He made the remarks a day after the start of the 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.

As Syria begins to rebuild and normalize after the fall of the Baath regime, Aleppo's Christian community gathered in the Catholic Church to joyfully celebrate Christmas. The city’s Christians, enjoying renewed stability and peace under the control of groups that toppled the previous regime, embraced the holiday with hope and unity.

While it's standard for Christmas Eve service to be held in a church, a local farm put a spin on it while raising money for a local nonprofit.

Pune churches, including Holy Name and Immaculate Conception, celebrate Christmas with decorations, masses, and a theme of ‘Hope’ for all communities.