After accepting the resignation of 92-year-old Cardinal Angelo Sodano as dean of the College of Cardinals, Pope Francis changed the norms of the office so that the dean would be elected to a five-year term renewable only once.
International News
‘Christendom No Longer Exists,’ Pope Says, Explaining Need to Revamp Curia
The ongoing reform of the Roman Curia is a necessary part of the Catholic Church’s fidelity to its mission to proclaim the Gospel, recognizing that very few countries today can be described as “Christian” and that new ways of evangelizing are necessary, Pope Francis said.
Post-Fire, No Christmas Midnight Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral
After a fire tore through the 855-year-old global landmark in April, engulfing its roof and iconic spire, the holiday service will be moved to Saint-Germain l’Auxerrois, a nearby church in Paris that has been welcoming parishioners from Notre Dame since September
Nuns Who Work With Trafficking Victims Find High Stakes, Dark Realities
Sister Mercy Muthoni would often suffer sleepless nights when she heard from the Cameroonian girls she helped escape human trafficking in Kuwait.
Evangelization Happens in Philippine Shopping Malls, Cardinal Tagle Says
It might be “unbelievable” to people in other countries, but a Catholic chapel inside a shopping mall and thousands of people attending Mass there have become a new norm among Filipinos.
Pope Names Cardinal Tagle to Lead Evangelization Congregation
In a move that may signal Pope Francis’ plan for the reform of the Roman Curia is close to completion, the pontiff has named Philippine Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle of Manila prefect of the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples.
Only in Print: For Coptics, Some Differences With Christmas | December 21, 2019
For Coptic Christians in Egypt, Christmas is celebrated somewhat differently than it is in most of the world, although some traditions are the same.
Pope Lifts Secrecy Obligation for Those Who Report Having Been Abused
Pope Francis has abolished the obligation of secrecy for those who report having been abused by a priest and for those who testify in a church trial or process having to do with clerical abuse.
Latin America Turns to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Plea for Peace
With much of Latin America in the throes of months of social and political unrest, the continent’s bishops have turned to the “Empress of the Americas” to lend a hand in the effort for peace.
Vatican Calls Greta Thunberg ‘Great Witness’ of Church’s Environmental Teaching
On Dec. 11 top Vatican officials hailed Swedish teen Greta Thunberg, recently named TIME Magazine’s “Person of the Year” for her environmental advocacy, as a “great witness” of Church teaching on care for creation and the human person.