He made the remarks a day after the start of Roman Catholic Church’s Holy Year, known as a Jubilee, which takes place every quarter century. On Tuesday evening, Francis opened the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica so that the first pilgrims could go through. Millions more are expected to follow over the year.

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

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 told Vatican bureaucrats on Saturday to stop speaking ill of one another, as he once again used his annual Christmas greetings to admonish the backstabbing and gossiping among his closest collaborators.

Pope Francis has made a poignant plea for ceasefires everywhere as Christmas approaches, emphasizing the need to silence weapons and let carols fill the air. Speaking from indoors at the Vatican Sunday,

The Pope called for a worldwide ceasefire during Christmas. Francis, who was nursing a cold, prayed from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta. Pope Francis recited the Angelus prayer from the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta,