Most Popular News Within Last 30 Days

Vatican alters Pope Francis’s original schedule for closing of jubilee holy doors

The Vatican has announced the dates of the closing of the holy doors that were opened at the beginning of the 2025 jubilee year. The closing dates differ from the dates established by Pope Francis in Spes Non Confundit, his bull of indiction for the jubilee year.

The holy doors in Santa Maria Maggiore, the Lateran Basilica, and the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls were all originally scheduled to be closed on December 28. Under the new schedule, the archpriests of the three basilicas will close the respective holy doors on December 25, December 27, and December 28. Pope Leo XIV will close the holy door in St. Peter’s Basilica on January 6, as originally scheduled.

In addition, Cardinal Baldassare Reina closed the holy door in Rebibbia Prison on December 21. In his bull of indiction, Pope Francis expressed the hope of opening a holy door in a prison, but without establishing opening and closing dates; he opened the holy door in that prison last December 26.

Phoenix surpasses New York, Chicago to become nation’s 2nd-largest diocese

The Diocese of Phoenix has surpassed the Archdiocese of New York and the Archdiocese of Chicago to become the nation’s second-largest diocese, according to statistics published in the recently...

Bishop who apologized to LGBTQ community to lead California diocese

Pope Leo XIV yesterday named Auxiliary Bishop Ramon Bejarano of San Diego as the new bishop of Monterey, California. Ordained to the priesthood in 1998, the 56-year-old prelate was appointed...

North Carolina bishop calls for routine use of extraordinary ministers; bans altar rails, intinction

In a pastoral letter released yesterday, the bishop of Charlotte, North Carolina, called for the routine distribution of Holy Communion by extraordinary ministers and banned the use of “altar...

Vatican releases schedule of papal Christmas liturgies

Archbishop Diego Ravelli, who leads the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, has released the schedule of Masses and other liturgies at which Pope Leo will preside during the Christmas season.

Pope Leo is scheduled to celebrate two Christmas Masses in St. Peter’s Basilica: at 10:00 PM on December 24 and at 10:00 AM on December 25. In 2024, Pope Francis presided at one Christmas Mass, at 7:00 PM on December 24.

As is customary, the Pope will also offer an Urbi et Orbi blessing on Christmas Day, preside at Vespers on December 31, and celebrate Masses on January 1 (the Solemnity of Mary, the Holy Mother of God) and on January 6 (the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord on the General Roman Calendar).

Prepare for Christmas by going to Confession, Pope Leo advises

At the conclusion of his December 17 general audience, Pope Leo XIV recommended Confession in preparation for Christmas and praised the custom of the Christmas novena. “May the last days of...

Pope Leo’s vision of ‘disarming peace’ [News Analysis]

“Peace exists; it wants to dwell within us,” Pope Leo XIV writes in his message for the 59th annual World Day of Peace. The World Day of Peace is celebrated on January 1, when the...

New Florida bishop’s parish has perpetual adoration, 68 hours of weekly Confession

Pope Leo XIV has named Father Manuel de Jesus Rodriguez, the pastor of Our Lady of Sorrows Parish in Corona, New York, as the new bishop of Palm Beach, Florida. Born in the Dominican Republic in...

Brazilian archbishop who resigned at 62 to lead new diocese

In a highly unusual decision, Pope Leo XIV yesterday appointed a Brazilian archbishop who resigned in 2019 to lead a new diocese. Born in Brazil in 1957, Archbishop Luís Gonzaga Silva...

Salesians poised to overtake Jesuits as largest male religious institute

The Salesians of Don Bosco are poised to surpass the Society of Jesus as the Church’s largest male religious institute, according to the newly released online edition of the Annuario...