"As a good Jesuit," Pope Francis knows it is best not to try to make a retreat where one lives and works, so he has decided the annual papal Lenten retreat with Roman Curia officials will be held outside Rome, a Vatican spokesman said.

A statue of Christ hangs from a portion of the destroyed Our Lady of Light Church in Bohol, a day after a magnitude 7.1 earthquake struck central Philippines.

Catholic media are important not only as means of documenting Church events, Pope Francis said, but especially as means for bringing the Church and the Gospel closer to people.

English translations of Latin liturgical texts have promoted unity in the faith and helped millions of Catholics better understand the sacraments they share, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis wears a firefighter's helmet as he arrives to lead his general audience.

Pope Francis denounced widespread hunger due to wasted food as a symptom of a "throwaway culture," and called for greater effort to build a worldwide "culture of encounter and solidarity" instead.

The persecution of Christians around the world has intensified over the last two-and-a-half years, according to a review of religious freedom in 30 countries.

Linda Del Rio, wife of Denver Broncos' defensive coordinator Jack Del Rio, holds a football signed by members of the Broncos, outside St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Oct. 20.

Calling homes for retired priests and nuns "sanctuaries of holiness," Pope Francis asked Catholics to visit those who spent their lives sharing the Gospel and caring for others.

As top-level Internet domain names are being rolled out and up for grabs, the Vatican has scored control of .catholic.