Catholic News
- Pope pays tribute to St. Thomas of Villanova (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV received pilgrims from the Parish of Santo Tomás de Villanueva in Alcalá de Henares, Spain, and spoke to them about the parish’s patron saint. St. Thomas of Villanova (or Villanueva) was an “Augustinian religious who was open to God’s action in his life, and whose readiness led him to do much good for the Church and society of his time,” Pope Leo said during the audience, which took place yesterday in Consistory Hall of the Apostolic Palace. The Pontiff—like St. Thomas of Villanova, a member of the Order of Saint Augustine—spoke about the saint’s continuous prayer, industriousness, and love for the poor. - DDF consultor: Marian title of Co-Redemptrix may be used in popular devotion (CNA)
Msgr. Maurizio Gronchi, a consultor to the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, said in an interview with EWTN Noticias that the Marian title “Co-Redemptrix” may be “used in popular devotion, understanding its meaning.” Commenting on the analysis of the title in Mater Populi Fidelis, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s November doctrinal note, Msgr. Gronchi said: It’s not an absolute prohibition, but it will no longer be used in official documents or in the liturgy. But if used in popular devotion, understanding its meaning, no one will be reprimanded for it. Msgr. Gronchi’s remarks echoed comments made earlier by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the dicastery’s prefect. Msgr. Gronchi’s assessment is significant, as he joined Cardinal Fernández at the November 4 press conference at which the document was presented. - Ukrainian Catholic leader speaks of 'increasingly dire' situation (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
In his latest weekly address, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said that Ukrainians are celebrating the Christmas season, “although the circumstances in which they celebrate it are becoming increasingly dire.” Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk added, “By celebrating Christmas, Ukraine finds the Savior, who was born among us today, incarnated; who became a Ukrainian soldier defending the homeland; a refugee who left his home; a volunteer helping all those in need; a rescuer extinguishing fires; and a medic who saves human lives.” - Cardinal Tagle recounts trips to Muslim nations (Fides)
In a recent homily, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, one of the two pro-prefects of the Dicastery for Evangelization, discussed his trips to three predominantly Muslim nations: Azerbaijan, Malaysia, and the United Arab Emirates. “It is good to remember that the population of Asia is around 4.8 billion people, of which only 3% is Catholic,” Cardinal Tagle preached on December 23 in the Chapel of the Magi, in the Palace of Propaganda Fide. In Azerbaijan, “around 400 regularly attend the Masses on Sundays, most of them migrants brimming with hope amidst their difficult lives,” he said. “There are catechumens who grew up not practicing any faith, but are now drawn to Jesus and the Gospel, thanks to the friendship and sense of community provided by the Catholics.” In Malaysia, Cardinal Tagle spoke at a gathering organized by the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences; in the United Arab Emirates, he celebrated Mass for 30,000 in Dubai (the nation’s largest city) and 18,000 in Abu Dhabi (the nation’s capital). - Leading Congolese prelate welcomes papal peace call (Vatican News)
Speaking with Vatican News, the president of the episcopal conference in the strife-torn Democratic Republic of the Congo welcomed Pope Leo’s repeated calls for a “disarmed and disarming peace.” Archbishop Fulgence Muteba of Lubumbashi also welcomed the continuity between Laudato Si’, Pope Francis’s 2015 encyclical on care for our common home, and the teaching of the current pope. The Congolese prelate said, “The future of the world depends on safeguarding the environment and combating the destruction of everything around us.” Vatican News, the news agency of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, summarized Archbishop Muteba’s comments in its English-language report; it also posted the video of the interview, which was conducted in French. - Over 200 Nigerian priests kidnapped in last decade (Aid to the Church in Need)
At least 212 Nigerian priests have suffered abduction since 2015, according to a study conducted by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria. “Of the 212 kidnapped, 183 were released or escaped, 12 were murdered and three died later as a result of trauma and injuries suffered during their captivity,” according to the report. “Currently, at least four kidnapped priests remain in captivity.” - US bishops underscore virtue of hope as 2025 jubilee year closes in dioceses (OSV News)
In Spes Non Confundit, his bull of indiction for the 2025 jubilee year, Pope Francis established that the jubilee year would end in the world’s dioceses on December 28. This article summarizes the homilies of the archbishops of St. Paul and Minneapolis, Detroit, Miami, Galveston-Houston, and Los Angeles. - For San Diego bishop, protecting immigrants is personal (The Guardian)
In an interview with The Guardian, Bishop Michael Pham of San Diego recalled his family’s journey from Communist Vietnam to the United States and discussed his decision to accompany migrants to immigration enforcement proceedings. “There are people in court who have lived here for 10, 20, 30, 40 years without criminal records,” Bishop Pham told the British newspaper. “And just imagine they have family, children, grandchildren, businesses—now being torn apart.” - Vatican newspaper highlights mining pollution in DR Congo (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
With the headline “Tra i veleni degli scarichi tossici” [Among the poisons of toxic waste], L’Osservatore Romano devoted the most prominent article in its December 29 edition to pollution caused by mining in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. Giada Aquilino’s article drew extensively on an earlier AFP report on the subject. - Pope Leo: Do not let the world's mirages suffocate Christian family love (Dicastery for Communication)
In his Sunday Angelus address for the Feast of the Holy Family, Pope Leo XIV mused that “unfortunately, the world always has its ‘Herods,’ its myths of success at any cost, of unscrupulous power, of empty and superficial well-being, and it often pays the price in the form of loneliness, despair, divisions and conflicts.” “Let us not allow these mirages to suffocate the flame of love in Christian families,” Pope Leo said yesterday to pilgrims who had gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “On the contrary, in our families, we should cherish the values of the Gospel: prayer, frequent reception of the sacraments—especially Confession and Communion—healthy affections, sincere dialogue, fidelity, and the simple and beautiful concreteness of everyday words and gestures.” The Pope concluded, “Let us therefore ask our Father in Heaven, through the intercession of Mary and Saint Joseph, to bless our families and all families throughout the world, so that by following the model of his Son made man, they may be for all an efficacious sign of his presence and his endless charity.” - Let us be reborn, as St. Stephen was, Pope tells pilgrims (Dicastery for Communication)
In his St. Stephen’s Day Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV upheld the protomartyr as an example of following Jesus and forgiving others. After reflecting on the opposition that following Jesus provokes, Pope Leo said: Like Jesus, Stephen died forgiving others because of a force more real than that of weapons. It is a gratuitous force, already present in the hearts of all, and which is reawakened and shared in an irresistible way when we begin to look at our neighbor differently, offering them attention and recognition. Yes, this is what it means to be reborn, to come once more into the light, this is our “Christmas!” “Let us now pray to Mary and contemplate her, blessed among all women who give life and counter arrogance with care, and distrust with faith,” the Pope concluded. “May Mary bring us into her own joy, a joy that dissolves all fear and all threats, just as snow melts before the sun.” - Strive for Christian unity, Ecumenical Patriarch urges in Christmas encyclical (Ecumenical Patriarchate)
In his Christmas encyclical, Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople described efforts to strive for Christian unity as “non-negotiable.” “The Gospel of peace especially concerns us Christians,” said the Ecumenical Patriarch, who holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches. “We consider it impermissible to remain indifferent before the fragmentation of Christendom, particularly when this attitude is accompanied by fundamentalism and explicit rejection of inter-Christian dialogue that ultimately aims at transcending division and achieving unity.” “The obligation of striving for Christian unity is non-negotiable,” he continued. “The responsibility to continue the efforts of the pioneers of the Ecumenical Movement along with the justification of their vision and labor rest on the younger generation of Christians.” - Irish archbishops question Vatican report on female deacons (The Tablet)
Ireland’s two leading Catholic prelates questioned a Vatican report, issued early this month, that “excludes the possibility” of diaconal ordination for women. Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh told The Tablet that he was surprised by the unanimous report, issued by a special Vatican study group. He questioned why the report was released “in isolation,” suggesting that it should have been released along with other studies on controversial issues. Archbishop Martin noted, however, that “Pope Leo has said that this question remains open.” Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin told The Tablet that “many people, both women and men, will have been disappointed at the reported outcome of the study.” He too insisted that the issue of female ordination to the diaconate remains open. Archbishop Farrell said that he expects to see women leading parishes in the near future, and added: “It is important that we constantly see that leadership and ministry are not the prerogative of the ordained.” - Pope encourages youth at Taizé meeting to seek Christ (Taizé Community)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, has written a papal message to the 15,000 people taking part in the Taizé Community’s 48th European Youth Meeting, held this year in Paris from December 28 to January 1. “The theme of this year’s letter, ‘What are you seeking?’, written by Brother Matthew, Prior of Taizé, touches on an essential question that dwells in the heart of every human being,” Cardinal Parolin wrote. “The Holy Father invites you not to be afraid of this question, but to carry it in prayer and silence, convinced that Christ is walking beside you and that he allows himself to be found by all those who seek him with a sincere heart.” The Taizé Community, an ecumenical French monastic community, was founded by Brother Roger Schütz in 1940. Brother Matthew Thorpe, an Anglican, has led the community since 2023. - Archpriests close jubilee holy doors at Lateran, St. Paul's basilicas (CWN)
As the 2025 jubilee year draws to a close, the archpriest of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran closed the holy door there on December 27. The archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls closed the holy door there the following day. - Pope sees dangerous rise in gambling (Vatican Press Office)
In a December 29 address to the National Association of Italian Municipalities, Pope Leo XIV called attention to a “sharp increase” in the amount of gambling, which he described as a “scourge,” saying that it “ruins many families.” The Pope mentioned gambling specifically among the ills that municipal leaders must confront, along with “the demographic crisis and the struggles of families and the young, the loneliness of the elderly and the silent cry of the poor, the pollution of the environment and social conflicts....” - Amid pre-election violence, leading Ugandan prelate calls for repentance (@UgandaEpiscopal)
Amid violence ahead of the 2026 Ugandan general election, the chairman of the Uganda Episcopal Conference called for repentance, reconciliation, and forgiveness. Violence, hatred, and other evils “represent a departure from the commands given by our Lord to his followers,” Bishop Joseph Anthony Zziwa of Kiyinda-Mityan wrote in his Christmas message. “The events we are witnessing around the campaigns and other forms of human interactions call for repentance, forgiveness, and conversion, knowing that God is always merciful and loving.” - Ohio bishop grants Mass dispensation amid immigration enforcement actions (Diocese of Columbus)
Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, has granted a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass on Sundays and holy days to “all those persons who reasonably fear being detained, even those with proper legal documentation, who fear separation from the families, experience intimidation because of their status or ethnic background, or other actions of immigration enforcement.” The dispensation, issued on December 23, concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the last day of the Christmas season. - 'Born in the night is the One who redeems us from the night,' Pope preaches on Christmas night (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Mass of Christmas night in St. Peter’s Basilica at 10:00 PM on Christmas Eve and preached that Christ’s nativity is the light that illumines human darkness (booklet, video). - Papal humanitarian aid for Ukraine (Vatican News)
Pope Leo XIV has sent 100,000 packets of food to areas of Ukraine that have suffered bombardment. Pope Leo “not only prays for peace, but wants to be present in the families who are suffering,” said Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, prefect of the Dicastery for the Service of Charity. - More...