Australian police said they were a step closer to deciding whether to charge a top Vatican cardinal over allegations of sexual assault dating back decades.

One by one, Francis blessed and greeted each of the family members and their caregivers who traveled from around the world for the audience.

The commission established to study the alleged apparitions of Mary at Medjugorje, Bosnia-Herzegovina, reportedly voted overwhelmingly to recognize as supernatural the first seven appearances of Mary in 1981.

Perez was criticized in pro-life circles when he said, "Every Democrat, like every American, should support a woman's right to make her own choices about her body and her health. That is not negotiable."

Pope Francis is considering dedicating a meeting of the Synod of Bishops to the concerns of the indigenous people of the Amazon region.

The bishops of England and Wales have put the post-Brexit future of the United Kingdom at the top of a list of priority issues for Catholic voters to consider.