When the Amazon suffers, the world suffers.

MAPUTO, Mozambique -- With a courtesy and solemnity seldom seen at a gathering of opposing political leaders, Mozambican politicians came together a month before their general election to welcome Pope Francis and pledge to work for peace and the common good.

MAPUTO, Mozambique -- Greeted with full military honors, traditional dances and huge crowds lining the streets, Pope Francis arrived in Mozambique Sept. 4 at the start of a weeklong trip to Africa.

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT TO MOZAMBIQUE -- Pope Francis told a reporter that it is "an honor when Americans attack me."

VATICAN CITY -- Before a synod, bishops must learn what their people want and think and need, not so they can change church teaching, but so they can preach the Gospel more effectively, Pope Francis told the bishops of the Ukrainian Catholic Church.

VATICAN CITY -- Medical advancements do not help if they treat people as objects or when they are applied only to those people who are not considered a burden and "deserve" to be helped, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY -- People who race to get top positions often feel superior to others, an attitude that destroys the possibility for fellowship and communion, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY -- After the consistory to create new cardinals in early October, Pope Francis will have chosen more than half of the men who will enter the Sistine Chapel to elect his successor.

VATICAN CITY -- "Now is the time to abandon our dependence on fossil fuels and move, quickly and decisively, toward forms of clean energy," Pope Francis said as he marked the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation.

VATICAN CITY -- Rejecting violence, promoting interreligious harmony, caring for the environment and stamping out government corruption are expected to be high on the agenda Sept. 4-10 when Pope Francis visits Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius.

The Pope, who is full of surprises, has done it again by announcing that a Canadian Jesuit priest will join 12 archbishops and bishops who will be made cardinals next month in Rome.

VATICAN CITY -- In a step designed to quell ongoing controversies, the Vatican announced the appointment of a vicar for the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church, and Pope Francis conferred on him the personal title of archbishop.

Pope Francis sent a video message to the people of Mozambique Aug. 30 in advance of his arrival in the country Sept. 4.

VATICAN CITY -- While listening to and obeying God's word brings healing and comfort to those in need, it also can attract disdain and even hatred from others, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY -- At a time when conflict and division dominate the world's headlines, people need to know there are a growing number of important initiatives to promote interreligious dialogue and understanding, Pope Francis said.