The April 7 letter, addressed to people in Mexico and the United States and the presidents of both countries, echoed sentiments of U.S. border bishops by saying the frontier between the two countries "is not a war zone".

A suspected chemical-weapon attack occurred late April 7 when Syrian army warplanes bombed the eastern town of Douma.

This is not the first time that Francis has drawn attention to the persistence of Gnosticism and Pelagianism.

Getting humanitarian aid to desperate populations during the conflict has largely been contingent on the warring sides to agree to a temporary cease fire.

The encyclical is notably known for upholding church renouncement of contraception.

The Navy's fleet of Trident submarines carries about half of the U.S. active strategic nuclear warheads, according to military observers.