Federico Lombardi

Pope Francis will give all priests discretion during the Roman Catholic Church's Holy Year to formally forgive women who have had abortions -- the Argentine pontiff's latest move towards a more open and inclusive church.

Pope Francis decried the scourge of corruption as the "gangrene of a people" on Saturday in Paraguay, one of the poorest countries in South America and where graft is rampant.

The Vatican acknowledged it was taken by surprise to discover that a wooden hammer and sickle sculpture with a figure of a crucified Christ gifted to the Pope in Bolivia was not commissioned by leftist president Evo Morales but designed by a priest killed in 1980.

Pope Francis approved today an unprecedented Vatican department to judge bishops accused of covering up or not preventing sexual abuse of minors, in an attempt to meet a key demand by victims' groups.

Pope Francis flies into Sarajevo on Saturday bearing a message of reconciliation 20 years after peace accords which ended Bosnia's war but left the country divided on ethnic lines.

The Vatican on Monday moved to defend its finance chief George Pell after he was accused by one of Pope Francis' commissioners for child protection of being "almost sociopathic".

Pope Francis's reference to Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas as "an angel of peace" was meant as encouragement for him to pursue peace with Israel, the Vatican said today, after the words whipped up controversy on social media.

The Vatican concluded its first treaty that formally recognises the State of Palestine, a move that gives legal weight to the Holy See's years-long recognition and that drew fast criticism from supporters of Israel.

Cuban President Raul Castro met with Pope Francis at the Vatican Sunday, thanking the pontiff for his role in brokering an historic rapprochement between Havana and Washington, a papal spokesman said.

Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish former extremist who attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II, on Saturday laid flowers on the late pontiff's tomb.

Pope Francis will ride in open-top cars in Amman and Bethlehem during his May 24-26 trip to the Middle East this month despite security concerns, the Vatican said on Thursday as it outlined the travel schedule.

In a historic match-up of papacies past and present, Pope Francis and emeritus Pope Benedict XVI honored Popes John XXIII and John Paul II in the first ever canonization of two popes.

Pope Francis's habit of picking up the phone and cold calling people who write to him is landing the Vatican in hot water and spokesman Federico Lombardi has had enough.

A council of cardinals set up by Pope Francis to advise him on Vatican reforms began its latest meeting today to discuss how to overhaul the Catholic Church's scandal-hit bureaucracy and finances.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a busy first day in Rome on Monday, going from the pope to a "Pussy Riot" protest to dinner at the palazzo of his old friend, Silvio Berlusconi.

Pope Francis will give all priests discretion during the Roman Catholic Church's Holy Year to formally forgive women who have had abortions -- the Argentine pontiff's latest move towards a more open and inclusive church.

Pope Francis decried the scourge of corruption as the "gangrene of a people" on Saturday in Paraguay, one of the poorest countries in South America and where graft is rampant.

The Vatican acknowledged it was taken by surprise to discover that a wooden hammer and sickle sculpture with a figure of a crucified Christ gifted to the Pope in Bolivia was not commissioned by leftist president Evo Morales but designed by a priest killed in 1980.

Pope Francis approved today an unprecedented Vatican department to judge bishops accused of covering up or not preventing sexual abuse of minors, in an attempt to meet a key demand by victims' groups.

Pope Francis flies into Sarajevo on Saturday bearing a message of reconciliation 20 years after peace accords which ended Bosnia's war but left the country divided on ethnic lines.

The Vatican on Monday moved to defend its finance chief George Pell after he was accused by one of Pope Francis' commissioners for child protection of being "almost sociopathic".

Pope Francis's reference to Palestinian President Mahmud Abbas as "an angel of peace" was meant as encouragement for him to pursue peace with Israel, the Vatican said today, after the words whipped up controversy on social media.

The Vatican concluded its first treaty that formally recognises the State of Palestine, a move that gives legal weight to the Holy See's years-long recognition and that drew fast criticism from supporters of Israel.

Cuban President Raul Castro met with Pope Francis at the Vatican Sunday, thanking the pontiff for his role in brokering an historic rapprochement between Havana and Washington, a papal spokesman said.

Mehmet Ali Agca, the Turkish former extremist who attempted to assassinate Pope John Paul II, on Saturday laid flowers on the late pontiff's tomb.

Pope Francis will ride in open-top cars in Amman and Bethlehem during his May 24-26 trip to the Middle East this month despite security concerns, the Vatican said on Thursday as it outlined the travel schedule.

In a historic match-up of papacies past and present, Pope Francis and emeritus Pope Benedict XVI honored Popes John XXIII and John Paul II in the first ever canonization of two popes.

Pope Francis's habit of picking up the phone and cold calling people who write to him is landing the Vatican in hot water and spokesman Federico Lombardi has had enough.

A council of cardinals set up by Pope Francis to advise him on Vatican reforms began its latest meeting today to discuss how to overhaul the Catholic Church's scandal-hit bureaucracy and finances.

Russian President Vladimir Putin had a busy first day in Rome on Monday, going from the pope to a "Pussy Riot" protest to dinner at the palazzo of his old friend, Silvio Berlusconi.