News/International

WASHINGTON – Wind-whipped rains from Hurricane Matthew shattered Haiti's southwest peninsula, downing trees, ripping open makeshift wooden homes and causing widespread flooding Oct. 4 as aid workers waited for the storm to subside before mobilizing.

VATICAN CITY – Amid the devastation wrought by an earthquake in central Italy, Pope Francis quietly prayed and offered words of consolation to survivors and those assisting in relief efforts.

GUADALAJARA, Mexico – Even in a rural Mexican community that has grown accustomed to the news of brutal killings, the abduction and murder of a popular Catholic priest has triggered profound shock and outrage.

WARSAW, Poland – Catholic experts warned that new rules on religion in China could severely hamper the church's work by curbing its foreign contacts and imposing heavy penalties for unauthorized activity.

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM AZERBAIJAN – Catholics facing difficult political choices must study the issues, pray about the election and then vote according to their consciences, Pope Francis said.

BAKU, Azerbaijan – As the spiritual leader of a tiny religious minority in Azerbaijan, Pope Francis told the leaders of the country's other religious communities that they share a responsibility to help people grow in faith, but also in tolerance for the faith of others.

AKU, Azerbaijan – Catholics cannot "economize" when it comes to spending time in prayer with God and in service to other people, Pope Francis told members of Azerbaijan's tiny Catholic community.

BAKU, Azerbaijan – Cooperation, peace and prosperity come when people know how to hold fast to their cultural and religious identities without ever denigrating or trying to deny the rights and identities of others, Pope Francis said.

NAIROBI, Kenya – Some Kenyan churches are demanding premarital HIV testing before weddings, a trend activists warn is infringing on the rights of people living with HIV and AIDS.

TBILISI, Georgia – Pope Francis said a global war against marriage is underway and Catholics must respond by helping couples stay strong and by providing pastoral care to those experiencing difficulty.