Away in a cave near Greccio, Italy, St. Francis of Assisi had the first Nativity scene — a live one — staged for the faithful on Christmas Eve in 1223.
Pope Francis
Student With Cerebral Palsy Flourishes at ADA-Friendly St. Francis College
Jessica Huang, born with cerebral palsy, looks at life a little differently than most of her fellow classmates at St. Francis College. The 20-year-old navigates the world in her wheelchair and has put herself at the forefront of disability advocacy at the school.
In COP28 Message, Pope Insists Climate Change Is a ‘Religious Problem’
Though absent from the COP28 summit in Dubai due to ongoing concerns for his health, Pope Francis sent a message for the inauguration of the first Faith Pavilion at a United Nations climate event, stressing the responsibility of religious leaders in caring for the planet.
For Second Week in a Row, Ailing Pope Speaks From Private Residence
Pope Francis on Dec. 3 recited his noontime Angelus address from his private residence rather than St. Peter’s Square in order to avoid changing temperatures as he continues treatment for what the Vatican has described as lung inflammation caused by bronchitis.
Catholics Call on UN Climate Conference to Hear the ‘Cry of the Earth’ and the ‘Cry of the Poor’
As the United Nations annual climate meeting kicks off Nov. 30, American Catholic leaders are calling for cooperation between global leaders to further transition the world to clean energy and for them to foremost consider the needs of the poor and vulnerable.
Pope Cancels Dubai Trip Over Health Concerns
Just hours after a Vatican news conference confirming Pope Francis’ trip to Dubai this weekend for a United Nations climate summit, the Vatican announced Tuesday that it has been canceled upon medical advice due to an ongoing infection causing lung inflammation.
US, Japanese Bishops Hail UN Summit on Prohibiting Nukes as ‘Journey Toward Hope’
A cohort of Japanese and U.S. Catholic bishops have applauded this week’s meeting of nations that have formally joined the U.N. Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons as “another historic step on the journey toward hope, toward the light, toward a world free of nuclear weapons.”
Citing Lung Inflammation, Pope Curtails Schedule Ahead of Dubai Trip
As a result of what the Vatican described on Monday as an inflammation of his lungs, for which he’s receiving antibiotic treatments, Pope Francis has postponed several commitments in the coming days in order to preserve his strength for a planned Dec. 1-3 trip to Dubai for the COP-28 climate change summit.
Pope Holds Separate Meetings With Israelis, Palestinians at Vatican
VATICAN CITY (CNS) — With hopes growing for a temporary, humanitarian cease-fire, Pope Francis met at the Vatican Nov. 22 with relatives of Israelis held hostage by Hamas and, separately, with relatives of Palestinians suffering under the Israeli siege of Gaza.
Destination Dubai: Pope Heads to Climate Conference to Press for Action
When Pope Francis visits Dubai in the United Arab Emirates Dec. 1-3 to address the opening of the U.N. Climate Change Conference, he will be the first pope ever to attend one of the global gatherings that began in 1995.