IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — As Christmas approached, St. Peter’s Square was filled with balloons, singing and an incredible variety of Baby Jesus figurines — everything from plastic figures that would fit in a walnut shell to those that were larger-than-life sized. For Pope Francis, …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Christmas tree and Nativity scene are symbols of God’s love and hope, reminding us to contemplate the beauty of creation and welcome the marginalized, Pope Francis said. Baby Jesus, whose parents could find no decent shelter and had to …

IMAGE: CNS photo/L’Osservatore Romano, handout By Cindy Wooden ROME (CNS) — In two long interviews with Jesuit publications, director Martin Scorsese described his new film “Silence” as a major stage in his pilgrimage of faith, a pilgrimage that included flunking out of the minor seminary, investigating other religions and recognizing …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Ashleigh Buyers, Catholic Herald By Michael F. Flach ARLINGTON, Va. (CNS) — Bishop Michael F. Burbidge said that during these unsettling times, Catholics must imitate the witness of St. Thomas More by bringing the joy of the Gospel to the public arena with conviction and love. “We do …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Although she was just a humble young woman from a small town, Mary’s total “yes” to God was “the most important ‘yes’ of history” and overturned Adam and Eve’s prideful “no,” which unleashed sin into the world, Pope Francis said. …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Catholic Church needs holy, healthy and humble priests and that requires prayers for vocations and the careful selection and training of candidates, said the Congregation for Clergy. Updating 1985 guidelines for preparing men for the Latin-rite priesthood and ensuring …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Karen Callaway, Catholic New World By Joyce Duriga DES PLAINES, Ill. (CNS) — With thick, wet snow falling down and live mariachi music to greet them, around 400 riders on horseback rode up to the Shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Des Plaines Dec. 4 to pay …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Cindy Wooden VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Christian hope is not the same as being optimistic about the future, but is knowing that whatever dark or frightening things are going on in one’s life, God is there offering protection and light, Pope Francis said. Holding his general …

IMAGE: EPA By Beth Griffin NEW YORK (CNS) — Christians in the Middle East face extinction because of genocide, wars and international indifference to their plight, according to panelists at a Dec. 5 interfaith forum in New York. A concerted multilateral effort to establish a safe haven for them while …

IMAGE: CNS By VATICAN CITY (CNS) — The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors has launched a beta version of its website in English and has included its template for local guidelines on preventing sexual abuse, resources for a day of prayer for the victims and survivors as well …