According to the Vatican, the tradition began in 1300 when Pope Boniface VII announced the first Jubilee. Later, Jubilees came to be celebrated every 25 years.

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.

Pope Francis delivered Christmas messages at the Vatican, warning against gossip, while the Holy See announced he is experiencing cold symptoms.

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

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

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,

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.