IMAGE: CNS photo/Disney By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — “Star Wars: The Force Awakens” broke box office records and restored a new hope in the franchise to the delight of fans worldwide with a few exceptions, including the Vatican’s newspaper. Emilio Ranzato, author and frequent movie critic for …

IMAGE: REUTERS By Tom Tracy WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. (CNS) — The explosive global refugee crisis — likely the top debate-generating news story of 2015 — seems destined to dominate domestic and foreign politics for years to come at a time when Pope Francis has been calling for a compassionate …

IMAGE: CNS/Nancy Phelan Wiechec By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis appointed a U.S. media adviser as the vice director of the Vatican press office and an Irish prelate known for revolutionizing the Vatican’s approach to social communication as bishop and adjunct secretary of the Pontifical Council …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Seeing baby Jesus in the Nativity scene reminds people that Christ uses humility and love to save the world, not impressive force or a magic wand, Pope Francis said. “God does not love powerful people’s imposing revolutions in history, and …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Nancy Wiechec By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Pope Francis has approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Blessed Teresa of Kolkata, thus paving the way for her canonization. Pope Francis signed the decree for Blessed Teresa’s cause and advanced three other sainthood causes Dec. 17, …

IMAGE: CNS/Paul Haring By Carol Glatz VATICAN CITY (CNS) — When Pope Francis established the Year of Mercy, a full slate of Jubilee events were slotted into his already packed calendar for 2016. A typical “business as usual” year for a pope is already full with meetings, liturgies and foreign …

IMAGE: CNS/L’Osservatore Romano By Junno Arocho Esteves VATICAN CITY (CNS) — To follow a path toward Christ, one must follow the good path of forgiveness, peace and solidarity, and avoid following the evil path of vengeance, war and selfishness, Pope Francis told hundreds of Italian children. The members of Catholic …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Georgetown University By Mark Pattison WASHINGTON (CNS) — Even though he wasn’t on the program, Vice President Joe Biden stole the show at a Georgetown University program promoting peace in wake of terrorist attacks in Paris and San Bernardino, California. Laila Brothers, a Georgetown freshman, had just given …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Chaz Muth By Chaz Muth NEW YORK (CNS) — Frank Chambers was looking for a peaceful moment as he strolled through the noisy holiday exhibits at the New-York Historical Society Museum & Library on a recent December afternoon. “I love the antique trains that are running through the …

IMAGE: CNS photo/Debbie Hill By Judith Sudilovsky BETHLEHEM, West Bank (CNS) — Though the Christmas tree was lit in Nativity Square in the traditional ceremony, and some traditional pre-Christmas parades have taken place, the Christmas spirit this year in Bethlehem has been dampened by the political situation which, since October, …