The day after Christmas the Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, which emphasizes how the story of Jesus’ birth is not a “fairy tale,” but a call to live as witnesses of the Gospel, Pope Francis said.

With the birth of Jesus, God became flesh to share the joys and sorrows, hopes and fears of all people, especially the poor and those living daily amid danger, Pope Francis said in his Christmas message.

Christ was born to touch people’s hearts and show that love is the power that changes the course of history, Pope Francis said.

The names of the prisoners were given in the hope that the pope “may be able to facilitate their liberation or at least an improvement in their conditions of detention,” the Vatican newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano, reported.

Every Christian and every Christian community is called to conversion, a process that lasts a lifetime and is needed even more by people who think they are firmly on the path to holiness, Pope Francis told officials of the Roman Curia.

Believers do not need to be afraid of obstacles, struggles and choices in life because God is always near, offering his love and guidance, Pope Francis said.

Pope Francis’ revelation that he had signed a letter of resignation in case he became too ill or infirm to continue as pope made headlines around the world.

Protecting the dignity of workers and promoting dignified jobs are the essential roles of a labor union, Pope Francis said when he met members of Italy’s largest union.

The day after he turned 86, Pope Francis met with volunteers, family members and children receiving care from a Vatican pediatric clinic.

Pope Francis spent part of his 86th birthday paying tribute to people who have gone above and beyond in the exercise of charity.