News
Chilean church leaders seek ‘manger of solidarity’ after Christmas fires
Some 1,000 residents lost their homes in fires that swept through hillside neighborhoods around the southern port city of Valparaiso on Dec. 24 and 25.
Pope begins restoring normal governance to Chilean dioceses
In the wake of a massive clerical sexual abuse and cover-up scandal, Pope Francis named archbishops for the archdioceses of Santiago and Puerto Montt on Dec. 27.
Washington Post publishes Vatican report on West Virginia investigation
The 60-page document, uploaded Dec. 23 on the newspaper's website, describes previously issued accounts of alleged abuse and financial misconduct by retired Bishop Michael J. Bransfield.
Mideast Catholic patriarchs pray for those suffering, appeal for dialogue
Church leaders said that violence, poverty and protests in Iraq and Lebanon, as well as the brutal war in Syria, show "how much our world needs Christmas in this climate of hatred and violence."
Pope, at Angelus, prays for Philippine victims of typhoon
During his Dec. 26 address, Pope Francis said he shared the suffering of those affected by the storm, which claimed at least 20 lives and forced thousands to evacuate.
Pope prays Christmas softens hardened hearts to bring peace, justice
In his Christmas blessing "urbi et orbi" (to the city and the world), Pope Francis called for compassion and cooperation in aiding those affected by "economic, geopolitical and ecological conflicts."
Christmas says, ‘You are loved,’ pope says in homily
The birth of Jesus reveals a divine love "changes lives" even when people have made "a complete mess of things," said Pope Francis at the Dec. 24 Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.
Bikers rev up Christmas for teens at archdiocesan home
The Delaware Valley Iron Indian Riders braved the cold on Dec. 21 to deliver toys to kids living at the St. Francis-St. Joseph and St. Vincent Homes for Children.
A Philadelphia story: Christmas Eve, 1941
A Philadelphia native, now living abroad, shares the story of his family's roots in the now closed Immaculate Conception Parish in Germantown, and of the Catholic faith that endures generations later.
Archdiocesan outreach ‘builds the blessings’ at Christmas
Teri Mitchell and the staff at Catholic Social Services' Bucks County Family Center involve parishes, family and friends in an annual toy drive that brightens the holiday for hundreds of area kids.