Pope Francis has formally recognized that five Franciscan missionaries ministering in what is now the U.S. state of Georgia were killed for their faith.

Church communications cannot exist in an “enclosure” in which Catholics merely talk among themselves and do not engage with the outside world, Pope Francis said.

After reciting the Angelus prayer Jan. 26 with visitors in St. Peter’s Square, the pope drew their attention to the following day’s commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day.

Peruvian Cardinal Juan Luis Cipriani, the first cardinal of Opus Dei, said Jan. 25 that abuse accusations made against him in a Spanish daily El País are “completely false,” while acknowledging he was sanctioned by the Vatican in the past and saying that the sanctions were lifted by Pope Francis.

Celebrating the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, Pope Francis reaffirmed the Catholic Church’s willingness to accept a proposal for a common date for celebrating Easter in the West and the East.

Before the millions of pilgrims expected to come to Rome during the Holy Year 2025 cross through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, they will be met by smiling faces and lime green jackets.

Pope Francis urged communicators to use their platforms to inspire hope by avoiding aggressive language and rejecting rhetoric that dehumanizes others.

The hope and grace that come from taking part in a Jubilee celebration is not a personal privilege, but must communicated and shared with others, said Archbishop Rino Fisichella, the chief Vatican organizer of the Holy Year 2025.

Artificial intelligence or any other technology that worsens inequality around the world and increases fake news should not be embraced as “progress,” Pope Francis told business and government leaders meeting in Davos, Switzerland.

Women religious are meant to be serving the poor, marginalized or vulnerable in society, not be working as servants to members of the church, Pope Francis said.