Joshua J. McElwee

Pope Francis told a crowd of more than a million here Sept. 9 that being a Christian is not about how closely you follow doctrinal laws, but rather how you live out the essential values of the faith.

Pope Francis has decentralized authority over how the texts used in the Catholic Church's liturgies are translated from Latin into local languages, moving most responsibility for the matter from the Vatican to national bishops' conferences.

In Villavicencio, Pope Francis Sept. 8 asked those who had survived a war that killed some 220,000 to set aside their desire for vengeance in order to open the way for reconciliation.

Pope Francis encouraged Colombians Sept. 7 to move beyond what he termed the "corrupting darkness" of the country's 50 years of guerilla conflict, saying they live in a land of "unimaginable fertility" that can provide for the needs of everyone.

Francis in Colombia: Pope Francis exhorted Colombian political leaders Sept. 7 to protect the peace deal that recently ended a bloody 50-year war in their country, even though it's not popular.

Aboard the papal flight to Colombia, Pope Francis says his trip is meant to help the country "go forward on its path to peace."

These days, it's being said more regularly in Rome and around the world: The once all-powerful Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith appears to have gone nearly silent.

When Pope Francis lands in Colombia in September, he will encounter a population that is still torn over a peace deal ending a bloody 50-year war between the government and rebel guerilla forces.

Pope Francis' commission on clergy sexual abuse is considering a restructure so that it no longer includes the direct participation of abuse survivors, according to a commission member.

Morning Briefing: Sudan hopes for a papal visit, Chicago sisters work for peace, calls for a formal censure of President Trump grow, and ice is found near Mars' equator. 

NCR Interview: Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala said Aug. 11 that recent discussions with the Vatican gave him hope that Pope Francis will be able to visit South Sudan next year. 

The umbrella group of U.S. Catholic men's religious orders has committed to persuading Pope Francis to write a new encyclical letter on nonviolence.

International Catholic peace organization Pax Christi calls on U.S. and North Korean leaders to tone down their rhetoric, saying the recent bout of nuclear brinksmanship "should be relegated to the dustbin of history."

Morning Briefing: Trump administration; LCWR presidency; tension in Kenya awaiting election results; Brexit continues to frighten the UK; tips for viewing the solar eclipse

The Vatican's Secretary of State has expressed hope that Pope Francis may some day become the first Catholic pontiff to visit Russia.