World News

Credit: Chinnapong/Shutterstock CNA Staff, Dec 20, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA). In an era when artificial contraception often dominates public discussions on family planning, the Catholic Church continues to champion natural family planning (NFP). Far from merely another birth control technique, NFP invites couples to cooperate with God’s plan for married love, which ... read more

Seasonal reads New releases shed light on culture, sacraments and liturgical living. ... read more

Iskali, a ministry that serves young Hispanic Catholics in the United States, seeks to form active missionary disciples. / Credit: Iskali CNA Staff, Dec 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA). Fifteen years ago, Vicente Del Real felt called to create a way to reach out to young Hispanic Catholics in the U.S. and ... read more

Iskali, a ministry that serves young Hispanic Catholics in the United States, seeks to form active missionary disciples. / Credit: Iskali CNA Staff, Dec 20, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA). Fifteen years ago, Vicente Del Real felt called to create a way to reach out to young Hispanic Catholics in the U.S. ... read more

Readings:• Isa 7:10-14• Ps 24:1-2, 3-4, 5-6• Rom 1:1-7• Mt 1:18-24 Looking on thee, O Unwedded One,and dreading a hidden wedlock, O Sinless One,the chaste Joseph was riven in mind with a storm of doubts… That is how the anxious state of Joseph was poetically described by the unknown author of the great ... read more

When I was 15 going on 16, my aunt took me on The Sound of Music Tour in Salzburg and photographed me in front of the iconic gazebo where Robert Wise shot the “Sixteen Going on Seventeen” number in 1965’s The Sound of Music. Despite traipsing through the von Trapp’s hometown, my acquaintance with them ... read more

From romance to grief to horror, here are 10 must-watch holiday movies you can catch in theaters or on streaming right now. ... read more

Scott Seligman's The Great Christmas Boycott of 1906 is a reality check, both for Republicans who believe past immigrants easily assimilated and Democrats who believe anti-immigrant hate has never been "who we are." ... read more

Soul Seeing: Michael Leach tells a story reminding us that we are born of love. ... read more

Scripture for Life: We, like Joseph, are invited to empty ourselves, choosing to abandon anything that can get in the way of our union with God or our collaboration with God's design for creation. ... read more

Bern – Last Wednesday, a delegation of 23 Star Singers from Sattel filled the Dome Hall of the Federal Palace in Bern with carols and joy. The young Star Singers brought their blessing for the new year, evoking the values of peace, community, and solidarity. Every year, in many European countries, at different times and ... read more

Vatican City - The Holy Father has appointed the Reverend Germanus Kwak Jin-Sang, of the clergy of Suwon, Korea, until now parish priest of Seopangyo, as auxiliary bishop of the same diocese, assigning him the titular see of Forma.Msgr. Germanus Kwak Jin-Sang was born on 20 December 1964 in Suwon. He obtained a licentiate in ... read more

St. Dominic of Silos Feast date: Dec 20 Saint Dominic was born in 1000 in Cañas, Navarre, Spain. He was born a peasant, and as a youth worked as a shepherd until he entered the Benedictine monastery in Navarre. When Dominic refused to hand over the monastery lands at the King of Navarre’s demands, ... read more

In the sixth month,the angel Gabriel was sent from Godto a town of Galilee called Nazareth,to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph,of the house of David,and the virgin’s name was Mary.And coming to her, he said,“Hail, full of grace! The Lord is with you.”But she was greatly troubled at what was saidand pondered ... read more

Let us pray God teach us: we need his teaching; we are very blind. The apostles on one occasion said to Christ, when his words tried them, “Increase our faith.” Let us come to him honestly: we cannot help ourselves; we do not know ourselves; we need his grace. — St. John Henry Newman ... read more