News & Commentary
Despite hardships, pope says there is much for which to be thankful
The notable absence of Pope Francis at the final liturgical celebration of 2020 in St. Peter's Basilica capped off a difficult year for the Vatican and for the world.
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Catholic Extension receives $1.5 million grant for Puerto Rico recovery work
A $1.5 million grant awarded by the U.S. bishops' Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions will support Catholic Extension's ongoing disaster recovery work in Puerto Rico three years after two devastating hurricanes.
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Pope to skip Dec. 31, Jan. 1 liturgies due to sciatica, Vatican says
Pope Francis will not preside over the traditional end-of-the-year prayer service nor the New Year's Mass in St. Peter's Basilica due to "painful sciatica," the Vatican said.
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Church bells to ring Dec. 30 in honor of 336,000 lives lost to COVID-19
Churches will ring bells at noon Dec. 30, during the octave of Christmas, to remember and honor the more than 336,000 people who have died in the United States from COVID-19.
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Vatican calls for equitable COVID-19 vaccine distribution
The Vatican's coronavirus commission and the Pontifical Academy for Life issued a joint statement calling for a coordinated international effort to ensure the equitable distribution of COVID-19 vaccines worldwide.
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Pope announces yearlong reflection on family, ‘Amoris Laetitia’
As the fifth anniversary of his apostolic exhortation "Amoris Laetitia" approaches, Pope Francis announced that the Catholic Church will dedicate more than a year to focusing on the family and conjugal love.
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Senate passes Trump’s ‘Big Beautiful Bill’; measure heads to House