In a Dec. 11 court filing, a federal judge in Maryland ordered the release of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran national and Maryland resident at the center of a high-profile immigration case, from ICE custody “immediately.”

As Dec. 12 approaches, millions of pilgrims are converging on the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world.

The evening before meeting a group of conservative European politicians, Pope Leo XIV expressed disappointment at what appears to be a weakening alliance between the United States and Europe.

Since the October ceasefire in the Israel-Gaza war, people in Palestine are living in abject ruin, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa said at a news conference in Plymouth, a western suburb of Detroit.

More than 550 people attended a medical professionals conference at the University of Mary in Bismarck, North Dakota, that focused on human dignity and explored the theme, “Mission-Driven Healthcare in a Profit-Driven World.”

The secret to living an authentic life is praying to understand what is truly beneficial according to God’s plan and letting go of the superfluous, Pope Leo XIV said.

A Catholic bishop in South Sudan appealed for peace, respect of human life and the protection of civilians in Sudan, as the town of Kalogi, South Kordofan region, reeled from the deaths of over 100 people killed in drone strikes.

Archbishop Richard W. Smith of Vancouver, British Columbia, said the 62 Indigenous cultural items received from the Vatican mark “a gift freely given” and an important step in rebuilding trust between the Catholic Church and Indigenous peoples.

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan announced Dec. 8 that the Archdiocese of New York would be entering into mediation and taking steps to raise more than $300 million for sexual abuse settlements.

As 2025 draws to a close, the plight of persecuted Christians around the world remains dire — and in many places, deeply forgotten.