Carol Glatz

God always sees people's potential, looking past their mistakes and understanding what they can become, Pope Francis said.

The challenges and threats facing humanity and the planet can be confronted effectively if all people come together in "a spirit of solidarity," said Thomas Bach, president of the International Olympic Committee, in an appeal also supported by three Vatican dicasteries.

The struggle for justice and love for all people is not over, but the battle must be evangelical and never political, Pope Francis told a group of Catholics from El Salvador.

Young people in the United States are looking for a sense of community and a safe space in the church to express themselves freely, two representatives of Catholic youth told Pope Francis.

Complaints without any desire to do anything about the situation are poison, Pope Francis said.

The Second Vatican Council was of great interest to the Orthodox world, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople wrote in an article published in the Vatican newspaper.

In the seven years since the pope's landmark encyclical Laudato Si' was published, "the environmental crisis of our common home has worsened drastically," said Cardinal Michael Czerny.

Pope Francis reconfirmed the leadership of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors and expanded its membership from 17 to 20 people, naming 10 new members and reappointing 10 returning members.

Jesus never abandons, coerces or blackmails anyone when they stray, rather, he patiently waits and is "our greatest and most faithful friend," Pope Francis said.

Biological engineering, such as gene therapy for treating human disease, is making such swift advancements that the public's knowledge and understanding of what is happening and what ethical and legal guidelines are needed are lagging too far behind, said speakers at a Vatican conference.

Marking the World Day of Migrants and Refugees, Pope Francis called on everyone to work together to build a more inclusive and fraternal future.

One cannot love and worship the Eucharist without compassion for the poor and marginalized, Pope Francis said at a Mass concluding Italy's eucharistic congress.

Financial consultants, managers and experienced professionals can help remedy today's economic, environmental and social crises, and help create a more humane, just and fraternal world, Pope Francis said.

A religious community must make sure its economic activity serves its mission, fulfills its charism and never becomes an end in itself, Pope Francis told members of the Norbertine order.

Marking World Alzheimer's Day Sept. 21, Pope Francis asked people to pray for all those affected by the illness, including families and caregivers.

As Hurricane Fiona swept across the Caribbean, leaving behind numerous victims and material destruction, Pope Francis called for greater solidarity in assisting all those affected.

Kazakhstan's efforts to be a nation of encounter deserve to be encouraged and supported, Pope Francis said.

Europe and the entire world are being shaken by a war of great seriousness, Pope Francis told his papal nuncios who serve around the globe.

Calling sexual abuse "diabolical" and a "mostrosity," Pope Francis underlined there is "zero tolerance" for those in the church who are guilty of abuse.

For the unity and greater good of the Knights of Malta, Pope Francis has promulgated a new constitution and code for the order, appointed a provisional sovereign council and called for an extraordinary general chapter to be held at the start of the new year.