The Peruvian cardinal was in Rome for a conference sponsored by the general secretariat of the Synod of Bishop centered on the topics that will be discussed at the synod Oct. 6-27.

Some members of the armed forces resent the influence and popularity of the Catholic Church in the Amazon.

Over one million Venezuelans have arrived in Colombia as of May 2018. Colombia is not a rich country, and helping to bear the burden of receiving thousands of Venezuelan refugees every day is the Catholic Church.

St. John Paul II had suspended Father Cardenal and several other priests from active ministry in 1985 for joining the Marxist-influenced Sandinista government. Father Cardenal resigned from the Sandinista Front in 1994.

A new Catholic initiative connects volunteers with undocumented members of the community who need support.