For Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, driving home for Christmas means taking a different route each year. In 2024, he marks his second Christmas in war-torn Ukraine.

Cautioning against the monotony of routine that dims the capacity to appreciate the extraordinary, Pope Francis urged young people to experience Christmas as a time to develop a sense of wonder.

Israel’s minister of diaspora affairs and combating antisemitism asked Pope Francis to clarify his remarks about the need to investigate whether the current war in Gaza constitutes a genocide.

Pope Francis will meet with outgoing U.S. President Joe Biden at the Vatican Jan. 10 to discuss efforts to promote peace worldwide, the White House’s press secretary said.

To have a true Christian pilgrimage experience along the Camino de Santiago — the popular pilgrimage in northern Spain that leads to the tomb of St. James — pilgrims must cultivate silence, prayer and charity along their route, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis praised Catholics who support the Pontifical Mission Societies’ work with the poor and those on the margins of society, saying such assistance is a concrete expression of Jesus’ love.

Pope Francis has declared as saints 16 Carmelite martyrs executed by guillotine during the French Revolution and confirmed the martyrdom and heroic virtues of five others in a series of decrees published Dec. 18.

The upcoming celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea is a reminder to Christians that “we profess the same faith, and thus have the same responsibility of offering signs of hope that bear witness to God’s presence in the world,” Pope Francis told leaders of the World Methodist Council.

Pope Francis called on Catholics to focus their Holy Year 2025 pilgrimages on Jesus Christ, who is both the path and destination for Christian hope.

Pope Francis told young people preparing to seek employment not to accept just any kind of work, especially if it is “evil,” and not to compromise their beliefs for any reason, even for money or social status.