In a country where most people are Christian and all are suffering from decades of violence and atrocities, Pope Francis told the Congolese to lay down their weapons and their rancor.
Pope Francis preaches peace, cooperation, resilience to a Congo 'gasping for breath'
The people of Congo are more precious than any of the gems or minerals found in the earth beneath their feet, yet they have been slaughtered by warmongers and exploited by prospectors, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis arrives in Congo after praying on flight for migrants
After flying across the equator, Pope Francis was welcomed warmly -- in every sense -- to Congo where Catholics make up the majority of the population and where, for decades, the Catholic Church has been at the forefront of efforts to bring peace, education and health care to the people.
Pope Francis clarifies remarks about homosexuality and sin
Pope Francis reaffirmed that homosexuality is not a crime, and that any sexual act outside of marriage is a sin, in a written response to a request for clarification about his remarks during a recent interview with the Associated Press.
Before beginning their ecumenical pilgrimage of peace to South Sudan, Pope Francis and the leaders of the Anglican Communion and the Presbyterian Church of Scotland asked Christians around the globe to accompany them with prayers.
Hopes high Pope’s African visit will clear path to peace
Braving a volatile political and security situation, Pope Francis embarks on a long-anticipated journey of unity and reconciliation to two African countries wracked by bitter divisions, warring factions and humanitarian crises seldom on the radar of international power brokers.
Pope Francis: Criticism is annoying, but can be helpful
Public criticism by cardinals and bishops is annoying -- "like a rash that bothers you a bit," Pope Francis said -- but differences need to be aired and criticism can be helpful, he told the Associated Press.
The media and the field of communications need to exercise more kindness and share the truth with charity, Pope Francis said.
Lengthy, abstract homilies are "a disaster," so preaching should be limited to 10 minutes, Pope Francis said.
To be pastoral, look to the Good Shepherd, Pope Francis says
Christians must develop a pastoral heart to care for those who have not heard the Gospel or who have left the fold, Pope Francis said.
Australian Cardinal George Pell, who died in Rome Jan. 10, never made a secret of his staunch adherence to established Catholic moral teaching and his concern about fellow cardinals and bishops he saw as willing to abandon that teaching.
Evangelization is the 'oxygen' of Christian life, Pope Francis says
Sharing the faith is the "oxygen" that "invigorates and purifies" Christian life, Pope Francis said.
Telling parents and godparents to teach their little ones to pray from the time they are small, Pope Francis baptized 13 babies in the Sistine Chapel as their older brothers and sisters looked on -- or got away and ran around.
Pope Benedict XVI "spread and testified to" the Gospel his entire life, Pope Francis told tens of thousands of people gathered Jan. 5 for his predecessor's funeral Mass.
Pope Benedict XVI was a "great teacher of catechesis" whose "sharp and gentle thinking" led others to encounter Jesus, Pope Francis said.