Pope Francis is inviting people to strike out on a yearlong spiritual journey to recognize a loving God who's already knocking on their door. He says he wants the Year of Mercy to usher in a "revolution of tenderness."

With the recent increase in deadly attacks and kidnappings linked to the Islamic State and other militant groups, however, Imam Shareef has increasingly found himself tasked with the additional—and often daunting—challenge of distancing the "Islam of peace," as his community knows and practices it, from that of what he calls a minority of extremists giving Islam a bad name.

The world premiere of "Call Me Francesco," the first movie based on the life of Pope Francis, took place in the Vatican audience hall Dec. 1 and those considered celebrities in the eyes of the pope were in attendance.

In the wake of yet another mass shooting even in the United States, the Diocese of San Bernardino and its bishop the Most Reverend Gerald R. Barnes issued a statement "calling for prayers for all of the victims of this horrific incident and their families."

Pope Francis has said "it would be tragic" if special interests "manipulated information" and won out over the common good, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, said Nov. 30.

AIDS poses major health challenges on the continent. With about 10 percent of the world's population living in sub-Saharan African, the region accounts for about 70 percent of global AIDS cases, according to the World Health Organization.