Meeting leaders of Turkey’s small and varied Catholic communities, Pope Leo XIV asked them to embrace their “littleness” as they strive to be a leaven of God’s love in Turkish society.

The Diocese of Hong Kong is calling for prayer and mourning after a devastating fire at the Wang Fuk Court apartment complex in Tai Po left at least 128 people dead and around 200 still missing. As a sign of solidarity, the diocese turned its website black and white and shared a prayer for residents affected by the Nov. 26 blaze, urging the faithful to remember that “we are one family.”

A widely discussed new documentary about UFOs, “Age of Disclosure,” includes an allegation from a former CIA official that the Vatican holds evidence of the existence of non-human intelligence — and he does not mean angels.

Whether on stage or screen, however — papal endorsement notwithstanding — this recounting of the early years of the Trapp Family singing group gives short shrift to their Catholic faith.

Many have written fan mail to celebrities and imagined getting a reply. When high school senior Selena Mullinax of Chattanooga tried it, writing a letter to Pope Leo XIV, she received quite a reply — with a special rosary blessed by the first American-born pontiff.

Pope Leo XIV began his first papal trip speaking of dialogue, peace and thanksgiving — referring to both the holiday and his own gratitude.

Catholic bishops are offering prayers following the shooting of two West Virginia National Guard members in the nation’s capital Nov. 26.

Lebanese Catholics yearn for the upcoming visit of Pope Leo XIV to achieve something lost in recent years. Signs bearing the pontiff’s photo along newly rebuilt roadways express their longing: “Lebanon wants peace.”

For anyone who has not attended the National Catholic Youth Conference in Indianapolis, the number of young Catholic participants can be overwhelming. A group of four first-timers from Cristo Rey Parish in Florence, Ky., certainly thought so.

Celebrity Chef Lidia Bastianich knows what it’s like to be in a strange land, without a home. OSV News recently spoke with the Italian-American — who has become famous as a television host, author and restaurateur — about her own experiences as an Italian immigrant fleeing communism in the former Yugoslavia, and her current work as a board member for Jesuit Refugee Services/USA.