Mexico’s bishops congratulated Claudia Sheinbaum, who overwhelmingly won Mexico’s presidential election to become the country’s first female president — a historic accomplishment overshadowed by the killing of candidates and questions over the future of the country’s democratic institutions.

Armed with guitars, drums, bass and a microphone, two bands comprised of local priests rocked out in the name of the Virgin Mary at a live music venue on The Wharf in Washington’s waterfront neighborhood.

Jesus considers all the baptized to be his friends and will always try to restore them to life and health as he did with his friend Lazarus in the Gospel, Pope Francis wrote.

As the church continues to address sexual abuse cases among clergy and religious, Deacon Steven A. DeMartino, director for safeguarding initiatives for the Conference of Major Superiors of Men, recently spoke with OSV News’ Charlie Camosy about the past history of these efforts and the best practices the church now has in place.

Catholics will not positively influence fiscal policy unless they also develop an intricate knowledge of the financial system’s weaknesses and flaws, Pope Francis said.

Having seminarians join the five or six other young adult “perpetual pilgrims” and their priest and religious brother chaplains on each route provides the young men “a unique formational opportunity” that allows them “to also be a witness to other young men who may be discerning a vocation to the priesthood,” said Joel Stepanek, vice president of programming and administration for National Eucharistic Congress Inc.

The archbishop of Madrid received unusual guests June 2 as Europe’s best soccer team, Real Madrid, came to the Spanish capital’s St. Mary the Royal of the Almudena Cathedral to offer its championship trophy to Mary.

Pope Francis began a meeting with participants in a Focolare-sponsored conference by telling the movement’s president, “I pray for your homeland; I pray so much for your homeland, which is suffering at this time.”

Workers need spaces in which they can come together, form a sense of community and advocate for the marginalized, Pope Francis said.

Every encounter with people on the move as migrants or refugees is an encounter with Christ, Pope Francis said.