Carol Glatz

With the help of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, a 15th-century copy of a letter Christopher Columbus sent to his royal patrons describing the riches of the New World has been returned to its rightful owner -- the Vatican.

How is it that God in heaven can hear the cries of the poor, but so many people watching or standing nearby either cannot or just do not care, Pope Francis asked.

More dangerous than "concrete problems" are being unwilling to find a way to adapt, settling for the status quo, and fear, Pope Francis told young people at his general audience June 13.

Spain has announced it will let a ship holding 629 migrants and refugees, who were rescued from the Mediterranean, dock on its shores, after Italy and Malta refused to accept the vessel.

The world needs a new kind of leadership that believes in building up the whole human family and protecting the environment, Pope Francis told a group of energy and oil executives and global investors.

If Pope Francis ever plans an apostolic trip to space, he's all set after receiving a custom-made blue flight suit with patches of the Argentine flag, his papal coat of arms and a pair of angel wings with his crew name, Jorge M. Bergoglio.

"When Jesus wants to teach us how a Christian should be, he tells us very little," the pope said, but he shows people by feeding the hungry and welcoming the stranger.

A new Vatican document cautions against the dangers of highly competitive children's sports, political and economic pressures on athletes to win '"at all costs" and fans' violent behavior.

Pope Francis asked Catholics to recognize and be thankful for the undeserved gift of the Holy Spirit they received with the sacrament of confirmation.

The world lacks tenderness today, but families can help bring it back, Pope Francis said.

Loving wealth destroys the soul, and cheating people of their just wages and benefits is a mortal sin, Pope Francis said.

Everyone who has received the sacrament of confirmation has received the gift of the Holy Spirit, who guides them and gives them the strength to follow God's will, Pope Francis said.

An abuse survivor, who had been disparaged for being a homosexual, said that Pope Francis told him that God made him that way and loved him for who he was.

Confronting a rebel archbishop's acts of defiance was the heaviest cross Blessed Paul VI had to bear in his pontificate, said a new book based on never-before published notes and documents.

Warning that violence will never bring peace, Pope Francis urged all sides to do all they can to foster dialogue in the Middle East.

Parents and godparents must make sure they "feed the flame of baptismal grace in their little ones, helping them persevere in the faith," the pope said May 16 at his weekly general audience.

During a quick morning visit to Tuscany, Pope Francis praised two lay communities there that are dedicated to living out the Gospel values of reciprocal love and cooperation.

A true bishop always stays close to his people, protecting them from "wolves" and from losing their way, Pope Francis said.

Baptism requires rejecting Satan and professing one's full faith in God, Pope Francis said.

The Vatican's financial watchdog agency has reported continued progress in oversight, reporting and cooperation in its efforts to prevent suspected money laundering and the financing of terrorism.