Msgr. Andre Massinganda, deputy secretary-general of the Congolese bishops' conference, told Catholic News Service that the church was concerned with "how to bring peace to those areas where war continues, and how to end the killings and massacres so people can live safely again."

Francis gingerly agreed to a nun's request for a kiss on the cheek, but said he would only approach her if she didn't bite.

Anti-Semitic attacks rose worldwide by 13% in 2018 compared to the previous year, according to a report by Tel Aviv University's Kantor Center for the Study of Contemporary Jewry.

The statement from Archbishop Gomez comes five days after the U.S. launched a drone strike that killed Gen. Qassem Soleimani in Baghdad.

Bishop Alexander Pyone Cho has called for dialogue among all parties as violence escalates in Myanmar's Rakhine state.

Five Catholic groups co-sponsored the vigil: the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, the Franciscan Action Network, the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, Pax Christi USA, and the Sisters of Mercy of the Americas Justice Team.