Pope Francis prays in front of the statue of the Virgin Mary, on the occasion of the Immaculate Conception feast, in Rome, Monday, Dec. 8, 2014. Pope Francis has prayed that humanity be freed of "slavery" to material things as he visited Rome's swank shopping area near the Spanish Steps. Shoppers crowded into the square Monday to see Francis keep an annual appointment that marks both the Dec. 8 Catholic feast day honoring the Virgin Mary and the traditional start of the city's holiday shopping season. (AP Photo/Gregorio Borgia)