The Christmas season is a reminder to Christians that despite hardships, God chose to join himself to humanity and still remains by its side, Pope Francis said.

Jesus does not wait for sinners to change their lives before he welcomes them, said the preacher of the papal household.

The Vatican Museums has launched an initiative to give visitors — online and in person — a “backstage” peek into the secrets, curiosities and insights discovered by their art restorers.

In addition to a legal status that allows them to flee unsafe situations, refugees also need the opportunity to integrate into the societies that host them and build a dignified life, Pope Francis said.

Sharing the pilgrimage experience with people with disabilities is a testament to the Catholic Church’s ability to accompany all of its members and to proclaim the Gospel by caring for others, Pope Francis said.

All forms of artificial intelligence should be used to alleviate human suffering, promote integral development and help end wars and conflicts, not increase inequality and injustice in the world, Pope Francis said in his message for World Peace Day 2024.

Christians must be open to the Word of God and to welcoming and serving others, Pope Francis said.

The Vatican’s financial planning, budgeting, auditing, investing and saving are essential for carrying out the Catholic Church’s mission and must be handled with the highest sense of responsibility and prudence, Pope Francis wrote in a letter to the staff of the Secretariat for the Economy.

Pope Francis said he has decided to be buried in Rome’s Basilica of St. Mary Major instead of in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican and that he has simplified the rites for a papal funeral.

The Vatican Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith has upheld a rule mandating that the ashes of the deceased be preserved in a consecrated place, but it also said family members could request “a minimal part of the ashes” be kept in a sacred place “of significance for the history of the deceased person.”