VATICAN CITY — When Pope Francis insisted that the lives of the unborn and of the poor are "equally sacred," he was not trying to shift the focus of Catholics from fighting abortion to fighting poverty, he was trying to show they are part of the same battle, said Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, president of the Pontifical Academy for Life.

ROME — After circling a massive, crumbling public housing complex on the outskirts of Rome, Pope Francis had an emotional encounter with the neighborhood's children.

VATICAN CITY — Sharply criticizing a failure to find nonviolent means of bringing peace to Syria and other parts of the world, Pope Francis appealed to world leaders to work for justice and peace.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has cleared the way for the canonizations of Blesseds Paul VI and Oscar Romero.

WASHINGTON — In the advent of Pope Francis' fifth anniversary in the papacy, a new Pew Research poll of U.S. Catholics shows their regard of the pope is, for the first time, colored by their political leanings.

VATICAN CITY — A former president of the Vatican bank and his attorney are set to go on trial at the Vatican March 15 on embezzling and money-laundering charges.

ROME — The fuller participation of women in decision-making in the Catholic Church is a continuing process that still needs time, Cardinal Kevin J. Farrell said.

VATICAN CITY — Salvation in Christ is a gift of God that cannot be earned by human efforts alone, and it is not simply some kind of interior transformation, but touches the way Christians live in the world and relate to others, said a new document from the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith.

VATICAN CITY — Calling the war in Syria "inhumane," Pope Francis called for an end to the fighting, immediate access to humanitarian aid for those in need and the evacuation of the injured and infirm.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis told a group of Jesuits in Peru that he often meets on Fridays with survivors of sex abuse.

ROME — Lent is a time for Christians to get their hearts in sync with the heart of Jesus, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY — Though not as fast as a speeding bullet, "Superpope" will fly across the world, gathering autographs of sports stars and eventually being auctioned off to raise money for the pope's charity.

VATICAN CITY — With so many direct attacks on human life, from abortion to war, Pope Francis said he is worried that so few people are involved in pro-life activities.

VATICAN CITY — People have a responsibility to check the source of what they share on social media to ensure it is not "fake news" designed to further prejudices or increase fear, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis' decision to convalidate the marriage of two flight attendants in the air sent waves of turbulence through the Catholic blogosphere, where respected canon lawyers and pastors raised serious questions about the pope sending a message that marriage wasn't so serious.

LIMA, Peru — Pope Francis took his message of hope to this sprawling, dusty capital of Peru, celebrating Mass within view of the rocky, waterless Andean slopes where most of the city's poorest residents live.

SANTIAGO, Chile — Pope Francis met in private Jan. 16 with survivors of sexual abuse by Chilean clergy, a Vatican spokesman said, but his actions threatened to be overshadowed by controversy over a Chilean bishop.

SANTIAGO, Chile — Pope Francis, in his first formal speech in Chile, asked forgiveness from those who were sexually abused by priests.

VATICAN CITY — Being afraid and concerned about the impact of migration is not a sin, Pope Francis said, but it is a sin to let those fears lead to a refusal to help people in need.

VATICAN CITY — Because everyone has a right to life, liberty and personal security, nations must find nonviolent solutions to conflict and difficulties, Pope Francis said.

FIUMICINO, Italy — On the eve of Epiphany, when most Italian children wake up to find gifts and candy, Pope Francis visited a pediatric hospital outside Rome.

VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis began the New Year praying the world would demonstrate a marked increase in solidarity and welcome for migrants and refugees.

VATICAN CITY — Foreign trips, a focus on the rights and needs of migrants and refugees and a Synod of Bishops dedicated to young people all are on the 2018 calendar for Pope Francis.

VATICAN CITY — Many people, including many Catholics, believe the pope always ruled over the Catholic Church as an absolute monarch, appointing the world's bishops and definitively settling issues of faith and morals. Yet that exercise of the papal office is comparatively new.

VATICAN CITY — Only when Christ is the focus of the Christmas season do all the colorful lights, carols, special meals and traditions help create a festive and joyous atmosphere, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY — Christmas calls believers to see God's presence where he is often perceived as absent, especially in the "unwelcomed visitor, often unrecognizable, who walks through our cities and our neighborhoods, who travels on our buses and knocks on our doors," Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY — Those who recognize the Lord in the baby Jesus in the manger also should recognize his presence in children suffering today because of war, poverty and immigration, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY — The people who work at the Vatican and in the Roman Curia are supposed to be "sensitive antennas" that faithfully transmit the desires of the pope and receive information from dioceses and Eastern Catholic churches around the world, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY — Celebrating his 81st birthday, Pope Francis blew out the candles on a 13-foot long pizza after being serenaded with song and dance by children and employees from a Vatican pediatric clinic.

VATICAN CITY — The appearance of Our Lady of Guadalupe, which mirrored that of the indigenous people of the time, is a sign of Mary's closeness to those who are marginalized, Pope Francis said.

VATICAN CITY — Following reports that U.S. President Donald Trump planned to recognize Jerusalem as the capital of Israel, Pope Francis expressed his concern that such a move would further destabilize the Middle East.

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM BANGLADESH — The Cold War policy of nuclear deterrence appears morally unacceptable today, Pope Francis said.

DHAKA, Bangladesh — Each human being is created in the image and likeness of God, yet so often people desecrate that image with violence as seen in the treatment of Myanmar's Rohingya minority, Pope Francis said.

DHAKA, Bangladesh — The government and people of Bangladesh have shown exemplary generosity in welcoming hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees from Myanmar, despite great demands placed on already limited resources, Pope Francis said.