Saint Joseph Catholic Church

“The Gospel of peace especially concerns us Christians,” said the Ecumenical Patriarch, who holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches. “We consider it impermissible to remain indifferent before the fragmentation of Christendom, particularly when this attitude is accompanied by fundamentalism and explicit rejection of inter-Christian dialogue that ultimately aims at transcending division and achieving unity.”

“The obligation of striving for Christian unity is non-negotiable,” he continued. “The responsibility to continue the efforts of the pioneers of the Ecumenical Movement along with the justification of their vision and labor rest on the younger generation of Christians.”

As the 2025 jubilee year draws to a close, the archpriest of the Archbasilica of Saint John Lateran closed the holy door there on December 27. The archpriest of the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls closed the holy door there the following day.

The dispensation, issued on December 23, concludes on the Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, the last day of the Christmas season.

Violence, hatred, and other evils “represent a departure from the commands given by our Lord to his followers,” Bishop Joseph Anthony Zziwa of Kiyinda-Mityan wrote in his Christmas message. “The events we are witnessing around the campaigns and other forms of human interactions call for repentance, forgiveness, and conversion, knowing that God is always merciful and loving.”

“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.

After reflecting on the opposition that following Jesus provokes, Pope Leo said:

Like Jesus, Stephen died forgiving others because of a force more real than that of weapons. It is a gratuitous force, already present in the hearts of all, and which is reawakened and shared in an irresistible way when we begin to look at our neighbor differently, offering them attention and recognition. Yes, this is what it means to be reborn, to come once more into the light, this is our “Christmas!”

“Let us now pray to Mary and contemplate her, blessed among all women who give life and counter arrogance with care, and distrust with faith,” the Pope concluded. “May Mary bring us into her own joy, a joy that dissolves all fear and all threats, just as snow melts before the sun.”

“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.”