Christians in Bethlehem on Christmas: Tell the world we have joy December 28, 2021By Catholic News Service Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News The normal crowds of pilgrims and tourists may not have been able to come to Bethlehem for Christmas due to COVID-19 travel restrictions for a second year in a row, but local Palestinian Christians wanted to assure everyone that the Christmas spirit is still alive and well in the city of Jesus’ birth.
Pope asks pontifical council to begin planning Holy Year 2025 December 28, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Preparations for the Holy Year 2025 have already begun, and Pope Francis has asked the Pontifical Council for Promoting New Evangelization to take charge of the efforts.
Even the Holy Family felt stress, pope tells families December 26, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News The COVID-19 pandemic has been tough on families, but with extra patience and faith, bonds can grow stronger, Pope Francis wrote in a letter released on the feast of the Holy Family.
Pope prays Christmas will bring yearning for peace, dialogue December 26, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Before giving his Christmas blessing to the city of Rome and to the world, Pope Francis drew attention to the many places around the globe and within human hearts in need of Jesus, the prince of peace.
Pope at Christmas: ‘God comes into the world in littleness’ December 26, 2021By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News The celebration of Christmas serves as a reminder that God did not reveal his greatness in a grand spectacle, but rather in the “littleness” of a poor, vulnerable child born in a stable in Bethlehem, Pope Francis said.
September 2022 date set for beatification of John Paul I December 23, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis will beatify Pope John Paul I Sept. 4, 2022, at the Vatican, according to Stefania Falasca, a journalist and vice postulator of the late pope’s sainthood cause.
Jesus’ humble birth a reminder of God’s love for humanity, pope says December 22, 2021By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News The birth of the son of God in a humble stable, in the presence of both lowly shepherds and majestic Magi, is a “universal event that concerns all of humanity,” Pope Francis said.
‘Stories of a Generation With Pope Francis,’ Dec. 25, Netflix December 22, 2021By Sister Hosea Rupprecht Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Anyone who has followed the pontificate of Pope Francis will know that he consistently encourages the young to learn from their elders and to remember their roots.
Pope: Eat, give gifts, be ‘merry’ this Christmas, but don’t forget Jesus December 20, 2021By Carol Glatz Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis asked people to celebrate a “real Christmas” by recognizing Jesus in their lives and cultivating peace in their hearts.
Pope to kids: Jesus loves you, wants you to love others December 20, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News At a rather formal meeting in the Apostolic Palace and a more relaxed one with balloons and silly hats in the Vatican audience hall, Pope Francis told children that Christmas is a sign of how much God loves them, and they are called to share that love.
Vatican answers questions on limits regarding pre-Vatican II Mass December 18, 2021By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Responding to 11 questions it said had been raised about Pope Francis’ document restricting celebrations of the pre-Vatican II Mass, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments offered a few concessions to bishops but insisted the entire Latin-rite Catholic Church must move toward celebrating only one form of the Mass and sacraments.
Second chances: Vatican Christmas stamps feature work of homeless artist December 18, 2021By Junno Arocho Esteves Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, News, Vatican, World News Adam Piekarski, a homeless man from Lódz, Poland, never imagined that the sketches he would draw in his free time while waiting for the public showers near Bernini’s Colonnade would lead to the opportunity of a lifetime.