St. Francis of Assisi is known for loving and celebrating creation and for being a man of peace and poverty, Pope Francis said.

The COVID-19 pandemic has weakened many parishes, but that community “in the midst of homes, in the midst of people,” is still an essential place for nourishing and sharing faith, Pope Francis told Italian young adults.

God always sees people’s potential, looking past their mistakes and understanding what they can become, Pope Francis said.

With a renewed membership, the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors met at the Vatican in late October and laid the groundwork for devising an annual report on child protection efforts by the Catholic Church globally.

The Nativity scene that will sit under a 98-feet-tall silver fir tree in the middle of St. Peter’s Square this year will feature 19 life-sized figures carved in cedar by artisans in the northeastern Italian town of Sutrio.

Universities around the world are taking steps alongside major technology companies to explore ways to bolster ethics education in the artificial intelligence field in line with an initiative supported by the Vatican.

After telling a funny story about receiving a cellphone decades ago that was “as big as a shoe,” Pope Francis went on to encourage young priests and seminarians to use technology and social media, but to avoid pornography at all costs.

Pope Francis condemned an attack on a Congolese village that led to the deaths of seven people, including a nun, after gunman looted and burned homes and a local health center.

Feelings of desolation and sadness are not signs of trials that may discourage Christians, they can be indispensable signs that point to dangers along the path toward happiness, Pope Francis said.

Standing in front of an ancient symbol of violent battles, Pope Francis and religious leaders from around the world echoed “the cry for peace” of people suffering the impact of conflicts around the world, but especially in Ukraine.