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

Until now Pope Francis has stood firmly by Bishop Barros.

Catholics are being given a reprieve from that most noxious of American holidays: Valentine’s Day.

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.