An Iraqi archbishop who helped save hundreds of ancient manuscripts from being destroyed by Islamic State militants was among the nominees for the European Parliament’s Sakharov Prize.

Pope Francis proposed “to globalize treatment” and said all people should be given access to life-saving medicine.

"Unfortunately, what is dying in the hearts of many people, is hope," Cardinal Mario Zenari told the Vatican newspaper.

Euthanasia legislation is headed for the Spanish Senate and, if passed, it would be a defeat for human dignity and would affirm a self-centered view of life that proposes death as a solution to one's problems, the Spanish bishops' conference said.

Human beings must change their relationship with nature and view it not as an “object for unscrupulous use and abuse” but as a gift they are charged by God to care for and protect, Pope Francis said.

In a letter to people participating in a virtual Marian pilgrimage, Pope Francis offered words of encouragement to families struggling amid the Covid-19 pandemic.

Pope Francis said that when it comes to treating patients, especially women, doctors and medical institutions should place their care above financial gain.

In a letter to L'Osservatore Romano, the Vatican newspaper, the head of the Congregation for Catholic Education called for an alliance between secular and Catholic educational institutions to confront the challenges caused by the pandemic.

As many people around the world face economic uncertainty due to the pandemic, a paradigm shift is needed, Pope Francis said.

The archbishop of San Juan, Puerto Rico has said that the people of that island are suffering from political corruption as well as the pandemic and the social injustice it engenders is also a "virus."