Pope Francis

Pope Francis' upcoming visit to the U.S. has American Catholics excited — but they aren't the only ones. The pope's statements on the environment and social issues have appealed to non-Catholics, too.

During his U.S. visit in September, the pope is set to meet with unaccompanied minors from Central America who have formed a youth soccer team co-sponsored by New York's Catholic Charities.

Caryl Johnson calls herself a priest, but technically she was excommunicated after being ordained. Johnson is one of many Catholic women who see a gap between what they believe and church dogma.

The Catholic sisters known for their blue and white habits say they have asked the government to de-register 13 orphanages over religious objections to the country's new adoption guidelines.

A day before his private meeting with controversial Kentucky clerk Kim Davis, Pope Francis met with his friend from Argentina at the Vatican Embassy in Washington, D.C.

Responding to a flood of interest, the Vatican says the private meeting shouldn't be seen as an endorsement of all of Davis' views.

The Vatican is acknowledging the meeting took place. Davis, who has refused to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples, says she met the pope at the Vatican Embassy in Washington.

Francis also told bishops at a morning meeting that "I commit to a careful oversight to ensure that youth are protected."

The pontiff's six-day visit to the U.S. came to an end at Philadelphia International Airport, where he met Vice President Biden and delivered a brief farewell to the American cities that hosted him.

Kelly Gissendaner was executed by lethal injection Tuesday for her role in the 1997 murder of her husband. Richard Glossip got a delay just hours before he was scheduled for lethal injection.

Pope Francis took questions for an hour on his flight back to Rome. Before returning to the Vatican, he offered prayers of gratitude for his U.S. and Cuba visits, NPR's Sylvia Poggioli reports.

In remarks delivered at the Festival of Families, Pope Francis emphasized the importance of caring for grandparents and children. Earlier in the day, he spoke at Independence Hall.