Mr. Spicer, a Catholic, had expressed a desire to meet Pope Francis in May, but he was left off the list of U.S. officials who accompanied President Trump to the Vatican.

The pope said that church teaching can contribute to a more humane and just society, but only if the church is allowed a voice in answering "the great questions of society in our time."

Did Pope Francis snub Latin-Mass goers? Or is he taking their concerns seriously? 

With his speech last week, Pope Francis has definitively and unequivocally put his weight behind a liturgical movement.

Francis will be the first pope to visit Myanmar, a majority Buddhist country of some 55 million people

His words would appear to be a gentle but firm reminder especially to the minority of Catholics who are challenging his authority.