In his Angelus address on Jan. 6, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, the pope expressed concern about the turmoil following a Dec. 27 vote to elect the country’s president and National Assembly.

"I have decided to call a special Year dedicated to the Family Amoris laetitia," Pope Francis said at the Angelus on the Feast of the Holy Family, "to be inaugurated on the forthcoming Solemnity of St. Joseph and to conclude with the celebration of the 10th World Meeting of Families, to be held here in Rome in June 2022.”

Pope Francis led the traditional Marian devotion from the library of the Apostolic Palace - a concession to the emergency measures in place throughout Italy over the Christmas holiday.

“That is the choice we have to make daily: what do I feel like doing or what is best for me?” the pope said Nov. 22.

A daily guide to what's happening in the Catholic Church

A daily guide to what's happening in the Catholic Church

A daily guide to what's happening in the Catholic Church

A daily guide to what's happening in the Catholic Church