scene from the movie "Spotlight."

Oscar-winning Spotlight not anti-Catholic

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican newspaper has come to the defense of the Oscar-winning film, Spotlight, which has been viewed as “anti-Catholic” by some observers.

Pope Francis visits the San Carlo Community, a Catholic-run drug rehabilitation center on the outskirts of Rome near Castel Gandolfo, Italy, Feb. 26. The pope encouraged the 55 patients to trust God's mercy to keep them strong.

For 'Mercy Friday' initiative, Pope visits young addicts at rehab center

VATICAN CITY - In the second of his "Mercy Friday" gestures, Pope Francis spent two hours with a group of young adults at a Catholic-run residential drug rehabilitation center.

Newly ordained Bishop Paul Tighe, a priest of the Archdiocese of Dublin, greets the faithful during his ordination to the episcopate in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican Feb. 27. Bishop Tighe, known for his support of Catholic journalists as secretary at the Pontifical Council for Social Communications, has been appointed as adjunct secretary of the Pontifical Council for Culture.

Ordination is call to service, says new Bishop Tighe

VATICAN CITY - In the presence of family, bishops and priests from Ireland and colleagues from the Vatican, Irish Msgr. Paul Tighe was ordained a bishop Feb. 27 by Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, Vatican secretary for relations with states, is pictured in Rome during a CNS interview Feb. 25.

Vatican envoys risk their lives to end 'World War III,' archbishop says

VATICAN CITY - Even in the midst of bombings, Vatican ambassadors stay put, risking their lives while working to end what Pope Francis has termed a "piecemeal" World War III, said the Vatican minister of foreign affairs.

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