In the quiet of Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, launching what he called a “Jubilee of Hope.”

A key part of a jubilee in the Bible was releasing prisoners, and Catholics today can join a global campaign to press for the release of thousands of people imprisoned in poverty because of their nations’ foreign debt, said an official of Caritas Internationalis.

Pope Francis sharply criticized the global “hypocrisy” of nations advocating for peace while profiting from war, calling for renewed efforts toward dialogue and reconciliation.

Leading the recitation of the Angelus prayer from inside the chapel of his residence because of a cold, Pope Francis nevertheless blessed the baby Jesus figurines children and adults will put in their Nativity scenes — and he brought one of his own as well.

Pope Francis has appointed Auxiliary Bishop J. Gregory Kelly of Dallas as bishop of Tyler, Texas.

President-elect Donald Trump on Dec. 20 announced his intention to appoint Brian Burch, currently the president of CatholicVote, as the next U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See.

Archbishop Georg Gänswein, appointed in June as apostolic nuncio to the Baltic states, has shared his insights on his new diplomatic and pastoral responsibilities.

With Christmas just days away, Christians must embrace the human quality of “littleness” as a path toward living out God’s humility exhibited in Advent, the papal preacher said.

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.