Besides Bishop McElroy, there are four other Americans on the board, including Mary Haddad, R.S.M., the president and C.E.O. of the Catholic Health Association of the United States.

When political life turns its back on the poor, it “will never be able to promote the common good,” Pope Francis said.

If precedent is any indicator, whoever Biden names is likely to be a practicing Catholic who has either worked or volunteered with the Catholic Church — and who is an open supporter of the president.

The Vatican conference will seek to move away from a theology of the priesthood based on ‘ecclesiastical power’ toward one rooted in the priesthood of all believers conferred at baptism.

The countries in the world with the most people baptized Catholics continue to be, in order: Brazil, Mexico, the Philippines, the United States and Italy.

The podcasts are available on several platforms and they feature one of the pope's own Jesuit astronomers speaking with a notable figure in the world of space exploration or science.