Pope Francis will visit Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius in his September trip, writes Vatican correspondent Gerard O'Connell, all former colonies facing development challenges.

The revised statutes are meant to ensure that the Vatican Bank conducts its business solely for “the works of religion and of charity.”

In a wide-ranging interview, Pope Francis warned of “sovereignism” as a force that leads to isolation and even war, and he discussed the ecological imperatives of the Synod on the Amazon.

German Catholics are embarking on what is being called a “synodal journey,” but it promises to be a potentially rocky one, focusing on subjects the church usually avoids.

"I am spiritually close to the victims of the episodes of violence that these days have bloodied Texas, California and Ohio, in the United States, affecting defenseless people," Pope Francis said.