Pope Francis underlined the important role of women and mothers in the Church, society and for world peace in a mass on New Year's Day. "The world needs to look to mothers and women to find peace, to break out of the spirals of violence and hatred and to regain a human gaze and a seeing heart," said the head of the Catholic Church in his homily on the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, on New Year's Day in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The Catholic Church also traditionally celebrates the W
Pope Francis emphasized the importance of gratitude and hope at a solemn service on New Year's Eve. The 87-year-old head of the Catholic Church led the service on Sunday and delivered the homily with the traditional hymn of praise "Te Deum" (Thee, O God) in St Peter's Basilica in the Vatican. The faithful should live every day and every moment with gratitude and hope, said the pontiff. This is particularly important in view of the new year. Francis did not mention the first anniversary of his pr
Pope Francis used his Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter's Basilica to remind followers about the importance of peace with the war on Gaza still raging. The head of the approximately 1.3 billion Catholics reminded the faithful of the Christmas message "peace on Earth" during a service in the Vatican on Sunday evening. In relation to the war in the Middle East, Francis said: "Our hearts are in Bethlehem tonight, where the prince of peace is still rejected by the doomed logic of war, by the clamour of
Pope Francis on Sunday appealed for peace as he kicked off Christmas celebrations with a mass at Saint Peter's Basilica as the Israel-Hamas war raged in the Gaza Strip.With the Gaza war raging, the Christmas celebrations in Bethlehem, where Christians believe Jesus was born, were effectively cancelled on Sunday.