Pope Francis delivered his annual pre-Christmas address to Roman Curia officials.

“What they did was portray an astronaut offering the moon to Jesus,” Angelo Bottone said. “To me, it’s an expression of profound worship.”

Pope Francis will celebrate the Vatican’s traditional Christmas “Mass during the Night” at 7:30 p.m. so that the few people invited to attend can get home before Italy's 10 p.m. curfew.

The ministry of a Catholic bishop must reflect the Catholic Church's commitment to Christian unity and must give ecumenical engagement the same kind of attention as work for justice and peace, said a new Vatican document.

"I strongly reaffirm the right of persons with disabilities to receive the sacraments, like all other members of the church. All liturgical celebrations in the parish should be accessible to them."

Wilton Gregory said he hopes Pope Francis will find him to be “supportive, encouraging and trustworthy” in his role as a cardinal, but his primary ministry is still to be the archbishop of Washington.

Wilton D. Gregory said he hopes to collaborate where possible while respectfully pointing out where President-elect Joe Biden’s policies diverge from Catholic teaching.

Inspired by St. Francis of Assisi and by Pope Francis, 2,000 young adults met online to discuss making the economy more responsive to human dignity and more respectful of creation.

Bishops who want to establish a religious order in their dioceses must first obtain the written permission of the Holy See.

In keeping with Italian law, all of the religious leaders, including Pope Francis, wore a mask except when delivering their speeches, which they did while keeping a distance from those listening.