By Elise Harris CNA/EWTN News  VATICAN CITY — On Monday’s feast of the archangels Pope Francis spoke of the ongoing battle between the devil and mankind, encouraging attendees to pray to the angels, who have been charged to defend us. “He presents things as if they were good, but his …

By Beth Griffin Catholic News Service  NEW YORK — Pope Francis evangelizes with “encyclicals of gestures,” which speak louder than words and texts, said Honduran Cardinal Oscar Rodriguez Maradiaga of Tegucigalpa. One of nine members of the Council of Cardinals advising the pope, the cardinal reflected on the reorganization of …

By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — After a Vatican investigation, Pope Francis removed a Paraguayan bishop from his post as head of the Diocese of Ciudad del Este because of “serious pastoral reasons.” Bishop Rogelio Livieres Plano, 69, was told to step down as head of the …

CNA/EWTN News Pope Francis will establish a commission to review the matrimonial process in canon law with the goal of simplifying the procedure while maintaining the indissolubility of marriage, the Holy See Press Office announced Saturday. According to Vatican Radio, the decision was made on Aug. 2 of this year …

Press Release TOLEDO — The Holy Father, Pope Francis, today named the Most Reverend Daniel E. Thomas as the eighth Bishop of the Roman Catholic Diocese of Toledo in America. Bishop Thomas has been serving as an Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania since his Episcopal Ordination on July …

Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis phoned the bereaved family of a U.S. journalist killed by Islamic State militants in Syria. Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, Vatican spokesman, said the pope phoned relatives of the late James Foley on Aug. 21 to console them for their loss and assure …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Human trafficking destroys the lives of millions of children, women and men each year, making it a real threat to peace, the Vatican said as it announced Pope Francis‘ 2015 World Peace Day message would focus on the phenomenon.

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM SEOUL, South Korea — Pope Francis said the use of force can be justified to stop “unjust aggressors” such as Islamic State militants in northeastern Iraq, but he declined to endorse U.S. military airstrikes against the militants and …

By Francis X. Rocca Catholic News Service SEOUL, South Korea — Starting his first visit to Asia, Pope Francis urged South Korean political and civic leaders to seek peace on their divided peninsula and strengthen their nation’s commitment to democracy and social justice. “Peace is not simply the absence of …

By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service VATICAN CITY — Given the “grave situation in Iraq,” Pope Francis has asked Cardinal Fernando Filoni to travel to the region to meet church and government officials, but especially to meet Christians chased from their homes by militants of the Islamic State.