But taken in context, the correspondence penned by disgraced ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick to the young men he is accused of sexually abusing or harassing is a window into the way a predator grooms his prey.

"I am spiritually close to the victims of the episodes of violence that these days have bloodied Texas, California and Ohio, in the United States, affecting defenseless people," Pope Francis said.

Arrests of immigrants in the U.S. illegally are increasing nationwide, and the result is more children are losing—or fearing they will lose—a parent through detention or deportation.

For the first time in its 82-year history, Miracle Hill Ministries will allow Catholics to serve as volunteers and employees in its vast network of homeless shelters, thrift stores and drug-recovery programs and as parents to foster children in its government-funded foster care agency.

"We must all take responsibility to reject language that ridicules, condemns, or vilifies another person because of their race, religion, gender, age, culture or ethnic background," the archbishop said.

Vatican City State will have its own reporting system in place before the end of the year for flagging suspected cases of the abuse of minors and vulnerable people and instances of cover-up or negligence in handling such cases, the Vatican said.