Cardinal Konrad Krajewski said he "could only pray" when he visited the mass grave site found recently in Ukraine, as he saw the solemn removal of bodies by young Ukrainians.

The pope said on the plane back from Kazakhstan that it is sometimes morally licit for countries to purchase weapons for the purpose of self-defense.

Pope Francis used this year's World Day of Prayer for Creation to comment on the need for humanity to address climate change by refocusing centrality toward Christ and away from our own "consumerist excesses.”

“Capital punishment offers no justice to victims, but rather encourages revenge. And it prevents any possibility of undoing a possible miscarriage of justice,” the pope said in a video message Aug. 31.

Jesus’ call to spread the Gospel should fill all Christians, especially those within the church hierarchy, with a sense of wonder and gratitude, Pope Francis said.

The Vatican said that Pope Francis's comments on the death of Darya Dugina were meant to defend life, not affirm the Russian side of the war in Ukraine.

The pope told the patriarch that “we are not clerics of the state, we cannot use the language of politics, but of Jesus.”

Cardinal Angelo Becciu, currently facing charges of embezzlement and abuse of office, said Pope Francis invited him to attend the Aug. 27 consistory.

A judge set a five-day trial for Cardinal Joseph Zen Ze-kiun and four other defendants who face charges of failing to properly register a now-defunct fund to help anti-government protesters.

The Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Kazakhstan in September and attend an interreligious meeting in the capital city, Nur-Sultan.