Pope

The death toll in Israel from Hamas' attack has reached 1,300, with more than 3,000 people injured, as hostages remain trapped in Gaza.

The appointment of Archbishop Pizzaballa as a cardinal underlines the Vatican's desire to play a more active role in the ongoing diplomatic discussions concerning Jerusalem.

Francis spoke out in favor of welcoming migrants, in a long speech that concluded a Church conference on Mediterranean issues.

According to the UNHCR, the UN Refugee Agency, about 178,500 migrants have come to Europe in the year to date via the Mediterranean, while about 2,500 died or went missing on the way.

The letter, dated December 14 1942, proved Pope Pius knew of extermination camps killing Jews and Poles.

The researchers were careful to note that the scholarly understanding of the role of the Catholic world in the actions taken by Germany’s Nazi regime is unchanged.

The family was killed by German military police for sheltering a family of Jews.

In unscripted remarks to young Russian Catholics in a video conference on Aug. 25, Francis spoke of past tsars Peter I and Catherine II - both of whom expanded Russian territory.

In the 10 years since his election, Francis has been criticized by conservative sectors of the US Church who are opposed to the pope's reforms.

The controversial new policy enforces students using their pronouns assigned at birth and their birth names and forbids same-sex relationships.