VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis offered a Christmas message of hope on Wednesday against darkness that cloaks conflicts and relationships in large parts of the world from the Middle East to the Americas to Africa.

RABAT, March 31: Pope Francis told Morocco’s tiny Catholic community on Sunday their role in the predominantly Muslim country was not to covert their neighbors but live in brotherhood with all other faiths.

CHILE, July 24: Last month, Pope Francis accepted the resignation of five Chilean bishops amid accusations of abuse and related cover-ups. Chile is now investigating 158 members of the country's embattled Catholic Church — both clergymen and lay people — for perpetrating or concealing the sexual abuse of children and adults, prosecutors said on Monday.

NEWCASTLE, July 3: The highest ranking Catholic official to ever be convicted of concealing sexual crimes against children has been sentenced to 12 months in Australia for covering up abuse by a pedophile priest.