Cuban bishops’ Christmas message: Challenges, exodus, call to faith in adversity
‘You have brought them abundant joy and great rejoicing; they rejoice before you’ (Is 9:2) The Cuban shepherds recalled the words of the prophet Isaiah and prayed that God might…
Christmas 2023: Best Catholic gifts for the hard-to-shop-for person this year
Men’s products from Catholic Balm Co. For any man on your shopping list, a product from Catholic Balm Co. is a great option. Their products, which include beard balm, lip…
Six popes are buried at St. Mary Major; Pope Francis says he’ll be next
Statue of St. Pius V above his tomb in a chapel of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome. Credit: Raksan36studio/Shutterstock His pontificate was dedicated to applying the reforms…
Irish priest calls musician Shane MacGowan’s raucous funeral Mass ‘a scandal’
MacGowan’s funeral Mass took place Friday, Dec. 8, at St. Mary of the Rosary Church in Nenagh, County Tipperary, Ireland. His sister Siobhan MacGowan said Shane sometimes accompanied their late…
Congress passes military package without bans on funding abortion, sex change surgeries
Montana Republican Rep. Matt Rosendale, a Catholic who introduced the House amendment banning military spending on sex change surgeries, said in a press statement that he voted against the compromise…
Pope Francis calls for global regulation of AI for ‘peace and common good’
The pope said that although “‘intelligent’ machines may perform the tasks assigned to them with ever greater efficiency,” artificial intelligence is “merely ‘fragmentary’ in the sense that they can only…
Killer of martyred Argentine Blessed Wenceslao Pedernera gets life in prison
The only person accused of the crime is Britos, who in 1976 was in charge of the Chilecito Gendarmerie Squadron. More than 60 people worked to resolve the case, testifying…
Nuncio asks Brazil bishop who criticized Amazon synod to leave prelature
Bishop José Luis Azcona was born in Pamplona, Spain, and was bishop of Marajó from 1987 to 2016. As bishop emeritus, Azcona was one of the few voices that criticized…
No closures recommended for St. Louis Catholic elementary schools, archdiocese says
On Tuesday, the archdiocese said that all of the pastors recommended keeping their schools open for the 2024-25 school year. “The pastors have now been asked, in consultation with the…
U.S. bishops urge more federal security funds for houses of worship, nonprofits
Dolan in the letter stated that “the Jewish community is especially vulnerable,” citing “stories of attacks” since the Oct. 7 Hamas attack on Israel, as well as reports of sharp…
Supreme Court to review high-stakes abortion case
In 2022, several pro-life groups and individuals, represented by the Alliance Defending Freedom (ADF), sued the FDA arguing that the administration failed to use the proper channels and hurriedly approve…
Pope Francis says that he wants to be buried in Marian basilica in new interview
He said that a “place is already prepared” for his burial in one of the oldest and most important Marian shrines in the West. “I want to be buried in…