MUNICH - A German Catholic Church leader condemned an arson attack that destroyed a reception centre for asylum seekers.

CHATTANOOGA, Tenn. - An outpouring of sympathy and prayer washed over Tennessee for the victims of the July 16 shootings that left four Marines and the shooter dead.

VATICAN CITY - The Holy See welcomed Iran's historic nuclear deal and expressed hopes that more future breakthroughs be on the horizon on other issues.

MANILA, Philippines - The predominantly Catholic Philippines, a former U.S. colony for 50 years, is not likely to recognize same-sex marriage despite its legalization in the United States.

CALCUTTA, India - Sr. Nirmala Joshi, who succeeded Blessed Teresa of Calcutta as superior general of the Missionaries of Charity and led the order for 12 years until retiring in 2009, died early June 23 in Calcutta at age 80.

LOS ANGELES - After the California Senate voted to legalize physician-assisted suicide in the state, Los Angeles Archbishop Jose H. Gomez called it the wrong response to a "public health crisis."

BEIRUT - Cardinal Angelo Scola of Milan, representing Pope Francis, and Cardinal Bechara Rai, the Maronite Catholic patriarch, traveled to Irbil, Iraq, to meet with Christians who had fled from Islamic State forces.

MEXICO CITY - Pope Francis aims to touch the hearts of people so that they act to stem climate change and change their lifestyle to reduce negative impacts on the planet in his encyclical on the environment, said a priest at the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina.

NEW YORK - Syriac Catholic Archbishop Yohanna Moshe of Mosul, Iraq, called on the world's government to oust Islamic State militants from northern parts of the country so thousands of displaced Christians can return home.