Francis prayed for peace, and said that "without the fraternity that Jesus Christ has bestowed on us, our efforts for a more just world fall short."

The Christian community in Iraq has been decimated by decades of conflict, persecution and disorder, culminating in the unbelievable savagery of ISIS. After two millennia in Iraq, the Christian population has reduced to a vanishing point, raising concerns around the world about the viability of this ancient community.

In his World Day of Peace message, Pope Francis warned against the vices that are too often linked to politics today and do not build peace in society.

In the issue of Dec. 21, 1918, shortly after the end of World War I, the editors of America prayed that the Christmas celebration of that year would usher in lasting world peace. 

Since 2001, attacks worldwide have increased fivefold. From the Sahara Desert to cyberspace, Islamist militants continue to find innovative new ways to extend their reach.

Family spokesman Jim McGrath says Mr. Bush died shortly after 10 p.m., about eight months after the death of his wife of 73 years, Barbara Bush, who died on April 17, 2018, at the age of 92. They were the longest-married presidential couple in U.S. history.