NATION/WORLD

"Mercy is what moves us toward God, while justice makes us tremble in his sight," Pope Benedict said.

Pope Francis set three dates for the canonization of five saints later this year including Mother Teresa, a 'gaucho priest' and a young Mexican martyr.

Pope Francis is the first pontiff from the Americas and the chapel where he offers daily Mass is the first building in the Vatican designed by an American.

Loving service also involves placing the gifts God has given one at the service of the community so it can grow, Pope Francis said.

Fr. Kosnac has been offering daily confessions for 18 years at his parish, and during that time he has seen a steady growth of parishioners and non-parishioners alike seeking the sacrament.

Be sure to follow #NunsRock and #NCSW2016 throughout National Catholic Sisters Week March 8-14.

For Pope Francis, the Year of Mercy is all about sharing the experience of God's mercy with others. But first, he wants people to experience it themselves, in the confessional.

The U.S. Supreme Court heard oral arguments in its first abortion case in nine years March 2.

It began when the Sister of St. Joseph of Medaille's community returned to its roots of ministering to society's down-and-out and she became pen pals with a death row inmate.

"If you aren't able to forgive, how will God be able to forgive you? He wants to forgive, but he won't be able to if you have a closed heart," the pontiff said.