Pope Francis on Sunday created the first saints of his reign, canonising some 800 Italian martyrs who refused to convert to Islam in the 15th century, as well as a Colombian and a Mexican who founded congregations. Tens of thousands of faithful gathered in a sun-drenched St Peter's Square to attend the mass in which Francis formally bestowed the sainthoods, which had been approved by his predecessor Benedict XVI.

Two months after his historic resignation, Benedict XVI was set to return to the Vatican on Thursday, where he will live in a former monastery in an unprecedented arrangement that will see a pope and a former pope both housed in the tiny state. It is expected to be a low-key return for the 86-year-old |Benedict, now pope emeritus, who looked extremely frail at his last public appearance in March and said upon his resignation that he would live "hidden from the world."

By Philip Pullella VATICAN CITY (Reuters) - Pope Francis has reaffirmed the Vatican's criticism of a body that represents U.S. nuns which the Church said was tainted by "radical" feminism, dashing hopes he might take a softer stand with the sisters. Francis's predecessor, Benedict, decreed that the Leadership Conference of Women Religious (LCWR), a group that represents more than 80 percent of the 57,000 Catholic nuns in the United States, must change its ways, a ruling which the Vatican said on Monday still applied.

Pope Francis on Sunday completed his installation as pontiff at an emotional ceremony in which he formally took possession of Rome's St John Lateran basilica -- the official seat of the city's bishop. The pope was driven around the square in front of the basilica in an open-topped car with a crowd of thousands chanting "Long live the pope!" and one group holding up a banner reading: "We Love You!"