Carol Glatz

Delegates to the general assembly of the Focolare movement elected Margaret Karram, an expert in interreligious dialogue, president for a six-year term.

Established almost 500 years ago, the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith is no longer "the Inquisition" — rather, its main focus is handing down the teachings of the apostles, said the office's prefect.

"We must not look the other way. Let us pray for women who are victims of violence, that they may be protected by society and have their sufferings considered and heeded by all," Pope Francis said.

The World Food Program released a statement saying executive director David M. Beasley "voiced specific fears about famine looming in several countries at the same time as COVID-19 is ravaging communities around the globe."

In his written homily for the Sunday of the Word of God, the pope underlined the importance of making time each day for reading even just a brief passage of the Bible, particularly the Gospels, where God's Word continues to say, "Do not be afraid, I am with you. I am at your side and I will always be there."

It is important that "Green New Deal" efforts respect diverse cultures and economic policies, and avoid imposing a "uniform" model, said Archbishop Paul R. Gallagher, the Vatican's foreign minister.

Marking the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons coming into force Jan. 22, Pope Francis encouraged nations to work toward a world free from all nuclear arms.

Unity requires prayer, love and fighting the devil, who always sows division, Pope Francis said.

Jesus and the saints "show us that we can always give praise, in good times and bad, because God is the faithful friend — this is the foundation of praise, he is the faithful friend and his love never fails. He is always by our side; he always waits for us," the pope said Jan. 13 during his weekly general audience.

Christians are called to lead and lift people up by being close to them and sharing God's love, not by judging them, Pope Francis said.

Swiss Cardinal Henri Schwery, whose diocese was home to Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre's priestly society, died Jan. 7 at the age of 88.

Pope Francis accepted the resignation of Archbishop Tadeusz Kondrusiewicz of Minsk, Belarus, who had been blocked from entering his homeland for four months, ending in December.

Reaching "zero emissions" for Vatican City State is an achievable goal and is another green initiative it has been pursuing, said the head of its department of infrastructure and services.

Reflecting on crises still unfolding in Syria and Iraq, Pope Francis encouraged every effort — big or small — to help foster peace there and help Christians remain.

The trees from which it is produced are in severe decline and one species in particular — the boswellia papyrifera — risks going extinct in the next 50 years.

Even though the world is facing a pandemic that may limit many people's ability to celebrate the sacraments, particularly those people who are in isolation, quarantining or hospitalized with COVID-19, confession by phone is still most likely invalid, said Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, head of the Apostolic Penitentiary.

From his studio window of the apostolic palace, the pope indicated the 92-foot-tall spruce tree already standing in the square and the work underway setting up this year's Nativity scene. "These two signs of Christmas are being prepared, to the delight of children and adults, too," in many homes around the world, he said.

The approval decades ago of a Zairean rite of the Roman Missal demonstrated that it is possible also to develop a rite for the Amazon region, Pope Francis said in a preface to a new book.

Bishop Chen was the third bishop to be named and ordained within the regulatory framework of the provisional agreement between China and the Holy See regarding the appointment of bishops.

Pope Francis advanced the sainthood causes of 127 Spanish martyrs, three Italian religious women, an Italian archbishop and three priests.