Due to production changes by our partner Catholic News Service, CatholicPhilly presents a weekly roundup of international news from Vatican News, the official news portal of the Holy See. The following report on the week of Jan. 5, 2026 links to stories on VaticanNews.va.
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The Jubilee Year of Hope in the universal Church ended Tuesday, Jan. 6 as Pope Leo XIV closed the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in Rome at the start of Mass for the Solemnity of the Epiphany.
Later in the day he gave an address on the “craft of peace” during the Angelus prayer.
A Vatican official reported that more than 33 million pilgrims came to Rome from 185 countries during the Holy Year, capping the year’s observances in local Catholic communities around the world – including in the Church of Philadelphia.
- Hope in the Face of War
The Church responded to the new year’s first incidents of war and violence in the world, including Russian missile strikes on the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv that killed two people and damaged homes and critical infrastructure.
Following a U.S. strike Jan. 3 on Venezuela resulting in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro, the Catholic bishops of Latin America and the Caribbean region (CELAM) offered a message of closeness and hope with the Venezuelan people through the intercession of Mary under the title of Our Lady of Coromoto, patroness of Venezuela.
Pope Leo was following the developments there “with deep concern” and called for the pursuit of justice and peace in his Angelus message Jan. 4.
While a Vatican agency reported that last year five Catholic missionaries were killed in Nigeria, among the 10 killed in Africa and 17 around the world, all 315 of the students abducted from a Catholic school in Nigeria last November have now been reunited with their families, a local diocese confirmed.
In Sudan, which prepares to mark 1,000 days of war, civilian displacement and the malnourishment of children in the African country as rival military groups fight for control, some 114 people were killed in a week of attacks in the Darfur region.
Warning that “war is back in vogue” and that peace is increasingly sought through force rather than justice, Pope Leo XIV issued a strong appeal for humility, dialogue, and a renewed commitment to multilateralism in his address Jan. 9 to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.
- Young Adults in America Seek Christ
Seeing a 24% increase over attendance last year, more than 26,000 Catholic young adults and ministry leaders met in three cities in the U.S. Jan. 1-5 for the SEEK 2026 conference. The gathering, which included a special message from Pope Leo, reminded the young attendees that “we are not alone in our pursuit of Christ, but that we are part of a living, faithful, and committed community of believers.”
See a post by Archbishop Nelson Pérez with Philadelphia pilgrims to the SEEK 2026 gathering in Columbus, Ohio.
- Pope Leo Gathers All Cardinals, Launches New Series on Vatican II
Pope Leo led his first consistory, or meeting, of all the world’s cardinals Jan. 7-8. Focusing on synodality and mission and the overarching theme of unity in the Church, the Holy Father said he intended to call a consistory to discuss key issues in the Church on an annual basis.
In his weekly address Jan. 7, Pope Leo began a new series of catechetical talks dedicated to examining the documents of the Second Vatican Council, which he called “the guiding star of the Church’s journey today.”
- AI Companies Not Reliable Source of News, Media Say
As more people use artificial intelligence platforms for news, they might not realize that the tools distort, modify, or even falsify information, resulting in erosion of trust in media, warned an association of the world’s leading media that includes Vatican Radio.
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