1,603 of the damaged churches were catalogued as historic buildings.

The rumors of division between the pope and his top aides made headlines in late January after Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun, retired archbishop of Hong Kong, met personally with Pope Francis

Three Democrats voted in favor of the bill, while two Republicans voted to reject it.

A key motivation, Pope Francis said, was to find ways to respond positively to the call of the Second Vatican Council "to overcome this divorce between theology and pastoral care, between faith and life."

The seven Trappists and 11 other religious men and women were killed in Algeria in the 1990s.