The number of baptized Catholics reached 1.27 billion or 17.8 percent of the global population.

Noting the generosity of countries like Greece, Pope Francis called on European Union member states to "focus decisively and unreservedly on negotiations" to assist nations receiving refugees.

After months of public debate and protests, the Italian Senate passed a controversial bill that grants legal recognition to nonmarried heterosexual and homosexual couples.

Laying a bouquet of yellow roses in front of the image, the pope sat down in prayerful silence with eyes closed and head bowed.

While retracing the events of 2015 may recall moments of both joy and sorrow, it also offers a moment to understand the presence of God who "renews and sustains with his help," Pope Francis said during an evening prayer service in St. Peter's Basilica on New Year's Eve.

The announcement was made Dec. 23 in Aachen, Germany by the prize's executive committee. Citing his address to the European Parliament in 2014, the committee commended the pope's message of "peace and understanding" as well as "compassion, tolerance, solidarity and the integrity of creation throughout his pontificate."

The Islamic State and "fundamentalists don't accept anything that doesn't fit with their vision of Islam," he said. "This is a kind of purification and, of course, Christians and other minorities are a target."

The world premiere of "Call Me Francesco," the first movie based on the life of Pope Francis, took place in the Vatican audience hall Dec. 1 and those considered celebrities in the eyes of the pope were in attendance.

"When children at the dinner table are glued to the computer, or the telephone and do not listen to one another, they are not a family, they are retired," the pope said Nov. 11 during his weekly general audience. The pope said that "to share a meal—and not just food, but also affection, stories, events—is a fundamental experience."

Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, the spokesman, issued a statement on Nov. 4 about the investigations involving the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See. The office, known by its Italian acronym APSA, handles the Vatican's investment portfolio and its real estate holdings.