Global Politics

VATICAN CITY -- Having gone to Africa as a pilgrim of peace and hope, Pope Francis said he hoped the seeds planted there by his visit would bear abundant fruit for everyone.

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM MADAGASCAR -- No one really knows what the future of the news media will be, but it will have no future if reporters and the public cannot distinguish between facts and fiction, Pope Francis said.

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT FROM MADAGASCAR -- Pope Francis told reporters he hoped and prayed the Catholic Church would not experience a new schism, but human freedom means people always have had and will have the "schism option."

GENEVA -- With increasing concerns worldwide about human rights violations in Nicaragua, a Vatican representative has called for an immediate return to negotiations and a rollout of reforms necessary to hold "free and transparent elections" there.

NEGOMBO, Sri Lanka -- Cardinal Malcolm Ranjith has finally won a concession from Sri Lanka's government after widespread criticism of the investigation into the deadly Easter Sunday attacks.

BELFAST, Northern Ireland (CNA) - Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of Belfast on Saturday to protest against the impending legalization of abortion in Northern Ireland. Pro-life advocates told CNA that they fear the proposed changes in the province could be used to legalize abortion on demand throughout the entirety of the United Kingdom.

PORT LOUIS, Mauritius -- Statistical indicators show Mauritius' rapid economic growth has benefited all sectors of society, lifting thousands out of poverty over the past 30 years, but Pope Francis still urged the island's Catholics to be careful.

VATICAN CITY -- Pope Francis appointed three delegate presidents for the Synod of Bishops for the Amazon.

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar -- Here is the Vatican's English translation of Pope Francis' "Prayer for Workers," which he prayed Sept. 8 at the Mahatazana stone quarry:

ANTANANARIVO, Madagascar -- Standing where the phrase "by the sweat of their brow" is a daily reality for hundreds of Madagascar's poor, Pope Francis prayed for those whose daily bread is earned by hard physical labor and for the unemployed longing to earn a living for their families.