Catholic News
- Pope calls for Christmas truce, criticizes Illinois governor for signing assisted-suicide bill (Vatican News)
Speaking with journalists yesterday as he departed from his weekly visit to Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV called for a 24-hour Christmas truce around the world. “I once again make this appeal to all people of good will: that, at least on the feast of the birth of the Savior, one day of peace may be respected,” Pope Leo said. The Pope also criticized Gov. JB Pritzker of Illinois for signing assisted suicide legislation. The Pontiff revealed that during a recent meeting with the governor, “we were very clear about the need to respect the sacredness of life, from beginning to end.” The Pope invited all “to reflect on the nature of human life, on the value of human life. God became human like us in order to show us what it truly means to live human life.” The Pope prayed that “respect for life may grow once again at every moment of human existence, from conception to natural death.” - Your work, done with dedication, gives glory to the Lord, Pope tells Vatican employees (Dicastery for Communication)
Following his address to the Roman Curia, Pope Leo XIV held a separate audience in which he exchanged Christmas greetings with employees of the Curia, the Vatican City State, the Vicariate of Rome, and their families. Pope Leo thanked the employees for the work and reflected on the presence of various kinds of laborers in the Nativity scene. “While Mary and Joseph adore the Child and the shepherds approach in wonder, the other characters go about their daily business,” Pope Leo said. “They seem detached from the central event, but this is not the case: in reality, each one participates in it just as they are, staying in their place and doing what they have to do, their job.” “I like to think that this can also be true for us in our working days: each of us carries out our task and we praise God precisely by doing it well, with commitment,” the Pope added. “Sometimes we are so caught up in our occupations that we do not think about the Lord or the Church; but the very fact of working with dedication, trying to give our best, and also—for you lay people—with love for your family, for your children, gives glory to the Lord.” - India's bishops condemn attacks on Christians, call for police protection at Christmas (CBCI)
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India issued a statement yesterday condemning the “alarming rise in attacks on Christians in various states of our country.” “These targeted incidents, especially against peaceful carol singers and congregations gathered in churches to pray, gravely undermine India’s constitutional guarantees of freedom of religion and the right to live and worship without fear,” the bishops said, before citing specific incidents. The bishops called on Amit Shah, the nation’s Minister of Home Affairs, to “ensure strict enforcement of law and proactive protection for Christian communities so that the joyful festival of Christmas may be celebrated peacefully, in an atmosphere of security and harmony, across our beloved nation.” - Vatican prefect sees no future for the priesthood without fidelity (Vatican News)
Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy, said in an interview that “there can be no future” for the priesthood “without fidelity.” “Fidelity, especially in the Western world, tends to be considered almost a negative value, something for immobile, static people of another era,” he said. “Nothing could be further from the truth ... Fidelity, in fact, is the very measure of charity.” The prelate also said that the crisis in priestly vocations is not universal and that, where it exists, it affects marriage and the religious life as well. “A world that encourages temporary, partial relationships and discourages stable, lasting commitments—let’s say faithful ones—is a world that distracts everyone from seeking their vocation, let alone persevering in it,” he said. - Vatican alters Pope Francis's original schedule for closing of jubilee holy doors (Iubilaeum 2025)
The Vatican has announced the dates of the closing of the holy doors that were opened at the beginning of the 2025 jubilee year. The closing dates differ from the dates established by Pope Francis in Spes Non Confundit, his bull of indiction for the jubilee year. The holy doors in Santa Maria Maggiore, the Lateran Basilica, and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls were all originally scheduled to be closed on December 28. Under the new schedule, the archpriests of the three basilicas will close the respective holy doors on December 25, December 27, and December 28. Pope Leo XIV will close the holy door in St. Peter’s Basilica on January 6, as originally scheduled. In addition, Cardinal Baldassare Reina closed the holy door in Rebibbia Prison on December 21. In his bull of indiction, Pope Francis expressed the hope of opening a holy door in a prison, but without establishing opening and closing dates; he opened the holy door in that prison last December 26. - Foster missionary attitude, Pope urges Roman Curia [news analysis] (Vatican Press Office)
In a December 22 address to the leaders of the Roman Curia, Pope Leo XIV insisted that the work of the Vatican should be characterized by a missionary attitude and a spirit of communion. The Pope’s annual exchange of Christmas greetings with the Roman Curia has an opportunity for the Pontiff—especially, as in this case, a new Pontiff—to set priorities for the Vatican leadership. Pope Leo stressed the need for “the missionary transformation of the Church,” while adding that this transformation must be closely linked to a spirit of communion among the Church’s leaders, and between the leaders and the people. Under Pope Francis, the papal address to the Curia had blunt criticism, even outright scolding of prevailing attitudes at the Vatican. Pope Leo’s tone was much gentler, but his message did include cautions against the rivalries and turf battles that can arise among Church leaders. Mission and communion Pope Leo praised his predecessor at the start of the speech, saying of Pope Francis: “His prophetic voice, pastoral style and rich magisterium have marked the Church’s journey in recent years.” He also sounded some of the themes that prevailed especially at the start of the last pontificate. “By her very nature, the Church is outward-looking, turned toward the world, missionary,” Pope Leo said. He said that the Curia should always seek to “make progress in the missionary transformation of the Church, who draws her inexhaustible strength from the mandate of the Risen Christ.” Toward that end, the Pope said, the Vatican should work to advance the cause of evangelization, in a spirit of “pastoral solicitude in service to the particular churches and their pastors.” He concluded by again saying, “We need an ever more missionary Roman Curia.” To be missionary, however, requires a spirit of communion, Pope Leo said. He urged Curial officials to work cooperatively, guarding against competition and rivalry and inter-office conflicts, working toward “genuine fraternal friendship” among Vatican officials. Quoting St. Augustine, as he so frequently does, the Pope said: “In all human affairs, nothing is truly cherished without a friend.” “Is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia?” asked the Pontiff—who, during his months as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, saw the effects of bureaucratic conflicts. He said: Thus, in interpersonal relationships, in internal office dynamics, or in addressing questions of faith, liturgy, morality and more besides, there is a risk of falling into rigidity or ideology, with their consequent conflicts. To guard against such friction, the Pope encouraged the Curial leaders to bear in mind that “we are not mere gardeners tending our own plot, but disciples and witnesses of the Kingdom of God.” He concluded with an insistent reassurance that “mission and communion are possible if we place Christ at the center.” - Cardinal Tagle celebrates Mass for 30,000 in Dubai (Vatican News)
Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, one of the two pro-prefects of the Dicastery for Evangelization, recently concluded a visit to the United Arab Emirates, where he celebrated Mass for 30,000 in Dubai (the nation’s largest city) and 18,000 in Abu Dhabi (the nation’s capital). Islam is the official religion of the Middle Eastern nation of 10 million (map); because of a large migrant population, only 75% of its residents are Muslim, while 13% are Christian (12% Catholic), 6% are Hindu, and 3% are Buddhist. Pope Francis made an apostolic journey there in 2019. - Priestly formation is key, Pope writes in new apostolic letter (Vatican News)
“A fidelity that generates the future is what priests are called to today,” Pope Leo XIV says, in the opening line of a new apostolic letter on priestly formation. The papal document, entitled Una Fedelta che Genera Future, was released on December 22, to mark the 60th anniversary of the Vatican II documents on priestly formation and priestly ministry. In it the Pontiff challenges priests to be conscious of the call from God that drew them to the priesthood. He assures them that their fidelity to priestly ministry will be strengthened “when we passionately remember the sound of the voice of the Lord who loves, chooses and calls us.” The need for that fidelity has been dramatized in recent years by the crises that have rocked the Catholic world, “caused by abuses committed by members of the clergy,” the Pope observes. He adds notes the unfortunate increase in the number of priests leaving the ministry. The Pope writes: Only priests and consecrated persons who are humanly mature and spiritually solid – in other words, those in whom the human and spiritual dimensions are well integrated and who are therefore capable of authentic relationships with everyone – can take on the commitment of celibacy and credibly proclaim the Gospel of the Risen One. Pope Leo calls for greater attention to a spirit of fraternity among priests, and suggests exploring “possible forms of community life” to strengthen those bonds. He also encourages priests to recognize that they are not called to “dominate or take on all tasks themselves,” but should work humbly in cooperation with the laity. - Over 20 million pilgrims have visited Santa Maria Maggiore this year (Vatican News (Italian))
Over 20 million pilgrims have visited the Papal Basilica of Saint Mary Major during the 2025 jubilee year. The basilica’s archpriest will close the basilica’s holy door for the jubilee year on December 25. The basilica is also the site of the tomb of Pope Francis, who died on April 21 and was interred there on April 26. - Holy Land Franciscan, in Vatican newspaper, laments Israeli treatment of Palestinian civilians (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
In a front-page op-ed in the Vatican newspaper, a prominent Holy Land Franciscan decried Israeli treatment of Palestinian civilians. Writing in the December 20 edition of L’Osservatore Romano, Father Ibrahim Faltas, OFM, said that “around Gaza and the State of Palestine in the West Bank, physical and visible walls have been built that prevent access to the ‘unauthorized’: humanitarian aid and relatives, volunteers, journalists, and international observers.” He added: What or who prevents us from helping desperate human beings who live in an inhumane way? ... Who recognizes as enemies men and women exhausted by the pain of not being able to help those to whom they gave life, children and the elderly, easy targets of violence, human beings without strength and sick? What interest prohibits feeding, healing, and warming with what is available in abundance just a few steps away? Why not give the possibility of life to those who cannot live without the medicines that await them just beyond a crossing or a checkpoint? Until earlier this year, Father Faltas was the second-ranking official of the Custody of the Holy Land, the Franciscan province there; he is now director of Terra Santa Schools. - Odisha bishop calls for low-key Christmas celebrations in solidarity with threatened farmers (UCANews)
A bishop in the eastern Indian state of Odisha called on the faithful to “keep the Christmas celebrations low profile, i.e., without purchasing new clothes and without big feasting.” Bishop Kishore Kumar Kujur of Rourkela did so in order to express solidarity with area farmers, some of whom are Catholic, whose land is being taken by the state and given to a cement company for expanded mining operations. Odisha, formerly called Orissa (map), was the site of a 2008 anti-Christian pogrom in which an estimated 100 Christians were murdered, and 50,000 fled their homes. - World Council of Churches' Christmas message: 'Holy Family, Holy Faith' (World Council of Churches)
Dr. Jerry Pillay, the South African Presbyterian minister who leads the World Council of Churches, has issued a Christmas message, entitled “Holy Family, Holy Faith.” “Our gauzy picture of the Holy Family and the Lord’s nativity often fails to capture the fraught situation that Luke’s gospel portrays,” he said. “Mary and Joseph’s betrothal was jeopardized by her pregnancy and potential scandal. Her confinement was upended by an imperial edict to traversing a difficult journey to a far-away town.” “Jesus himself was born on a cold night in a humble stable, and his first days were spent as a refugee fleeing danger from a mad king,” he continued. “In such desperate and unlikely circumstances did the Holy Family begin.” 350 Protestant and Orthodox communities are members of the World Council of Churches, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Pope Francis made an ecumenical pilgrimage to Geneva in 2018 for its 70th anniversary. - Pontiff approves new statute for Labor Office of the Apostolic See (Vatican News)
Pope Leo XIV, in a rescript, approved a new statute for the Labor Office of the Apostolic See (ULSA). Vatican News reported that the new statute has several innovations: These include a broader Council, with representation for the first time from the Secretariat of State, the Vicariate of Rome, the Vatican’s healthcare services (FAS, Fondo Assistenza Sanitaria), and the Pension Fund; a greater, more “synodal” involvement of the various represented entities; taking on a consultative role to assist Dicasteries, the Governorate, and other bodies in drafting specific regulations and other normative acts; and the requirement of expertise in labor law and Vatican law for lawyers involved in disputes brought by employees and former employees. Praedicate Evangelium, the 2022 apostolic constitution on the Roman Curia, states that “everything that concerns the performance of the personnel of the Roman Curia and other related issues falls within the competence of the Labor Office of the Apostolic See, whose duty it is to protect and promote the rights of collaborators, according to the principles of the social doctrine of the Church” (Art. 11). - White House rebuffs bishops' plea on immigration (AP)
The White House has dismissed a plea from the Catholic bishops of Florida, who had called for a pause in immigration-enforcement actions during the Christmas season. In an email response on behalf of the Trump administration, Abigail Jackson wrote: “President Trump was elected based on his promise to the American people to deport criminal aliens. And he’s keeping that promise.” - Phoenix surpasses New York, Chicago to become nation's 2nd-largest diocese (CWN)
The Diocese of Phoenix has surpassed the Archdiocese of New York and the Archdiocese of Chicago to become the nation’s second-largest diocese, according to statistics published in the recently released 2025 edition of The Official Catholic Directory. - Vatican, Muslim leaders host roundtable on religion and diplomacy (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
“The dialogue between religion and diplomacy is not optional, but indispensable in a context characterized by great global challenges, armed conflicts, forced displacement, environmental crises, and a worrying erosion of trust marked by fundamentalism and fanaticism,” Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue said at a recent roundtable discussion on religion and diplomacy. “Religion is not destined to be a source of conflict, but can be a powerful resource for reconciliation, peacebuilding, humanitarian action and ethical discernment,” he continued. “Religious leaders are not only spiritual authorities, but also essential diplomatic actors.” The discussion was organized by the dicastery, the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue (KAICIID), and the Council of European Muslim Leaders. The chief rabbi of Basel, Switzerland, represented the Conference of European Rabbis at the discussion. - Foster peace and evangelize, Pope tells leaders of Salesian order (CWN)
In a meeting with the leaders of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of peace and the centrality of missionary work. - Pope praises Brother Lawrence's Practice of the Presence of God (Vatican News)
Pope Leo XIV has written an introduction to the Vatican publishing house’s new edition of The Practice of the Presence of God, a spiritual classic written by the Carmelite friar Brother Lawrence (c. 1614-1691). “Together with the writings of Saint Augustine and other books, this is one of the texts that have most shaped my spiritual life and have formed me in what the path can be for knowing and loving the Lord,” Pope Leo wrote. “The path Brother Lawrence points out to us is simple and arduous at the same time,” Pope Leo continued. “Through the path that Brother Lawrence proposes to us, little by little, as the presence of God becomes familiar and occupies our inner space, the joy of being with Him grows, graces and spiritual riches blossom, and even daily tasks become easy and light.” Earlier this month, during his December 2 press conference on the flight from Lebanon to Rome, the Pope spoke about the influence Brother Lawrence’s work has had upon his life. - Cardinal Kasper reflects on Vatican II and its legacy (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Cardinal Walter Kasper, the 92-year-old president emeritus of the Pontifical Council for Promoting Christian Unity, has commemorated the 60th anniversary of the closing of the Second Vatican Council with a lengthy essay in the Vatican newspaper. “Conservative and progressive [interpretations of Vatican II] are not opposites, since, correctly understood, they are part of the same whole,” he wrote. “The hope is that the new Pope, Leo XIV, has recognized the absurdity of this dispute and will say that we must disarm our language: we should not polarize and speak against each other, but dialogue in a conciliatory way. One can only hope that Pope Leo will succeed in this reconciliation.” “The Second Vatican Council showed that the Church is not a rigid and immobile entity,” he concluded. “The Council set many things in motion. This dynamism is also needed in the new century. The streams of pilgrims who came to Rome in the last months of the Holy Year—more than 30 million people and so many young people from all over the world—showed that the Church, despite all the controversies after the Second Vatican Council and despite the increase in persecution against Christians in the world, has remained alive and young.” - Salesians poised to overtake Jesuits as largest male religious institute (CWN)
The Salesians of Don Bosco are poised to surpass the Society of Jesus as the Church’s largest male religious institute, according to the newly released online edition of the Annuario Pontificio. - More...