The Vatican's sex-crimes expert is changing plans and will fly to New York to take in-person testimony from a Chilean sex-abuse victim whose pleas to be heard by Pope Francis were previously ignored.

Mary McAleese, who has a gay son and has criticized the church’s position on L.G.B.T. issues, was invited to participate in a panel discussion on women in church governance.

Seven illicit bishops have asked Pope Francis for pardon and requested reconciliation with him and the universal church.

The issue is expected to come up in the 2019 special gathering of the Synod of Bishops to study questions related to the church's pastoral work in the Amazon.

The Vatican newspaper noted media reports that President Donald Trump "used particularly harsh and offensive words about immigrants" from several countries.

The Vatican said Francis had followed the saga of the Sodalitium of Christian Life for years and was “particularly concerned about the seriousness of information about the internal regime, the training and financial management.”