Cindy Wooden, Catholic News Service
Pope Francis: Life without parole is no solution to crime
VATICAN CITY -- Sentencing someone to life in prison without the possibility of parole is "not the solution to problems, but a problem to solve," Pope Francis told Italian prison guards, prison chaplains and officials from the Ministry of Justice.
Pope Francis urges Eastern Catholic bishops to promote ecumenism
VATICAN CITY -- Praising the fidelity of Eastern Catholics, Pope Francis also urged them to be more active in the search for Christian unity, especially unity with their Orthodox counterparts.
Vatican: German synod plans must conform to church law
VATICAN CITY -- The German bishops' plans for a two-year process of consultation and deliberation on key issues facing the Catholic Church must conform to universal church law and must be approved by the pope, said the prefect of the Congregation for Bishops.
Get ready to get dirty, Pope Francis tells new bishops
VATICAN CITY -- New bishops need to prepare for a life filled with God's surprises, with daily plans that change at the last minute and, especially, for a life dedicated to spending time with God and with the people, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis tells reporters to keep to 'the facts'
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM MADAGASCAR -- No one really knows what the future of the news media will be, but it will have no future if reporters and the public cannot distinguish between facts and fiction, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis: Ideological 'fixation' feeds schisms
ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM MADAGASCAR -- Pope Francis told reporters he hoped and prayed the Catholic Church would not experience a new schism, but human freedom means people always have had and will have the "schism option."
Pope Francis cautions Mauritius amid economic growth: care for poor
PORT LOUIS, Mauritius -- Statistical indicators show Mauritius' rapid economic growth has benefited all sectors of society, lifting thousands out of poverty over the past 30 years, but Pope Francis still urged the island's Catholics to be careful.
Text of pope's prayer for workers at Madagascar stone quarry
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar -- Here is the Vatican's English translation of Pope Francis' "Prayer for Workers," which he prayed Sept. 8 at the Mahatazana stone quarry:
Pope Francis prays for Madagascar's working poor
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar -- Standing where the phrase "by the sweat of their brow" is a daily reality for hundreds of Madagascar's poor, Pope Francis prayed for those whose daily bread is earned by hard physical labor and for the unemployed longing to earn a living for their families.
Solidarity, not poverty, is God's plan, Pope Francis says
ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar -- God's plan for humanity involves community, mutual support, sharing and caring for each other and for the earth, Pope Francis said.