Pope Francis said Mass in the chapel of the Casa Santa Marta on Monday morning. In remarks to the faithful following the Readings of the Day, the Holy Father reflected on the gift of consolation, focusing specifically on the spiritual aptitudes most conducive to receiving the gift of consolation from God and sharing the gift with our fellows.

VATICAN CITY – A peace that can be purchased can provide only a false sense of security that will not last in moments of trial and suffering, Pope Francis said during his early morning Mass.

Everything is gift. That’s a principle that ultimately undergirds all spirituality, all morality and every commandment.

VATICAN CITY – The athletes of the Special Olympics witness to the world the beauty and value of every human life and the joy that comes from reaching a goal with the encouragement and support of others, Pope Francis said.

TORONTO – Cash may be king, but to a parish in need, a donation in kind is just as majestic.

ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT TO HAVANA - Making his 12th trip abroad, Pope Francis was accustomed to collecting interview requests, notes and gifts from the journalists who travel on the plane with him.

With the start of a new year, what has become increasingly evident to me is how fortunate I am to have strong, faith-filled female friends.

Christmas is a time of sharing, and what better thing to share than our faith? The following are some of the books suitable for Christmas giving that can teach youngsters some of the tenets of the Catholic faith.

At a recent dinner party, talk turned to most memorable Christmas gifts received. There was a first bicycle, some jewelry and a couple “bucket-list” trips mentioned.

As the warring sisters prepared for their final battle, both failed to recognize that their parent’s estate was the wrong place to wage their final fight.

TORONTO - With thousands expected in Toronto for the Pan Am Games this summer, Faith Alliance To End Human Trafficking's Gift Box project seeks to share with the city and its guests the horrors of selling souls.

COLOMBO, SRI LANKA - It happened here again, but this time rather unexpectedly. In 1970 and in 1995, when Blessed Paul VI and St. John Paul II visited Sri Lanka, the president who invited them was no longer in office when they arrived. So it was for Pope Francis’ arrival this week, but more dramatically so.

VATICAN CITY - Becoming a mother or father is a gift from God, but women and men have a duty to embrace that gift and be astonished by its beauty, Pope Francis said.

Christmas in the small town of Gandino, in the foothills of the Italian Alps, was a wondrous time for Archbishop Luigi Bonazzi.

VATICAN CITY - As the family gets special focus in two upcoming synods and an international gathering in Philadelphia next year, Pope Francis is highlighting the beauty and value of the family in his message for World Communications Day.