Before his first General Audience in December, Pope Francis received a visit from Italian actor and director, Roberto Benigni. They discussed 'Francesco, Il Cantico,' a poetic monologue about the saint of Assisi that Benigni is performing on television.
-He imitated Jesus like no one else.
-I would say so.
-Right?
-Yes, I'm saying that. In fact, he marries poverty—Jesus' wife—who had been a widow for a thousand years.
Later, in the audience, the Pope received the mayor of Lviv. He brought Pope Francis a cross with fragments of a Russian missile. The mayor wanted it to serve as a reminder of the suffering of Ukrainians.
The next day, on the feast day of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis prayed in Piazza di Spagna. Every year, he gives thanks for the good things that have happened. But this time, he burst into tears because he had hoped that the war in Ukraine would have already ended.
POPE FRANCIS
Today I wanted to bring you the thanks of the Ukrainian people...of the Ukrainian people, for the peace for which we have asked the Lord for so long.
Four days later, Pope Francis celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe. He presided over a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for the entire Latin American community in Rome.
POPE FRANCIS
She is in the midst of the caravans that, seeking freedom and happiness, walk north. She is in the midst of the American people whose identity is threatened by a savage and exploitative paganism.
In the diplomatic sphere, Russia demanded that the Vatican apologize for statements the Pope made in an interview published by Jesuit-run America Magazine.
In it, Pope Francis called Russia an 'invader' and said that the cruelest soldiers were Chechen and Buryat mercenaries. Eventually, the Vatican apologized and negotiations resumed to hold peace talks between Kiev and Moscow at the Vatican.
In December, the Pope also celebrated his 86th birthday. He celebrated with a group of children from the Santa Marta Pediatric Dispensary.
And now, take some icing, scoop it up, scoop it up, scoop it up and into your mouth. is it good? Go ahead.
In an interview with the Spanish newspaper ABC, Pope Francis confirmed that he had signed a letter of resignation in 2013 in case he was unfit to continue as pope due to illness. He explained gave it to the Secretariat of State for safekeeping.
The Pope concluded the year with Christmas celebrations. He also began preparing for the new year, with his first trip already scheduled for January to the Democratic Republic of Congo and South Sudan.
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