Francis called relations with Beijing “very respectful,” though few clergy or Catholics from China went to see him during a visit to Mongolia, seemingly fearing reprisals.
In unusually sharp remarks published this week, Pope Francis said some conservative American Catholics wrongly ignore much of the Church’s mission and reject the possibility of change.
Doctors have advised the 86-year-old pontiff to take it easy after undergoing treatment to deal with a hernia that caused painful intestinal blockages.
Although it is a step forward for women, they are still barred from becoming deacons, which many advocates of female leadership in the Roman Catholic Church have pushed for.