After yesterday's Angelus Pope Francis asked the faithful "to accompany me spiritually in prayer" as he begins his first apostolic journey to Brazil today. The Pope made a surprise visit to the Basilica of St Mary Major on Saturday to pray for pilgrims attending this week's World Youth Day in Rio (video). Vietnamese officials reportedly prevented a key witness in the Cause of Cardinal François-Xavier Nguyên Van Thuân from travelling to Rome earlier this month. A new website is providing updates on the condition of American blogger Thomas Peters, who suffered a serious accident last week. Robert Moynihan argues that the so-called Ricca case represents "a critical juncture in the new pontificate". David Byrne suggests that the Crusades led to the "intellectual revitalisation" of western Europe. And NPR talks to a young recent convert to Catholicism about why she is travelling to World Youth Day (audio). Follow me on Twitter @lukecoppen for updates throughout the day.