Author Archive
EWTN News
Chile’s president-elect on the decision that changed his life forever
By Julieta Villar Dec 27, 2025 / 08:00 am In an exclusive 2024 interview with Goya Producciones for the documentary “ Valientes” (Brave Ones), the now president-elect of Chile, José Antonio Kast, addressed topics such as defending life, his family history, and the problem of leftist ideological imposition on society. Discussing both …
St. Stephen: Visiting the spot where the first martyr died
By Jonah McKeown CNA Staff, Dec 26, 2023 / 04:00 am If “Good King Wenceslas” is one of the Christmas hymns you look forward to each year, you probably know which saint is celebrated today — St. Stephen, the first person to die for the risen Christ. Roman Catholics celebrate his feast on Dec. 26, …
The 8 days of Christmas? A look at the Christmas octave
By Kevin J. Jones Denver, Colo., Dec 25, 2024 / 04:00 am The Catholic calendar has several ways to divide the Christmas season. The Church’s Western liturgical tradition sees Christmas as an octave, an eight-day celebration of the birth of Jesus Christ. The octave of Christmas begins on Christmas itself, the feast of …
Full text: Pope Leo XIV’s Christmas night homily
By Pope Leo XIV Vatican City, Dec 24, 2025 / 17:31 pm Pope Leo XIV celebrated Christmas Mass during the Night in St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday. The Mass was attended by an estimated 6,000 people inside the basilica, while around 5,000 people gathered outside in St. Peter’s Square, according to …
The story behind Italy’s favorite Christmas carol
By Hannah Brockhaus Rome Newsroom, Dec 25, 2025 / 06:00 am If you spend any part of Christmas in Italy, you are sure to hear one of the country’s most beloved carols, “Tu Scendi Dalle Stelle” (“From Starry Skies Descending”). The Christmas song, written and composed by St. Alphonsus Liguori in …
Pope Leo XIV revives tradition during first Christmas of his pontificate
By Victoria Cardiel Vatican City, Dec 24, 2025 / 06:00 am Pope Leo XIV will celebrate his first Christmas at the Vatican by reviving the tradition of offering Christmas Mass on Dec. 25 in St. Peter’s Basilica, something no pope has done since 1994. The Christmas celebrations — which will be …
Where does the ‘Feast of the 7 Fishes’ Christmas Eve tradition come from?
By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Dec 24, 2025 / 04:00 am There are numerous Christmas Eve traditions families around the world take part in, whether it’s watching a certain movie together, baking cookies for Santa, opening one present before going to bed, or eating a specific meal for dinner. The …
The History of ‘The Twelve Days of Christmas’
The song, “The Twelve Days of Christmas” is an English Christmas carol. From 1558 until 1829, Roman Catholics in England were not permitted to practice their faith openly. Someone during that era wrote this carol as a catechism song for young Catholics. It has two levels of meaning: the surface …
These are Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intentions for 2026
By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Dec 22, 2025 / 06:00 am The pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network has released Pope Leo XIV’s list of prayer intentions for the year 2026. Every month, Pope Leo asks Catholics around the world to pray for a particular intention. This initiative is accompanied by a video in …
Pope Leo XIV appoints Monsignor James Misko as bishop of Tucson
By CNA Staff Vatican City, Dec 22, 2025 / 09:58 am Pope Leo XIV has appointed Monsignor James A. Misko, a priest of the Diocese of Austin, Texas, as the next bishop of Tucson, Arizona. The Holy See Press Office publicized the appointment at the Vatican, and it was also publicized …
