Their conversation was the longest between the pope and a head of state since Francis’ meeting with President Obama in 2014.

“I hope to share ‘best practices’ from parishes that have successfully reached out to the L.G.B.T. Catholic community,” Father Martin told America.

Communion is exclusively for Catholics in a state of grace and not something to be shared between friends, said Nigerian Cardinal Francis Arinze.

Archbishop Matteo Zuppi of Bologna calls Father James Martin’s book ‘Building a Bridge’ ‘useful for encouraging dialogue, as well as reciprocal knowledge and understanding.’

Insights on the papacies of Benedict XVI and Francis from Father Federico Lombardi, S.J., a close colleague of both.

Representative Mark Walker of North Carolina said he wanted Father Conroy’s successor to be somebody with children.

At Villanova, the Newark archbishop spoke of “paradigm shifts” in the church and said “only the Lord" can judge who belongs among the faithful.

The call to holiness is at once personal and communal—pushing us to actively build the kingdom of God.

Francis' “modest goal” is “to re-propose the call to holiness in a practical way for our own time.”

When it comes to gays and lesbians, the Gospel values of love, mercy and compassion are the building blocks of all church teaching.