Pope to migrants: Do not be robbed of hope, joy of living

VATICAN CITY - Welcoming thousands of migrants and refugees to the Vatican for their own Year of Mercy celebration, Pope Francis urged them to resist everything that would rob them of hope and joy.

Dialogue, remembrance, peace highlighted as Pope visits synagogue

ROME - While the Catholic Church affirms that salvation comes through Jesus, it also recognizes that God is faithful and has not revoked his covenant with the Jewish people, Pope Francis said.

Catholics and Lutherans to worship together at Reformation anniversary

PARIS - Catholics and Lutherans have made another step toward joint commemoration of the 500th anniversary of the Reformation in 2017 by issuing common liturgical guidelines for ecumenical services to mark the occasion.

Vatican is not a 'den of thieves,' says top Vatican official

VATICAN CITY - The Vatican is not "a den of thieves," and such insinuations are an injustice to employees who are proud to serve the pope and the church, said Archbishop Angelo Becciu, a top official in the Vatican Secretariat of State.

Synagogue visit is chapter in Rome's unique Catholic-Jewish history

ROME - History and geography have combined to make Catholic-Jewish relations in Rome unique, both negatively and positively -- a fact highlighted by modern papal visits to the city's main synagogue just two miles from the Vatican.

Pope to teens: Don't fall for hate, fearmongers; find nice friends

VATICAN CITY - Don't fall for hate and fearmongering from others; make new friends instead and always help and show concern for others, Pope Francis told the world's teens.

Faithfulness in mercy is God's way of being, Pope says

VATICAN CITY - God's mercy is constant and limitless; he is faithful in his mercy for his children, even when they are unfaithful, Pope Francis said.

Comedian, cardinal, inmate present Pope Francis book on mercy

VATICAN CITY - Arms flailing, the exuberant and perhaps hyperactive Italian actor and comedian Roberto Benigni described Pope Francis as a masterful minister of God's mercy, which is always active and always on the move.

Pope: Prayers of the faithful, not clergy, can make miracles happen

VATICAN CITY - The prayers of the faithful, not the pope, bishops, priests or nuns, have the power to make miracles happen in the most impossible situations, Pope Francis said at his morning Mass.

Warmth of mercy can overcome cold indifference, Pope tells diplomats

VATICAN CITY - Cold indifference to migrants, the poor, the hungry and the persecuted must be overcome through the warmth of mercy, which can transform people into artisans of peace, Pope Francis said.

The best legacy children can receive from parents is faith, Pope says

VATICAN CITY - The best thing parents can pass on to their children is their religious faith, Pope Francis said as he baptized 26 babies.