Argentina

John Kerry, the U.S. special envoy for climate, met privately with Pope Francis May 15, the day after he gave a keynote address at a closed-door meeting of the Pontifical Academies for Sciences and Social Sciences.

Pope Francis met May 13 with Argentine President Alberto Fernandez, months after Argentina legalized abortion despite a personal appeal from the pontiff and opposition from the Catholic Church.

Pope Francis said he believes he will die in Rome, either in office or retired, and will not be buried in his native Argentina.

Argentina's legalization of abortion has been seen as a significant defeat for the influence of the Catholic Church. Worsening that feeling was the role Catholic women played in the campaign for the new abortion law.

Pope Francis told Uruguay's new ambassador to the Holy See that a future visit to the country as well as to his native Argentina is still very much on the table.

Argentina's Senate passed a law legalizing elective abortion early Dec. 30 after a marathon 12-hour session, a victory for the women's movement that has been fighting for the right for decades.

President Alberto Fernández had proposed the bill in response to long-sought demands from women's rights activists in the homeland of Pope Francis.

Corruption is an "ancient evil" that continues to plague the Catholic Church in different ways, Pope Francis said.