Pope Francis has had a busy week. On Tuesday (October 4), he made a surprise visit to Amatrice, the Italian town devastated by a powerful earthquake that killed nearly 300 people. As he toured the ruins, Francis urged the townspeople to face the future with courage. He also visited with elementary and middle school students, as well as people living in a convalescent home. Back in Rome, Francis launched the Vatican’s first-ever global conference on faith and sports, saying it was important to keep sports honest and protect games like the Olympics from abuse. And at an evening prayer service this week, Francis met with Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby. The two pledged to work together to help the poor and protect the environment.

On the papal plane on the way back from his trip to Azerbaijan last week, the pope advised US Catholics voting in the upcoming presidential election to study the proposals of the candidates well, pray, and then “choose in conscience.” Francis also urged pastoral care for transgender people but condemned the idea that a person can pick his or her gender. Francis said it is “one thing if a person has this tendency and also changes sex. It’s another thing to teach this in school.”