Historic Dutch former Catholic church destroyed by fire on New Year's Day

A fire tears through the Vondelkerk church tower in Amsterdam on New Year's Day, Jan. 1, 2026. | Credit: Remko DE WAAL/ANP/AFP via Getty Images/Netherlands OUTJan 2, 2026 / 12:10 pm (CNA).A Jan. 1 fire destroyed a historic Dutch former Catholic church building in Amsterdam, reducing the famed 150-year-old building mostly to ash in a matter of hours.Firefighters reportedly responded to a fire at the Vondelkerk, or Vondel Church, around 1 a.m. on New Year's Day, with the blaze ultimately consuming nearly all of the building and mostly leaving burned walls behind.The burned walls of the Vondelkerk are seen in Amsterdam, Thursday, Jan. 1, 2026. | Credit: KOEN VAN WEEL/Getty ImagesThe historic church was built in 1880 by Pierre Cuypers, a famed Dutch architect known for designing dozens of churches in the Netherlands. Formerly of the Diocese of Haarlem-Amsterdam, the building was sold in 1979 and deconsecrated, a formal act by the Church to remove the sacred character of the church ...

Dublin archbishop challenges politicians to show leadership in promoting peace

Archbishop Dermot Farrell of the Dublin Archdiocese speaks at a Mass at St. Mary's in Dublin on Nov. 14, 2025. Farrell spoke at a Mass on Jan. 1, 2026, the World Day of Peace, calling on politicians to promote peace. | Credit: John McElroy/Dublin ArchdioceseJan 2, 2026 / 12:58 pm (CNA).In his New Year's Day homily at Newtownpark Avenue Church in Dublin, Archbishop Dermot Farrell called upon Ireland's politicians to show leadership in promoting peace and in how they communicate and articulate it.The archbishop was speaking at a Mass for the World Day of Peace where apostolic nuncio Archbishop Luis Mariano Montemayor and Archbishop Emeritus Diarmuid Martin were among the concelebrants.His appeal comes at a time when Ireland's traditional neutrality has come under scrutiny and as the country prepares to take over the EU presidency in the second half of 2026, where defense will be high on the agenda. The presidency of the Council of the European Union is a role that rotates...

Food assistance, housing top Catholic Charities' policy wish list in 2026

Credit: Jonathan Weiss/ShutterstockJan 2, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).Many people who receive assistance through anti-poverty programs faced disruptions in 2025, and Catholic Charities' wish list for 2026 includes government support for food assistance and housing.The largest disruption came in October when food stamps received through the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) were delayed amid the government shutdown. Funding for rental and heating assistance were also disrupted.Confusion about how to implement a memo in January from the Office of Management and Budget calling for a grant freeze also caused delays in funding related to health care, housing affordability, and food assistance.Luz Tavarez, vice president of government relations at Catholic Charities USA, said "people get nervous and scared" amid disruptions.Many Catholic Charities affiliates saw an influx in clients, especially during the shutdown, but Tavarez said there are "very poor people who rely on...

U.S. sanctions against Nigeria expected in 2026

Nigerian security officers during a military operation ahead of the gubernatorial elections in Benin City, Edo, Nigeria, on Sept. 17, 2020. | Credit: Oluwafemi Dawodu/ShutterstockJan 2, 2026 / 08:00 am (CNA).Following U.S. military strikes on Christmas, targeted sanctions and further U.S. action to end persecution of Christians is expected in Nigeria in 2026, according to members of Congress and advocates familiar with the situation. Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, has said he will present a report to U.S. President Donald Trump that "outlines concrete ways the United States can partner with Nigeria to bring an end to this bloodshed and protect our brothers and sisters in Christ."Moore's office said the congressman would meet with Trump sometime in January and present him a report including 30 possible ways the administration could act to end the persecution of Christians in Nigeria in accordance with Trump's designation of Nigeria as a country of particular concern (CPC...

5-year-old son of Catholic speaker Paul Kim passes away

Micah Kim, the 5-year-old son of Catholic speaker and influencer Paul Kim, passed away Dec. 31, 2025. | Credit: Screenshot of Paul Kim's Facebook page, last visited Jan. 1, 2026Jan 1, 2026 / 16:24 pm (CNA).Micah Kim, the 5-year-old son of popular Catholic speaker Paul Kim, has passed away, Kim announced in a tearful social media post Thursday afternoon.Micah died on Wednesday, Dec. 31, 2025, after more than a week on life support following a rare medical emergency brought on by a severe case of the flu."Micah Joseph is beginning the new year basking in the never-ending glory, love, and peace of God," Kim wrote in the post, which was accompanied by a two-part video. "Micah has been very busy already, as I see the Lord using him and sending him on missions to bring millions of people closer to God."Kim asked for privacy for his family as they grieve but said he felt he had to provide an update to the millions of people praying for Micah and his family throughout the orde...

Church in Venezuela could undergo more persecution in 2026, experts say

Caracas skyline. | Credit: Olga Berrios, CC BY 2.0, via Wikimedia CommonsJan 1, 2026 / 10:00 am (CNA).2026 dawned in Venezuela in an atmosphere of ambivalence: sorrows and joys, tensions and consolations, and more questions than certainties. The work of the Catholic Church goes on within the country's turbulent reality, a task that is far from easy due to "the autocratic drift of national politics," as the bishops stated at the beginning of last year.This past December in their Christmas message, the Venezuelan bishops did not hesitate to reaffirm that the "joyful experience" of Jesus' birth is "overshadowed" by the turbulent national reality. Thus, people go about their daily lives enveloped in a barrage of news, rumors, and hardships.The collapse of the economy and basic services, which seems to have no solution, is causing great suffering for the most vulnerable. The latent threat of foreign military intervention on the national territory continues due to the severe tensions...

Leo XIV: The world is saved by welcoming all without fear

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican on Jan. 1, 2026. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Jan 1, 2026 / 07:05 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV called Catholics to a steadfast openness to other people, warning that peace will not be built through force or exclusion, as he celebrated his first liturgy of the new year on Thursday. "The world is not saved by sharpening swords, nor by judging, oppressing, or eliminating our brothers and sisters," the pope said in his homily for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Rather, he added, it is saved by "tirelessly striving to understand, forgive, liberate, and welcome everyone, without calculation and without fear." As is customary for the Jan. 1 Mass, a large group of diplomats accredited to the Holy See attended the liturgy in St. Peter's Basilica, underlining the international scope of the Church's prayer for peace on the World Day of Peace, observed each year on the first day of January. A blessing...

Pope Leo XIV urges prayers for peace in bloodied nations and wounded families

Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for recitation of the Angelus on Jan. 1, 2026. / Credit: Vatican MediaVatican City, Jan 1, 2026 / 07:30 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged Catholics to pray for peace, "first, among nations bloodied by conflict and suffering," and also "within our homes, in families wounded by violence or pain," during the Angelus address on the first day of 2026.Greeting pilgrims gathered in St. Peter's Square for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and the 59th World Day of Peace, the pope reflected on the start of a new year as a time to renew hope and reconciliation."While the rhythm of passing months repeats itself, the Lord invites us to renew our times by finally ushering in an era of peace and friendship among all peoples," he said. "Without this desire for the good, there would be no point in turning the pages of the calendar and filling our diaries."Leo also looked back on the jubilee, which he said "...

Christians in the Middle East in 2025: Signs of hope and the struggle to remain

2025 was a complex and multifaceted year for Christians in the Middle East, oscillating between supportive initiatives and messages of hope alongside persistent challenges. | Credit: Ismail Adnan/ACI MENADec 31, 2025 / 15:30 pm (CNA).2025 was a complex and multifaceted year for Christians in the Middle East. Across six pivotal countries, the contours of this reality reveal an uneven trajectory that is nevertheless unified in essence: a steadfast attachment to land and faith amid harsh circumstances and ongoing challenges.Egypt: Official support and societal challengesThroughout the year, the Egyptian state continued its positive policies toward Christians, most notably through the development of the Holy Family Trail, the legalization of the status of 160 churches and related buildings, and the disbursement of a "Christmas grant" to informal workers. At the same time, Copts faced ongoing challenges, including the failure of some universities to take Christian feast days into ac...

How to obtain a plenary indulgence for the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026

Credit: Wirestock Creators/ShutterstockDec 31, 2025 / 16:00 pm (CNA).On New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, and the first day of 2026, the Catholic Church offers the opportunity to obtain plenary indulgences as a sign of God's mercy and the desire for the sanctification of all her members.A plenary indulgence is remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.Indulgences on Dec. 31On the eve of the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Church grants a plenary indulgence to those Christian faithful who publicly recite the "Te Deum," thanking God for the year that is ending. This blessing is extended especially on Dec. 31.To recite the "Te Deum," click here.Indulgences on Jan. 1Likewise, on Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, a plenary indulgence is granted to those who publicly recite the hymn "Veni Creator," imploring blessings for the new year that is beginning.To recite the "Veni Creator," click here.Additionally, those...