The Rev. Bryan Massingale is a Black, openly gay Catholic priest. His goal: convert the hearts of the faithful to recognize racism in the church and welcome L.G.B.T.Q. Catholics.

CatholicVote, an independent political advocacy group, has filed a lawsuit seeking information about how the government and church-affiliated groups have gone about “facilitating a record surge in illegal immigration.”

Pope Francis will visit Malta from April 2-3, a Vatican spokesman said. More than 90 percent of the country’s 460,000 people profess to be Catholic.

In the letter, Pope Francis “speaks as a shepherd, as a brother” and “expressed once again his complete trust, his full support and also his prayers,” said the secretary, Archbishop Georg Gänswein.

Some 6 million pilgrims come to the shrine in Lourdes, France, each year to pray and seek healing.

A Louisiana bishop who has led efforts against racism was named on Tuesday as the archbishop for the Archdiocese of Louisville in Kentucky.