Saint Joseph Catholic Church

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, has written a papal message to the 15,000 people taking part in the Taizé Community’s 48th European Youth Meeting, held this year in Paris from December 28 to January 1.

“The theme of this year’s letter, ‘What are you seeking?’, written by Brother Matthew, Prior of Taizé, touches on an essential question that dwells in the heart of every human being,” Cardinal Parolin wrote. “The Holy Father invites you not to be afraid of this question, but to carry it in prayer and silence, convinced that Christ is walking beside you and that he allows himself to be found by all those who seek him with a sincere heart.”

The Taizé Community, an ecumenical French monastic community, was founded by Brother Roger Schütz in 1940. Brother Matthew Thorpe, an Anglican, has led the community since 2023.

In his Sunday Angelus address for the Feast of the Holy Family, Pope Leo XIV mused that “unfortunately, the world always has its ‘Herods,’ its myths of success at any cost, of unscrupulous power, of empty and superficial well-being, and it often pays the price in the form of loneliness, despair, divisions and conflicts.”

“Let us not allow these mirages to suffocate the flame of love in Christian families,” Pope Leo said yesterday to pilgrims who had gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “On the contrary, in our families, we should cherish the values of the Gospel: prayer, frequent reception of the sacraments—especially Confession and Communion—healthy affections, sincere dialogue, fidelity, and the simple and beautiful concreteness of everyday words and gestures.”

The Pope concluded, “Let us therefore ask our Father in Heaven, through the intercession of Mary and Saint Joseph, to bless our families and all families throughout the world, so that by following the model of his Son made man, they may be for all an efficacious sign of his presence and his endless charity.”

Today is the Fifth day within the Octave of Christmas. The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of St. Thomas Becket (1118-1170), bishop and martyr. He was born in London and after studying in Paris, he first became chancellor to the king and then in 1162 was chosen Archbishop of Canterbury. He went from being "a patron of play-actors and a follower of hounds" to being a "shepherd of souls." He absorbed himself in the duties of his new office, defending the rights of the Church against Henry II. This prompted the king to exile him to France for six years. After returning to his homeland he endured many trials and was murdered by agents of the king.

In a December 29 address to the National Association of Italian Municipalities, Pope Leo XIV called attention to a “sharp increase” in the amount of gambling, which he described as a “scourge,” saying that it “ruins many families.”

The Pope mentioned gambling specifically among the ills that municipal leaders must confront, along with “the demographic crisis and the struggles of families and the young, the loneliness of the elderly and the silent cry of the poor, the pollution of the environment and social conflicts....”

Ireland’s two leading Catholic prelates questioned a Vatican report, issued early this month, that “excludes the possibility” of diaconal ordination for women.

Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh told The Tablet that he was surprised by the unanimous report, issued by a special Vatican study group. He questioned why the report was released “in isolation,” suggesting that it should have been released along with other studies on controversial issues. Archbishop Martin noted, however, that “Pope Leo has said that this question remains open.”

Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin told The Tablet that “many people, both women and men, will have been disappointed at the reported outcome of the study.” He too insisted that the issue of female ordination to the diaconate remains open. Archbishop Farrell said that he expects to see women leading parishes in the near future, and added: “It is important that we constantly see that leadership and ministry are not the prerogative of the ordained.”

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Today is the Fourth Day within the Octave of Christmas. The Feast of the Holy Family is a movable feast, assigned to the Sunday within the Octave of Christmas.

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