In his general audience address of December 30, 2020, Pope Francis said that thanksgiving was a hallmark of an authentic Christian life. The pope gave his final general audience address of 2020 in the library of the apostolic palace, where the weekly event has been held since October because of rising coronavirus cases in Italy. Pope Francis continued his cycle of catechesis on prayer, which he began in May and resumed in October following nine addresses on healing the world amid the pandemic. He dedicated Wednesday's audience to the prayer of thanksgiving, which the Catechism of the Catholic Church recognizes as one of the principal forms of prayer, alongside blessing and adoration, petition, intercession, and praise.