Following a request by Pope Francis, the Vatican issued a decree specifying that the Holy Thursday foot-washing ritual can include “all members of the people of God,” including women – a practice already observed by the pope and many priests around the world.
While the Catholic Church affirms that salvation comes through Jesus, it also recognizes that God is faithful and has not revoked his covenant with the Jewish people, Pope Francis said.
God’s ability to forgive “knows no limits” as his mercy frees people from bitterness and despair, Pope Francis said.
Pope Francis visits the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square after vespers New Year’s Eve in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican Dec. 31.
Pope Francis accepts offertory gifts from children dressed as the Three Kings during Mass marking the feast of Mary, Mother of God, in St. Peter’s Basilica.
More than 3.2 million pilgrims visited and attended papal events, liturgies or prayer services at the Vatican in 2015, the Vatican said.
If Pope Francis sees the church as a field hospital after battle, then his annual Christmas address to the Roman Curia often looks like the triage tent, with him holding the charts.
The Christmas tree and Nativity scene decorate St. Peter’s Square during a lighting ceremony at the Vatican.
On a cloudy, damp morning, Pope Francis’ voice echoed in the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Open the gates of justice.” With five strong thrusts, the pope pushed open the Holy Door, a symbol of God’s justice, which he said will always be exercised “in the light of his mercy.”
This year’s Vatican Christmas stamps feature a 15th-century manuscript illumination of the Holy Family. The special edition stamps went on sale Nov. 19 in two denominations of 80 euro cents and 95 euro cents in sheets of 10.
