Israel-Hamas war casts pall over Christmas Eve vespers in Bethlehem
The patriarch was accompanied by Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the Papal Almoner, sent by the Pope to the Holy Land to express his closeness during this Christmas season. The gray sky…
Where does the ‘Feast of the 7 Fishes’ Christmas Eve tradition come from?
The number seven is also symbolic in that it is repeated more than 700 times in the Bible, and in Catholicism there are seven sacraments, seven days of Creation, and…
Catholic Church reportedly closer to getting its first samurai saint
A renowned Japanese warrior in his day and a man of great learning and culture, Takayama renounced his power and possessions rather than give up his Christian faith. For his…
Ukrainian archbishop says same-sex blessings document doesn’t apply to Eastern Churches
Shevchuk said, according to an online translation of his statement from Ukrainian to English, “After consulting with relevant experts and competent institutions, I wish to inform you of the following:…
Revealed: the future of Father Rupnik’s dissolved community
The role of the Society of Jesus Along these lines, the Italian bishop specified that “no direct or indirect responsibility can be attributed to the Society of Jesus, except perhaps…
Indian priest jailed under ‘anti-conversion’ laws is released
The Diocese of Allahabad, in a statement, detailed the sequence of events that led to the priest’s arrest. According to the diocese, the police were trying to locate a Christian…
Polish bishops: Church does not have authority to ‘bless same-sex unions’
The bishops said “avoiding confusion and scandal is virtually impossible” if the Church blesses homosexual relationships, but that “individual people living in complete abstinence” can receive a blessing “in a…
New U.K. draft guidelines say teachers should not be forced to use students’ transgender pronouns
For older children, schools “should only agree to a change of pronouns if they are confident that the benefit to the individual child outweighs the impact on the school community,”…
Pope Francis ‘deeply saddened’ by shooting at Prague university
A 24-year-old Czech university student opened fire in the university’s philosophy department building after first killing his father in his hometown outside of Prague. The gunman killed himself after the…
Israeli ambassador accuses Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem of ‘blood libel’
The Jerusalem Patriarchate, which is led by Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa and oversees the Catholic Church in the Holy Land, published a statement on Dec. 16, in which it said that…
Yes, you need to go to Mass twice this weekend — for Sunday and for Christmas
Since the mid-20th century, the Church has allowed Catholics to attend vigil, or anticipated, Masses for Sundays and holy days of obligation as “a convenience for many of the faithful.”…
Bishop Munilla: Fiducia Supplicans not ‘heretical’ but application will be ‘chaotic’
Given that blessing same-sex couples, Munilla added, “is a particularly debated and sensitive issue, it’s surprising that (they did not) proceed in a synodal manner, in line with the ecclesiology…