Overview
- In a New Year's Eve service at St. Peter's Basilica, he condemned strategies to conquer markets, lands and spheres of influence as cloaked in "hypocritical speeches" and "false religious motives."
- He contrasted power politics with a Christian alternative, urging a "wise, benevolent and merciful" plan modeled on the birth of Christ.
- Reporters interpreted his critique as directed at leaders such as President Donald Trump and Vladimir Putin, though he did not name anyone.
- At the year's final general audience, he called ongoing wars "painful" and recalled the death of Pope Francis on Easter Monday.
- Several thousand attended the last audience, about 5,500 joined the Te Deum, roughly 1.1 million have attended his audiences since May, and the Holy Year is scheduled to conclude on January 6.