Carol Glatz

Only when Christ is the focus of the Christmas season do all the colorful lights, carols, special meals and traditions help create a festive and joyous atmosphere, Pope Francis said.

Don't be late for Mass believing the introductory rites do not matter, Pope Francis told visitors and pilgrims Dec. 20 during his weekly general audience.

People need factual and trustworthy news that avoids sensationalism and whipping up heated reactions, Pope Francis said.

Only relics that have been certified as authentic can be exposed for veneration by the faithful, said a new Vatican instruction.

Just like a plant needs sun and nourishment to survive, every Christian needs the light of Sunday and the sustenance of the Eucharist to truly live, Pope Francis said.

Christians must be strong and let go of all the bitterness and negativity that prevent them from experiencing God's consolation and joy, Pope Francis said. 

A diocesan bishop is the sole judge in the streamlined process for handling marriage annulments, Pope Francis said.

If people understood that participating at Mass is witnessing Christ's suffering, death and resurrection, then maybe they would stop acting as if it were some kind of show, Pope Francis said.

Ideological colonization is a form of persecution that seeks to obliterate the past, eradicate what makes people different and impose uniformity, Pope Francis said.

Sincere, harmonious unity is needed in the world and in the church, Pope Francis told an international association for Catholic priests.

Global problems associated with climate change demand global cooperation, Pope Francis told a group of heads of state from the Pacific Islands.

The Mass is not a show, but a beautiful, transformative encounter with the true loving presence of Christ, Pope Francis said.

Hope in the Lord's promise of everlasting life does not disappoint, Pope Francis said.

"No more, Lord, no more (war)" that shatters dreams and destroys lives, bringing a cold, cruel winter instead of some sought-after spring, Pope Francis said.

God waits for everyone, even the worst sinner who repents only with his dying breath, Pope Francis said.

The Catholic Church must be welcoming and creative in finding ways to not let people's physical, psychological or intellectual limitations keep them from encountering God, Pope Francis said.

The Pharisees and doctors of the law who claim salvation comes only from fulfilling God's laws are not just biblical figures of the past, Pope Francis said.

It makes no sense to lament the problems of hunger and forced migration if one is unwilling to address their root causes, which are conflict and climate change, Pope Francis said.

A Vatican court found the former president of the Vatican-owned pediatric hospital guilty of abuse of office for misusing donations belonging to the hospital's foundation.

Canadian authorities did not request the extradition of a Vatican diplomat who has been charged by police in Canada of accessing, possessing and distributing child pornography.