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Having come to know Jesus through the Scriptures and in the Eucharist, Catholics are called to share with others the hope and joy that come from faith and that endure even when life gets difficult, Pope Francis said.

Public criticism by cardinals and bishops is annoying -- "like a rash that bothers you a bit," Pope Francis said -- but differences need to be aired and criticism can be helpful, he told the Associated Press.

God suffers and grieves when those who profess to believe in him do not love the people he loves and do not work for the justice he desires, Pope Francis said.

The world's religious traditions and their followers are called to offer wisdom to the world and to "infuse it with a spirit of warmth, healing and fraternity," which requires the participation of women as well as men, Pope Francis said.

Considered one of Caravaggio's best masterpieces, "The Entombment of Christ" was covetingly confiscated by the French for its newly opened Louvre Museum as Napoleon swept down the Italian peninsula in the late 18th century.

The religious-order brothers, sisters and priests and the hermits, monks and consecrated virgins who serve God and the Catholic Church are called to stoke the "missionary fire" in their souls, said Cardinal João Bráz de Aviz.

Bishop John Dolan continued his tour of high schools in the Catholic Diocese of Phoenix today as part of his “Listening Tour,” visiting St. Mary's High School in Phoenix. In addition to meeting with students, faculty, and staff, he celebrated Mass with the student body and toured the campus.

Marriage is not a ceremony, a social event, a mere formality or an abstract ideal, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis reaffirmed that homosexuality is not a crime, and that any sexual act outside of marriage is a sin, in a written response to a request for clarification about his remarks during a recent interview with the Associated Press.

Christians must combat the prevalent culture of wastefulness by becoming poor in spirit, Pope Francis said.