Catholic News Service

A jail riot and fire that killed 68 people in Venezuela's deadliest tragedy in decades could have been prevented, according to the Venezuelan bishops' conference.

Easter makes it clear that in the life of Jesus, but also in the lives of modern men and women, "death, solitude and fear" do not have the last word, Pope Francis said before giving his Easter blessing.

Truly celebrating Easter means allowing Jesus to triumph over personal fears and give life to hope, creativity and care for others, Pope Francis said.

Catholic officials in El Salvador were shaken and expressed outrage and sadness after the assassination of a 36-year-old priest during Holy Week, in what some suspect may be a gang killing.

Before washing the feet of 12 prisoners, Pope Francis told them and hundreds of inmates to remember that Jesus constantly stands before them with love, ready to cleanse their sins and forgive them.

Celebrating the Mass of the Lord's Supper, Manila Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle washed the feet of a priest who had been held captive for months and the parents of a slain Filipino migrant worker.

The Vatican said comments attributed to Pope Francis denying the existence of hell are a product of an Italian journalist's "reconstruction" of the pope's remarks and not a faithful transcript of the pope's real words.  

Pope Francis will not visit Canada to personally apologize for the suffering endured by indigenous Canadians at residential schools, said the president of the Canadian bishops' conference.

Fr. José Amaro Lopes de Souza, a priest connected with the Brazilian bishops' Pastoral Land Commission, was arrested and charged with extortion and money laundering.

Pope Francis has appointed Dominican Fr. Robert Christian, a master of students for the Dominicans' Western province, as an auxiliary bishop for the Archdiocese of San Francisco.

Chinese bishop Vincent Guo Xijin of Mindong was taken from his home by authorities March 26 but was back home the next day, according to a news report.

The president of the Polish bishops' conference cautioned Polish and Hungarian political leaders against fostering nationalism and xenophobia as both countries face European Union sanctions over their alleged authoritarian direction.

Fifty years after the Rev. Martin Luther King Jr.'s assassination, "we need to ask ourselves if we are doing all we can to build the culture of love, respect and peace to which the Gospel calls us."

Though they may go to church and say they are people of faith, the corrupt and "mafioso" have absolutely nothing Christian about them, Pope Francis said.

The Archdiocese of Agana will sell its chancery property in Hagatna and relocate its offices in September.

"The move is part of archdiocesan-wide efforts related to the liquidation and sale of church property on Guam in the midst of challenging financial times and settlement of clergy sexual abuse cases," the archdiocese said in a statement.

The recent death of a Catholic priest in the Central African Republic demonstrates the delicate nature of peace in the country, where a cardinal and an imam have worked to build peace and unity.

Catholic leaders wrote to the U.S. Department of State and U.S. Department of Homeland Security March 26 expressing concern for the low number of refugees to be resettled this year in the United States.

Celebrating Palm Sunday Mass with thousands of young people, Pope Francis urged them to continue singing and shouting "hosanna" in the world and following Jesus' example of outreach to the poor and suffering.

El Salvador's Cardinal Gregorio Rosa Chavez called the upcoming canonization of Blessed Oscar Romero a "gift from God" and is optimistic it can bring hope to his troubled homeland and to the church.

After disagreement over funding a $25-million-grant request from the Vatican was leaked to the press, the leadership of the Papal Foundation has called for a period of reflection and re-evaluation.