World News

A relic of St. Thomas the Apostle has been stolen from a Syro-Malabar church in Toronto. “The relic of St. Thomas the Apostle is invaluable to us because it is a first-class relic that we received from Italy,” said Father Baiju Chakkery, pastor of St. Thomas Syro-Malabar Catholic Forane Church. “It has great emotional ... read more

Bishop Georg Bätzing of Limburg, a leading proponent of Germany’s controversial Synodal Way, announced that he will not run for another term as chairman of the German Bishops’ Conference. The prelate has held the position since 2020. The dissident group We Are Church lamented his decision, describing it as a “bitter setback.” ... read more

New York State has ceased its longtime effort to compel religious organizations to provide abortion in their health insurance plans. “After nearly a decade of trying to force nuns and other religious ministries to cover abortions, the state of New York has thrown in the towel,” the religious-liberty law firm Becket said in a ... read more

The superior general of the Priestly Fraternity of St. Peter (FSSP), accompanied by one of the institute’s founders, met with Pope Leo XIV on January 20. “The cordial half-hour meeting was an opportunity to present to the Holy Father in greater detail the foundation and history of the Fraternity, as well as the various ... read more

The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem said in a statement that “recent activities undertaken by local individuals who advance damaging ideologies, such as Christian Zionism, mislead the public, sow confusion, and harm the unity of our flock.” “The Patriarchs and Heads of Churches in Jerusalem reiterate that they alone represent the Churches ... read more

A bishop who ministers in Kazakhstan said that he has asked Pope Leo to promulgate an apostolic constitution that places the ordinary and extraordinary forms of the Mass on equal footing. Auxiliary Bishop Athanasius Schneider, ORC, of Astana said that his proposal would guarantee “complete freedom and the co-existence of both forms, pacific co-existence, ... read more

Pope Leo XIV blesses pilgrims in St. Peter's Square during an audience for the Jubilee of Hope on Oct. 4, 2025. (Credit: Vatican Media) Back in the day, when the New Yorker set the standard for literary elegance among serious American journals, writers were driven to distraction by the fanatical fact-checking characteristic of the ... read more

Stuffed in between the Offertory and the Preface is a short but ancient prayer most Catholics probably pay little attention to: the Orate Fratres. The name comes from the Latin and is translated as “Pray, brethren, that my sacrifice and yours may be acceptable…” I contend that Catholics rarely see the coherence of Mass prayers. ... read more

Moscow – “Unity is not a utopia. Only facts make it possible to overcome divisions,” said Archbishop Paolo Pezzi of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow on Tuesday, January 20, during the prayer service held at the Catholic Cathedral as part of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity . Representatives of ... read more

The secretary general of Mali’s episcopal conference said that the nation’s bishops are meeting to “assess the current financial situation” of the Church there. Vatican News, the news agency of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication, warned that the assessment is necessary to ensure the “continuity and credibility” of the Church’s mission. The West ... read more

Observing that “Jesus wanted one Church, not a variety of churches,” Cardinal Kurt Koch said that “ecumenism can assist society if it does not mirror society’s discord, but is rather itself a sign of unity.” The prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity told Vatican News that ecumenism is a “tool of peace ... read more

The president of Venezuela’s episcopal conference told the Vatican newspaper that the Church there “strives to be a place of encounter for all and to constantly accompany the population in its struggle for the triumph of goodness, truth, and justice.” Archbishop Andoni González de Zárate Salas of Valencia said that the Church is emphasizing ... read more

The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the EU (COMECE) has released a position paper, “A Just Transition that protects Human Dignity, Work and Communities.” “Europe’s commitment to ecological transformation is both necessary and urgent,” COMECE stated. “At the same time, it raises profound social, economic and ethical questions.” COMECE warned that “among ... read more

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, called for the “development of effective measures” to prevent and punish crimes against humanity. Addressing a UN committee on January 19, Archbishop Caccia said that the “the duty to prevent and counter crimes against humanity rests first and ... read more

Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago / Daniel Ibanez/CNA Three cardinals don’t speak for the Church (Catholic Culture): “When three American cardinals issued a statement on American foreign policy earlier this week, their comments naturally commanded public attention.” Jay Leno honors ‘for better or worse’ marriage vow as wife battles dementia (Fox News): ... read more