How much of Indonesia is Catholic? Is Christianity on the rise? Why is Pope Francis visiting? Here’s what you need to know.

In a wide-ranging conversation, Pope Francis also repeated his ardent desire to visit China, discussed how he handles stress and criticism, and shared that he has experienced crises in his religious life as a Jesuit.

Pope Francis has named Richard Garth Henning, 59, current bishop of Providence, Rhode Island, as the seventh Archbishop of Boston, the Vatican announced on Aug. 5.

The pope’s appeal came after the assassinations of Hamas political leader and peace negotiator Ismael Haniyeh in Tehran and Hezbollah commander Fuad Shukr in Beirut earlier in the week.

In a brief statement, the Vatican said, “it cannot but join its voice with the others that have been raised in these last days to deplore the offense made to numerous Christians and believers of other religions.”

In an interview with America’s Gerard O’Connell, Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça discusses his love for cinema and poetry, what it’s like working in the Roman Curia and Pope Francis’ “Gospel simplicity.”

The 58-year-old Portuguese Cardinal José Tolentino de Mendonça is widely recognized not only as a poet but also as one of the leading intellectuals of the Roman Curia.

In an exclusive interview with Gerard O’Connell, Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, one of the synod’s most influential figures, discusses the role of women, bishops and all the baptized in a synodal church.

A 30-page "working tool” for the Synod on Synodality’s second session in October was presented at a Vatican press conference on July 9. The document focuses on one specific question: “How to be a synodal church in mission?”

Archbishop Carlo Maria Viganò, who has publicly stated that he does not recognize the legitimacy of Pope Francis, has been declared excommunicated for schism by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.