Pope Francis delivered a message to the world's 1.3 billion Roman Catholics during Christmas Eve Mass in St Peter's Basilica at the Vatican: "Christmas reminds us that God continues to love us all, even the worst of us."
The big picture: The BBC notes the Pope "alluded to the clerical abuse" and "financial scandals" when he said: "Whatever goes wrong in our lives, whatever doesn't work in the Church, whatever problems there are in the world, will no longer serve as an excuse ."
Photo: Baris Seckin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Photo: Baris Seckin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Photo: Baris Seckin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Photo: Baris Seckin/Anadolu Agency via Getty Images
Go deeper: Notre Dame won't hold Christmas Mass for first time since French Revolution
