For Christmas 2025, the Vatican will install a pro-life nativity scene in the Paul VI Audience Hall, said to be the first-ever pro-life nativity scene here.
This display, where conferences and the weekly Papal Audiences are held will have a pro-life theme titled “Gaudium” (Latin for joy….the word appears in the titles of significant Catholic documents, such as “Gaudium et Spes” (Joy and Hope) and “Evangelii Gaudium” (The Joy of the Gospel).
The display will be 16 feet (five meters) long, almost 10 feet (three meters) deep, and 8.2 feet (2.5 meters) high.
It will feature a depiction of the Virgin Mary while she is pregnant. The scene will include 28,000 ribbons, which represent lives saved from abortion through prayer and pro-life efforts.
The display will also include traditional nativity figures such as Saint Joseph, the Three Wise Men, shepherds, and animals.
The pro-life nativity scene was designed by Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz.
The creators plan to use an interchangeable figure, replacing the pregnant Mary with one adoring the Christ Child in a crib on Christmas Eve.
Note: there will be, as usual, a nativity scene in Saint Peter’s Square. The theme of the Nativity scene for the Jubilee Year 2025 is love, and it will depict scenes from daily life filled with affection and activity. The Nativity scene is expected to be unveiled around December 6, 2025, and will likely remain on display until January 12, Epiphany (the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord) marking the end of the Christmas season and a transition to Ordinary Time.
Editor’s note: Announcing this as a pro-life nativity scene seems rather redundant to us, since Joseph and Mary bringing the baby Jesus into the world is just about the most pro-life image that we can imagine!
According to Vatican sources, preparations are under way for Pope Leo XIV to travel to Lebanon and Turkey at the end of November in what would be his first trip abroad.
The two-country trip would likely last just under a week. The Vatican does not normally confirm official visits until closer to the time when it will take place.
It would mark the first foreign trip for Pope Leo XIV.
Pope Leo said in July that he hoped to visit the Turkish city Iznik for the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea this year, a milestone in Church history.
A spokesman for the Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew, leader of the world’s Orthodox Christians, confirmed he has invited the pontiff to Istanbul for an event on November to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea on November 29 before traveling together to Iznik together for the anniversary of the first Nicaea council on November 30, Saint Andrew’s Day.
The trip comes at a time when Turkey, led by Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, has poor record in dealing with the Catholic and Orthodox Churches. And, indeed, there are no churches in Iznik..either Catholic or Orthodox.
Vatican sources said preparations were also under way for a visit to Lebanon during the same trip…another of the world’s hot spots.
Castel Gandolfo, located above the city of Rome, has long been an escape from the heat of Rome during the summer months. And even Popes need a vacation from time to time, although in this case it becomes a “working vacation”. Most Popes chose to spend several weeks in the Papal Palace there each year….with the exception of Pope Francis, who rarely visited. However, with Pope Leo XIV, we may be going back to that tradition, at least in part.
After staying in Castel Gandolfo from July 6-22, and then from August 13-19, Pope Leo XIV returned to Castel Gandolfo on September 5 to inaugurate the Borgo Laudato si’.
According to the Italian news agency ANSA, Pope Leo may visit Castel Gandolfo regularly on Tuesdays, thus establishing a weekly tradition. It is 15 miles (25 kilometers) from Rome, a short 50-minute drive, although going by helicopter is also an option.
Photo courtesy Vatican News Service
In the case of Pope Leo, he has typically traveled in an open-top vehicle, and upon his arrival, often exited the car and walked the final stretch to his residence to greet and bless the crowd gathered to see him.
Getting a stamp in your passport as you enter a country has been a long-standing tradition….and a source of pride for those who love to boast about how many countries they have visited.
Europe, with 50 countries, is compact in most cases so that distances between countries are really quite small; especially compared to the U.S., Canada or Australia, for example.
Well, the ritual of having your passport stamped is about to go away in the European Union.
A start date for the European Union’s much-delayed new system of automated border crossings has been announced. Known as EES (Entry/Exit System) it will finally begin rolling out in various countries on Sunday, October 12th. It is expected to be fully implemented in all E.U. countries by April 10th, 2026. This system will be used to register non-EU nationals for short stays.
The 29 countries participating in the E.U.’s Entry/Exit(EES) are: Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, the Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Italy, Latvia, Liechtenstein, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malta, Netherlands, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, Sweden, and Switzerland.
The system will use travelers’ biometric data to register the border crossings of non-EU citizens, including Americans, Canadians and Australians.
Travelers will have to scan their fingerprints and allow a facial photo to be taken at the first European border crossing point they encounter. That biometric data is then stored by the EES for the next three years, tracking the traveler’s entries, exits, and any refusals of entry.
You’ll only have to do this the first time you cross a E.U. border.
But, be informed, there are two exceptions: Cyprus and Ireland will continue to stamp passports manually.
As announced in 2023, World Youth Day 2027 will be held in Seoul, South Korea. Pope Leo XIV has set the dates to be August 3 through 8, 2027 and the theme is “Take courage! I have overcome the world.” (John 16:33).
South Korea has experienced a remarkable transformation from poverty to prosperity…..from authoritarianism to democracy. It went on to become an economic powerhouse in Asia. For example, imports from South Korea to the U.S. totaled $131.5 billion in 2024. China draws that figure at $438 billion, but it is still a large amount for such a small country (the population of China, at 1.4 billion, is roughly 27 times the population of South Korea).
South Korea represents a unique blend of faith, culture, and global influence, making it a fitting location to host World Youth Day that can help bridge the gap between the Global South and the Global North, as well as between East and West
The Catholic Church in Korea is vibrant, although it is still a minority religion, with about 11% of the population, it is characterized by its harmonious coexistence with diverse religious traditions. Unlike many other Asian countries, Korea was not colonized by Western imperialist powers; instead, it was colonized by Japan, an Asian imperialist power, in the first half of the 20th century and ruled the country until the end of World War II in 1945.
Pope John Paul II visited South Korea twice. His first visit was in 1984 to commemorate the 200th anniversary of the Korean Catholic Church, during which he canonized 103 Korean martyrs. His second visit was in 1989 to attend the 44th International Eucharistic Congress.
Crowds at Pope Francis’ visit to South Korea 2014
Pope Francis visited South Korea in August 2014 as part of the 6th Asian Youth Day, marking his first trip to Asia.
The Mass celebrated by Pope Francis in Daejeon drew an estimated crowd of 800,000.
South Korea, particularly Seoul, is seen as a gateway to East Asia, and those organizing and hosting World Youth are expecting a “radiant beacon of unity embracing the rich culture of East Asia”.
The event provides an opportunity to showcase Korean culture and faith to the world.
The location has geo-political implications as well, since the Communist government of North Korea (backed by Communist China) will certainly be dis-pleased at such an event on their doorstep. The de-militarized zone between North and South Korea remains a potential flash point, and it should be remembered that the Korean War ended with an armistice on July 27, 1953. An armistice is a formal agreement to stop fighting, but it doesn’t necessarily signify the end of a war. It’s a ceasefire that allows for negotiations towards a lasting peace, but in the case of Korea, those negotiations have never resulted in a peace treaty.
If the crowds at the 2025 “Pilgrims of Hope” Youth Jubilee 2025 in Rome are anything to go by (over one million in attendance), this will be a huge event. Even secular news sources like the Associated Press (AP) and CBS News noted the enthusiastic participants in the Youth Jubilee 2025.
These events inspire us to have an optimistic outlook for the future of The Church.
Pope Leo XIV has formally recognized a medical miracle that took place in Pawtucket, Rhode Island in 2007.
The miracle involves the recovery of a premature baby, Tyquan Hall, who was born via emergency cesarean section and suffered from oxygen deprivation. Tyquan’s doctors did not expect him to survive due to severe lack of oxygen and other symptoms.
Dr. Juan Sanchez, the attending physician, prayed for the intercession of the 19th-century Spanish priest, Father Salvador Valera Parra, a regional patron in his native Spain.
Moments after the prayer, the baby’s heart began to beat normally without further medical intervention. The following day, he was transferred to the neonatal intensive care unit, although doctors still expected severe neurological damage. However, Tyquan was discharged from the hospital on March 1, 2007 and continued to grow normally, speaking at 18 months and walking at 2 years of age, ultimately leading a healthy and active life.
The investigation into the miracle began in 2014 when a bishop from Parra’s native Spain sent investigators to Rhode Island. The Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints attributed Tyquan’s healing to Father Parra’s spiritual intercession, and Pope Leo XIV officially approved this declaration in 2025.
This recognized miracle places Father Valera Parra on the path to beatification, the final step before being potentially canonized as a saint, which would require a second verified miracle.
The Diocese of Providence expressed excitement about this recognition, emphasizing the power of prayer and the closeness of God through the intercession of holy individuals. This marks a significant event for Rhode Island and the Catholic Church, being the first recognized miracle in the state.
Israel said Thursday that it “deeply regrets” a deadly strike on Gaza’s only Catholic church, the Church of the Holy Family, which killed three people. The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged it hit the church “mistakenly“.
The Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem, which has jurisdiction for Roman Catholics in Gaza, said the Holy Family Church was struck by Israel on Thursday morning. The church has become a shelter for the enclave’s tiny Christian community amid the 20-month war.
The office of Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that “Israel deeply regrets that a stray ammunition hit Gaza’s Holy Family Church. Every innocent life lost is a tragedy.”
“Israel is investigating the incident and remains committed to protecting civilians and holy sites,” the office added in a statement. The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged it hit the church “mistakenly“.
Pope Leo received a phone call from Netanyahu on Friday, following the strike, the Vatican said, in which the patriarch expressed the importance of protecting places of worship. During the phone call, which Netanyahu’s office is yet to comment on, Leo renewed his calls for a ceasefire to be reached by the warring sides in Gaza, a statement said.
Pope Leo “again expressed his concern for the dramatic humanitarian situation of the population in Gaza, whose heartbreaking price is paid especially by children, the elderly and the sick,” according to the statement.
When the early morning shell hit the church, about 600 men, women and children had been sheltering there, including about 50 people with disabilities and ill children cared for by the Missionaries of Charity, .
Pope Leo also telephoned Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, July 18, telling him, “It is time to stop this slaughter,” Vatican News reported.
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, together with Theophilos III, the Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jerusalem, were leading a delegation into Gaza to bring hundreds of tons of humanitarian aid into the enclave and show their support for Gaza’s Catholics, according to a statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem. This is highly unusual, given Israel’s tight control over access to the Territory.
The two expressed “the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza,” according to a statement from the Jerusalem Patriarchate.
As they were crossing the border, Pope Leo telephoned the Cardinal to “express his closeness, love, prayer, support and desire to do everything possible for there to be not only a ceasefire but also an end to this tragedy,” the cardinal told Vatican News.
“Pope Leo said repeatedly that it is time to stop this slaughter, and that what has happened is unjustifiable, and that we must ensure there are no more victims,” he said.
The Vatican press office said the pope also told the Cardinal that he intends to do “everything possible to stop the needless slaughter of innocents.”
“With the patriarch (Cardinal Pizzaballa), the pope turned his thoughts to all the innocent victims, those of yesterday’s attack and all those of this time of sorrow in the Holy Land and throughout the Middle East,” the press office said in a brief statement. The pope also asked the Cardinal about those who had been injured in the attack and their condition, it said.
Pope Leo then telephoned Father Carlos Ferrero, the provincial superior of the Institute of the Incarnate Word — the religious order to which Father Romanelli belongs — to express “his closeness to those in the community — faithful and religious — who were with him.”
The pope “assures everyone of his prayers and unceasing commitment to peace, the only way that protects humanity on all sides,” it said.
Everyone in Gaza “will not be forgotten, nor will they be abandoned,” the patriarchate said in a written statement July 18.
The two expressed “the shared pastoral solicitude of the Churches of the Holy Land and their concern for the community of Gaza,” according to a statement from the Jerusalem Patriarchate.
The Israel Defense Forces acknowledged it hit the church “mistakenly.
Born in 2010, James Engstrom had a true knot in his umbilical cord that tightened during labor and cut off his oxygen supply, resulting in his stillbirth.
His parents asked for the intercession of Fulton J. Sheen, and after remaining without a pulse for 61 minutes, the baby started breathing, which doctors said was not explainable by medical science.
The Vatican-approved miracle fulfills one of the requirements for the beatification of Sheen and brings him one step closer to Sainthood.
Blessed Pier Georgio Frassati will be declared a Saint by Pope Leo XIV on September 7th, 2025. A second miraculous healing attributed to his intercession was recognized by Pope Francis in a decree on Nov. 25, 2024.
Editors note: To be declared a saint in the Catholic Church, two miracles are generally required, attributed to the intercession of the candidate after their death. (In the case of martyrs, only one miracle is needed). The process for becoming a saint involves beatification, where one miracle is proven, followed by canonization, which requires a second miracle.
The first miracle attributed to the intercession of Pier Georgio Frassati:
The healing of Domenico Sellan: Domenico was 40 years old in 1933 and suffering from a tubercular disease of the spine, was paralyzed and nearing death. A priest visited him on December 28, 1933, and brought him a small prayer card of Pier Giorgio (whose cause for canonization was opened soon after his death). Domenico was miraculously cured and lived another 35 years.
The second miracle attributed to the intercession of Pier Georgio Frassati:
The healing of Juan Gutierrez: Juan Gutierrez, 38, was a seminarian of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles at St. John’s Seminary in Camarillo, California. Juan tore his Achilles tendon while playing basketball with other seminarians in 2017.
The day after getting an MRI for his torn tendon, he became concerned about the long, painful recovery as well the expenses that would be incurred. Juan headed for the seminary chapel “with a heavyheart”.
As he prayed, Juan felt inspired to make a novena to Pier Giorgio Frassati. A few days into the novena, Gutierrez went into the chapel to pray when nobody was there. As he prayed, he recalled feeling an unusual sensation around his injured foot.
“I was praying, and I started to feel a sensation of heat around the area of my injury. I honestly thought that maybe something was catching on fire, underneath the pews,” Juan recalled at a press conference on Dec. 16, 2024. Juan remembered from his experiences with the charismatic renewal movement that heat can be associated with healing from God. He found himself gazing at the tabernacle, weeping.
“That event touched me deeply,” Juan said.
He was not only touched spiritually, but he was also healed physically. Incredibly, he was able to walk normally again and no longer needed a brace!
Juan was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Los Angeles in June 2023 and is now Father Juan Gutierrez.
In a decree released on May 22, 2024, Pope Francis announced he would convene a Consistory of Cardinals to deliberate the canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis as a result of a miracle recognized on that date.
Pope Francis beatified the millenial Carlo Acutis in 2020 in Assisi, where Blessed Carlo had made multiple pilgrimages and where his mortal remains rest.
The Canonization had been scheduled for earlier in the year, but was postponed due to the death of Pope Francis.
Beatification, when someone is declared “Blessed”, usually requires that the Vatican confirm that a miracle took place as the result of that person interceding with God. To be clear, God performs the miracle, not the intercessor. Two miracles are required before a “Blessed” can be declared a saint
First Miracle attributed to the intercession of Carlo Acutis:
In 2020, the Vatican recognized Acutis’ first miracle: the curing of a 4-year-old Brazilian boy named Mattheus in 2013. The boy was healed from a serious birth defect called an annular pancreas after he and his mother asked Acutis to intercede asking the Lord to grant a miracle of healing
Second Miracle attributed to the intercession of Carlo Acutis:
The miracle recognized on May 22, 2024 is related to a woman from Costa Rica.
On July 8, 2022, a woman named Liliana prayed at the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis in Assisi asking his intercession for her daughter, Varleria. Valeria was attending university in Florence, and had fallen from her bicycle, suffering severe head trauma. She was going to require craniotomy surgery, and the removal of the right occipital bone to reduce pressure on her brain, with what her doctors said was a very low chance of survival.
Liliana left a letter at the tomb of Blessed Carlo Acutis describing her plea. That same day, the hospital informed her that Valeria had begun to breath spontaneously. The next day, she began to move and partially regain her speech.
On July 18, a CAT scan proved that her hemorrhaging had disappeared, and on August 11 Valeria was moved to rehabilitation therapy. She made quick progress, and on September 2 Valeria and Liliana made another pilgrimage to Assisi to thank Blessed Carlo for his intercession.
We look forward to the future Canonization of what many call a “Saint of the New Millenium”
