Bethlehem rejoiced with the festive celebration of lighting of a 65-feet Christmas tree at the edge of Manger Square Dec. 6 – for the first time since December 2022 and the start of Israel-Hamas war 10 months later.
International News
Trump Marks Feast of Immaculate Conception, a Day ‘Special to Our Catholic Citizens’
In a Dec. 8 statement marking the feast of the Immaculate Conception, President Donald Trump called it “a Holy Day honoring the faith, humility, and love of Mary, mother of Jesus and one of the greatest figures in the Bible.”
In New Interview, President Trump Says He Is Open To Meeting With Pope Leo XIV
President Donald Trump said in a wide-ranging interview with Politico published Dec. 9 that he would be open to meeting with Pope Leo XIV and responded to the pontiff’s pushback to his immigration policy.
More Than 11 Million Have Visited Notre Dame Since Its Reopening
Notre Dame de Paris celebrated the first anniversary of its reopening Dec. 7 with a major milestone: more than 11 million people have visited the iconic cathedral in the past 12 months.
Canadian Missionary Warns New Yorkers About Euthanasia’s ‘Slippery Slope’
Benjamin Turland, a Catholic missionary in Canada, warns New Yorkers against supporting laws that legalize euthanasia. He has first-hand experience: both his grandmothers chose to die via euthanasia, which is legal in Canada.
Nigerians Like Trump’s ‘CPC’ Move, But Wary of Saber-Rattling
President Donald Trump has put Nigeria back on the list of Countries of Particular Concern, pleasing the West African nation’s local diaspora.
By Any Name, the Mother of Jesus is Beloved by Catholics
She is known by various names, including the Virgin Mary, the Blessed Mother, and Mary, the mother of Jesus. Or simply Mary. But whatever name Catholics prefer to call her, there is one thread that runs through all of the titles — a deep love and devotion for her.
As Pope Leo XIV’s First Papal Trip Concludes, He Sets His Sights on Possible Trip to Africa
At the end of his first foreign trip as pope, a trip focused on dialogue, Pope Leo XIV said the examples of friendship and respect he had seen could be a helpful example for people in North America and Europe, too.
Love Without Fear, Pope Tells Lebanese Church Workers During First Papal Trip
At a shrine topped by a 28-foot-tall statue of Our Lady of Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV listened to stories of unshakable faith amid war, injustice and suffering.
Though City of Nicaea Is in Ruins, Its Creed Stands and Unites Christians, Pope Says
Although the ancient city of Nicaea lies in ruins and the geographic center of Christianity has shifted West, Pope Leo XIV and Christian leaders gathered at an archaeological site in Turkey to celebrate the enduring faith set out in the Nicene Creed.