A congested-sounding Pope Francis began the speech, greeting the ambassadors gathered in the Hall of Blessings.

Pope Francis expressed concern about "the increasingly concrete threat of a world war" at a New Year's reception for foreign ambassadors to the Holy See on Thursday. The head of the Catholic Church called on diplomats to engage in dialogue,

Pope Francis on Thursday (Jan 9) stepped up his recent criticism of Israel's military campaign in Gaza, calling the humanitarian situation in the Palestinian enclave "very serious and shameful".

Warning of “the increasingly concrete threat of a world war,” Pope Francis called for “the diplomacy of hope” in his address to the ambassadors of the 184 countries that have diplomatic relations with the Holy See.

The picture of the Pope Francis with the elephants inevitably evokes the memory of Annone, who five centuries ago was the pet of Pope Leo X.

Referring to diplomacy as a “vocation” to “foster dialogue with all parties,” the Pope said political leaders are called to be heralds of peace, truth, forgiveness, freedom, and justice.

The Vatican plays a unique diplomatic role in global conflicts, despite lacking military power, as Pope Francis navigates peace efforts.

President Joe Biden has canceled a planned trip to Rome to meet with Pope Francis so that he can instead focus on federal response to the rapidly moving wildfires that are tearing through the Los Angeles area,

Pope Francis on Wednesday enjoyed a performance by members of an African-themed circus troupe called CircAfrica. The group brought acrobats, robot-operated elephants, jugglers and dancers on roller skates to perform for the pope in the Vatican auditorium.

Pope Francis’s appointment of Cardinal Robert McElroy as the highly visible prelate of the church in Washington is already being interpreted as a shot across the bow of the Trump administration, given the new archbishop’s outspoken views on immigrants’ rights.

That the Star of Bethlehem indicates a direction is also a helpful point of reflection during the Jubilee Year 2025, the Pope said.