VATICAN CITY – Pope Francis advanced the sainthood cause of Father Augustus Tolton, who was the first African American diocesan priest in the United States and founder of the first black Catholic parish in Chicago.

MELBOURNE, Australia – China’s ruling Communist Party continues to persecute at least half of China’s more than 12 million Catholics despite last September’s agreement with the Vatican on the appointment of bishops.

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican can move at a snail’s pace but looking back over the past six years, the profile of women, especially women religious, at Vatican events has risen sharply.

VATICAN CITY – In back-to-back audiences with a group of French young people and an Italian association for deaf people, Pope Francis cited personal example and witness as a vital piece in the church’s evangelization mission.

VATICAN CITY – An expert on abuse prevention offered “practical suggestions” to participants at a Vatican summit on child sexual abuse on Thursday, while two cardinals encouraged bishops to work together to support victims of clerical abuse.

VATICAN CITY – At the start of the Vatican’s sex-abuse summit Thursday, Pope Francis pointed to expectations for the meeting to produce responsibility and concrete action, not just denunciations of abuse.

VATICAN CITY – The Vatican has released the schedule, speakers, and a new website for this week’s much-anticipated sex-abuse summit, which will focus on episcopal transparency and accountability for the protection of minors.

VATICAN CITY – The Synod of Bishops released Thursday an English translation of the final document of the 2018 session on young people, faith and vocational discernment. The document encourages young people to seek an authentic encounter with God, instead of adopting a morally relativistic outlook on life.