NEWS

Declaring four 19th-century women religious saints, Pope Francis said they are models for all Christians of how faith, nourished in prayer, is expressed concretely in acts of charity and the promotion of unity.

The closer two people are to each other, the more care is required in respecting the other's freedom and feelings, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis' July 5-12 visit to Latin America will not take him to his native Argentina, but it will put him closely in touch with his Jesuit roots and with one of the main characteristics of his ministry as archbishop of Buenos Aires: direct contact with the poor, the sick and those striving to bring the Gospel to bear on social inequalities.

"In hindsight, I am tremendously thankful that God did not grant me my wish," adding, "If you had seen what I had gone through, you would never again question the Lord."

The Holy Year of Mercy will be an opportunity to encourage Christians to meet people's "real needs" with concrete assistance, to experience a "true pilgrimage" on foot, and to send "missionaries of mercy" throughout the world to forgive even the most serious of sins, said Archbishop Rino Fisichella.

Being infallible when formally defining a doctrine does not mean a pope doesn't make mistakes at other times, Pope Francis said, admitting he caused confusion for about 5,000 members of the Cursillos in Christianity movement.

Now there is an answer to the familiar question, "How can I help?" that's been posed surrounding the four-day World Meeting of Families conference and events surrounding the visit of Pope Francis to Philadelphia in September.

Mercy Sister Mary Ann Walsh, who went from hometown schoolteacher to Vatican correspondent, lived out her drive to be a writer even in her last days. She died April 28 in her hometown of Albany, New York, after a battle with cancer.

When Pope Francis tweets, the world listens.

The devastation from a magnitude-7.8 earthquake included not just buildings collapsing from the tremors, but also people and villages being buried by landslides and avalanches triggered by the quake and aftershocks.