Junno Arocho Esteves

"In Spain, there is a saying, 'Por la plata baila el mono' — 'Monkeys will dance for money.' It is a saying that is clear," Pope Francis told the Roman Rota, a tribunal handling mostly marriage cases, Jan. 29.

Praying with Scripture is not meant to be a mindless repetition of biblical quotes but instead is a gift that is meant to be accepted in people's hearts, Pope Francis said.

Climate change is a global problem that requires the commitment and collective response of all humanity, said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state.

Former Vatican bank president Angelo Caloia and his lawyer were found guilty of money laundering and embezzling millions of euros from property sales.

A young priest ordained only six months ago was among the casualties of an explosion at a parish center in Madrid.

The Vatican announced that it withdrew an arrest and extradition request for Cecilia Marogna, an Italian political analyst who allegedly was hired as a consultant by Cardinal Angelo Becciu and is now accused of embezzlement. Marogna faces "imminent" trial, the Vatican said.

Pope Francis told Uruguay's new ambassador to the Holy See that a future visit to the country as well as to his native Argentina is still very much on the table.

The constant comparison as well as false reports of division between Pope Francis and retired Pope Benedict XVI by both secular and Catholic media outlets threaten the dignity of the papacy and the faith of many, former top Vatican official Cardinal Gerhard Müller said.

In times of doubt and suffering, Christians must lift up their eyes to God, who leads them toward the hopeful promise of great things to come, Pope Francis said.

"We do not know what 2021 holds for us, but what each one of us, and all of us together, can do is to take care of each other and of creation, our common home," Pope Francis said.

Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni confirmed that "Pope Francis will still lead the recitation of the Angelus from the library of the Apostolic Palace, as scheduled" Jan. 1.

The gratitude that comes from encountering Christ's love and mercy is enough to bring joy and hope to a troubled world, Pope Francis said.

A new Vatican document highlights the "critical role of vaccines to defeat the pandemic, not just for individual personal health but to protect the health of all." 

As the fifth anniversary of his apostolic exhortation "Amoris Laetitia" approaches, Pope Francis announced the Church will dedicate more than a year to focusing on marriage and family.

The birth of Christ is a gift from God that brings people hope and courage in troubled times, Pope Francis said at Christmas Eve Mass at the Vatican.

Christmas must not be confused with "ephemeral things" that reduce the celebration of Christ's birth "to a merely sentimental or consumerist festival," the pope said Dec. 23 during his weekly general audience.

Current restrictions due to the COVID-19 pandemic can help people put Christ, and not the constant need to purchase gifts, at the center of the Christmas season, Pope Francis said.

The Vatican decreed that priests can celebrate as many as four Masses on several important feast days, including Christmas, to accommodate the participation of the faithful.

If Christians forget to remember in prayer people who are suffering, their prayer can become a superficial activity that feeds their ego rather than seeking the good and well-being of others, Pope Francis said.

The humble image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a reminder of the gift of God's abundant blessings to all men and women, Pope Francis said.