When Pope Francis formally opens the Holy Year, he will launch a dizzying 12-month calendar of events that include special Jubilee masses for the faithful from all walks of life.

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 Holy Father recalled the popularity of the sport in rural villages in the past and its tendency to help foster a sense of community.

Gossip causes destruction while family life and humble service strengthens relationships and brings people closer to Christ, Pope Francis told visitors on Saturday.

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, who has just turned 88 and has been suffering from a heavy cold, will lead the regular Sunday Angelus prayer from inside his residence as a precaution, the Vatican said in a statement on Saturday.

Pope Francis has told Vatican bureaucrats to stop speaking ill of one another, calling gossip "an evil that destroys social life."

Francis urged the Vatican inner circle to bless more and talk less badly of others. It wasn’t the first time he had used the occasion to scold them.

In a statement, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Chicago's archbishop, expressed gratitude to Pope Francis for the "gift of these new auxiliary bishops."

Pope Francis emphasized that “no child is ever a mistake” during his last Angelus address before Christmas Day.

Pope Francis, who has been suffering from a heavy cold, will lead the regular Sunday Angelus prayers from his residence as a precaution, the Vatican said in a statement on Saturday. The decision was taken in view of cold weather in Rome and the pope's commitments in the days leading up to Christmas,