"I am spiritually close to the victims of the episodes of violence that these days have bloodied Texas, California and Ohio, in the United States, affecting defenseless people," Pope Francis said.

The 5,000-word letter focuses on four themes: pain, gratitude, encouragement and praise.

This Will Shakespeare is an insecure if well intentioned striver.

Arrests of immigrants in the U.S. illegally are increasing nationwide, and the result is more children are losing—or fearing they will lose—a parent through detention or deportation.

The current occupant of the White House has now turned his rage on you, my adopted city. I think it is time for a valentine for a troubled city I have come to love.

“Our own people don’t have dignity. There’s no security. There are thousands of malnourished kids. How can we offer to be a safe country if it isn’t even safe for our own citizens?”

For the first time in its 82-year history, Miracle Hill Ministries will allow Catholics to serve as volunteers and employees in its vast network of homeless shelters, thrift stores and drug-recovery programs and as parents to foster children in its government-funded foster care agency.

"We must all take responsibility to reject language that ridicules, condemns, or vilifies another person because of their race, religion, gender, age, culture or ethnic background," the archbishop said.

The country's Justice Department is set to open a preliminary investigation the week of Aug. 5 into sedition and cyber libel charges against church leaders.

The Church of the Visitation in Westphalia, Texas, burned to the ground July 29. The fire is still under investigation.