Pope Francis asked forgiveness from journalists trying to cover the monthlong meeting but insisted “a certain fasting from public words” would be needed to ensure the proper spiritual atmosphere for synod members.

In ‘Laudate Deum,’ Pope Francis takes square aim at the United States, noting that per-capita emissions in the U.S. are twice as high as China and seven times greater than the average in poor countries

“The five ‘dubia’ deal exclusively with the perennial doctrine and discipline of the church, not the agenda of the pope and certainly not the agenda of the five of us cardinals,” Cardinal Burke said Oct. 3 at a conference in Rome.

The Archdiocese of Mobile, Alabama, has launched its own investigation regarding disgraced priest Father Alex Crow, who fled to Italy with a recent female graduate of an archdiocesan high school.

The global advocacy group End Clergy Abuse is seeking to draw attention to the failure of Pope Francis to make good on years of pledges of “zero tolerance” for abuse.

Pope Francis has responded to a “dubia” letter written by five cardinals in regard to their concerns on the church clarifying doctrinal questions such as the ordination of women and blessing homosexual unions.