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...

Pope Leo XIV ends 2025 urging Catholics to examine conscience and entrust new year to God

Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims gathered for his Wednesday general audience on Dec. 31, 2025, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican MediaDec 31, 2025 / 08:08 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV used the Vatican's final general audience of 2025 on Wednesday to invite Catholics to look back on the past year with gratitude and repentance, and to place what lies ahead in God's hands.In St. Peter's Square on Dec. 31, the pope said 2025 brought both joy and sorrow, citing the jubilee pilgrimage of the faithful as well as "the passing of the late Pope Francis" and "the scenarios of war that continue to convulse the planet.""At its end," Leo said, "the Church invites us to place everything before the Lord, entrusting ourselves to his providence, and asking him to renew, in us and around us, in the coming days, the wonders of his grace and mercy."Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile to pilgrims gathered for his Wednesday general audience on Dec. 31, 2025, in St. Peter's Square at the...

Bangladesh's first woman prime minister, Catholic school alumna, dies at 80

Begum Khaleda Zia, former Bangladesh prime minister and chairperson of Bangladesh Nationalist Party, in 2010 at the Diploma Engineers Institute, Dhaka. | Credit: Mohammed Tawsif Salam, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia CommonsDec 30, 2025 / 19:22 pm (CNA).Catholic leaders in Bangladesh are mourning the death of Begum Khaleda Zia, an alumna of Catholic-run St. Joseph's School who became the country's first woman prime minister and maintained a lifelong bond with the Catholic community. She died Tuesday morning local time at age 80 at Evercare Hospital in Dhaka following a prolonged illness."She knew us and we had a good relationship with her," said Bishop Gervas Rozario, vice president of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Bangladesh. "She protected minorities when she was in power."The Bangladesh Nationalist Party (BNP), which she led for decades, announced her passing. "Amma (Mother) is no more," acting chairman Tarique Rahman told senior leaders. The interim government, led by Chi...

Courageous witnesses to the faith: 17 missionaries were murdered in 2025

Father Sylvester Okechukwu of the Diocese of Kafanchan in Nigeria was found murdered on Ash Wednesday, March 5, 2025. | Credit: Diocese of Kafanchan, NigeriaDec 30, 2025 / 15:01 pm (CNA).A total of 17 missionaries were killed worldwide during 2025, the Jubilee Year of Hope. With these figures, the number of missionaries and pastoral workers who have lost their lives by violence since the year 2000 to the present day has risen to 626.On Dec. 30, Fides News Agency published its annual report, which documents the murders of missionaries and all Catholic Christians involved in pastoral activity who have died by violence.The report includes priests, nuns, seminarians, and laypeople who died because of their faith in contexts often marked by violence, extreme poverty, and injustice. In many cases, they were true witnesses to the Gospel who remained faithful to their mission until the end, freely offering their lives to Christ.Africa is once again the hardest-hit continent, with 1...

More than 3 million people attended Vatican audiences and ceremonies in 2025

Aerial view of St. Peter's Square filled with thousands of mourners including clergy and dignitaries gathered for Pope Francis' funeral Mass under a clear blue sky on April 26, 2025, in Vatican City. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN NewsDec 30, 2025 / 15:56 pm (CNA).During the year 2025, the participation of the faithful in audiences and liturgical celebrations at the Vatican reached a total of 3,176,620 people.The Vatican released on Dec. 30 the attendance figures for liturgical celebrations in 2025, a year marked by the Jubilee of Hope, the death of Pope Francis, and the election in May of Pope Leo XIV.Under the pontificate of Pope Francis, who died on April 21, a total attendance of 262,820 faithful was recorded. The largest crowds were at the Angelus, with 130,000 people, followed by the liturgical celebrations, which drew 62,000 faithful.The general and jubilee audiences were attended by 60,500 people, while the total for special audiences was 10,320. The months with the highe...

Pope Leo XIV warns against gambling, which 'ruins many families'

Credit: Zolnierek/ShutterstockDec 30, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).Pope Leo XIV warned about the danger that gambling poses to many families during a Dec. 29 audience with members of the National Association of Italian Municipalities.At the beginning of his address, delivered in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican, the Holy Father explained that "the incarnation of the Son of God brings us face to face with a child, whose gentle fragility is in stark contrast to the crushing power of King Herod."In this context, he emphasized that "the massacre of the innocents ordered by him not only represents a loss of a future for society but is also a manifestation of an inhuman power that does not know the beauty of love because it disregards the dignity of human life."On the contrary, the pope explained that the birth of the Lord "reveals the most authentic aspect of all power, which is above all responsibility and service," and noted that all authority must "embody the virtues of humility, hon...