Discours prononcé durant la Rencontre Mondiale des Familles du Vatican à Dublin Irlande le 23 août 2018.

The dioceses of Washington, D.C.; St. Louis; Seattle; St. Petersburg, Fla.; and Richmond, Va., are planning or have already held services focused on repentance and atonement.

The agreement is a step toward addressing the long-cherished hope of bringing together China's 12 million Catholics who are divided between those worshipping in state-sanctioned churches and the underground priests and parishioners loyal to the pope.

Abolishing the death penalty worldwide would reflect the brave and hope-filled belief that crime can be dealt with without capital punishment and that a criminal should be given the chance to reform, a top Vatican diplomat told world leaders.

A U.S. Bankruptcy Court judge Sept. 25 approved the reorganization plan of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, including a $210 million settlement for victim-survivor remuneration.

The spirit of Pope Francis will remain in the Baltic states for a long time to come.