‘Listening is act of love,’ says papal message to European youths December 28, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News The Christian community and society need young people to live out their dreams of a world where people listen to one another, accept each other and build bridges with members of different cultures and religions, Pope Francis told young Europeans meeting to “pray in” the new year.
Middle East Christians sad, but hopeful on Christmas amid constant Gaza bombardment December 28, 2023By Dale Gavlak OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News Amid ongoing bombardment of the Gaza Strip by the Israeli military — despite the Christmas season — Christian clergymen in the Middle East are decrying attacks on their community’s dwindling numbers.
Cardinal says Vatican is not moving toward accepting gay marriage December 28, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, Marriage & Family Life, News, Vatican, World News The Vatican’s affirmation that a priest can give an informal blessing to a gay couple who asks for one is not a first step toward the Catholic Church recognizing same-sex marriages, said Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith.
As migration increased in 2023, so did pressures on the church’s ministry December 28, 2023By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Feature, Immigration and Migration, News, World News Unauthorized border crossings increased in 2023, fueled in part by shifts in U.S. policy and global migration trends. The year saw increasingly heated anti-immigrant rhetoric and actions that also put Catholic Charities agencies — and the church’s religious freedom to minister to migrants — in the crosshairs.
Pope encourages persecuted Christians to stay strong in their witness December 27, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News On the feast of St. Stephen, the first Christian martyr, Pope Francis prayed for people persecuted for their faith or denigrated for living a life marked by Gospel values.
Memorial services around country honor fallen homeless December 27, 2023By Sam Lucero OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Social Justice, World News At least 20 people experiencing homelessness in the United States die every day, according to HomelessDeathsCount.org. To help remember and honor those who have died, the National Coalition for the Homeless began sponsoring memorial services in 1990.
‘The devil is a seducer,’ pope says as he begins new series of talks December 27, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News The devil is sly and sneaky like a serpent and subtly entices people to sin, Pope Francis said at his weekly general audience Dec. 27.
Radio Interview: The Incarnation and the Meaning of Christmas December 27, 2023By Catholic Review Staff Catholic Review Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, Local News, News, Radio Interview What is the meaning of the Incarnation and the significance of Christmas? Catholic Review Editor Christopher Gunty talked with Father Tyler Kline about how we take the message of Christmas and apply it to our lives every day, not just during the Christmas season.
Pope’s Christmas message: Say ‘yes’ to the Prince of Peace, ‘no’ to war December 27, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Celebrating the birth of Jesus, the prince of peace, should mean making a commitment to opposing all war, to cherishing human life, feeding the hungry and speaking up for those who have no voice, Pope Francis said.
Maryland parish’s living Nativity offers reminder ‘the Lord still comes’ December 27, 2023By Mark Zimmermann OSV News Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, World News The Nativity — the gift of Jesus to the world on Christmas — was brought to life in a poignant way Dec. 24 during a living Nativity outside St. Camillus Church in Silver Spring.
‘Jesus, you take over,’ papal envoy cried out in Bethlehem amid wartime Christmas celebrations December 27, 2023By Paulina Guzik OSV News Filed Under: Christmas, Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News Christmas in Bethlehem was celebratory but not as festive as usual this year, given the outbreak of war in the Holy Land two-and-a-half months ago.
At Christmas, God shows love through ‘littleness,’ not power, pope says December 27, 2023By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News More than two millennia after the Holy Family was denied a room at the inn and Jesus was born in a manger, war once again renders his birthplace in the Holy Land inhospitable, Pope Francis said.
