According to the Vatican, an estimated 250 migrants, refugees and rescue volunteers attended the Mass, which was celebrated at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica.

The Mass July 8 will mark the sixth anniversary of the pope's visit to the southern Italian island of Lampedusa.

Pope Francis will declare Blessed John Henry Newman, the 19th-century British cardinal, a saint Oct. 13.

While the upcoming Synod of Bishops on the Amazon aims to highlight the damage wrought by climate change and exploitation, the possibility of ordaining married men to minister in remote areas of the rain forest continues to garner more attention.

If the world is to win the fight against climate change, its leaders must stop profiting from fossil fuels that threaten the survival and well-being of the planet and its inhabitants, Pope Francis said.

Catholics, Cardinal Farrell said, must have a more "pastoral orientation" to fulfill the Christian obligation to "take care of another in a loving and caring manner in accordance with our view of human life: that every man and every woman is created in the image and likeness of God."

When doctors, nurses and health care workers conscientiously object to a procedure to protect the life and dignity of their patients, they must do so respectfully, Pope Francis said.

When Pope Francis makes his 30th international trip, visiting Romania in late May, he is likely to receive a different, more reserved welcome than St. John Paul II did 20 years ago, said an expert in Catholic-Orthodox relations.

When Pope Francis wants to warn Christians against falling into the trap of rigidity and putting too much emphasis on adherence to the law above the merciful encounter with God, he often turns to the example of the Pharisees.

"I urge everyone to respect the fundamental human rights and voice of the persons in these beautiful yet fragile communities."