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ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 23, 2025 / 16:25 pm (CNA).

The European Commission has decided to withdraw funding from the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE), an organization founded in 1997 to promote and defend the family, based on marriage between a man and a woman, before European institutions.

The decision comes at a time when the European Union has recently given the green light to initiatives that promote so-called abortion tourism financed by European funds and the imposition of the recognition of homosexual unions on all member states.

In contrast, funding is being denied to this Brussels-based Catholic federation, which brings together 33 associations from 20 European countries and is currently active with EU institutions, the Council of Europe, and the U.N.

At the end of November, the EU froze the funds allocated to projects submitted by FAFCE without providing an explanation, even though several of them were aimed at protecting minors from pornography or promoting digital security, areas that the union itself considers priorities.

The president of FAFCE, Vincenzo Bassi, said the European Union's rejection is based on the federation's alleged shortcomings related to its approach to gender and equality, criteria promoted by the EU itself. 

In a statement to ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, Bassi noted that his organization is subject to systematic discrimination, since it seems that "the family experience is not compatible with the values ??of the European Union."

This rejection, Bassi emphasized, "is not due to technical issues but to an explicit ideological prejudice," because the European Union does not conceive of the family "as a relevant social actor."

Furthermore, he warned of a broader process of ideological imposition and encroachment on sovereign nations' own laws in areas such as abortion, family, and identity. The EU's objective, he explained, is to "transform policy decisions into legal decisions in order to impose them on member states."

As the FAFCE president explained, through so-called soft law — nonbinding resolutions that create legal consensus — the EU is encroaching on sovereign nations' own laws that the treaties reserve exclusively for the states, especially in matters such as family or abortion. This would allow, for example, pressure to be exerted on countries with more restrictive legislation, alleging violations of the "rule of law."

Bassi said this shift represents an abandonment of the original spirit of the EU's founding fathers, who "envisioned European integration based on social cohesion and the strengthening of families."

Instead, the Italian leader criticized that today a "bureaucratic model" prevails, one that "wants to teach my grandmother how to cook pasta" instead of providing the means for a better life.

Despite the seriousness of the financial situation — since, as he pointed out "without the Catholic community, we run the risk of not being able to continue" — Bassi remains optimistic. He said he believes that Europe's demographic winter and internal contradictions are creating a favorable environment "for a serious debate about the family." His goal, he noted, is not to confront the European Union but to propose an alternative truly emerging from the people, faithful to Europe's roots and vocation.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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CNA Staff, Dec 23, 2025 / 16:55 pm (CNA).

Priests as well as the lay faithful are voicing criticisms after Bishop Michael Martin of the Diocese of Charlotte, North Carolina, issued a pastoral letter last week prohibiting the use of altar rails and kneelers in the reception of Communion in the diocese.

In the Dec. 17 letter, Martin said that by Jan. 16, 2026, the use of altar rails, kneelers, and prie-dieus (movable kneelers) will no longer be permitted in the diocese, and any "temporary or movable fixtures used for kneeling for the reception of Communion" must be removed.

In the letter, Martin said while an "individual member of the faithful" is free to kneel to receive and should not be denied Communion, the "normative posture for all the faithful in the United States is standing," per guidelines from the U.S. bishops.

In May, a leaked draft of a letter detailed Martin's intended reforms of traditional practices in the diocese. In the letter, the bishop said that because "there is no mention in the conciliar documents, the reform of the liturgy, or current liturgical documents concerning the use of altar rails or kneelers for the distribution of holy Communion, they are not to be employed in the Diocese of Charlotte."

Also in the May letter, Martin said it was "simply absurd" to suggest that "kneeling is more reverent than standing."

Martin said in his Dec.17 letter that it is his "intention to continue to facilitate 'peace and unity' in our liturgies."

A Charlotte priest who spoke to CNA on the condition of anonymity said of Martin's "heavy-handed" approach to reform: "Everybody's had it."

"If the priests of the diocese were asked for a vote of no confidence, a vast majority would vote that way," he said. 

"Unfortunately, Bishop Martin's style of leadership has been a source of division for the diocese since his arrival and there does not seem to be any course correction after many appeals. It has been painful for many across the diocese," he continued.

"Why is kneeling a problem? Why go to such lengths to force these changes?" he asked. Receiving communion is "the most intimate moment of the week for people, who are receiving their God. Why go through all this bad PR? I don't understand it."

"It's going to be a train wreck," he continued, speaking of the continued opposition to the bishop's reforms. 

He told CNA he is hopeful the matter will be addressed at the upcoming consistory of cardinals in Rome.

A letter by an anonymous canon lawyer also began circulating last week throughout the Charlotte Diocese in response to Martin's Dec. 17 letter.

In the anonymous letter, Martin is accused of ignoring the role of synodality in his decision-making. He is also accused of ignoring the feedback of his presbyteral council. 

Writing to Martin, the letter-writer told him that the "decision to prohibit altar rails and aids to kneeling relies on your own preference rather than the law or the tradition of the Church."

Matthew Hazell, a British liturgy scholar, told the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, in May that Martin's perspective was consistent with what Pope Benedict XVI famously described as a "hermeneutic of discontinuity and rupture." 

"Rather than allow the novus ordo to be celebrated in a manner in keeping with its own rubrics and with the Church's tradition, Bishop Martin seems to see it as an entirely new creation that cannot even be seen to have anything in common with what came before," Hazell told the Register.

Parishes that kneel reportedly provide lion's share of vocations

According to Brian Williams, an advocate for Charlotte's Traditional Latin Mass community, of the diocese's 44 seminarians, "at least 75% are from parishes where kneeling has been the practice to receive holy Communion."

Williams said his small parish, where kneeling is the norm, has produced seven seminarians recently. 

He told CNA that the "mega parishes that have embraced these liturgical changes" have provided "maybe two of the 44 seminarians even though they account for tens of thousands of families." 

One of the largest Catholic parishes in the country, St. Matthew Catholic Church, does not have altar rails. Willliams said there is "one seminarian from there right now, and not more than six men ordained from there in its entire history." 

"They do a lot of great things, but they're not providing vocations," Williams said.

In September, despite a great deal of pushback, Martin canceled the Traditional Latin Mass in all but one small chapel that is not large enough to house the diocese's burgeoning Latin Mass community. 

He initially tried to cancel the Mass several months earlier than the timeline set by his predecessor, Bishop Peter Jugis, but decided in the summer to allow the Mass to continue.

"It falls to every member of the body of Christ to facilitate unity in our celebrations. These norms for our diocese move us together toward the Church's vision for the fuller and more active participation of the faithful, especially emphasized by our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, at the beginning of his Petrine ministry," Martin wrote in the December letter.

In the May letter, Martin described how priestly vestments with too much lace or decoration would be prohibited in the diocese. That letter also decried the use of Latin in any Masses other than ones in which most of the attendees understand Latin, such as "a specific gathering of scholars, clergy, or those trained in classical music."

Martin said pastors who incorporate Latin into their Masses are not being "pastorally sensitive," writing that "the faithful's full, conscious, and active participation is hindered wherever Latin is employed." 

"Most of our faithful do not understand and will never comprehend the Latin language, especially those on the periphery. It is fallacious to think that if we employ Latin more frequently, the faithful will get used to it and finally understand it," he claimed. 

When Martin concelebrated the Mass with several other bishops this summer at a parish that traditionally kneels at an altar rail to receive, per his direction, Communion was distributed in front of the altar rail to discourage parishioners from kneeling. 

Nevertheless, a video showed parishioners kneeling anyway, many of them elderly women who needed assistance standing up after receiving.

The Diocese of Charlotte declined multiple requests for comment.

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ACI Africa, Dec 23, 2025 / 11:37 am (CNA).

The secretary-general of the Catholic Bishops' Conference of Nigeria (CBCN) has urged Nigerians to safeguard their future by making informed choices especially during elections and amid the country's security crisis.

In his message for Christmas delivered during the festival of Lessons and Carols at the Catholic Secretariat of Nigeria, Father Michael Banjo highlighted vices such as dishonesty, corruption, and exploitation as major obstacles to peace, warning of the dangers of ungodliness.

"If we want peace in Nigeria, we must stop trading our future for crumbs and begin to give glory to God by voting for leaders of integrity, compassion, and proven character, leaders who fear God and truly serve the common good," Banjo said during the Dec. 14 event.

He added: "When leaders govern without fear of God, conscience gives way to selfishness, injustice grows unchecked, and violence finds room to thrive."

Banjo said peace is impossible where power is exercised without accountability, wealth is pursued without conscience, and authority is claimed without service. He faulted Nigerians who compromise their civic duty for short-term gain.

"There can be no peace when we sell our votes for a bag of rice or a few naira, or choose leaders based on tribe, religion, or region rather than character, competence, and commitment to the common good," he said.

"When elections are traded for personal benefit, conscience is sacrificed for convenience, and truth is exchanged for loyalty to narrow interests, we deny God the glory he deserves," he added. "Where God is not honored in our civic responsibility, peace cannot endure."

Banjo attributed the ongoing security challenges in Africa's most populous nation to widespread ungodliness, noting that many Nigerians have sidelined the glory of God in their actions and prioritized vices that threaten the country's future.

"For too long, persistent killings, abductions, and targeted violence affecting many communities, particularly Christian communities, have been met with silence, denial, or half-measures," he said.

Reflecting on the U.S. intervention to the security challenge in the country, Banjo said it is unfortunate that Nigeria had to wait for external voices before treating the problem of insecurity with the seriousness it deserves.

"Protecting life is not a favor prompted by foreign pressure; it is the primary duty of the government," he said. "Every Nigerian life matters regardless of whether he or she is a Christian or Muslim." 

Banjo warned that true peace cannot exist when personal gain comes at the expense of honesty and integrity. He warned that engaging in fraudulent or exploitative practices may bring temporary benefits, but they fail to glorify God and cannot provide lasting peace.

"There can be no peace within us when money is made through fraud, corruption, or exploitation," Banjo said.

"If you sell tomatoes in the market and hide rotten ones under fresh ones, or tamper with fuel meters so customers pay for more than they receive, you may gain temporarily, but you do not honor God," he explained. "And what does not give glory to God cannot give peace."

He also highlighted the importance of forgiveness and respect in families, noting that peace disappears where resentment, violence, or disrespect prevail.

"There can be no peace in our homes when couples and family members refuse to forgive. When past wrongs are constantly recalled, or when a husband is violent or a wife openly disrespects her husband, love is destroyed, trust is broken, and the home becomes a place of fear," he explained.

In a situation where forgiveness, love, and mutual respect prevail, the priest said, God is honored and peace is enshrined.

The secretary-general of the Catholic bishops in Nigeria emphasized that a nation that honors God by protecting every human life is a nation where peace can take root.

"It is precisely in the face of the painful realities confronting our nation that the message of Christmas must be clearly heard," he said. "The mystery of the Incarnation assures us that we are not alone. God is Emmanuel. He is truly with us."

He added: "It is no coincidence that we chose to celebrate our Christmas carols on this Third Sunday of Advent, Gaudete Sunday, when the Church calls us to rejoice even in the midst of hardship. To rejoice is to refuse despair."

"It is to carry hope within us and to become a sign of hope for others. We rejoice when we choose gratitude over bitterness, when families still pray together despite empty pockets, when we share the little we have with those who do not have, and when we remain warm and compassionate to one another," he said.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

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Madrid, Spain, Dec 23, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Father Manuel Chouciño, an expert in new evangelization who has surprised many by organizing an escape room in a Spanish monastery, is convinced that Catholics "are in vogue" because people "are tired of feeling so empty."

Having arrived just three months ago at the parish-monastery of the Divine Savior of Lérez, which belongs to the Archdiocese of Santiago de Compostela, Chouciño saw in the place, an old Benedictine monastery, great possibilities for evangelization.

The monastery had been empty since 1835 due to the forced expropriation of Catholic Church property known as "the ecclesiastical confiscations," but in the eyes of a priest with more than 40 years of experience in youth ministry and recreational activities it was full of possibilities. And the parishioners were ready to follow him.

"When you see that there's been a rather long period where people are somewhat discouraged pastorally, and then you see that they're willing to work, that there's interest and enthusiasm, then you just take the plunge and say: Let's move forward with whatever it takes," he explained in a conversation with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner.

About 700 people were able to enjoy the experience, which immersed them in the world of medieval monastic life through various challenges that entire families completed: discovering the monks' prayer times by listening to bells, identifying and combining herbs used in Benedictine medicine, and finding a hidden message with the help of a mirror.

This activity is the spearhead of a plan as ambitious as it is creative that seeks to respond to society's spiritual thirst.

"It seems to me that the trend is that we Catholics are going to be in vogue for a while," Chouciño said, convinced that "people are tired of feeling so empty. So they need to return; it's something that's ingrained within us, we can't avoid it."

Society is "exhausted by all the woke ideology and all the boring talk. And what they want is something a little deeper, something that will answer the important questions of existence. That's where they return, at least those of a Christian background, to reconsider their faith," he explained.

Welcoming, not judgmental, communities

The escape room project is part of the response to this spiritual thirst, because, "for them to feel comfortable returning or starting their journey, we have to make it a little easier for them with our language, but also with our personal attitude."

In this regard, he emphasized that priests and communities must be "welcoming, not judgmental," and willing to "love them, cherish them, and welcome them into their home, not our home," like the prodigal son.

The priest is part of a new pastoral unit along with four other priests who are in charge of 10 parishes and feel very supported in these new initiatives by the archbishop of Santiago de Compostela, Francisco Prieto, who was responsible for the new evangelization in the Diocese of Orense, where he is originally from.

"We've taken the hard road. We're going after the people who would burst into flames if they stepped inside a church," he explained, which is why it's necessary "to propose initiatives that appeal to them," such as guided tours of the monastery, where he even shows them his room.

In these events, he takes the opportunity to explain to them the project for the monastery-parish to become a large pastoral center for the territorial vicariate of Pontevedra, open to all Catholic initiatives and also to civil society.

Upcoming big event: 'Barbecue and prayer'

The program of new evangelization activities they are developing during this end of Advent and until Epiphany already includes other interesting events. A Christmas party after midnight Mass; a festive family gathering on the feast of the Holy Innocents, as a prelude to the secular New Year's Eve celebration; and "a combination of the two best things in the world," which the priest has dubbed "barbecue and prayer."

The event will take place on Sunday, Jan. 4. "We're going to have a fantastic barbecue," commented Chouciño, who has cooked for groups of up to 400 people in the past and is convinced that "it's a very powerful tool for evangelization."

The statement has a theological basis. The parish priest has been in the Archdiocese of Santiago for eight years, but before that he was in the Diocese of Orihuela-Alicante, where he attended a series of lectures titled "The Meals of Jesus."

"The Lord's not stupid, and if he used gatherings around a table to convey the Gospel, it's because during a meal we all let down our guard, we relax, we talk about everything and ask about everything," he noted.

Chouciño seems like a bottomless well of ideas for evangelization, and only his determination surpasses his enthusiasm: "I keep threatening that I'm going to keep giving it my all here for as long as I can." 

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 22, 2025 / 16:52 pm (CNA).

The bishops of the Catholic Church in Florida have asked President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis "to pause immigration enforcement activities during the Christmas holidays."

"We request that the government pause apprehension and roundup activities during the Christmas season. Such a pause would show a decent regard for the humanity of these families," the bishops said in a Dec. 22 statement.

"Don't be the Grinch that stole Christmas," Archbishop Thomas Wenski of Miami said in a news conference. "Give people these two weeks to be with their families without fear of being arrested or taken into custody and ending up at Alligator Alcatraz or at Krome or other places to await deportation."

Along with Wenski, other prelates including Bishop Gerald Barbarito of Palm Beach, Bishop Frank Dewane of Venice, Bishop John Noonan of Orlando, Bishop Gregory Parkes of St. Petersburg, Bishop William Wack of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Bishop Erik Pohlmeier of St. Augustine, and Auxiliary Bishop Enrique Delgado of Miami joined in issuing the statement.

Pausing enforcement during the holy season "can lower the temperature within our partisan divisions, ease the fear and anxiety present in many of our immigrant and even nonimmigrant families and allow all of us to celebrate with greater joy the advent of the Prince of Peace," they wrote.

"Now is not the time to be callous toward the suffering caused by immigration enforcement. Our nation is richly blessed. Despite challenges confronting our nation, we Americans enjoy a peace and prosperity that is the envy of the world, made possible by our special constitutional order which protects our liberties."

'Removing dangerous criminals has been accomplished to a great degree'

"The border has been secured" and "the initial work of identifying and removing dangerous criminals has been accomplished to a great degree," the bishops said. "Over half a million people have been deported this year, and nearly 2 million more have voluntarily self-deported."

The arrest operations "inevitably sweep up numbers of people who are not criminals but just here to work," and some have "legal authorization to be here," the bishops wrote. "Eventually these cases may be resolved, but this takes many months causing great sorrow for their families. A growing majority of Americans say the harsh enforcement policies are going too far."

The call follows a December report released by human rights organization Amnesty International that detailed "cruel, inhuman, and degrading treatment" at Florida detention centers Alligator Alcatraz and the Krome North Service Processing Center.

According to the organization, the report reveals human rights violations that, "in some cases amount to torture … within an increasingly hostile anti-immigrant climate in Florida under Gov. Ron DeSantis, whose administration has intensified criminalization and mass detention of migrants."

"While enforcement will always be part of any immigration policy, such enforcement can be carried out in a way that recognizes due process as well as the humanity and dignity of all affected including those carrying out those policies," the bishops wrote.

Neither the White House nor the office of DeSantis responded to CNA for comment prior to publication.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 22, 2025 / 13:07 pm (CNA).

Archbishop Paul Coakley said this week he is looking forward to speaking with President Donald Trump in "the near future."

Coakley, who was elected president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in November, said he has "not had any personal conversations" with Trump or Vice President JD Vance but anticipates "engaging with them over matters of mutual concern."

When Coakley meets with the administration, "undoubtedly, the question of immigration is going to come up," he said in an interview on CBS News' "Face the Nation" on Dec. 21. "I think we have opportunities to work together. We have opportunities to speak frankly with one another."

In regard to immigration, Coakley said there is a lot of "anxiety" among migrants, but the situation "varies from place to place." He said: "In communities with a more dense migrant population, there's a great deal of fear and uncertainty … because of the level of rhetoric that is often employed when addressing issues around migration and the threats of deportation."

While some bishops have formally granted Mass dispensation for immigrants who fear being targeted by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) at Mass, Coakley said there has not been substantial declines in Mass attendance. 

Coakley, who serves as archbishop of Oklahoma City, said he has not seen declines in the area and has not "heard it reported widely" from his brother bishops.

"I know that that is the case in some places, but I don't think it's as common at least here locally or in places that I have personal contact with. There's an anxiety, there's a fear, but I don't think it's kept people away in great numbers," Coakley said.

'No conflict'

In the USCCB's special message on immigration released in November, bishops said: "We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people. We pray for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement."

The bishops' message also said: "Human dignity and national security are not in conflict."

Coakley reaffirmed the bishops' message and said treating all people with respect and dignity is a "foundational bedrock" for Christians. 

"There's no conflict necessarily between advocating for safe and secure borders and treating people with respect and dignity. We always have to treat people with dignity, God-given dignity. The state doesn't award it and the state can't take it away. It's from the Creator," Coakley said.

Whether people "are documented or undocumented, whether they are here legally or illegally, they don't forfeit their human dignity," he said. 

"I don't think we can ever say that the end justifies the means," he said. "We have to treat everyone with respect, respect of the human dignity of every person."

As Americans we must remember "we are a nation of immigrants ourselves," and "we are founded upon the immigrant experience," Coakley said. 

"We have a right and a duty to respect sovereign borders of a state, but we also have a responsibility to welcome migrants," he said. "This is a fundamental principle in Catholic social teaching regarding immigration and migration."

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CNA Staff, Dec 22, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The pope's Worldwide Prayer Network has released Pope Leo XIV's list of prayer intentions for the year 2026.

Every month, Pope Leo asks Catholics around the world to pray for a particular intention. This initiative is accompanied by a video in which the pontiff expresses the reasons why he has chosen that particular intention.

Below is the complete list of Pope Leo's prayer intentions for 2026.

January: For prayer with the word of God

Let us pray that praying with the word of God be nourishment for our lives and a source of hope in our communities, helping us to build a more fraternal and missionary Church.

February: For children with incurable diseases

Let us pray that children suffering from incurable diseases and their families receive the necessary medical care and support, never losing strength and hope.

March: For disarmament and peace

Let us pray that nations move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, and that world leaders choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence.

April: For priests in crisis

Let us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.

May: That everyone might have food

Let us pray that everyone, from large producers to small consumers, be committed to avoid wasting food and to ensure that everyone has access to quality food.

June: For the values of sports

Let us pray that sports be an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and nations, and that they promote values such as respect, solidarity, and personal growth.

July: For respect for human life

Let us pray for the respect and protection of human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God.

August: For evangelization in the city

Let us pray that in large cities often marked by anonymity and loneliness we find new ways to proclaim the Gospel, discovering creative paths to build community.

September: For the care of water

Let us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.

October: For mental health ministry

Let us pray that mental health ministry be established throughout the Church, helping to overcome the stigma and discrimination of persons with mental illnesses.

November: For the proper use of wealth

Let us pray for the proper use of wealth, that not succumbing to the temptation of selfishness, it may always be put at the service of the common good and solidarity of those who have less.

December: For single-parent families

Let us pray for families experiencing the absence of a mother or father, that they may find support and accompaniment in the Church, and help and strength in the faith during difficult times.

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Vatican City, Dec 22, 2025 / 06:25 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Monday called on officials of the Roman Curia to deepen both mission and communion, urging Vatican offices to be "more mission-oriented" and cautioning against the "forces of division" that can take root even "beneath an apparent calm."

Speaking during his annual Christmas greetings with personnel of the Church's central administration, the pope also paid tribute to Pope Francis, whom he described as his "beloved predecessor" who "this year concluded his earthly life."

Leo said Francis' "prophetic voice, pastoral style and rich magisterium" encouraged the Church "to place God's mercy at the center, to give renewed impetus to evangelization, and to be a joyful Church, welcoming to all and attentive to the poorest."

Drawing on Pope Francis' apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Gaudium," Leo focused his address on what he called "two fundamental aspects of the Church's life: mission and communion."

"By her very nature, the Church is outward-looking, turned toward the world, missionary," the pope said, adding that the Church exists to invite people into "the good news of God's love."

He insisted that ecclesial structures should serve evangelization rather than slow it down. "Structures must not weigh down or slow the progress of the Gospel or hinder the dynamism of evangelization; instead, we must 'make them more mission-oriented,'" he said.

Applying that principle directly to Vatican governance, the pope said: "We need an ever more missionary Roman Curia, in which institutions, offices and tasks are conceived in light of today's major ecclesial, pastoral and social challenges, and not merely to ensure ordinary administration."

Leo said the mystery of Christmas highlights not only the mission of the Son of God but also the purpose of that mission: reconciliation and a new kind of fraternity. "Christmas reminds us that Jesus came to reveal the true face of God as Father, so that we might all become his children and therefore brothers and sisters to one another," he said.

The pope warned that communion within the Church requires ongoing conversion, especially when tensions arise in workplaces and debates about doctrine and practice.

"At times, beneath an apparent calm, forces of division may be at play," he said. He cautioned against "swinging between two opposite extremes: uniformity that fails to value differences, or the exacerbation of differences and viewpoints instead of seeking communion."

Such patterns, he said, can lead to "rigidity or ideology" and the conflicts that follow.

Yet, he continued, Christians are united in Christ even amid real diversity. "And in Christ, though many and diverse, we are one: In Illo uno unum," he said.

Leo called Curia officials in particular to be "builders of Christ's communion," emphasizing a synodal Church in which "all cooperate in the same mission, each according to his or her charism and role."

The pope acknowledged that long years of service can leave some Vatican employees disheartened by workplace dynamics, including "the exercise of power," "the desire to prevail," or "the pursuit of personal interests."

He posed the question directly: "Is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia? To have relationships of genuine fraternal friendship?" He said it is "a grace to find trustworthy friends, where masks fall away," where "no one is used or sidelined," and where each person's "worth and competence are respected."

Such relationships, he said, require personal conversion so that "Christ's love" can be visible.

The pope also linked internal communion to the Church's public witness in a world marked by violence and polarization. He said this conversion becomes a sign "ad extra" in "a world wounded by discord, violence and conflict," where there is "a growth in aggression and anger," often "exploited by both the digital sphere and politics."

"Dear brothers and sisters, mission and communion are possible if we place Christ at the center," Leo said.

He also pointed to the significance of the Church's current Jubilee year, saying it underscores that Christ "alone is the hope that does not disappoint."

The pope referenced two major anniversaries marked this year: the Council of Nicaea, which he said returns the Church "to the roots of our faith," and the Second Vatican Council, which "strengthened the Church and sent her forth to engage the modern world."

Leo closed by recalling the 50th anniversary of St. Paul VI's apostolic exhortation "Evangelii Nuntiandi," highlighting its emphasis that evangelization belongs to the whole Church and that the first means of evangelization is the witness of an authentically Christian life.

"Let us remember this also in our curial service: the work of each is important for the whole, and the witness of a Christian life, expressed in communion, is the first and greatest service we can offer," he said.

Quoting Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the humility of God revealed at Christmas, Leo prayed that the Lord would grant the Curia "his own humility, his compassion and his love," and he concluded by wishing all present "a holy Christmas" and asking God to "grant peace to the world."

At the close of the exchange of greetings, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, offered Christmas wishes on behalf of Curia offices, the Vatican City State Governorate, and the Diocese of Rome, and the pope presented curial personnel with a copy of The Practice of the Presence of God, the spiritual classic he has recently recommended.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, CNA's Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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ACI MENA, Dec 21, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

In Aqaba, a port city on the Red Sea in Jordan, an archaeological church site dating to the late third or early fourth century is being highlighted as one of the world's oldest purpose-built Christian worship spaces, constructed before Christianity received official recognition in the Roman Empire.

Discovered in 1998 during excavations led by a team under American archaeologist Thomas Parker, the structure is being considered a significant milestone in early Christian history.

The team of researchers described a basilica-style layout, central nave, side aisles, and an eastern apse, suggesting an already organized local Christian community.

Artifacts reported at the site include preserved walls, glass lamps, pottery, and Roman coins, which helped date the building to roughly A.D. 293–303.

Nearby, archaeologists also uncovered a cemetery thought to be tied to the same community, with small metal pieces interpreted as parts of a bronze cross.

With the site now officially reopened to visitors, Jordanian authorities are framing it as both a cultural landmark and a symbol of the country's long-standing religious plurality, underscoring Aqaba's place (ancient "Aila") in the broader Christian landscape of the region.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 20, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV told the young people of Italian Catholic Action that they can perform a simple gesture that would be the best gift this Christmas: make peace.

"Before the holy night of Christmas, think of someone with whom you can make peace," the pontiff urged members of the organization, founded in 1868, which has established itself as one of the main lay organizations of the Church in Italy.

'A gift more valuable than those you can buy in stores'

"It will be a gift more valuable than those you can buy in stores, because peace is a gift that is truly found only in the heart," he added.

He said peace is the "Catholic action par excellence," because it is "the gesture that transforms us as witnesses of Jesus, the redeemer of the world."

In this way, Leo made it clear that peace "is not only the absence of war" but above all "a friendship between peoples founded on justice."

"We all desire this peace for the nations wounded by conflict, but let us remember that harmony and respect begin in our daily relationships, in the gestures and words we exchange at home, in the parish, with our schoolmates and teammates," he explained.

Christians, called 'to be better every day'

The pontiff also asked them that when they pray before the Nativity scene, they "ask to be able to be like those angels who announce the glory of God and peace to men." This peace, he continued, is the "commitment of every person of goodwill, and especially of us Christians, who are called not only to be good but to be better every day."

Leo thus invited his listeners to "become saints" and gave the example of the two young Italians: Pier Giorgio Frassati — who was part of Catholic Action — and Carlo Acutis, whom he canonized together on Sept. 7.

"I encourage you to imitate their passion for the Gospel and their works, always inspired by charity. By acting like them, your proclamation of peace will be radiant, because in the company of Jesus you will be truly free and happy, ready to reach out to your neighbor, especially those in difficulty," he emphasized.

Italian Catholic Action has more than 229,000 members and is present in approximately 5,000 parishes in almost all the dioceses of the country.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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