Being a Christian means defending human dignity and that includes opposing abortion, the death penalty, gender transition surgery, war, sexual abuse and human trafficking, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith said in a new document.

The wounds of Christ’s passion and death and the stigmata given to some Christians over the centuries are reminders of “the pain Jesus suffered in his flesh out of love for us and for our salvation,” Pope Francis said.

The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has reaffirmed the requirement that every diocese, Catholic religious order and institution in the world have clear safeguarding guidelines and procedures and that they are publicly accessible.

Priests are called to be “a true icon of Jesus,” drawing closer to God the father by devoting their lives to the care of all God’s children, Pope Francis wrote.

In a world filled with “bellicose rhetoric,” religious leaders must make extra efforts to speak of peace and to nurture every action and attitude that lessens tensions and increases dialogue, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis expressed his condolences to the people of Taiwan after a powerful earthquake struck the island nation’s eastern shore.

A group of cardinals asked Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio in-depth questions about liberation theology and its political consequences before deciding to elect him pope in 2013, Pope Francis said.

While giving each person his or her due is fundamental for justice, the virtue of justice is not concentrated on the individual in isolation but on ensuring the common good of all, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis held up a well-thumbed, camouflage-covered pocket edition of the New Testament and Psalms and a small fabric pouch containing a rosary.

Governments must eliminate laws discriminating against women and help guarantee women’s human rights, Pope Francis said.