Cupich cited a memorable line from Pope Francis’ speech to Congress, when the pontiff denounced the profits of the arms trade as “money that is drenched in blood, often innocent blood.”

Melkite Catholic Archbishop Jean-Clement Jeanbart of Aleppo said that the bombing of rebel positions by Russian jets was "a source of hope" for Syria.

"As part of the church's ancient teaching on the dignity of the human person," Archbishop Vigano wrote, "the Holy Father has advocated for 'the establishment of the universal moratorium on executions throughout the world, in order to abolish capital punishment.'"

The ruling amounts to "a genuine judicial comedy tinted with denials" and suggested other genocide participants now "comfortably settled on French soil" would also be granted future impunity.

A visit in early 2016 would come as the country continues confronting vices like corruption, which has implicated the president, and insecurity in states such as Michoacan and Guerrero, the latter being where 43 students were kidnapped and presumably killed by police acting in cahoots with criminals in September 2014.

The pope's three-city September tour—from Congress to the United Nations and from cathedrals to a prison—generated significant goodwill toward the Catholic Church, according to a new survey by the Pew Research Center.