Building peace, he said, is not accomplished by words alone, but through the grace of God.

Catholic activists had lobbied for the inclusion of human rights protections and lowering the threshold for the earth's temperatures to be more in line with scientific research. They also advocated for adequate financing for poor countries to adapt to cleaner energy, and the phasing out of fossil fuels.

As Catholics and other Christians anticipate "the miracle of Christmas," announcing the need for peace and goodwill throughout the world this "blessed season of Advent" calls for "even stronger voices" this year.

The Vatican announced details about the pope's Feb. 12-17 trip to Mexico, during which he will stop in six cities, including two in the state of Chiapas and—across from El Paso, Texas—Ciudad Juarez, which just five years ago was considered the "murder capital of the world" as drug cartels disputed a trafficking corridor.

Pope Francis’ plan to celebrate Mass at the border is expected to draw hundreds of thousands of pilgrims from both the U.S. and Mexico. The Catholic Extention release suggests it "will be a significant milestone of the trip’s itinerary."

Without mentioning Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump by name, Detroit Archbishop Allen Vigneron has blasted proposals like Trump’s that would specifically bar Muslims from the U.S., saying the idea “fractures the very foundation of morality on which we stand.”Vigneron&