On the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi setting up the first Nativity scene, the creche in St. Peter’s Square in 2023 will come from the Diocese of Rieti, Italy, and pay tribute to the scene set up in the diocese in 1223.
St. Francis of Assisi
Pope Urges Synod of Bishops Not to ‘Barricade Itself Behind Preconceived Notions’
In his opening Mass for the keenly anticipated Synod of Bishops on Synodality, Pope Francis said modern global challenges require the Church to be a warm and welcoming presence, free of the politicking, ideology, and “rigidity” that he said have divided much of the world.
Federal Bill Reintroduced to Put Lab Animals Up for Adoption; Move Hailed By Catholic Ethicists
In a bipartisan effort showing shared concern for animal welfare, Reps. Tony Cárdenas, D-Calif., and Ken Calvert, R-Calif., reintroduced the Companion Animal Release from Experiments (CARE) Act of 2023 in the U.S. House April 26.
Pope’s World Day of the Poor Includes Listening, Helping
Pope Francis plans to prepare for his celebration of the World Day of the Poor by meeting with and listening to some 500 poor people making a pilgrimage to Assisi, Italy, Nov. 12.
Make the World a Better Place by Recognizing Each Other as Kin, Pope Says
Calling all people of goodwill to care for one another as brothers and sisters, Pope Francis urged people not to despair of making the world a better place, but to start creating the world they want through personal action and political lobbying.
Pope Will Sign New Encyclical in Assisi Oct. 3
Pope Francis will travel to Assisi Oct. 3 to sign an encyclical on the social, political and economic obligations that flow from a belief that all people are children of God and therefore brothers and sisters to one another.
Pope Plans Extensive Festivities to Mark Feast of Namesake, St. Francis of Assisi
For history’s first pope named for Francis of Assisi, the saint’s Oct. 4 feast is bound to be a big deal, and this year is no exception, as several major Vatican events are already on the calendar.
Pope Urges Display of Nativity Scenes in Both Public and Private
In a document signed in the city where the Nativity crèche was born, Pope Francis on the first Sunday of Advent urged Christians to keep the “beautiful family tradition” of preparing these scenes in the days before Christmas, but also to keep the custom of setting them up in the workplace, in schools, hospitals, prisons and town squares.
Faith in Focus: October 12, 2019
For the feast day of St. Francis of Assisi on Oct. 4, furry friends and other diocesan pets were blessed by Msgr. David Cassato, pastor of St. Athanasius Church, Bensonhurst.
Stigmata of St. Francis
St. Francis of Assisi’s reception of the stigmata, the wounds of Christ, at La Verna in Italy and its depiction by artists beginning in the 15th century is the focus of a National Gallery of Art exhibit.