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.

Private citizen groups have arranged for Nativity scenes to be on display at 43 state capitols around the country, a record number, according to a not-for-profit law firm’s tally.

There are birds — lots of birds — gold rings, milking maids, dancing ladies, leaping lords, pipers and drummers, but is there a deeper meaning behind the gifts received in “The Twelve Days of Christmas?”

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.

Chief Justice John Roberts temporarily stopped the Biden administration from ending a pandemic-related border restriction with a one-page order Dec. 19.

When the U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution Dec. 15 to establish a worldwide “moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty,” the United States continued its practice of voting against it.

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.