Francis on Friday will celebrate a special penitential Mass inside the Las Garzas de Pacora detention center, which is Panama's main youth lockup.

The pope described St. Óscar Romero as one of the “prophetic fruits of the church in Central America.”

Panama’s President, Juan Carlos Varela Rodriguez, gave Pope Francis a very warm state welcome at the Presidential Palace located on the site of the original 1673 building. He welcomed him to this land “of peace and dialogue.”

Pope Francis said that forming strong communities, even online, requires people who are "animated by feelings of trust" and are pursuing a common objective.

Pope Francis said Wednesday that fear of migration is "making us crazy" as he began a trip to Central America amid a standoff over President Donald Trump's promised wall at the U.S.-Mexico border and a new caravan of migrants heading north.

According to a report released by the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate at Georgetown University on Jan. 22, just 33 percent of bishops in the United States think the church “should” ordain women as deacons.