Pope Francis told reporters May 7 he had been kept informed about Jean Vanier's failing health and had phoned him a week before his death.

In a even more scandalous twist, the practice of human trafficking has been made even more egregious with reports of Christian pastors in Pakistan helping to facilitate the transfer of young Christian Pakistani women as brides in China. For the promise of thousands of dollars, poor parents are enticed to hand over their daughters for the Chinese marriage market.

The two Reuters journalists who have been jailed since December 2017 because of their coverage of the military's abuse of Rohingya Muslims were released from prison to great joy from family members and colleagues. They were released as part of an effort to promote peace and national reconciliation.

The case has highlighted the clash in predominantly Catholic Poland between the freedom of speech and laws banning hostility against religious beliefs.

Helping children who lost their parents when a pair of cyclones hit Mozambique is among the most difficult work in the aftermath, an aid worker said.

Catholic leaders canceled Sunday Masses as Sri Lanka's churches remained closed for a second week for fear of new terrorist attacks after the Easter Sunday suicide bombings that killed more than 250 people.