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With the sign of the cross and a tug of a rope, Pope Francis blessed bells for parishes in Ukraine and Ecuador, praying that their peals would proclaim the sacredness of all human life.

The Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square this year will have a distinctly Indigenous, Andean look with the centerpiece being a "Hilipuska" baby Jesus, that is, one wrapped in a blanket bound with a long cord known as a "chumpi."

With the COVID-19 pandemic still underway and with restrictions on gatherings still in place in some countries, the Vatican has again extended the period of time when people can earn a plenary indulgence for visiting a cemetery and praying for the souls of the faithful in purgatory.

It isn't just the Pentagon taking note of hypersonic weapons development and recent testing reportedly undertaken by China, Russia and North Korea.

Extreme deprivation could be ended "basically immediately," said U.S. economist and member of the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences, Jeffrey D. Sachs.

The crises caused by climate change and worsened by the COVID-19 pandemic require a strong response to prevent a "'perfect storm' that could rupture the bonds holding our society together within the greater gift of God's creation," Pope Francis said.

A case before the Supreme Court Nov. 9 argues that death-row chaplains should have the final word.

Pope Francis and U.S. President Joe Biden had an unusually long meeting at the Vatican Oct. 29, talking about the climate crisis and poverty, but not about abortion, the president said.

The Dedham District Court held a pretrial hearing Oct. 28 in the criminal sex abuse case of former Cardinal Theodore E. McCarrick, who is facing three counts of sexually assaulting a teenager in the 1970s.

A new federation to focus on issues surrounding Hispanic family ministry has been formed by the National Association of Catholic Family Life Ministers.