Opening the Holy Doors of St. Peter’s Basilica on Christmas Eve, Pope Francis inaugurates a jubilee year expected to draw 32 million visitors to Rome.

When Pope Francis formally opens the Holy Year, he will launch a dizzying 12-month calendar of events that include special Jubilee masses for the faithful from all walks of life.

Gossip causes destruction while family life and humble service strengthens relationships and brings people closer to Christ, Pope Francis told visitors on Saturday.

The Holy Father recalled the popularity of the sport in rural villages in the past and its tendency to help foster a sense of community.

Pope Francis, who has just turned 88 and has been suffering from a heavy cold, will lead the regular Sunday Angelus prayer from inside his residence as a precaution, the Vatican said in a statement on Saturday.

ANALYSIS: Typically, cardinals are assigned to a diocese or a role in the Roman Curia. But due to a variety of circumstances, others may wait years before they’re given some work to do.

Pope Francis has told Vatican bureaucrats to stop speaking ill of one another, calling gossip "an evil that destroys social life."

Pope Francis reflected on the devastating consequences of the Gaza war in an address at the Vatican on Saturday, expressing deep sorrow over the bombing of children in the Gaza Strip the previous day.

In a statement, Cardinal Blase J. Cupich, Chicago's archbishop, expressed gratitude to Pope Francis for the "gift of these new auxiliary bishops."

Pope Francis on Tuesday opens the 2025 Holy Year, kicking off a celebration of the Catholic Church that is expected to draw some 32 million pilgrims to Rome and test the pope's stamina and the ability of the Eternal City to welcome them.

According to Pope Francis, a bid to kill him during a 2021 visit to Iraq was foiled following a tip from British intelligence.