The pope is praying especially for peace in Syria, Nigeria and the Koreas.

The pope will first meet each of the victims individually, one or more times, and then as a group.

"The pope wants to ask their forgiveness, share his pain and shame for what they have suffered and, above all, listen to all suggestions that can be made to avoid the repetition of such reprehensible acts."

End-of-life disputes can be complicated and nuanced and require a sober understanding of the underlying medical technicalities and ethical concerns.

All three were victims of the infamous Chilean priest predator, the Rev. Ferdinando Karadima, who was found guilty of abuse of minors by the Vatican.

Protests against proposed social security legislation led to the deaths of more than two dozen people.