Pope Francis' committee of advisers on protecting children from sexually abusive priests is expanding its workload to include the needs and rights of children fathered by Roman Catholic priests.

The failure is not one of communication; it is one of charity. The pope wants us to debate. I say: Do it better.

Pope Francis said he is worried that even Catholics are arguing against accepting more migrants and refugees into their communities, and they often cite an ill-defined "'moral obligation' to preserve the original cultural and religious identity" of their nations.

Any willingness to cooperate across party lines is praiseworthy. Unfortunately, brinkmanship remains the preferred legislative strategy.

When a pope issues a document “motu proprio,” it means he does so by his own motivation, and it can mean a significant change to church law.

"We often hear faithful Catholics who see mercy at work and ask, 'Why?'"