The Catholic Sun

Punishing and condemning those guilty of abuse is an act of charity, Pope Francis said.

With a new house of formation opening in August, the Diocese of Phoenix is expanding its seminary, allowing men preparing for the priesthood in the diocese to stay within its boundaries for another year. Bishop John P. Dolan hopes the diocese will be able to offer a complete seminary formation program locally in the near future.

Questioned by the confreres of a Hungarian Jesuit kidnapped with another priest and imprisoned during Argentina's murderous military dictatorship, Pope Francis said, "I did what I felt I had to do to defend them. It was a very painful affair."

The Vatican office in charge of coordinating plans for the Holy Year 2025 announced they are launching a new website and releasing an app to help people register and to guide them along their pilgrimage in Rome.

The new projects and developments at the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors represent "a major shift toward a more impact-focused direction," said its president, Cardinal Seán P. O'Malley of Boston.

Missionaries are needed today just like in the past because "there are so many men and women who still need the Gospel, not only in the so-called 'mission lands,' but also in the tired old West," Pope Francis said.

Christians have no need to be afraid or hopeless because Jesus always tells the faithful where they are going and how to get there, Pope Francis said.

The Diocese of Phoenix held a first-ever “Green Mass” on Sunday at Ss. Simon & Jude Cathedral in Phoenix. The Mass, celebrated by Bishop John Dolan, was to thank and pray for mental health professionals from across the valley for their service in helping those in need.

Alongside departure listings and boarding gates, the 35,000 passengers who walk through Terminal 1 at Rome's largest airport each day can also see a marble masterpiece of Christ on their way to catch a flight.

Meeting a group of pilgrims from the Italian diocese his father's family came from, Pope Francis said the family "remains a key value" even though it is "a reality that has changed so much and continues to change."