The head of the Ukrainian Catholic Church asked Pope Francis to scrap plans to have a Ukrainian woman and a Russian woman carry the cross together during the pope’s Way of the Cross service.

“In its effect, the Synodal Path displays more submission and obedience to the world and ideologies than to Jesus Christ as Lord and Savior,” the letter said.

Commenting on his recent trip to Malta in his Wednesday audience, Pope Francis spoke about migration and evangelization, especially in a time of war.

Malta and its people must remember the country’s roots as the center of spirituality and welcome, especially to those most in need, Pope Francis told leaders of the Mediterranean nation.

Gustave Flaubert's prose reflects a lifetime of grappling with religious and spiritual themes. He saw his Catholicism as a singular form of asceticism, allied to his vocation as a writer.

Sigrid Undset wrote the famous “Kristin Lavransdatter” trilogy and won the Nobel Prize. She also was a sometime contributor to America during the Second World War after the Nazi invasion of Norway had forced her into exile.