Evangelization does not have to be complicated or "sophisticated," even in highly secularized places, Pope Francis told Jesuits living in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

The Catholic Church cannot be credible in its mission of proclaiming Christ unless it acknowledges its mistakes and bends down "to heal the wounds we have caused by our sins," Pope Francis said.

Students at the world's oldest Catholic university applauded Pope Francis for his calls to protect the environment and promote justice, but he was challenged when it came to his vision of the role of women in the church and society.

Humanity needs to be motivated by spiritual values if it is to avoid being thrown into dangerous exploits and useless massacres, Pope Francis said.

Asked what a U.S. Catholic given a choice between voting for a person who supports abortion or one who supports closing borders and deporting migrants, Pope Francis said one must choose "the lesser evil."

The 87-year-old Pope Francis not only survived the longest trip of his pontificate, but he drew energy from the crowds who came to see him, and he seemed to enjoy his 12-day visit to Asia and the Pacific.

Arriving in Singapore from Timor-Leste, Pope Francis made the biggest transition of his 12-day trip to Asia and the Pacific, moving from one of the world's poorest countries to one of its wealthiest and from one of the most youthful to one of the oldest.

With a 21-cannon salute, Pope Francis was welcomed to Papua New Guinea Sept. 6, the second stop on his four-nation visit to Asia and the Pacific.

Not long after Pope Francis left Indonesia, authorities there announced they had arrested seven people for making online "terror threats" against the pope.

Politicians have an essential role in preserving the unity of a nation by working for the common good and promoting cooperation, especially when "the exasperation of contrasts" threatens to divide a country, Pope Francis told Indonesia leaders.

As the Catholic Church and Christians at large experience intense persecution in Nicaragua, Pope Francis expressed encouragement and support to the people living under the country's authoritarian regime.

"Please, let no Christian church be abolished directly or indirectly: the churches are not to be touched," Pope Francis said about a Ukrainian law banning the Russian Orthodox Church, which President Volodymyr Zelenskyy signed Aug. 24, Ukrainian independence day.

When receiving the Eucharist, Catholics should respond with gratitude and awe that Jesus offers himself as nourishment and salvation, Pope Francis said.

Mary is not a "motionless wax statue," but a disciple who wants to share the goodnews of Jesus with everyone and reaches out to help and comfort them, Pope Francis said.

Many elderly people risk feeling an increasingly unbearable sense of loneliness, especially during summer, Pope Francis said.