VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis advanced the sainthood causes of eight candidates, including the founder of the Sisters of Charity of Quebec.

VATICAN CITY - With admiration and big smiles all around, the lifelong soccer fan Pope Francis met the star players and coaches of the Argentine and Italian national soccer teams hoping to compete for the World Cup in 2014.

Pope Francis did not turn Catholic sexual ethics on its head while chatting with reporters on the plane trip back from Brazil.

VATICAN CITY - When Pope Francis told reporters July 28, "Who am I to judge" a homosexual person, he was emphasizing a part of Catholic teaching often overlooked by the media and misunderstood by many people.

Pope Francis is the first pope from Latin America and he ensured South America was the destination for his first foreign trip. So it was no surprise that the Argentine Pope was welcomed to World Youth Day in Brazil by huge, adoring crowds who brought his motorcade to a standstill.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis is the most influential world leader on Twitter, with the highest number of retweets worldwide.

RIO DE JANEIRO - Pope Francis addressed a group of recovering drug addicts in a working-class neighborhood of Rio, offering them a message of compassion and hope as well as a call to self-determination.

RIO DE JANEIRO - The cancellation of a scheduled Popemobile ride through a working-class neighborhood suggests that, despite official assurances, Pope Francis' chaotic entrance into the city July 22 may have raised concerns among those responsible for his safety during his first international trip as Pope.

RIO DE JANEIRO - Pope Francis returned to his native Latin America July 22, asking for open hearts, even after the irrepressible crowds made it clear he had them.

RIO DE JANEIRO - Hundreds of thousands of cheering people welcomed Pope Francis to Brazil July 22 as he made the first international trip of his pontificate to his native region of Latin America.

VATICAN CITY - Sweet and simple: That's the menu plan for Pope Francis when he stays at a church-run residence during his visit to Rio de Janeiro for World Youth Day.

VATICAN CITY - With retired Pope Benedict XVI sitting next to him, Pope Francis formally recited separate prayers to consecrate Vatican City to St. Joseph and to St. Michael the Archangel.

MONTREAL - Quebec must "rise again" and recover its traditional faith, Pope Francis told Quebec Archbishop Gerald Lacroix, who recently visited Rome.

VATICAN CITY - Christians are called to be revolutionaries, changing the world one heart at a time, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY - Pope Francis and Anglican Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, spiritual leader of the Anglican Communion, pledged to support each other with their prayers and to continue the search for full unity between their communities.