A world that has become “heartless” and indifferent to greed and war, and a Catholic Church in need of revitalizing its missionary joy need to open themselves up to Christ’s infinite love, Pope Francis wrote.

Recognizing the doctrinal authority of bishops’ conferences does not mean allowing them to reject the teaching authority of the pope, but rather to apply church teaching to their unique context, said the head of the Vatican Dicastery for Bishops.

Pope Francis has accepted the request of Indonesian Bishop Paskalis Bruno Syukur of Bogor to dispense him from becoming a cardinal as planned in December.

Because the Holy Spirit specializes in love and unity, Catholic couples should pray regularly for the Spirit to be present in their marriage, Pope Francis said.

The U.S. delegates at the Synod of Bishops on synodality are contributing to discussions on the future of the Catholic Church by bringing the diversity of the U.S. church to the Vatican, a U.S. synod delegate said.

Pope Francis has expelled two more members and upheld the expulsion of one member of the controversial lay movement Sodalitium Christianae Vitae due to allegations of sexual abuse, abuse of power and financial malfeasance.

A Peru-based Catholic movement active across Latin America and the United States is more of a “political project” than a religious movement, said the archbishop of the Peruvian capital where the movement is based.

The Vatican and the Chinese government are renewing their agreement on the appointment of bishops and extending it from a two-year to a four-year term, both sides announced.

Pope Francis decided the question of ordaining women deacons was not to be discussed at the 2024 Synod of Bishops, and he directed a synod-related study group on women’s ministries not to explore the matter, according to the Vatican’s doctrinal chief.

The Vatican’s safeguarding commission has “an opportunity and obligation to make the church a more Samaritan church,” Cardinal Sean P. O’Malley, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, told commission members during its plenary assembly.