Christopher White

Pope Francis on Sept. 23 blasted those who seek to weaponize the issue of migration by "fueling people's fears" through "alarmist propaganda," and called for countries and individuals around the Mediterranean to reexamine their policies and attitudes toward asylum seekers. 

Amid tensions among European leaders over a new influx of migrants, Pope Francis on Sept. 22 arrived in the French port city of Marseille and warned that civilization is at a crossroads over the continuing migrant crisis.

Pope Francis is traveling to Marseille, France, this weekend to meet with Mediterranean bishops on Europe's migrant crisis. The pope's pro-migrant message is already igniting fierce debate across the continent.

Among those trying to drum up resistance to Pope Francis' closely watched Vatican summit on the future of the Catholic Church are a far-right Latin American traditionalist group, political activists, and retired U.S. Cardinal Raymond Burke.

Pope Francis on Sept. 4 said that next month's hotly anticipated Synod of Bishops will be open to the Holy Spirit — but not so much the press or the public. "This is not a television program," he told journalists on the papal plane returning to Rome from his four-day visit to Mongolia.

Less than a month ago, Pope Francis made global headlines for a Mass in Portugal that attracted a crowd of over 1.5 million attendees. Here in Mongolia, on Sept. 3, the pontiff turned his attention to a local church that boasts fewer than 1,500 Catholics in the entire country.

With one neighbor actively waging war and the other becoming an increasingly totalitarian state, Pope Francis praised Mongolia's commitment to charting a different course through democracy and diplomacy in pursuit of peace.

Pope Francis will hold an online dialogue with students across South Asia on Sept. 26 as part of a program that provides young people a rare opportunity to engage with him.

Pope Francis on Sept. 1 arrived in Mongolia, becoming the first pope to visit the vast country with one of the world's smallest Catholic populations, nestled between Russia and China — two nations with complicated Vatican relationships.

Pope Francis will release a follow-up document on the environment on Oct. 4, providing an update to his 2015 encyclical, Laudato Si' — a landmark letter that offered a rallying cry for global action in the fight against climate change. 

By visiting the vast nation of only 3.3 million inhabitants, with one of the world's smallest Catholic communities, Pope Francis, in his distinct way, will put Mongolia on the map.  

Pope Francis blasted what he described as groups of "very strong, reactionary" American Catholics, warning against becoming "backwardists" who oppose change in the Catholic Church. 

A new program trains senior church leaders with skills needed for a more collaborative church. Its leader, U.S. Jesuit Fr. David McCallum, will also serve as an expert and facilitator at October’s Synod of Bishops meeting.

Twenty-seven young scholars from 20 countries gathered in June at the Vatican Observatory for daylong seminars on the theme "Learning the Universe: Data Science Tools for Astronomical Surveys."

During a press conference on the papal plane from Lisbon, Portugal, Pope Francis reiterated his message that the church is open to everyone including LGBTQ people and all marginalized groups. 

More than 1.5 million young people attended Pope Francis' final Mass in Lisbon for World Youth Day, making it the largest event in Portugal's history. 

Pope Francis on Aug. 4 led 800,000 young people together at World Youth Day in Lisbon in prayer for those suffering the effects of mass shootings, wars, abuse, anxiety, eating disorders and persecution. 

The same day Pope Francis told Catholics gathered for World Youth Day that the church must be a home for everyone, right-wing activists interrupted a Mass for LGBTQ pilgrims. 

In Portugal for World Youth Day, Pope Francis keeps repeating a message of inclusion: "The Lord does not point a finger, but opens wide his arms." But there is fierce resistance from some in the church.