Pope Francis

Masses of cheering believers in the Philippines turned out to bid farewell to Pope Francis Jan. 19, a fitting end to a week in Asia that saw him draw record crowds and campaign relentlessly for the poor.
      

Pope Francis celebrated mass with millions of singing and cheering Catholics in the Philippine capital on Jan. 18, in one of the world's biggest outpourings of papal devotion.
      

The United States will ease travel and trade restrictions with Cuba on Jan. 15, implementing last month's agreement to begin normalizing ties with the Cold War-era foe.

A million worshippers packed the Colombo seafront to greet Pope Francis as he canonised Sri Lanka's first saint on Jan. 14, in the biggest public celebration the city has ever witnessed.
      

At a time of strained relations between Muslims and majority communities in Europe, the Roman Pontiff has singled out Albania as a country where different faiths coexist more happily.

Angelina Jolie has met with world leaders, refugees and royalty.
     
Now the actress, director and U.N. special envoy has added pontiff to the list, meeting Pope Francis briefly on Thursday after screening her film "Unbroken" to some Vatican officials and ambassadors.
     

Pope Francis celebrated mass for the victims of the attack on the satirical weekly Charlie Hebdo on Jan. 7, praying for all those affected by an Islamist assault which left 12 people dead.
      

Mehmet Ali Ağca, the Turk who attempted to assassinate John Paul II, was ordered out of Italy on Dec. 29, two days after he paid a surprise visit to the late pope’s tomb.

The 56-year-old former right-wing extremist had been in custody since Dec. 27, when police realized he had entered the country without the appropriate visa.

Pope Francis called for "tenderness" and "warmth" after a violence-plagued year as millions of Christians began marking Christmas.
      
The Argentine pontiff's brief homily was replete with Gospel references in his Christmas Eve mass, broadcast live in 3D for the first time.
      

President Recep Tayyip Erdoğan extended his Christmas greetings to the Turkish citizens of the Christian faith through a written statement on Dec. 24, Christmas Eve.

“I would like to congratulate once again Christmas Day of all of the Christian world, and particularly our Christian citizens, and I wish them peace, happiness and welfare,” read Erdoğan’s statement.