For Catholics in Nicaragua, the year has been ‘tragic on every level’ December 27, 2024By Junno Arocho Esteves Filed Under: News, Religious Freedom, World News For Latin American Catholics, December is an important month, not just in anticipation of the Christmas celebrations, but also for important Marian feast days, such as Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Immaculate Conception, that remain linked to their cultural history.
Gaza: For humanitarian workers, civilians, 2024 proves to be year of suffering, loss December 26, 2024By Junno Arocho Esteves OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, Feature, News, World News With a ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon barely holding, as both sides accuse each other of violations, hopes for even a fragile peace seem impossible for those living and aiding people in Gaza.
Cardinal O’Malley devotes decades to making ‘present the merciful face of God’ December 26, 2024By Michael R. Heinlein OSV News Filed Under: Child & Youth Protection, News, Retirement, Vocations, World News Cardinal O’Malley, who was ordained a priest in the Order of Friars Minor Capuchin on Aug. 29, 1970, at the age of 26, has been a key figure at the highest levels of church governance in helping oversee reforms in the wake of the clergy sexual abuse crisis.
OSV’s 2024 Catholics of the Year December 26, 2024By OSV News OSV News Filed Under: Arts & Culture, Feature, News, Uncategorized, World News Looking back at the year, editors at OSV, in their longstanding tradition of shining a light on exemplary signs of faith, have named the following 10 individuals Catholics of the Year for 2024.
Meet the religious sister battling the mental health crisis in Nigeria December 26, 2024By Valentine Benjamin OSV News Filed Under: Missions, News, Vocations, World News Nigeria faces a mental health crisis exacerbated by economic hardship and insecurity, with a shortage of psychiatrists serving its population of over 220 million. With only about 200 psychiatrists in the country, mental health issues remain largely stigmatized, leading to a reluctance to seek professional help.
Pope urges war-torn world to walk through door of peace on Christmas December 25, 2024By Justin McLellan Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, Jubilee 2025, News, Vatican, World News As millions of pilgrims prepare to cross through the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Francis called on individuals, nations and the global community to take a transformative step toward peace and reconciliation by walking through the “door of salvation” that is Jesus Christ.
Pope at Christmas: Jesus’ birth brings hope for world of justice, peace December 25, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, Jubilee 2025, News, Vatican, World News Celebrating Christmas Mass after opening the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis said the birth of Jesus fills Christians with hope and the courage to work for peace and justice.
Gloria in Excelsis Deo! What was the Star of Bethlehem? December 25, 2024By Peter D. Brown OSV News Filed Under: Arts & Culture, Christmas, Feature, News, World News Like much else the Bible recounts, the star of the Magi was a special intervention in the world by God, probably carried out with the intermediation of one of his angels. It was a Christmas miracle.
Pope opens Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, launching ‘Jubilee of Hope’ December 24, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Christmas, Feature, Jubilee 2025, News, Vatican, World News In the quiet of Christmas Eve, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, launching what he called a “Jubilee of Hope.”
The story of the L.A. miracle that will make Pier Giorgio Frassati a saint December 24, 2024By Pablo Kay OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Saints, World News This odd combination of circumstances would eventually prove providential, confounding medical authorities, changing the life of this anonymous seminarian, and forever tying him to another young man who had been dead for almost 100 years: Pier Giorgio Frassati, who in August will be declared a saint of the Catholic Church on account of the miracle of Juan Gutierrez’s ankle.
Caritas, Jubilee USA present Holy Year debt-relief project December 23, 2024By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Jubilee 2025, News, Vatican, World News A key part of a jubilee in the Bible was releasing prisoners, and Catholics today can join a global campaign to press for the release of thousands of people imprisoned in poverty because of their nations’ foreign debt, said an official of Caritas Internationalis.
Biden commutes most federal death-row sentences to life in prison December 23, 2024By Kate Scanlon OSV News Filed Under: Feature, News, Respect Life, World News Several days after speaking with Pope Francis, President Joe Biden announced Dec. 23 that he would commute most existing federal death sentences to life in prison.
