Vatican:

Pope Francis commemorated his predecessor, Pope Benedict XVI, on the first anniversary of his passing, expressing that Benedict continues to bless the Church from above. Addressing the crowd from the Papal Palace's window on December 31, 2023, the Pope lauded Benedict's service to the Church, speaking of his "love and wisdom."

"We hold deep love, gratitude, and admiration for him," he remarked. "He still blesses and guides us from heaven," he added, as the assembled pilgrims erupted into applause. "His spirit is with us." Benedict, a renowned theologian who served as Pope from 2005 until 2013, had spent the last nine years as Pope Emeritus at the Vatican's Mater Ecclesiae Monastery after resigning from the Petrine office on February 11, 2013, marking the first such resignation in six centuries. He passed away on December 31, 2022. Pope Francis led a special Mass in St. Peter's Basilica to honor the life, teachings, and legacy of the late Pope, Benedict XVI.

During his Angelus address, Pope Francis highlighted the challenges faced by the Holy Family and their perseverance through faith in God's presence. He also drew a lesson for families encountering difficulties, emphasizing the importance of "keeping the flame alive" before God, not succumbing to the mundane, and viewing this as a crucial aspect of familial progress.

Following the Angelus prayer, Pope Francis expressed solidarity with the people of Plateau state in Nigeria, where over 140 individuals lost their lives due to banditry on Christmas Eve, as well as with those in Liberia following a tanker truck explosion that claimed 40 lives on December 27. Additionally, he requested continued prayers for those affected by conflicts in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Sudan, and Indonesia, particularly for the Rohingya people.

Concluding his reflections on the Gospel, Pope Francis stressed the family's significance as the fundamental unit of society, declaring, "We must always defend and support it!" Finally, the Pope extended his wishes for a tranquil conclusion to the year to all present and anticipated meeting them again in the coming year.