In a Mass sprinkled with indigenous languages and customs, Pope Francis on Monday gave recognition to the "misunderstood" and "excluded" native peoples long repressed by Mexican power.

The historic meeting between Pope Francis and Russian Patriarch Kirill, which took place in Havana on Friday, could act as a soft force contributing to the resolution of the Syrian crisis, experts told Sputnik.

Francis’ visit comes amid strong challenges to the church in the southern state, including huge inroads by evangelical Protestants and grinding poverty in a region rich with coffee, Mayan ruins, pine-covered hills and jungles. [...] The challenges have always included the church’s relations with indigenous communities who have struggled for centuries to maintain their traditions and independence, sometimes embracing and sometimes clashing with the hierarchy.

Pope Francis in his first-ever interview on China has sent greetings to president Xi Jinping and the people of China. The interview was given to the online daily Asia Times, Hong Kong. [...] The leader of 1.2 billion Roman Catholics talked about his admiration for the country and avoided sensitive issues like human rights. Pope Francis emphasized on the common interest of China and Vatican and creating an environment for better relationship

Pope Francis has called on European leaders not to turn their back on refugees and migrants despite the cultural and security challenges associated with the arrival of 1 million people this past year.