Pope Francis' call has clearly disturbed some cardinals and a number bishops.

On Nov. 8, Pope Francis signed a decree recognizing that Silvio Dissegna, a 12-year-old Italian boy who died from bone cancer on Sept. 24, 1979, had lived the Christian virtues to a heroic degree and can therefore be called venerable.The signing of that decree may seem an insignificant event in the

‘You know that I am preparing an encyclical on ecology; be assured that your concerns will be present in it,” Pope Francis told 150 representatives of grassroots movements from 80 countries when he met with them in the Vatican on Oct. 28.As pastor in Buenos Aires, he knew the potential o

'When the church...expresses herself in communion, she cannot err.'

The recent extraordinary assembly of the Synod of Bishops is likely to go down as a milestone in the history of the church. It was the first time since Paul VI established this organ of collegiality on Sept. 15, 1965, that the assembly “truly functioned as a synod and not a staged gathering of

The next 12 months will be an enriching and challenging period for local churches.