Saint Joseph Catholic Church

“Ireland has a proud record in international work for peace,” Archbishop Farrell preached in his World Day of Peace homily, delivered at the Church of the Guardian Angels. “Now, in our days, there is a need and opportunity for the Irish State to articulate how this tradition, and the values which underpin it, will be continued in a rapidly changing international situation.”

“It is not enough to invest in defense capacity or to point to how the circumstances of our traditional military neutrality have changed; Ireland’s commitment to promoting a sustainable peace needs a new articulation,” the archbishop continued, as he warned against “dragging the language of faith into political battles or justifying violence in the name of our beliefs.”

“It is true that we have lost incoming lay leaders and their children through emigration, partly due to the enactment of the National Security Law,” he said, referring to the 2020 law signed by Chinese President Xi Jinping. “The number of catechumens and baptisms has dropped to almost half of what it used to be.”

Cardinal Chow described feelings of discouragement over the situation as “temptations of the evil one to make us feel hopeless and dejected.”

Bishop Gerardo Alminaza of San Carlos said in a video released today that nuclear energy “remains a perilous energy source that poses long-term risks to our communities and our common home.”

The local bishop, Bishop Napoleon Sipalay, OP, of Alaminos, also opposes the project.

The governor “assured the delegation that their concerns would be carefully considered and communicated to the appropriate authorities” of the nation’s government, the Goa-based newspaper O Heraldo reported.

Since the Bondi Beach shooting, “we have heard many times that ‘there is no place for antisemitism here in Australia,’” said Archbishop Timothy Costelloe, SDB, of Perth. “Tragically, we are now confronted by the terrible truth that there are dark places in our society where this most ancient of hatreds festers.”

“It is only by shining a light into the dark corners of our society—including its political, business, academic, media, religious, and cultural institutions—that we can hope to unmask the antisemitism which might otherwise go unseen, unacknowledged and unaddressed,” Archbishop Costelloe added.

It was the second of two Vatican memorial Masses for Pope Benedict. On the evening of December 30, Cardinal Gerhard Müller, prefect of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith from 2012 to 2017, was the principal celebrant at a memorial Mass at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter’s Basilica.

Pope Benedict was elected to the papacy in 2005, resigned in 2013, and died on December 31, 2022, at the age of 95.

In a highly unusual decision, Pope Leo XIV yesterday appointed a Brazilian archbishop who resigned in 2019 to lead a new diocese.

“We believe the Proposed Rule conflicts with the dignity of the person and the common good that society is called to uphold,” the three Catholic signatories wrote in their letter. “We are deeply concerned that the Proposed Rule would penalize people for using programs Congress created to reduce hunger and homelessness and improve public health.”

The signatories added:

The rule threatens to: (a) worsen public health outcomes; (b) negatively impact family unity and stability; and (c) have damaging ripple effects on the nation’s economy ... We respectfully urge the Department to rescind this Proposed Rule in its entirety. In its current form, it is not only contrary to the law, but it will only further instill fear and confusion among immigrants and their U.S.-citizen family members.

Pope Leo XIV mourned the victims of a January 1 bar fire in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, that left 40 dead and 119 injured.

The Holy See Press Office announced today that it will hold a press conference in which a Vatican official and four civil leaders will take stock of the 2025 jubilee year.