The Vatican dismissed a priest from his post in a Holy See office on Saturday after he told a newspaper he was gay and urged the Catholic Church to change its stance on homosexuality.
We are all complicit in the suffering of refugees if we stand by and remain silent, Pope Francis has said, in some of his strongest words on the crisis yet.
Presidential hopeful Jeb Bush joined millions of other American Catholics in welcoming Pope Francis in his first visit to the United States last September. In reflection of the Pope's visit, Bush mulled how the Catholic Church helped ground his faith and beliefs in life.
During his 10-day visit in the United States and Cuba, Pope Francis held a meeting with embattled Rowan County clerk Kim Davis, who was thrust into the spotlight after she refused to sign same-sex marriage certificates.
Catholic pontiff Pope Francis, who often speaks of love and goodwill sang a completely different tune in Italy on Tuesday when he lambasted the mayor of Rome Ignazio Marino as someone who only "pretends to be Catholic."
Almost 800,000 people, including 202 Bishops, have signed a petition to Pope Francis, seeking clarification of Church teachings on marriage and the family.
Pope Francis reportedly met privately with Kim Davis while he was in Washington on Thursday and commended her courage in refusing to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples.
Rev Cathy Zappa, an Episcopal priest who taught Gissendaner through a prison theology programme, said Gissendaner was scared but had not wavered in her belief in God.
On his flight back to Rome after his 10-day visit to the United States and Cuba, Pope Francis weighed in on the issues currently faced by some Christian Americans who have been under fire for refusing to issue same-sex marriage licenses.
Nearly 800,000 Catholics, including more than 200 cardinals, bishops and archbishops, have written to the Pope appealing for clarity and warning of a "breach" in the Church over gays and marriage.
It appears Vatican City has ignored Pope Francis' call to support refugees after an Italian journalist, posing as a Syrian refugee, was repeatedly turned away.