Speaking from Baghdad on Dec. 14, Kevin Hartigan, Catholic Relief Services' regional director for the Middle East, Central Asia and Europe told America that his team was bracing for what may be unprecedented numbers of people in flight from the contested city.

The nativity seen should remind us of the marginalized, the pope said.

“I am very aware that my ethnicity is dying.”

"We were concerned about the levels of intolerance, of attitudes hardening, of attitudes of exclusion."

“We are not going to engage in law enforcement activities solely based on someone’s immigration status."