In promoting Christian unity, ecumenical prayer and practical cooperation among divided church communities, the COVID-19 pandemic has not been all bad news.

Pope Francis received a formal recommendation to declare St. Irenaeus of Lyon a doctor of the church, the Vatican said.

A law firm’s report on how abuse cases were handled in the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising incriminated retired Pope Benedict XVI, with lawyers accusing him of misconduct in four cases during his tenure as Munich archbishop.

Pope Francis told Lutheran, Catholic and Orthodox pilgrims that “we need to press forward with humility and patience, and always together, in order to encourage and support one another, for this is what Christ desires.”

Meeting with a delegation from the Franciscan Custody of the Holy Land in Rome to commemorate the 100th anniversary of their bimonthly magazine, “Terrasanta,” Pope Francis encouraged the group to continue to highlight stories of genuine brotherhood.

Pope Francis approved “Pilgrims of Hope” as the motto for the Holy Year 2025. The motto aims to give a concise sense of the full meaning of the jubilee journey.

Speaking with leaders of the French Catholic Action movement Jan. 13, Pope Francis said that synodality is “not a plan or a program to be implemented” but “a style to be adopted” that listens to the spirit through the word of God, prayer and adoration.

Pope Francis’ music library contains nearly 2,000 CDs and 19 vinyl records, according to the Vatican cardinal who is curating the collection.

Pope Francis took an evening ride in a white Fiat 500 to visit a record store he used to go to when in Rome as a cardinal.

Marking the 625th anniversary of a faculty of theology founded by St. Jadwiga, Queen of Poland, and supported by St. John Paul II, Pope Francis sent a written message praising the long history and mission of the faculty in Krakow, which is today part of the Pontifical University of John Paul II.