We deeply admire the (very serious) work of Pope Francis, but it's been a gusty year at the Vatican and the pontiff has struggled more than once to keep hold of his hat. Here's the lighter side of the pope's year in pictures:
1. New take on the dog collar
2. Papa Smurf
3. Peekaboo
4. 'Doh'
5. Call me Kung Fu Francis
6. The flying saucer
7. 'Err... I can't see where I'm going'
8. Blowing his nose
The story of St Patrick’s Day
'Sad news' as House of Lords approves abortion up to birth
Disestablishing Church of England 'will not be a priority' at next election, says Green Party
Archbishop of Canterbury will be attending abortion vote in Lords on Wednesday
The little-known story of the woman who rescued Mothering Sunday
Archbishop of Canterbury to embark on historic six-day pilgrimage
Vatican to install showers for the homeless in St Peter's Square
Pope to raffle gifts including panama hat, Fiat Panda and espresso machine to raise money for the poor
Pope Francis: Don't proselytise, instead heal the sick and seek the lost
Why Pope Francis won't meet the Dalai Lama
Pope Francis thanks Salvation Army for teaching him about Christian unity as a small boy
It will be interesting to see if the Scottish government goes down the route of investing in quality palliative care, or whether Liam McArthur's defeated assisted suicide bill is simply resurrected in another form.
Shadow justice minister Nick Timothy is standing by claims that a mass Islamic prayer in Trafalgar Square was “a declaration of domination” that should never be repeated.
A major new report from the Charities Aid Foundation (CAF) has raised fresh concerns about the state of charitable giving in the UK, showing that total public donations fell sharply in 2025 as fewer people gave and average gifts became smaller.
A coalition of Christian and human rights organisations has called on the UK government to use President Bola Tinubu’s state visit to Britain to press for stronger protections for Christians and other vulnerable communities in Nigeria, amid continuing concern over deadly attacks and weak accountability.
