It looks like a plan concocted by the braintrust of a political campaign.

First, the mission statement: a sweeping critique of economic injustice and environmental exploitation, published in the form of a papal encyclical, one of the Catholic Church's most important teaching documents.

Then the missionary, one of the most popular people on the planet, takes the message to the masses in places burdened by the very plights he has condemned, where he'll be cheered by millions as a hometown hero.

A few days ago, it was announced that the Pontiff approved decrees permitting the canonization of the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieu, and that a celebration marking their canonization would be held at the Vatican Square on October 18 which is the date close to the anniversary of St. John Paul II’s election on October 16 and his Apostolic Letter proclaiming their young daughter “a Doctor of the Church” in 2000.

A Christian businessman has built a monument in Karachi that has sparked a controversy first and foremost in the Church: is it a religious symbol or a show of power, destined to provoke Islamists?

It is going to be the biggest cross in Asia. A giant 43-metre-high cement cross has altered Karachi’s skyline. The port city in South Pakistan is the capital city of Sindh province.

The Chaldean Church raises the alarm in light of the escalating violence and persecutions unleashed by the Caliphate.

“Things are getting worse for us Christians and other religious minorities. The situation in Iraq is getting worse by the day.” It was the Chaldean Auxiliary Bishop Shlemon Warduni of Baghdad who raised the alarm bells about the escalating violence and persecution at the hands of the Caliphate.

At the presentation of the Pope’s upcoming trip to South America, the Vatican spokesman set the record straight on the participation of gay groups at the meeting in Bolivia and the use of coca leaves to prevent altitude sickness.

Pope Francis caused great joy to all the faithful with the recent announcement about the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, the spouses Louis and Zelie Martin. They will be canonized on 18 October, thus becoming the first couple of modern saints, raised to the honors of the altars when the Synod on the family will be in full swing.

Interview with the Syrian Orthodox Patriarch, Aphrem II: martyrdom is not a human sacrifice offered to God in order to obtain his favour. This is why it is blasphemous to call suicide bombers “martyrs”.

On the advent of the Holy month of Ramadan, the Catholic Center for Studies and Media (CCSM) sincerely conveys good wishes to the Jordanian people led by His Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein and the Hashemite family, as well as all the Muslims to whom we harbor cordiality, appreciation and respect hoping that this holy month will be marked in the years to come while our dear Jordan remains an oasis of stability and a universal minaret for dialogue, coexistence and joint effort for the good of the people.

Archbishop Paul Gallagher, the Vatican's "foreign minister", said the agreement “may in some way be a stimulus to bringing a definitive end to the long-standing Israeli-Palestinian conflict”.

The Vatican on Friday signed a comprehensive agreement formally recognizing the “State of Palestine,” following 15 years of negotiations on a bilateral accord that is said to provide juridical recognition for Catholic churches and call for a two-state solution with Israel on the basis of their borders in 1967.

The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has not held any “plenary” sessions or a “feria quarta” on the Herzegovina apparitions. Cardinals and bishops have not yet examined the case, with everything postponed until after the summer. The outcome of the discussions will be presented to the Pope who will ultimately decide. Francis has shown his appreciation for the work carried out by Ruini’s commission.