Pope Francis nominated 15 new members to the College of Cardinals on Sunday, with the majority hailing from small, developing countries such as Cape Verde, Myanmar and Tonga.

The news of Pope Francis’ role in bringing about a new chapter in relations between the United States and Cuba demonstrates compellingly what Holy See diplomacy is able to achieve.

On a train, one passenger reportedly spotted a Muslim woman removing her hijab, ostensibly out of fear of being targeted. The passenger told her to put it back on and offered to walk with her in solidarity. And so began #IllRideWithYou. The hashtag went viral and is currently still trending worldwide, hours after the end of the hostage crisis.

Russia has donated a Christmas tree to the Notre Dame cathedral in France, following an appeal for help.  The cathedral had struggled to raise the money for its annual tree and appealed to foreign embassies in Paris for assistance.

Pope Francis is more than a religious leader — he’s also a politician. And that’s led him to controversially deny an audience to the Dalai Lama, the spiritual leader of Tibet.  During his still young and highly ambitious papacy, Francis has made it clear he would like to broaden his church’s appeal.

This past summer, I was appointed Special Representative to Muslim Communities at the State Department. As Special Representative, I am charged with driving Secretary Kerry’s engagement with Muslim communities around the world on issues of mutual interest and in support of shared goals.