Hundreds of “Missionaries of Mercy” — priests with the authority to “pardon sins reserved to the Holy See” —gathered in Rome on Sunday for a special Mass connected to the Jubilee of Hope.

The Vatican released the Holy Father’s message while the 88-year-old Pontiff continues his convalescence in his Casa Santa ...

Through the prayers designated for the commendation of the dying, the Church helps to sustain their union with Christ to the Father until it is brought to fulfillment after death.