Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass before an estimated 2,000 people in St. Peter's Basilica, going ahead with the service despite the resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Eve Mass before an estimated 2,000 people in St. Peter's Basilica, going ahead with the service despite the resurgence in COVID-19 cases.

President Biden's meeting at the Vatican with the pope is one of several gatherings scheduled with global leaders over the next week.

President Biden's meeting with the pope is a fairly recent tradition for U.S. presidents. His meeting will mark the 31st time a U.S. president has met with the leader of the Catholic Church.

President Biden has been scrambling to make a deal at home with lawmakers in his own party before heading to the G-20 summit in Rome and the U.N. Climate Summit in Glasgow.

The pope spoke about a report released Tuesday that estimated some 330,000 French children were abused by clergy and other church authority figures dating back to 1950.

The pope offered blessings for people affected by flooding in Western Europe, rioting in South Africa and protests in Cuba.

AP journalists saw a car with Francis sitting in the front passenger seat leaving Rome's Gemelli Polytechnic hospital on Wednesday morning.

The first major revision of Catholic canon law in nearly four decades redefines clerical sex abuse and mandates specific punishments. It also sets punishments for the attempted ordination of women.

Pope Francis decreed that all bishops and cardinals can be tried if suspected of criminal behavior. He also banned Vatican employees from accepting gifts amounting to more than 40 euros (about $48).

The new rules are also aimed at shutting down the churches "envelope" culture — requiring a limit on the value of gifts that cardinals and managers can receive.

During Sunday's ceremony, the pope had harsh words for armed forces, support for struggling countries, and urged the use of vaccinations to curb the pandemic.

The pontiff arrived at Baghdad International Airport where he was greeted by the prime minister. During his four-day visit, Francis will focus on Iraq's ancient but dwindling Christian community.

The pope and the president share liberal stances on climate change and economic disparity. A theology scholar argues U.S. Catholic Church leadership is increasingly allied with the political right.

Many Iraqis — Christian and Muslim — say they are excited about the first papal visit to the country, raising hopes of religious tolerance in the face of extremist violence.