MEXICO CITY, Jan. 13 (UPI) -- Excommunication should be considered as a punishment for drug traffickers responsible for thousands of violent deaths in Mexico, a top Vatican official said.

VATICAN CITY, Nov. 6 (UPI) -- The Vatican secretary of state called claims that Pius XII was "Hitler's Pope" a slur at a conference Thursday on the wartime pontiff.

VATICAN CITY, Sept. 19 (UPI) -- New information shows Pope Pius XII "spared no effort," clearing him from claims he didn't do enough to save Jews during World War II, Pope Benedict XVI said.

ROME, March 26 (UPI) -- A top U.N. official met Wednesday with Pope Benedict XVI and Italian leaders in Rome to talk about climate change, religion and the poor.

ROME, March 16 (UPI) -- Chiara Lubich, who founded Focolare, a Roman Catholic group active in 182 countries, has died in Italy at the age of 88.

VATICAN CITY, March 7 (UPI) -- The Vatican official whose main job is to keep Pope Benedict XVI safe when he visits the United States next month has resigned.

HAVANA, Feb. 21 (UPI) -- The Vatican is sending a senior envoy to Cuba, the Vatican news agency reported Thursday.

ROME, July 19 (UPI) -- Jewish leaders in Italy praised the Vatican Thursday for contemplating the removal of a Latin mass prayer that calls for the conversion of Jews.

VATICAN, Vatican City, June 6 (UPI) -- A Vatican official is defending Pope Pius XII against claims the World War II-era pontiff was silent in the face of the Holocaust.