Pope dissolves Peru-based conservative Catholic movement after abuses uncovered by Vatican

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis has taken the remarkable step of dissolving a Peruvian-based Catholic movement, the Sodalitium Christianae Vitae, after years of attempts at reform and a Vatican investigation. The probe uncovered sexual abuses by its founder, financial mismanagement by its leaders and...

Pope welcomes Cuba's prisoner release following talks with Vatican as part of long-standing dialogue

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis on Sunday hailed the release of Cuban prisoners as a “gesture of great hope” that he prayed would be undertaken elsewhere, as he welcomed an agreement the Vatican helped facilitate as part of a three-way dialogue with Washington and Havana that dates back to the Cuban...

More countries, including China, are grappling with shrinking and aging populations

BEIJING (AP) — A growing number of countries are confronting the dual challenges of population decline and aging, as younger generations opt to have fewer children and advances in healthcare extend life expectancy. China said Friday that its population fell for the third straight...

Cuba releases a prominent dissident as part of plan to free more than 500 prisoners

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba on Thursday released prominent dissident José Daniel Ferrer from prison, as part of a government decision to gradually free more than 500 prisoners following talks with the Vatican. Ferrer, a strong opponent of the island's communist government, confirmed to The...

Pope Francis hurts his right arm after falling for the second time in just over a month

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis fell Thursday and hurt his right arm, the Vatican said, just weeks after another apparent fall resulted in a bad bruise on his chin. Francis didn’t break his arm, but a sling was put on as a precaution, the Vatican spokesman said in a statement ...

Pope Francis falls and hurts his arm, Vatican says, weeks after another fall resulted in a bad bruise on his chin

Cuba starts freeing prisoners a day after the US said it would lift terror designation

HAVANA (AP) — Cuba started releasing some prisoners Wednesday as part of talks with the Vatican, a day after President Joe Biden's administration announced his intent to lift the U.S. designation of the island nation as a state sponsor of terrorism. More than a dozen people who...

Pope Francis is introspective and self-critical in his autobiography, at least about his youth

ROME (AP) — An introspective Pope Francis has divulged some of the behind-the-scenes dynamics of the secret 2013 conclave that elected him pope and the resistance he has encountered ever since, in his autobiography being released Tuesday that also doubles down on some of his more controversial...

Pope Francis baptizes 21 babies in an annual ceremony at the Sistine Chapel

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis baptised 21 babies in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday under the ceiling frescoed by Michelangelo, in what has become an annual tradition that marks the end of the Christmas holiday period at the Vatican. Francis celebrated the Lord’s gift of faith to...

Pope asks aide to deliver his annual foreign policy address, tells ambassadors he's battling a cold

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis told ambassadors accredited to the Holy See on Thursday that he wasn’t up to delivering his annual foreign policy speech and asked an aide to deliver it instead. A congested-sounding Francis began the speech, greeting the ambassadors gathered in the Hall...