Pope Francis knelt at the feet of the leaders of South Sudan, begging them to give peace a chance and to be worthy "fathers of the nation."

In a recent audience with children from Milan's Instituto San Carlo, Pope Francis said that God does not play favorites; it is humans who cause suffering and pain and that we must become aware of how we act toward others.

Catholic parents should vaccinate their children for the good of their children and the community said the Pontifical Academy for Life.

Pope Francis' sixth year in office, Andrea Tornielli said, "was characterized by the scourge of abuse and by suffering from internal attacks. His response was a call to return to the heart of faith."

"I invite you to live your faith with great freedom, never believing that there exists only one form of political commitment for Catholics, a Catholic party."

Lent is a good time to concentrate on fighting the urge to gossip about others and instead trying to correct one's own faults and defects.

The church rules insist that the priest provide economic support for the children, he said, but they also recognize that the duties and responsibilities of fatherhood go beyond that to include affection and education, especially in the first years of the child's life.

Cardinal Daniel N. DiNardo attended the Feb. 21-24 summit as president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops.

Opening the Vatican summit on the clerical sexual abuse crisis, the pope said, “The holy people of God are watching and are awaiting from us not simple, predictable condemnations, but concrete and effective measures.”

A statement issued by the Women's International Union of Superiors General concerning the upcoming Vatican summit on sexual abuse lamented "the misplaced loyalty, errors in judgment, slowness to act, denial and at times, cover-up."