Pope Francis is expected to address the world's wars and conflicts in his traditional "Urbi et Orbi" message to the faithful spoken from the balcony of St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican at noon on Wednesday,

Hope lives, Francis reminded the faithful on Christmas Eve, as he spoke of the blessed arrival of the Christ Child and the start of the Jubilee.

Pope Francis has called for a ceasefire on all war fronts in his Sunday prayer ahead of Christmas celebrations, condemning the “cruelty” of bombing schools and hospitals in Ukraine and Gaza.

The 88-year-old Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica before Mass on Christmas Eve, officially launching the Jubilee Year 2025.

On his wheelchair, Pope Francis began the celebration of Christmas by opening the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, kicking off the 2025 Holy Year. “The steps we now take are the steps of the whole church,” the pope said.

If God can visit us, even when our hearts seem like a lowly manger, we can truly say: Hope is not dead; hope is alive and it embraces our lives forever!’

ANALYSIS: Typically, cardinals are assigned to a diocese or a role in the Roman Curia. But due to a variety of circumstances, others may wait years before they’re given some work to do.

Pope Francis opened the "Holy Door" of St Peter's Basilica on Christmas Eve on Tuesday, launching the Jubilee year of Catholic celebrations set to draw more than 30 million pilgrims to Rome.Pope Francis then presided over the Christmas Eve mass in St Peter's,

Christmas revellers around the world donned red and white Santa hats, offered meals to the homeless and lit candles today, as Pope Francis launched observation

Pope Francis’ appeal for peace in the world last Christmas fell on deaf ears. The world is no closer to peace now — Christmas 2024 — than it was then, and perhaps even farther away, judging from the scope,