Pope Francis releases World Day of Peace message and renews call to end death penalty
Pope Francis on December 12 released his message for the 58th World Day of Peace, commemorated annually on Jan. 1, with three concrete proposals for people to embark upon a profound “journey of hope” in the 2025 Jubilee Year.
First Mass celebrated in restored Notre Dame Cathedral
The archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, on Dec. 8, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, celebrated the first Mass during which the altar of the restored cathedral was consecrated following the fire that ravaged the church in April 2019.
Outspoken Calgary Bishop Emeritus Frederick Henry dies at 81
Known for his boldness in taking a stance on controversial issues, Bishop Emeritus Frederick Bernard Henry, who led the Diocese of Calgary, Alberta, Canada, from 1998 to 2017, died on Dec. 3 at Calgary’s Rockyview General Hospital. He was 81.
Report states 80 priests murdered in Mexico
The Catholic Multimedia Center (CCM, by its Spanish acronym), an organization that tracks violence against members of the Church in Mexico, released a report Dec. 9 documenting that since 1990 some 80 Catholic priests have been murdered in the country.
Catholic Church tells European Union to fight against anti-Christian hate
The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Community (COMECE) has called on the European Union (EU) to appoint a coordinator for the fight against anti-Christian hatred in the way it already employs coordinators to combat hate directed at Jews and Muslims.
What do Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith consultants do
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), the Vatican body responsible for questions of doctrinal orthodoxy in the Catholic Church, has a group of outside consultants.
Expert says Pope Francis is a proponent of popular piety
Father Juan Miguel Ferrer Grenesche, a Spanish priest and an expert in liturgy and popular piety, explained Pope Francis’ visit to Corsica on his 47th apostolic journey that the pontiff “has highly valued popular piety” throughout his life.
Notre Dame chief architect reveals particular devotion to Our Lady
The chief architect of the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris shared in an interview with EWTN that he felt Our Lady guided the restoration of the 861-year-old cathedral following the fire that ravaged the building in April 2019.
How should Catholics manage their money
In today’s complex society, it takes effort to ensure that your hard-earned money, once invested and out in the financial ether, doesn’t fund the kinds of things that Catholics abhor — like abortion, pornography, or unethical labor practices.
Eastern Catholics undertake Nativity Fast to empty themselves as did Christ in the Incarnation
Like the Christian West, the various Eastern rites of the Church observe the weeks before Christmas with spiritual preparation and prayer.
