Pope Francis leaves on Monday (Oct. 31) for an overnight trip to Sweden, a historically Protestant country that today is one of the most secular in the world.

MANILA, Philippines – Close friends and associates of Cardinal-designate Anthony Soter Fernandez, retired archbishop of Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, have been waiting for years for the 84-year-old prelate to receive a red hat.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis renewed the membership of the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments by naming new members, including Canadian Cardinal Gerald Lacroix of Quebec and Bishop Arthur J. Serratelli of Paterson, New Jersey.

Pope Francis said the cornerstone of life for Christians is Jesus who is praying for us, pointing out that Jesus always turned to prayer at all the key moments in his life. His remarks came during his Mass celebrated on Friday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.

OTTAWA – Pope Francis has named two new auxiliary bishops for the Archdiocese of Quebec: Bishop-elect Louis Corriveau and Bishop-elect Marc Pelchat.

Pope Francis will join Lutheran leaders in Sweden Oct. 31 to launch a year of commemoration leading up to next year’s 500th anniversary of the onset of the Protestant Reformation. At first glance, it seems an odd stage for the Pope to occupy.

VATICAN CITY – In a newly independent nation where more than 70 percent of the population is Christian, leaders of the Christian churches are indignant about the violence raging around them.

Pope Francis said God weeps over the calamities and over the wars waged nowadays to worship ‘the idol of money’ and for the many innocent victims killed by the bombs. He stressed that God weeps because humanity does not understand “the peace that He offers us.” His words came during the Mass celebrated on Thursday morning in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis' recent insistence on "walking ecumenism," the notion that Christians will draw closer to each other as they work together to help the poor, should resonate well with Lutherans and Catholics in Sweden.

VATICAN CITY – As Catholics and Lutherans prepare to mark the 500th anniversary of the start of the Protestant Reformation, Pope Francis said they should feel "pain for the division that still exists among us, but also joy for the brotherhood we have already rediscovered."

VATICAN CITY – The extension of Pope Francis' trip to Sweden by one day to accommodate a papal Mass for the nations' Catholics does not detract from the ecumenical power of the trip, but actually highlights the need for Christian unity, said the general secretary of the Lutheran World Federation.

VATICAN CITY – Closing doors to immigrants and refugees is not the answer – in fact, it only helps encourage the crime of human trafficking, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY – Following the authorization and recommendations of Pope Francis, documents housed in the Vatican and Argentine church's archives pertaining to Argentina's "dirty war" will be made available for review, said a joint press statement.

VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis met privately with Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, urging a peaceful dialogue between the country's government and opposition to resolve the current political and economic crisis, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis said God’s Kingdom grows through its members showing docility and warned Christians against concentrating too much on structures and organization charts. He was speaking during his morning Mass on Tuesday celebrated in the chapel of the Santa Marta residence.