"The Argentine Catholic Church will get along much better with Macri than with the Kirchners," said Fernando Farias, a journalist and analyst with Argentine public radio in Buenos Aires. "I think that the Catholic Church, with a friendlier government in office, is going to try to advance conservative policies."

Group believes Middle East Christians should be included in any listing of genocide victims based on their treatment by the Islamic State.

Millions of Mexicans descend annually on the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, especially for the feast day Dec. 12, with many making pilgrimages on bike or arriving on foot from the surrounding states. The devotion shows few signs of fading while growth in the United States, through immigrant communities, is strong.

"A great deal is at stake for every country. Progress has too long been based on fossil energy, to the detriment of the environment. This is the moment to take action," Cardinal Peter Turkson told a high-level segment of the U.N. climate change conference taking place on the outskirts of Paris.

Eric LeCompte, Executive Director of the religious development group, Jubilee USA Network, said, "Puerto Rico needs a solution to the debt crisis that prevents austerity and protects the vulnerable," said , "With Congress unwilling to act, courts in Puerto Rico could be a part of that solution."

“For the past decade, Muslims have been seen through the prism of terrorism, fundamentalism and jihadism,” said Nizarr Bourchada, who heads the UDMF’s regional ticket. “We want to show that Muslims today participate socially and economically and will also participate politically.”