Attack Is Stopped at Grotto in Nazareth

Priests and worshippers thwarted an attack by a man armed with sticks in the lower grotto of the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth, Israel, on Sunday, Dec. 18.

Pope Says 2016 Was Filled with Surprises

Pope Francis described 2016 as a “packed year,” one full of initiatives that helped Catholics “see and touch with their hands the fruits of the mercy of God.”

Pope Will Visit Fatima in 2017

The Vatican confirmed that Pope Francis will visit Portugal in 2017 to mark the 100th anniversary of the Marian apparitions of Fatima.

Pope Mourns Attack on Egyptian Coptic Church

Pope Francis phoned Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II of Alexandria, Egypt, Dec. 12, expressing his prayers and condolences for the previous day’s terrorist attack at the Cairo cathedral that left 25 people dead.

Creche at the Vatican

The Christmas tree and Nativity scene are pictured in St. Peter’s Square after a lighting ceremony at the Vatican Dec. 9.

Pope Makes Another Plea to Assad

Cardinal Mario Zenari, the papal nuncio to Syria, met Syrian President Bashar al-Assad and brought a letter from Pope Francis with an appeal “for an end to the violence” and for a “peaceful resolution of hostilities.”