Pope Francis prayed that the sanctions in force against Syria since 2011 will not prevent aid from reaching the tens of thousands of victims in dire need after earthquakes killed more than 5,000 people and left many more injured or homeless.

– Support for basic science must be increased and defended from improper influences, “whether political or economic in nature,” Pope Francis told representatives of the Max Planck Society.

After Russian President Vladimir Putin said Feb. 21 that Russia will suspend its participation in a key nuclear arms treaty, Catholic scholars and other experts called the move concerning for the world.

Newly ordained Bishops Juan R. Esposito-Garcia and Evelio Menjivar-Ayala promised to “proclaim with fidelity and constancy the Gospel of Jesus Christ” and to “always be kind and sympathetic to the poor, immigrants and with all those in need.”

El fiscal del condado de Los Ángeles, George Gascón, anunció el 22 de febrero que el sospechoso detenido por la muerte a tiros del obispo auxiliar de Los Ángeles, David G. O’Connell, ha sido acusado de asesinato.