The pope in late February accepted the resignation of Guinean Cardinal Robert Sarah, who had reached the normal retirement age of 75 last June. The cardinal had been prefect since 2014.

The Vatican has issued a statement in which it declares that “the church does not have, and cannot have, the power to give the blessing to unions of persons of the same sex.” It said Pope Francis “was informed and gave his assent” to its publication.

Pope Francis recalled that when the Christian message first arrived, “You received the joy of the Gospel: the good news that God so loved us that he gave his Son for us. And this joy is evident in your people.”

A new Vatican instruction seeks to ensure that there is order in the celebration of the Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica and that Masses are celebrated in accordance with the norms and spirit of the liturgical renewal of the Second Vatican Council.

The Holy See’s income for 2021 is down 30 percent, so it has to draw on reserves to cover the budget deficit and avoid layoffs.

Fresh off the papal visit to Iraq, Vatican correspondent Gerard O'Connell joins host Colleen Dulle on “Inside the Vatican” to discuss what it was like to travel with the pope on his riskiest trip yet.