Stories for January 2026

Ordered from most to least recent.

Released Wednesday, Jan. 14

 God calls humanity to friendship through His Word, Pope Leo says in audience on Vatican II
 US Supreme Court appears likely to uphold transgender athlete bans
 Staten Island parishes vandalized; state senator pushes for more church security
 British Columbia Supreme Court hears case on Catholic hospital and euthanasia
 Former Anglican bishop discusses journey to Catholic faith
 Be a ‘drum major for justice,’ USCCB president says in MLK Day reflection
 Gambling advertising compromises festival’s Catholic character, archbishop says
 Vatican newspaper underscores suffering of Gaza’s people
 Responding to letter, Pope says ‘hours dedicated to catechesis are never wasted’
 Jerusalem cardinal weighs in on Iran, calls for pilgrims to return to Holy Land
 Central African Republic’s bishops denounce corruption, nepotism, abuse of power
 Venezuelan bishops: foster Christian humanism, peace, and democracy in nation’s schools

Released Tuesday, Jan. 13

 US bishops’ president meets with President Trump, Vice President Vance
 To bless nationalism is blasphemy, Irish Primate says
 Arizona bill would hit priests with felony if they fail to break confessional seal to report abuse
 USCCB affirms support for Hyde amendment following President Trump’s comments
 Argentine diocese marks 50th anniversary of martyrs of La Rioja
 Group protests Tanzanian bishops’ comments on politics
 Vatican newspaper critiques Nuremberg film’s treatment of Pius XII
 Turin cardinal presents new website on Shroud
 Holy Land friars, diplomats gather at Jordan River to celebrate Christ’s Baptism
 Brazilian bishops invite Pope Leo to visit nation for 2029 missionary congress
 San Marino’s leaders meet with Pontiff
 Vatican court blocks prosecutor’s appeal in Becciu case
 UN official briefs Pope on Palestinians’ suffering
 Amid armed conflict, Cameroon’s bishops discuss communion, collegiality
 Venezuelan Nobel Prize winner María Corina Machado meets with Pope
 In Brussels, Cardinal Parolin urges Europe to rediscover Christian boldness

Released Monday, Jan. 12

 At consistory, Cardinal Zen slams synodality under Pope Francis as ‘ironclad manipulation’
 Former Irish president says infant baptism violates human rights
 Gabon’s leading prelate condemns ritual murders
 Bishop in Cambodia condemns Thai actions in border conflict
 EU leadership is hostile to the family, Catholic family association leader charges
 Specialist in medieval Franciscan history named bishop of Assisi
 Asturias president, Pontiff discuss international drift toward war
 EU official speaks of Pope’s ‘moral leadership’
 Regensburg bishop, a Synodal Way critic, meets with Pontiff
 Vatican newspaper highlights plight of Yemen’s Catholics, served by 1 priest
 Witness to Christ and listen to abuse victims, Pope tells world’s cardinals

Released Sunday, Jan. 11

 Pope prays for children, peace in Middle East, Ukraine
 Pope Leo reflects on the Sacrament of Baptism: light, reconciliation, gateway to heaven
 Pope baptizes 20 children, stresses importance of baptizing newborns
 Change the world by becoming holy, Pope tells young people of Rome
 Franciscan leaders release ‘Seeds for Eternal Life,’ on St. Francis and his spiritual legacy

Released Saturday, Jan. 10

 Franciscans, Pope Leo mark beginning of 800th anniversary year of St. Francis of Assisi’s death
 Pope thanks jubilee officials, volunteers
 Only 1 Christian school remains open in Gaza Strip
 New Salesian leader devotes new year’s message to faith
 Pontifical academy president lauds DDF’s poetry citations in monogamy document
 L’Osservatore Romano surveys upcoming Asian elections
 Vatican has diplomatic relations with 184 states
 Veteran diplomat hails Pope Leo’s commitment to peace
 Caritas laments 1,000 days of Sudan crisis
 Over 5,000 Catholics gather in Jordan to commemorate Christ’s baptism
 Bishop Sipuka appointed to Cape Town, succeeding Cardinal Brislin
 Pontiff to celebrate only 3 public liturgies in remainder of January, February
 Situation in Aleppo goes ‘from bad to worse,’ bishop says; suicide attack on church thwarted
 New pastoral staff for Pope Leo
 Christians in Pakistan suffer series of brutal attacks
 Pope Leo establishes 3 new dioceses in 3 weeks
 Italian Christian leaders to discuss ‘way of dialogue’

Released Friday, Jan. 9

 Pope decries abuse of political power in ‘State of the World’ address [News Analysis]
 Mass celebrated ad orientem in 9 parishes in Minnesota diocese
 Spanish bishops, government sign abuse compensation agreement
 Ecumenical Patriarch laments Russian invasion, defends recognition of Orthodox Church of Ukraine
 Balthasar scholar to lead diocese in New York
 Brazilian bishop resigns at 61 to focus on missionary work
 Pope receives Cardinal Zen
 Influencer-pilgrim meets with Pontiff
 Extraordinary consistory of cardinals concludes with announcement of future consistories
 Custos of the Holy Land: ‘Return as pilgrims’
 Place your hopes, your ideas, and your lives upon the altar, Pope preaches to cardinals

Released Thursday, Jan. 8

 Most Greenlanders do not wish to become part of United States, priest says
 Cameroon bishop: ‘We are not politicians’
 26,000 college students, 58 bishops attended SEEK conferences
 Papal encouragement for Poland’s Three Kings Parades
 ‘Teach us to listen to you each day in the Scriptures,’ Pope prays in new video
 Vatican announces ‘Pray with the Pope’ campaign
 As consistory’s first day concludes, Pope tells cardinals that ‘the journey is as important as the conclusion’
 Cardinals, in consistory, vote to focus on evangelization and synodality, rather than on Curia, liturgy
 Pope Leo opens extraordinary consistory with call to mutual love and listening
 Pope begins new series of general audiences about Vatican II and its documents

Released Wednesday, Jan. 7

 31 Charlotte priests query Vatican about legitimacy of bishop’s liturgical directives
 Russell Shaw, US bishops’ former spokesman, dies at 90
 Cardinal Parolin, Secretary of State Rubio discuss Venezuela, religious freedom
 Report: Kyiv’s Roman Catholics permitted to use historic church for 50 years
 Extraordinary consistory of College of Cardinals begins today
 Ugandan archbishop calls for peace, hope ahead of election
 Nigeria’s leading church music composer has ‘knack for catchy, soulful tunes’
 Ukrainian Catholic leader condemns online marriages
 Latin American bishops issue ‘message of closeness and hope’ to Church, people of Venezuela
 Last jubilee pilgrims: 5,000 volunteers
 Pope Leo at Epiphany Mass: ‘God reveals himself, and nothing remains unchanged’
 Jesus is the Epiphany of God and true humanity, Pope tells pilgrims

Released Tuesday, Jan. 6

 Pontiff closes holy door of St. Peter’s Basilica, ending jubilee year
 Colombian bishop condemns US strikes on Venezuela, describes President Trump as authoritarian
 English archdiocese announces apologetics initiative
 New Orleans archdiocese releases public apology letter to abuse claimants
 Green Bay bishop begins inquiry into life of Servant of God Adele Brice
 USCCB announces annual pro-life novena
 Gunshots fired at Palermo parish
 Lazio’s president meets with Pontiff, hails papal commitment to peace and the poor
 Vatican officials to present ‘Pray with the Pope’ campaign
 Vatican, Italian officials take stock of jubilee year; 33.4 million pilgrims came from 185 nations

Released Monday, Jan. 5

 Indianapolis parish files lawsuit in order to demolish deconsecrated church
 Mass attendance, conversions up significantly at Harvard
 Priestly vocations surge in Ohio diocese
 Terrorists attack Nigerian villages, reportedly re-abduct some Catholic school students
 Cardinal Sarah speaks at Princeton on sacred music, the four last things, and true peace
 Historic Dutch former Catholic church destroyed by fire on New Year’s Day
 UN chief calls on Israel to reverse ban on Caritas, other humanitarian organizations in Gaza
 Vatican to publish documents associated with abandoned ‘Fundamental Law of the Church’
 Vatican consultor sees need to ‘rethink’ psycho-affective formation of priests
 Ukrainian Catholic leader hopes 2026 will bring just and lasting peace
 Venezuelan bishops call for fervent prayer for peace
 Vatican City State releases new official app
 The Church is called to ‘silent and shared presence,’ Swiss bishop says after bar fire

Released Sunday, Jan. 4

 The Incarnation commits us to God and our fellowmen, Pope tells pilgrims
 Pope Leo: ‘The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail above every other consideration’

Released Saturday, Jan. 3

 Pope attends choir concert, says there is ‘no Christmas without songs’
 Vote out incumbents who failed to deliver on promises, Kenyan bishop advises
 Czech parish to be constructed using 3D printing
 Major Indian art exhibition closes temporarily after Catholics protest Last Supper depiction
 Pope marks 800th anniversary of Brussels cathedral
 Vatican foreign minister calls for ‘verifiable’ peace gestures as new year begins
 Israel bans dozens of aid groups from Gaza, including Caritas, drawing condemnation
 Jerusalem cardinal addresses Italian national peace march
 Pope venerates relic of St. Thérèse before it returns to Lisieux
 Pontiff embraces 12-year-old Ukrainian refugee
 Florence archbishop, laid-off workers meet with Pontiff
 Palestinian young people meet with Pope
 Love Ukraine and do not grow weary of defending it, Catholic leader says in interview
 The ‘enemy’ is an opportunity for salvation, Vatican newspaper director writes in editorial
 Sisters confirm release of all abducted schoolchildren in Nigeria
 Cardinal Bo proclaims Incarnation, message of peace to Myanmar’s military ruler

Released Friday, Jan. 2

 USCCB, Catholic organizations criticize proposed change to immigration regulation
 Vatican, Italian officials to take stock of jubilee
 Pontiff mourns victims of Swiss fire
 Encounter Christ and share Him with others, Pope Leo tells American college students
 Kentucky bishops issue immigration statement
 Dublin archbishop calls on Ireland to recommit itself to building peace
 Amid US military buildup, Caribbean bishops announce day of prayer for peace
 Leading Australian prelate calls for national probe into anti-Semitism
 Amid emigration and falling baptisms, Hong Kong cardinal calls Catholics to renewed mission
 Philippine prelate speaks out against proposed nuclear power plant
 Take action against rising attacks on Christians, Goa Catholics urge governor
 Cardinal Koch: Pope Benedict XVI taught us to seek face of God
 Brazilian archbishop who resigned at 62 to lead new diocese

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Wed14 January
Ordinary Time

Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

Image for Wednesday of the First Week in Ordinary Time

The Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Felix of Nola (d. 255), priest. After his father‘s death, Felix sold off most of his property and possessions, gave the proceeds to the poor, and pursued his vocation as a priest. He was ordained by, and worked with Saint Maximus of Nola. During the…

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