Justin McLellan

Pope Francis confirmed he will travel to Mongolia in September, becoming the first pope to visit the Asian nation, which is home to a cardinal and some 1,300 Catholics.

Pope John Paul II's longtime aide denied the "vile insinuations" that the former pope was maliciously involved in the case of Emanuela Orlandi, a Vatican schoolgirl whose 1983 disappearance is the focus of an ongoing Vatican investigation.

Failing to provide needed medication to elderly people is a "hidden and progressive euthanasia," Pope Francis said.

Priests "anointed" by the Holy Spirit should be authentic agents of harmony rather than "instruments of division," Pope Francis said.

Wanting to meet potential partners through dating apps like Tinder is "normal," and the church's teaching on sex is "still in diapers," Pope Francis said in a conversation with a group of young people gathered in Rome.

Parliaments and legislatures should have quotas to include Indigenous people and members of displaced ethnic groups in political processes, Pope Francis said.

The Vatican's decision to list the titles traditionally associated with the papacy as "historic titles" in its 2020 yearbook was the right move, said the papal preacher.

Like St. Paul, Christians must not only know Jesus with their heads but invite him into their hearts through a personal encounter with Christ, Pope Francis said.

"It's boring to talk to priest," Pope Francis said with a smile as he began an upfront and informal conversation with 10 young people in Rome on their questions about faith and issues within the church.

Being an apostle does not mean climbing up the church's hierarchy to look down on others but humbling oneself in a spirit of service, Pope Francis said.

Establishing clear procedures for protecting vulnerable people against abuse "must become a priority in every local church," Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis will open a Lenten prayer and penance initiative at a Rome parish March 17 rather than in St. Peter's Basilica as in past years.

The Second Vatican Council was a "prophetic initiative" to compensate for the church's refusal to engage with society, said the preacher of the papal household.

Pope Francis praised the late Auxiliary Bishop David G. O'Connell of Los Angeles for his "profound concern for the poor, immigrants and those in need" in a telegram following his murder. 

Isolating Syria from the international community through sanctions "benefits no one" and complicates relief efforts to the millions left homeless after earthquakes devastated the country, said a top Vatican official who visited Turkey and Syria.

Russia's suspension of a nuclear arms treaty with the United States weakens structures promoting global security in the nuclear age, a senior Vatican official said.

Members of Ukraine's parliament asked for Pope Francis' support in returning the thousands of Ukrainian children believed to be being held in Russian custody.

"I am close to you, and I pray for you," Pope Francis told the Turkish people reeling from earthquakes that killed nearly 42,000 people in Turkey and neighboring Syria, according to figures updated Feb. 16.

Pope Francis sent 10,000 thermal shirts to earthquake victims in Turkey and Syria, where millions are sleeping outdoors in below-freezing temperatures.

Christians are not called to "argue, counterattack and defend themselves" when evangelizing but to be meek and humble, Pope Francis said.