Asking European leaders for “creative efforts for peace” in Ukraine, the Vatican secretary of state said the Holy See “will continue to do its part.”

St. Francis Xavier offers the faithful, especially young people who are itching to make a difference in the world, a wonderful example of how to find courage in prayer and spread the joy of the Gospel, Pope Francis said.

While older people love to complain about “young people today,” they must admit that the younger generations are leading the way in opposing “an economic system that is unfair to the poor and an enemy of the environment,” Pope Francis wrote.

Ukrainian Catholics in the U.S. are hailing a surprise meeting between Pope Francis and Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelenskyy with a mixture of elation and wariness.

Pope Francis plans to ask Bishop Richard F. Stika of Knoxville, Tennessee, to resign in response to a Vatican-ordered investigation of sexual abuse cover-up and financial mismanagement, according to a report by The Pillar.

Pope Francis updated the “Fundamental Law of Vatican City State,” opening the possibility that laypeople can be members of its governing commission and emphasizing that the independence of the city-state is essential for the mission of the Holy See.

Caritas Internationalis, the global Catholic charity network, elected Archbishop Tarcisius Isao Kikuchi of Tokyo to be its new president following a Vatican-mandated overhaul of its leadership.

The Holy Spirit “is not a passing guest who comes to pay us a courtesy visit. He is a companion for life, a stable presence” who “desires to dwell in our spirits,” Pope Francis said May 14.

– In encouraging the peaceful resolution of conflicts and in promoting the common good on the international stage, the Vatican embraces a strategy of “positive neutrality,” which allows it to dialogue with all sides, Pope Francis said.

Peace is urgently needed in today’s world, and women should be more greatly appreciated, Pope Francis told hundreds of Catholic women.