As Pope Francis became the first pope to celebrate Mass on the French island of Corsica Dec. 15, the usual excitement of an open-air Mass with the pope was combined with the flair and pageantry of a Renaissance fair.

Making his customary visit to the Rome Basilica of St. Mary Major to pray before his trip to the French island of Corsica, Pope Francis also met and prayed with dozens of actors staging a living Nativity scene.

The "most beautiful gift" the Catholic Church and its members can give the world is a reason to live with hope, Pope Francis said.

Evangelization does not have to be complicated or "sophisticated," even in highly secularized places, Pope Francis told Jesuits living in Belgium, Luxembourg and the Netherlands.

Politicians have an essential role in preserving the unity of a nation by working for the common good and promoting cooperation, especially when "the exasperation of contrasts" threatens to divide a country, Pope Francis told Indonesia leaders.

As the Catholic Church and Christians at large experience intense persecution in Nicaragua, Pope Francis expressed encouragement and support to the people living under the country's authoritarian regime.

When receiving the Eucharist, Catholics should respond with gratitude and awe that Jesus offers himself as nourishment and salvation, Pope Francis said.

Mary is not a "motionless wax statue," but a disciple who wants to share the goodnews of Jesus with everyone and reaches out to help and comfort them, Pope Francis said.

Many elderly people risk feeling an increasingly unbearable sense of loneliness, especially during summer, Pope Francis said.

With world peace under serious threat, Pope Francis called on all nations to observe the Olympic truce and cease all conflicts for the traditional period before, during and after the Olympic Games in Paris.