Pope Francis delivered words of hope and comfort, alongside pleas for peace, in his Christmas Day address.

Rome (Italy) - Colombian President Juan Manuel Santos, who won the Nobel peace prize for the deal with the FARC and opposition leader Alvaro Uribe, who rejected the agreement met with Pope Francis in the Vatican.

Pope Francis has extended the power to forgive abortion to all Roman Catholic priests.

Caracas (Venezuela) - Despite a hostile opening Venezuela’s political rivals appear to have made some progress in Vatican backed talks to bring stability to country that is spiralling out control.

Pope Francis has described a priest who was killed by two Islamist extremists as a martyr.