Most mornings I have the BBC news on while I’m working, which is how I happened to catch a package with Martin Bashir Monday, September 6, covering Pope Francis’ visit to Madagascar over the weekend, in which the Pontiff issued a strong condemnation of runaway deforestation.

“The deterioration of biodiversity compromises the future of the country and of the Earth, our common home,” Francis said in the presence of Madagascar’s President Andry Rajoelina. “The last forests are menaced by forest fires, poaching, [and] the unrestricted cutting down of valuable woodlands.”

The Pope's journey to Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius is now over. They were five intense and extraordinary days.

Our minds are still filled with the joyful faces of the children, women, and men who accompanied Pope Francis along the sometimes muddy - and other times dusty - roads of Maputo and Antananarivo. The faces of all those people who animated, in the true sense of the word, the wonderful liturgies celebrated in these three countries.

Reaching beyond the borders of his own Catholic flock, Pope Francis Thursday, September 5, urged young Christians, Muslims, Hindus and followers of traditional religions to “write a new page of history” for their country, as the world is “destroying itself by war.”

“When everything seems to be standing still and stagnant, when our personal issues trouble us and social problems do not meet with the right responses, it does no good to give up,” Francis said.

September 5 is the liturgical memory of the woman who dedicated her life to the poorest of the poor. Pope Francis elected her patron saint of voluntary work. A solemn mass celebrated in the Generalate of the Missionaries of Charity. Monsignor D’Souza: "Like Mother Teresa, we recognize the face of Jesus in the least of our brothers and sisters".

Pope Francis launches a strong appeal for reconciliation in his first speech in Mozambique, recalling that peace is not only the absence of war but an untiring commitment to restoring people’s rights and dignity, all of which requires a hefty dose of forgiveness.

“No to violence, and yes to peace!” Pope Francis repeated those words of Saint John Paul II during his first speech in Mozambique, speaking to the country’s authorities, representatives of civil society, and the diplomatic corps.

Sunday marked the start of the annual ecumenical "Season of Creation" observance, which lasts from Sept. 1 through Oct. 4, the Feast of St. Francis of Assisi. It is a time set aside for Christians to reflect on the state of creation through prayer and action.

It is also an opportunity to focus our attention on the most fundamental issues of justice and peace, particularly as they pertain to our ethical commitment to life issues.

The new consistory announced by Pope Francis continues the policy of including bishops from mission territories in the Church within the College of Cardinals

A quick internet search for Madagascar, Mozambique and Mauritius would lead travelers to believe they’ve found three gems, with paradise-like beaches that stretch on forever, avenues of sprawling Baobab trees, crystal blue lagoons, rainforests, unique wildlife and incredibly welcoming people.

In fact, that’s all true. Search deeper, however, and you’ll find the other side of the coin - poverty that “surpasses reason,” corruption, jihadism, political and social instability, financial scandal, civil war and harsh weather that scientists believe will become steadily more extreme.

Svetlana Stalin, the daughter of the murderous dictator Joseph Stalin, renounced materialism and converted to Catholicism. Joseph would not have approved. In fact, Svetlana once reportedly told an editor of National Review that “my father would have shot me for what I have done.”

Pope Francis returns to sub-Saharan Africa for the second time on Sept. 4 to 10. He will visit Mozambique, Madagascar and Mauritius—specifically the capitals of the countries that are all former colonies of different European powers.