Offering his condolences, Pope Francis praised former U.S. President Jimmy Carter’s Christian faith and his lifelong mission to advance peace.
International News
Jimmy Carter, the First President to Host a Pope at the White House, Dies at 100
Former President Jimmy Carter died Dec. 29 at his home in Plains, Georgia, his presidential library announced. At 100, Carter, who had been in hospice care since February 2023, was the longest-living U.S. president.
Amid Unprecedented Chaos in Haiti, Missionaries Bring Christmas Hope
In Haiti, where insecurity has devastated daily life since the 2021 assassination of President Jovenel Moïse, many religious groups are striving to celebrate Christmas amid growing chaos.
Pope, Bishops, Hundreds of Faithful Pray for Victims of Shocking Christmas Market Attack
Several hundred people gathered at Magdeburg Cathedral in the evening of Dec. 21 for an ecumenical prayer service to remember the victims of the Dec. 20 Christmas market attack in the central German city, which killed five, including a 9-year-old child, and injured over 40 people, leaving some in critical condition.
Pope, Suffering a Cold, Focuses on Mothers and Children Before Christmas
Leading the recitation of the Angelus prayer from inside the chapel of his residence because of a cold, Pope Francis nevertheless blessed the baby Jesus figurines children and adults will put in their Nativity scenes — and he brought one of his own as well.
‘You Are the Light of Our Church,’ Cardinal Pizzaballa Tells Gaza Christians
“You have become the light of our Church in the entire world,” Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa told Gaza Christians Dec. 22 during a pre-Christmas visit aiming to bring the joy of the season to the suffering Christian community in the Gaza Strip.
Deadly Car Attack at German Christmas Market Kills 5, More Than 200 Injured
German authorities are calling the tragedy of a car plowing through a Christmas market on Friday, Dec. 20, a mass casualty event.
Trump Names CatholicVote’s Brian Burch as Next Holy See Ambassador
President-elect Donald Trump on Dec. 20 announced his intention to appoint Brian Burch, currently the president of CatholicVote, as the next U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See.
3,000 Catholic School Kids, Black Eyed Peas Members Make New Christmas Song
As many as 3,000 Catholic school children from poor families in the Philippines made their pop music debut in a new Christmas song by some members of the multi-platinum hip-hop/pop group Black Eyed Peas.
’Tis the Season: Exploring the Saints of the Christmas Season
Contrary to what marketers and corporations may imply, the actual Christmas season begins with the vigil Mass on Christmas Eve and concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord on the Sunday after Epiphany. The Twelve Feast Days of Christmas include several important saints, solemnities, and memorials during this period.