Pope gives pep talk to big lay group after tightening rules

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis has given encouragement to a major Catholic lay group after the Vatican tightened rules to put checks on their leadership. In St. Peter’s Square on Saturday, Francis addressed thousands of members of Communion and Liberation, a lay organization present in some 90 countries. The group is particularly active in Italy and seeks to have influence on the nation’s politics.  Last year, the Vatican moved to better regulate such lay religious movements by mandating term limits on their leadership. That crackdown forced out a Spanish priest who had headed Communion and Liberation since 2005. A few months ago, the head of the Vatican’s office on laity complained that that former leader was still exercising influence against the Vatican’s reforms.