As deadly floods hit southern Africa, Pope Leo XIV prayed for the affected, with Catholic bishops in the region urging support for thousands struck by the climate change-related disaster.

The Vatican Gardens welcomed a new Marian mosaic and a statue of St. Rose of Lima, both created by young artists from Peru — in a ceremony that clearly delighted Pope Leo XIV — an American-born pope that holds Peru in “a special place” in his heart.

Pope Leo XIV has called for “a sincere and effective dialogue” as tensions between the U.S. and Cuba mount.

Peruvian bishops’ visit to the tomb of the apostles made global news for a different reason: an unusual guest at their lunch and fraternal affection from the pope who is claimed by Peruvian faithful as their own.

In a message to the Archdiocese of Milan, Pope Leo XIV expressed his hope that the 2026 Winter Olympic and Paralympic Games will be an occasion of solidarity and bridge-building between peoples and cultures.

A change is coming in 2026 for the pope’s top man in America. Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, turns 80 Jan. 30, and he is widely expected to have his retirement accepted by Pope Leo XIV in the coming weeks.

Asked about the deadly shootings by U.S. federal agents in Minneapolis, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said the violence unfolding there is “unacceptable.”

The increasing number of people who do not see the Gospel as a fundamental resource for their life should inspire — not discourage — Catholics in rediscovering the joy of evangelization, Pope Leo XIV said.

The prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith opened the discastery’s Jan. 27-29 plenary session with a strong call for humility in thought, theology and online discourse.

The Word of God is not “fossilized,” but rather develops and grows in tradition, Pope Leo XIV said.