Communities need to be saved from "corruption, extortion, the illegal trafficking of drugs and weapons," he said.

"That is how one builds peace, saying 'no' to hatred and violence—with action—and 'yes' to fraternity and reconciliation," Pope Francis said on Jan. 1.

The imbalance in the world, one Jesuit expert has said, reflects how years of papal pleas and Vatican mandates have not been received or implemented consistently everywhere.

Barbara Jatta, 54, is an Italian art historian and graphic arts expert, who had been serving as vice-director of the museums since June.

In a world marked by violence, "the choice of nonviolence as a style of life is increasingly demanded in the exercise of responsibility at every level," the pope said.

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

The pope said there was a "weak response" in most international policies to promoting the common good.

Some reactions to his apostolic exhortation, "Amoris Laetitia," continue to reflect a lack of understanding about how the Holy Spirit has been working in the church since the Second Vatican Council.

The only way for resolution "is through solidarity," where everyone pitches in, says Pope Francis.

Catholic charities around the world are advocating on behalf of children victims in Syria.