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National & World News
Catholics continue to rally around Afghan refugee families in St. Louis
By Jonah McKeown St. Louis, Mo., Dec 30, 2023 / 06:00 am Despite dominating the news cycle for months in 2021, the fall of Afghanistan to the Taliban and the plight of the thousands of people who fled the embattled country has largely exited the public consciousness. But all across the …
‘Religious cleansing’ threatens Armenian Christians’ existence, human rights leaders warn
By Peter Pinedo Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jun 21, 2023 / 16:15 pm The ongoing war between Azerbaijan and Armenia threatens the existence of Christian communities in the near east, former ambassador-at-large for international religious freedom Sam Brownback and other Christian leaders warned in a Tuesday press briefing. Brownback’s statements were delivered …
Chris Christie ties his shift on gay marriage to Vatican ruling on same-sex blessings
By Joe Bukuras CNA Staff, Dec 29, 2023 / 17:30 pm Republican presidential candidate Chris Christie, once an opponent of same-sex marriage, said Thursday his views on the matter have shifted, citing the Vatican’s recent document on same-sex blessings as evidence that “even the Church is changing.” “And so you know …
‘Your confessional is ready’: Buzzing into confession at a Denver Catholic high school
By Denver Catholic Denver, Colo., Dec 29, 2023 / 09:00 am As you walk the halls of Bishop Machebeuf High School in Denver, you won’t find any lines for confession. Instead, students simply pick up a buzzer — like the ones you see at your neighborhood restaurant that tell you when …
2023 witnessed continued attacks on pro-life pregnancy centers, churches
By Joe Bukuras CNA Staff, Dec 29, 2023 / 06:00 am Pro-life institutions continued to be targets of pro-abortion attacks in 2023 following the landmark Supreme Court decision in June 2022 overturning Roe v. Wade. Roe, the 1973 case that legalized abortion nationwide, was struck down on June 24 — the …
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, …
Pope Francis on Christmas: Saying ‘yes’ to the Prince of Peace means saying ‘no’ to war
By Jonathan Liedl Vatican City, Dec 25, 2023 / 08:33 am On the birthday of the Prince of Peace, Pope Francis called for an end to war in the Holy Land and throughout the world as well as the arms trade that fuels it. Delivering his annual “urbi et orbi” Christmas …
St. Francis and the story of the first Nativity scene
by Hannah Brockhaus Rome Newsroom, Dec 23, 2023 / 07:00 am It’s a well-known origin story: how the young and wealthy Francis of Assisi freely abandoned his noble patrimony to serve Christ’s Church as a poor, itinerant preacher. One of the world’s most beloved saints, the founder of the Franciscan …
Where does the ‘Feast of the 7 Fishes’ Christmas Eve tradition come from?
By Francesca Pollio Fenton CNA Staff, Dec 24, 2023 / 07:00 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 …
Israel-Hamas war casts pall over Christmas Eve vespers in Bethlehem
By Marinella Bandini Bethlehem, Dec 24, 2023 / 13:04 pm On Sunday, Dec. 24, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, made his entrance into Bethlehem to celebrate Christmas. It was also his first entrance into the “City of Christmas” since being made a cardinal. Following tradition, the patriarch entered …
