News & Commentary

Bishop Alberto Rojas of San Bernardino, Calif., the main celebrant, distributes Communion to a detainee during a Mass on the grounds of the ICE Processing Center near Adelanto, Calif., Dec. 10, 2025. Attendees said the Mass, which took place in the Mojave Desert, was deeply emotional for both the bishops and the roughly 300 detainees present.

California bishops celebrate ‘very powerful’ Mass for detainees in ICE facility

A group of seven California bishops celebrated Mass at the ICE Processing Center outside the town of Adelanto in the Mojave Desert on December 10, providing communion to the roughly 300 detainees present.
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Pope pops by his favorite record store to say ‘hello’

Pope Francis took an evening ride in a white Fiat 500 to visit a record store he used to go to when in Rome as a cardinal.
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Vatican mandates COVID-19 vaccines or recovery for employees, most visitors

The Vatican has updated its rules to stem the spread of COVID-19 and will require all its employees to be vaccinated against the virus or prove they have recently recovered from the disease.
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SNAP disputes assessment of Dallas charter at its 20th anniversary

An essay by Kathleen McChesney on the impact of the U.S. bishops' Charter for the Protection of Children and Young People drew a sharp rebuke by the executive director of the Survivor's Network of Those Abused by Priests.
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Pope, cardinal offer condolences to victims of Bronx fire that killed 17

Pope Francis issued condolences to families of those killed in a Jan. 9 apartment building blaze in the Bronx that killed 17 people, including eight children.
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Mask mandates return in several dioceses as omicron variant surges

The rapid spread of the omicron variant of the coronavirus has led bishops in dioceses nationwide to reimpose mask mandates for students and staff at schools as well as for Mass attendees regardless of vaccination status.
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Six-time NFL Pro Bowler Matt Birk has long embraced pro-life cause

A lifelong Catholic who attended parochial schools in St. Paul, Minnesota, former professional football player Matt Birk had always considered himself pro-life, especially after cradling his first newborn baby.
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