The Vatican lights up the Christmas tree and Nativity Scene in St. Peter’s Square in a ceremony with Sister Raffaella Petrini, President of the Governatorate of the Vatican City State, and Italian civil and religious representatives of the dioceses that donated the Christmas elements. Vatican News The Vatican’s Christmas tree …

The Pope sends a telegram signed by the Vatican Secretary of State to the Archbishop of Sydney, Australia upon hearing the news of the attack which killed 16 people on 14 December. Vatican News After hearing the news of the attack at Bondi Beach in Australia, Pope Leo XIV sent …

By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Dec 14, 2025 / 06:00 am Advent is a season filled with rich Catholic traditions, but a slightly lesser-known one is growing in popularity among younger Catholics. The ancient liturgy of the Rorate Caeli Advent Mass honors the Blessed Virgin Mary through a Mass celebrated …

By Martin Barillas Ann Arbor, Michigan, Dec 15, 2025 / 07:00 am Several college campuses across the country are witnessing a notable rise in baptisms and confirmations among students. Catholic evangelists tell CNA that this growth reflects a deepening desire among young adults for certainty, stability, and faith amid today’s turbulent …

By Daniel Payne CNA Staff, Dec 15, 2025 / 07:00 am Jimmy Lai, the Catholic human rights advocate whose long-running national security trial in China has drawn criticism and charges of persecution, was found guilty on Dec. 15 of multiple violations of China’s national security laws, bringing an end to several …

Pope Leo meets with artists and organisers involved in the Vatican’s Christmas Concert, saying that the festive period reminds us that God comes to meet us “at the very heart of our small human stories.” By Vatican News For 33 years, the Vatican has hosted a Christmas concert in the …

By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Dec 13, 2023 / 04:45 am St. Lucy’s Day, also known as Lucia Day, is a traditional Swedish celebration filled with children in costumes, elaborate processions, and Swedish treats — all honoring the beloved saint. St. Lucy, whose feast day is celebrated by the Catholic …

By Nicolás de Cárdenas ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 10, 2025 / 16:22 pm Today, Dec. 10, marks the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Sister Lucia of Fatima in Pontevedra province in Spain, where the devotion of the Five First Saturdays of the month was revealed. After …

By Tessa Gervasini Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 10, 2025 / 16:00 pm The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has suspended Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley from receiving federal funding, according to the charity group. The Catholic Charities group is the charitable branch of the Diocese of Brownsville and is part of Catholic …

By Tessa Gervasini Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 9, 2025 / 15:30 pm The number of American adults who identify with Christianity, with another religion, or with no religion have all remained steady, a new Pew Research Center report finds. Surveys conducted since 2020 have generally found that about 70% of U.S. …