Pope, Ukrainian president speak by phone December 29, 2023By Catholic News Service Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, War in Ukraine, World News For at least the fourth time since Russia began its large-scale attack on Ukraine in February 2022, Pope Francis and Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy spoke by telephone Dec. 28.
Pope meets with U.S. Cardinal Burke December 29, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News U.S. Cardinal Raymond L. Burke, a former top Vatican official, met privately with Pope Francis Dec. 29, about a month after reports that Pope Francis wanted to stop giving him a monthly salary and would ask him to pay the market rate for his Vatican apartment.
The pope’s 2023: A year of health challenges, travel and the synod December 29, 2023By Cindy Wooden Catholic News Service Filed Under: Feature, News, Vatican, World News Pope Francis’ 2023 was a year of important trips made or postponed, a predecessor’s funeral and his own 10th anniversary as pope, a call to the world to act on climate change and a call to the Catholic Church to strengthen its mission by learning “synodality.”
‘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.
‘Don’t give up,’ NY bishop urges survivors of Hamas attack, families of hostages December 27, 2023By Steven Schwankert OSV News Filed Under: Conflict in the Middle East, News, World News Members of the group meeting in Manhattan at AJC wore T-shirts and carried placards with their relative’s photo and age displayed on them and carrying the message, “Bring Her/Him Home Now!”
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.
