World News

By Tessa Gervasini Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 19, 2025 / 06:00 am Here is an overview of some of the religious freedom developments and news in the United States and abroad in 2025: White House started the Religious Liberty Commission President Donald Trump established the White House Religious Liberty ... read more

Addressing a UN meeting on refugees, a Vatican diplomat said on December 17 that “the safe and dignified return of refugees to their home countries must be guaranteed. Indeed, it is vital to highlight that those who wish to return home should be able to do so safely.” Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio ... read more

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa released its 2024 annual report yesterday. The fund reported $3,924,488 in revenue and $3,335,534 in expenses in 2024. Most of the revenue ($3,702,026) came from national collections; the rest, from investment income. 78% of the expenses ($2,611,460) was allocated ... read more

The bishop on the front line of the military conflict in the Democratic Republic of the Congo spoke of bleak conditions in refugee camps and the death of displaced persons from hunger. Some who have fled the advance of the M23 paramilitary group are “crammed into refugee camps, others in stadiums and open ... read more

A bishop who administers two dioceses in Burkina Faso spoke of the toll wrought by Islamist insurgents there. “The blood of the martyrs is the seed of the Church,” said Bishop Théophile Naré, quoting Tertullian. “The key word is resilience: persevering in prayer, hope, and doing good.” “If the enemy was thinking ... read more

Regional governments in Pakistan have “implemented special measures to ensure maximum security near Christian churches” at Christmas, the Fides news agency reported. “There is widespread fear of terrorist attacks in Pakistani society,” said Father Qaisar Feroz, OFM Cap, communications officer for the bishops’ conference. “The government’s plan for alerting and protecting sensitive locations also ... read more

This will be the last installment of my thoughts on the Groyper movement, for now, at least. Here, I wish to focus on two characteristics that are clearly visible at the heart of the Groyper movement. Before I continue, if you are a Groyper and this is your first time reading my thoughts on the ... read more

Bishop James Vann Johnston Jr., of the Diocese of Kansas City-St. Joseph in Missouri. (Image: Bishop James V. Johnston, Jr., 66, was born in Knoxville, Tennessee, the oldest of four children. He attended Catholic schools through high school, and then earned a B.S. in Electrical Engineering from the University of Tennessee ... read more

In her most recent Crisis article, Breaking Up With Toxic Femininity, Ann Burns points out the hypocrisy of many “conservative” strains of anti-feminism: they fall prey to the same lie that many liberal feminists do, viewing women through a hypersexualized, pornographic lens. I agree with her main critique; conservatives cannot attempt to revive traditional values ... read more

A Bosnian war victim and the daughter of an assassinated Italian prime minister helped present Pope Leo XIV’s Message for the World Day of Peace (CWN analysis) at a Vatican press conference yesterday (video). ... read more

Pope Leo XIV received representatives of an organization of Italian labor consultants and reflected on “three aspects that I consider particularly important: the protection of human dignity, mediation, and the promotion of safety.” “At the center of any work dynamic there should be neither capital, nor market laws, nor profit, but the person, ... read more

‘Hollywood Sign’ The Best In Catholic Blogging ... read more

Volunteers with Christmas Commandos wrapping Christmas gifts. (Image: Christmas Commandos / www.christmascommandos.org) They arrive in the dark of night to give Christmas joy to grieving families who have suffered unimaginable losses. Quietly, they leave gifts, decorate trees and walkways, and then depart, hopefully undetected. The Christmas Commandos, as they are called, have been ... read more

Letters to the editor: NCR readers respond to articles about Fr. Gary Graf, a Pew study on religious disaffiliation and American impediments to Christian healthcare.   ... read more

Twice recently Pope Leo XIV has brought up a book that spells out his spiritual MO. The short book, The Practice of the Presence of God by 17th-century lay Carmelite Brother Lawrence, seems to pack a spiritual punch. ... read more