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Rome Newsroom, Jan 7, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

Pope Francis accepted Tuesday the early resignation of French Bishop Dominique Rey of Fréjus-Toulon following years of Vatican scrutiny over the ordination of clerics using pre-Vatican II liturgical books and other concerns.

Bishop François Touvet, appointed coadjutor bishop of the same diocese in November 2023, now automatically succeeds Rey.

In a Jan. 7 press release, Rey, who has led the diocese since 2000, said he was recently informed by the nuncio, the pope's ambassador in France, that Pope Francis wanted him to submit his resignation after he had encouraged him not to resign in December 2023.

While Rey added that he does not know what changed in the intervening year, "faced with misunderstandings, pressures, and polemics that are still harmful to the unity of the Church, the ultimate criterion of discernment for me remains that of obedience to the successor of Peter."

The Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon in the south of France was able to ordain six men to the transitional diaconate last month after all ordinations in the diocese were halted by the Vatican in June 2022 following a fraternal visit by Archbishop (now Cardinal) Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille.

The ordinations of six seminarians from the traditionalist community Missionaries of Divine Mercy took place in the Collegiate Church of Saint-Martin in Lorgues on Dec. 1, 2024.

In his announcement ahead of the ordinations, Touvet said they were "the fruit of a trusting and peaceful dialogue maintained with the superior of the community [of the Missionaries of Divine Mercy] and the Dicastery for Divine Worship [and the Discipline of the Sacraments]."

Pope Francis appointed Touvet a coadjutor bishop of Fréjus-Toulon in November 2023, putting him in charge of economic and real estate management, religious communities, and the training of priests and seminarians.

The Vatican requested the suspension of ordinations in the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon in the summer of 2022 due to "questions that certain Roman dicasteries were asking about the restructuring of the seminary and the policy of welcoming people to the diocese," according to an announcement by Rey at the time.

Known for his support of the Traditional Latin Mass, Rey had also ordained diocesan clerics using the 1962 Roman Pontifical.

After Pope Francis promulgated Traditionis Custodes, the 2021 motu proprio restricting the celebration of Mass in the extraordinary form of the Roman rite, Rey highlighted the concerns of some priests and communities present in his diocese who offered Mass according to the old rite. 

Rey said in his Jan. 7 statement, posted to X, that "just as I have always tried to respond to the calls for the new evangelization of St. John Paul II, then to the encouragements of Benedict XVI to welcome and form priestly vocations, and finally to the orientations of Francis, I have agreed, in this case, to hand over the pastoral charge that had been entrusted to me in 2000 by John Paul II."

"As I reach my 25th year of episcopate in service of the Diocese of Fréjus-Toulon, I thank God for the blessings and missionary fruits," he added.

Rey announced he will celebrate a Mass of Thanksgiving in the diocese on Feb. 1.

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National Catholic Register, Jan 7, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Cardinal Robert McElroy, the new archbishop of Washington, D.C., says he wishes success for President-elect Donald Trump's incoming administration but that he'll be watching closely to see how Trump deals with immigrants who are in the country without legal status.

"The Catholic Church teaches that a country has the right to control its borders. And our nation's desire to do that is a legitimate effort," McElroy said Monday, shortly after being introduced as Washington's eighth archbishop during an online press conference at the Cathedral of St. Matthew the Apostle amid an unusually heavy snowstorm in the nation's capital.

"At the same time, we are called always to have a sense of the dignity of every human person. And thus, plans which have been talked about at some levels of having a wider indiscriminate massive deportation across the country would be something that would be incompatible with Catholic doctrine. So we'll have to see what emerges in the administration."

The Vatican announced Monday that Pope Francis has appointed McElroy, 70, as archbishop of Washington, a high-profile see that includes about 667,000 Catholics in the District of Columbia and five counties in southern Maryland.

McElroy, widely seen as a progressive and an ally of Pope Francis, was appointed by the pope to the College of Cardinals in August 2022. He has served as shepherd of San Diego since 2015.

In Washington, he replaces Cardinal Wilton Gregory, 77, who has served as archbishop there since 2019.

The appointment was immediate. Gregory was already listed Monday as among the "former archbishops" of Washington on the archdiocese's website.

The two cardinals appeared together at the online press conference.

The press conference, which was emceed by a moderator, featured prepared statements by the two cardinals, two questions from reporters the moderator posed to McElroy, and one question from a reporter the moderator posed to Gregory.

Gregory took over the archdiocese in April 2019 when it was reeling after revelations of sexual abuse by Theodore McCarrick, the sixth archbishop of Washington, whom Pope Francis dismissed from the clerical state, and the awkward departure of the seventh archbishop, Cardinal Donald Wuerl, who was sharply criticized for how he handled allegations against McCarrick and for how he handled certain clergy-sex-abuse cases when he was bishop of Pittsburgh.

Gregory, who has been seen as a lower-profile prelate than his predecessors, has worked to right the ship in Washington. But financial and other problems loom, as McElroy noted in his prepared statement.

"The journey of this Catholic community has known mountaintop moments, the visits of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict, and Pope Francis, and it has known also moments of failure and shame — in the massive betrayal of the young to sexual abuse and the moral and financial reckoning for this betrayal which lie ahead of us," McElroy said.

"In this mixture of mountaintop and failure, we are no different from the first disciples of the Lord. The light of Christ radiates in the Catholic community of this diocese in all of these dimensions, but most powerfully, it radiates in the lives of individual women and men who form the people of God, struggling in a world filled with turbulence, hardship, and illusion to follow the pathway of Christ," he added.

The first question McElroy fielded was about decreasing reliance on so-called fossil fuels (such as oil and natural gas) in the Diocese of San Diego, such as through using solar panels.

McElroy, a staunch promoter of Pope Francis' environment-focused encyclical Laudato Si', said San Diego implemented the Archdiocese of Washington's already-existing plan.

"So I'm here to learn as much as to bring new ideas. I think one of the great challenges for the Church in the world at this moment is that of the care for our home on this Earth, for the planet, and all of the abuse which it is suffering," McElroy said.

"And it is a top issue in terms of our world," he said. "How are we going to preserve the creation that God has given to us and enhance?"

The second and final question he received was about the incoming second Trump administration.

McElroy said he addressed a similar question about polarization in the United States during a panel discussion about six months ago, long before the November 2024 election that Trump won. His answer remains the same, he said.

"All of us as Americans should hope and pray that the government of our nation is successful in helping to enhance our society, our culture, our life, and the whole of our nation. And that is my prayer. It was my prayer then, not knowing who it would be, and it is my prayer now," McElroy said.

"I pray that President Trump's administration and that all of those state and local legislators and governors across the whole of the country will work together to make our nation truly better and to talk through the major issues that we face and make a difference," he added. "And so our first responsibility for all of us is support for that goal, of success for our government."

McElroy had been rumored as a likely replacement for Gregory since at least Oct. 10, 2024, when he met with Pope Francis at the Vatican, along with two other allies of the pope, Cardinal Joseph Tobin, the archbishop of Newark, New Jersey, and Cardinal Blase Cupich, the archbishop of Chicago. While details of the private meeting have not been made public, some observers have suggested the men discussed high-profile archbishoprics that needed to be filled, including Washington.

Gregory, who was appointed archbishop of Washington in April 2019, served five years and nine months in the post. His successor's tenure could be even shorter.

McElroy turns 71 next month. Under Church law, he must submit his resignation to the pope in early February 2029, about four years from now, when he turns 75. Pope Francis has allowed certain bishops to continue serving until age 80, which for McElroy would mean 2034.

Gregory answered one question during the press conference, saying that he plans to stay in the Archdiocese of Washington and assist in any way he can.

At the end, McElroy whispered to Gregory: "That was easy."

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA's sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.

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CNA Newsroom, Jan 7, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

In the midst of fierce competition during the college football playoffs, a number of team leaders have made it clear that the glory of a national championship comes only second to their relationship with Jesus Christ.

"First and foremost I've got to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ for giving me this opportunity to be on this stage, here in the Rose Bowl," Ohio State University quarterback Will Howard told the media after the team's stunning upset win against No. 1 University of Oregon on Jan. 1.

"A younger me would be in awe right now," the graduate student said. "And I just got to take it all in and enjoy this with my boys and we got two more so we're not done yet."

The playoffs, which changed from a four-team to a 12-team bracket this year, run from Dec. 20 to Jan. 20. 

Two semifinal games will be played on Jan. 9 and Jan. 10. The University of Notre Dame will face off against Pennsylvania State University on Thursday. The University of Texas at Austin will play Ohio State University on Friday.

'Without him, I wouldn't be here'

After defeating the University of Georgia on Jan. 2, Notre Dame's quarterback Riley Leonard said: "First and foremost I want to thank my lord and savior Jesus Christ."

"Without him, I wouldn't be here, and we wouldn't be here as a whole group," the senior told the media after the quarterfinal game.

Leonard called the fans "incredible," adding that the team has more work to do to prepare for its semifinal matchup against Pennsylvania State University. 

Leonard was asked about his team's tough loss to unranked Northern Illinois University earlier in the season and Notre Dame's subsequent undefeated run. At the time of the loss to Northern Illinois, Notre Dame was ranked No. 5.

"When you trust in the Lord, anything can happen," he said. "This team fought every single week. That was the lowest of the low. But we had to trust beyond knowing. And we trusted this group and trusted our fans. Week in and week out we fought and it's finally paying off."

"Jesus bless," he said. 

'God the creator'

In a Jan. 1 postgame press conference, Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers was asked about his "clutch" performance that led to the team's 39-31 double-overtime win against Arizona State University. Ewers threw two touchdown passes in overtime that ended in two 25-plus-yard touchdowns, which sealed the quarterfinal win for Texas. 

"How do you stay so calm?" a reporter asked the junior quarterback. 

"I think that we all stay calm," he continued. "And for all of us to stay calm it kind of starts with me. And I just try to be that calm within the storm for all the guys. And I think that my relationship with Jesus has helped me in that specific way of knowing that no matter what happens, that he's going to be there for me. He's still going to love me."

Senior defensive back Jahdae Barron was asked by a reporter about his thoughts on Ewers' performance. 

Barron spoke of a culture-building activity that the team did prior to the game where they wrote on cards. 

Barron said he wrote that "Quinn is going to play fast and the reason he's going to play fast is because of God the creator. He's going to give all his worries, everything he has and doubt, and he's just going to give it to [God], and it's just going to allow him to play free."

"And I think that's what Quinn did," Barron said. "When our backs were against the wall, he just kept fighting. He made some big-time plays in those three throws."

Coach introduced him to Jesus

Following Boise State University's 31-14 quarterfinal loss to Penn State on Dec. 31, Boise State head coach Spencer Danielson said: "No matter what, win, lose, or draw, I'm going to always give Jesus the glory." 

"I'm so blessed to be the head coach here. And we do serve a champion. And I do know God never says 'oops,'" he added at a postgame press conference with some of the players and media.

"As hard as tonight is as a competitor and as a coach, I do believe we learn and grow from everything. And the best is still to come for our team, for these players, our seniors," he said. 

"I told every single one of them in the locker room that. God has an amazing plan for your life. Never settle for less than that," he said.

Senior defensive end Ahmed Hassanein from Cairo, Egypt, said at the press conference: "First I want to start off and say all glory to Jesus Christ. He is the true champion." 

Turning to his coach, Hassanein said: "Coach D., you changed my life."

"You changed my life. I did not know God until I got to Boise State. And I serve a true champion. Jesus Christ is the only true God. He died and rose from the dead three days later. That's the champion that I serve. Thank you Coach D. Like seriously, you changed my life," he said.

Junior running back Ashton Jeanty, who fell just 27 yards short of breaking the NCAA all-time single-season rushing record, said: "First of all, all glory to God for bringing us this far, for helping us restore the order this year. We couldn't have done it without him. Keeping God first is what got us here."

"But this season has been a blessing," he added. "God's favor has been upon me and all my teammates all year. And I'm just thankful."

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Vatican City, Jan 6, 2025 / 12:05 pm (CNA).

The star the Magi followed to find the Christ Child is a symbol of God's love for all people and not a sign of the power and fame of those who think of themselves as "stars," Pope Francis said on Epiphany.

In his homily at Mass in St. Peter's Basilica on Jan. 6, the pope said the Magi "were satisfied by a different kind of light, symbolized by the star, which illumines and warms others by allowing itself to burn brightly and be consumed."

"The star," he continued, "speaks to us of that unique light that can show to all people the way to salvation and happiness, namely that of love. This is the only light that can make us happy."

The solemnity of the Epiphany marks when the Magi, also called the Wise Men or three kings, arrived at the birthplace of Jesus bearing gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh. According to Scripture, when the Magi, who had been guided by a star from the east, found the child Jesus, they "prostrated themselves and did him homage."

Italy and the Vatican celebrate Epiphany on the traditional date of Jan. 6, while in the United States, its celebration has been moved to the Sunday between Jan. 2 and Jan. 8.

Pope Francis in his homily explained that the light that makes us truly happy is, above all, "the love of God, who became man and gave himself to us by sacrificing his life."

He asked Catholics to think about how they can be this same light for others, becoming with God's help "a mutual sign of hope, even in the darkest nights of our lives."

"Are we radiant with hope? Are we able to give hope to others with the light of our faith?" he said.

Part of the papal Mass for Epiphany, after the proclamation of the Gospel, was the announcement by a deacon of the dates of "moveable feasts" in the Catholic Church in 2025, beginning with Easter Sunday, which will be April 20. 

"From Easter flow all holy days," the deacon said, as he also proclaimed the dates of Ash Wednesday (March 5), the Ascension of the Lord (May 29), Pentecost (June 8), and the first Sunday of Advent (Nov. 30). These are "moveable feasts" because their observance falls on different calendar dates in different years.

In his homily, the pontiff also recalled two other characteristics of the Star of Bethlehem: that it was visible to everyone and that it pointed the way.

"The star, which shines in the sky and offers its light to all, reminds us that the Son of God came into the world to encounter every man and woman on earth, whatever ethnic group, language, or people to which they belong, and that he entrusts to us that same universal mission," he underlined.

Francis reiterated that "God calls us to reject anything that discriminates, excludes, or discards people and instead to promote, in our communities and neighborhoods, a strong culture of welcome, in which the narrow places of fear and denunciation are replaced by open spaces of encounter, integration, and sharing of life."

The star is in the sky not to be "distant and inaccessible," he said, "but so that its light may be visible to all, that it may reach every home and overcome every barrier, bringing hope to the most remote and forgotten corners of the planet."

That the Star of Bethlehem indicates a direction is also a helpful point of reflection during the Jubilee Year 2025, the pope said.

He noted that one of the main features of the newly-begun holy year is pilgrimage, and the light of the star "invites us to undertake an interior journey that, as St. John Paul II wrote [in a 1999 letter], frees our hearts from all that is not charity, in order to 'encounter Christ fully, professing our faith in him and receiving the abundance of his mercy.'"

"By looking at the star, we can also renew our commitment to be women and men of 'the Way,' as Christians were referred to in the first years of the Church," Pope Francis said.

In his meditation before the Angelus shortly after Mass, the pope asked Christians to reflect on whether they are more like the shepherds and Magi who actively sought Jesus or those who, despite living in Jerusalem, remained at "their 'desks.'"

"Are we more similar to the shepherds, who on the very night [of Christ's birth] itself go in haste to the grotto, and the Magi from the east, who set out confidently in search of the Son of God made man; or are we more similar to those who, despite being physically very close to him, do not open the doors of their heart and their life, remaining closed and insensitive to Jesus' presence?" he said.

After leading the traditional Marian prayer, which he did standing at a window overlooking St. Peter's Square, Francis offered his warm wishes to the Eastern Christians who will celebrate Christmas on Jan. 7.

"I assure in a special way my prayer for those who suffer as a result of ongoing conflicts. May Jesus, prince of peace, bring peace and serenity to all of them!" he said.

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CNA Staff, Jan 6, 2025 / 12:50 pm (CNA).

Shigemi Fukahori, a Japanese Catholic who survived the atomic bombing of Nagasaki in 1945 and who was an advocate for peace late in his life, died on Friday, Jan. 3, at age 93. 

Fukahori died at a hospital in Nagasaki, according to the Urakami Cathedral located in that city. The AP reported on his death on Sunday. 

The Urakami cathedral was itself destroyed in the atomic blast on Aug. 9, 1945. It was rebuilt in 1959. Peace activists have lately been working to fund a replacement for one of the cathedral's bells destroyed in the blast. 

For much of his life Fukahori "prayed almost daily" at the cathedral, the AP reported. 

The Japanese citizen was just 14 years old when the bomb fell on the city. He had worked at a shipyard several miles from the bomb's hypocenter and for years did not talk about the experience.

 A chance encounter with a victim of the 1937 Guernica bombing "helped [him] open up," the AP said. 

"On the day the bomb dropped, I heard a voice asking for help. When I walked over and held out my hand, the person's skin melted. I still remember how that felt," he told the Japanese broadcaster NHK in 2019.

Fukahori, whose funeral was scheduled for Monday at the Urukami Cathedral, met Pope Francis that same year when he presented the Holy Father with a wreath of flowers when the pope visited Japan.

In 2020, at a ceremony in Japan, the peace advocate said: "I am determined to send our message to make Nagasaki the final place where an atomic bomb is ever dropped."

He told NHK that the effects of the bomb were "not just that single moment — we are still suffering."

"Humans are weak, so we tend to be greedy," he said. "But being selfish doesn't bring peace."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 6, 2025 / 13:45 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Timothy Dolan will lead the opening prayer for President-elect Donald Trump's inauguration on Jan. 20. 

Dolan, the archbishop of New York, announced he would take part in the inaugural ceremonies during an interview with the local news channel WPIX on Dec. 24. Dolan also said the opening prayer during Trump's 2017 inauguration following his 2016 presidential victory. 

"The president was kind enough to ask me to do the opening prayer," Dolan told WPIX. "He had asked me to do the one in 2016 too, so [when] he asked me this time, I said, 'Well I did it eight years ago; I hope this one works.'"

Dolan said in the interview he had discussed matters of faith with Trump, a nondenominational Christian. The cardinal has said in the past that the former president "takes his Christian faith seriously."

"I believe President Trump and I believe that faith is stirring," the cardinal said. "I believe that he may have had a bit of a rekindling. Alleluia, because I don't know how anybody can be president of the United States without a deep faith."

Dolan said Trump "knows something mystical happened in the two assassination attempts" that occurred during the 2024 presidential campaign. Trump was shot in the ear at a July 13 rally in Pennsylvania in an assassination attempt that killed one person and injured six other people. In September, a man was charged with an attempted assassination of Trump while the candidate was golfing in Florida but was spotted before firing any shots.

"I reminded [Trump] that when Ronald Reagan visited John Paul II," Dolan said, "both of them had been victims of vicious assassination attempts and barely escaped alive. And Ronald Reagan said, 'Holy Father, Mother Teresa told me that God spared my life because he's got something important for me to accomplish' and John Paul II grinned at him and said, 'Mr. President, Mother Teresa told me the same thing, so why don't the two of us work together and get something done in the world?'"

The cardinal added that he believes the two assassination attempts likely "had something to do with" the president-elect growing in faith.

"You never know because it's all God's actions; it's not ours," Dolan said. "So faith is a gift that's God's initiative. It's not our energy that does it. We've got to cooperate; we've got to embrace it."

When Dolan said the opening prayer during Trump's 2017 inauguration, the cardinal read King Solomon's prayer from the Book of Wisdom. 

"Give us wisdom, for we are your servants, weak and short-lived, lacking in comprehension of judgment and of laws. Indeed, though one might be perfect among mortals, if wisdom which comes from you be lacking, we count for nothing," Dolan prayed.

When President Joe Biden was inaugurated in 2021, the opening prayer was said by the former president of Georgetown University, Jesuit Father Leo J. O'Donovan.

"We confess our past failures to live according to our vision of equality, inclusion, and freedom for all," O'Donovan prayed. "Yet we resolutely commit still now to renewing the vision, to caring for one another in word and deed, especially the least fortunate among us, and so becoming light for the world." 

Trump is also holding an interfaith service on Sunday, Jan. 19, one day before the inauguration.

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Rome Newsroom, Jan 6, 2025 / 06:08 am (CNA).

Pope Francis appointed Cardinal Robert McElroy, bishop of San Diego, to lead the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., the Vatican announced Monday.

The 70-year-old cardinal, who holds doctorates in moral theology from the Pontifical Gregorian University and in political science from Stanford, succeeds Cardinal Wilton Gregory in leading the archdiocese that serves over half a million Catholics in southern Maryland and the U.S. capital.

In his nearly 10 years as bishop of California's southernmost diocese, McElroy has been vocal on a number of controversial issues at the intersection of politics and Church life. He is considered by many to also be the U.S. cardinal whose thinking most aligns with Pope Francis.

Outspokenly progressive, McElroy is now poised to take over the ecclesiastical territory of the nation's capital just as Donald Trump is sworn in for a second term as president of the United States.

Shortly after President Trump's inauguration for his first term in 2017, McElroy told a gathering of faith-based groups that if Trump was the candidate of "disruption," then similar disruption is needed to build a better society.

"Well now, we must all become disruptors," the bishop said, referencing the use of military force to deport undocumented migrants and the portrayal of refugees and Muslims as enemies.

In the political area, McElroy has been most outspoken on the subject of immigration. 

Speaking at an interfaith prayer vigil in front of the U.S. federal courthouse in downtown San Diego in 2021, McElroy decried Congress' failure to create paths to legalization for some of the U.S.' 11 million undocumented migrants.

"We can't stand by anymore and watch our political processes — broken as they are — destroy the dreams and the hopes of the refugees and the immigrants who have not only come here and lived here but have helped build our nation and make it better," he said.

He is also a frequently-heard voice in the "Eucharistic coherence" debate, in which he has often criticized what he sees as, in the U.S., the prioritization of abortion over other social concerns, such as the death penalty and care for migrants and the environment.

In recent years, McElroy has also asserted that to deny Holy Communion to pro-abortion Catholic politicians is to weaponize the Eucharist for a political end.

In a May 5, 2021 essay, he decried what he called "a theology of unworthiness" to receive the Eucharist, whereby those who practice it focus too strongly, in his view, on discipline.

McElroy also supports women deacons for the Church and is a vocal supporter of LGBT-identified Catholics.

Born in San Francisco on Feb. 5, 1954, Bishop McElroy grew up in San Mateo County. He was ordained a priest in 1980 and served as an auxiliary bishop to San Francisco's Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone starting in 2010.

In 2015, Pope Francis tapped McElroy to lead the San Diego diocese. He was elevated to the College of Cardinals by Pope Francis in an August 2022 consistory, after undergoing a successful coronary bypass surgery the year prior.

Before starting seminary, McElroy studied history at Harvard University, going on to also earn a master's degree in American History from Stanford University.

After his ordination as a priest, he also earned a licentiate (similar to a master's degree) in sacred theology and doctorates in moral theology and political science.

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Vatican City, Jan 5, 2025 / 09:35 am (CNA).

In his Angelus address, Pope Francis encouraged Christians to be "messengers of hope" in the Jubilee Year by saying "'yes' to life."

Umbrellas dotted St. Peter's Square on the rainy Sunday afternoon as Jubilee pilgrims braved the weather to hear Pope Francis give his Angelus message. The pope commended the crowd for their bravery in standing out in the rain and urged them to bring God's light to their families and communities during the 2025 Jubilee of Hope.

"Let us not be afraid to throw open bright windows of closeness to those who are suffering, of forgiveness, of compassion, and reconciliation," Pope Francis said from the window of the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 5.

"This invitation resounds in a particular way in the Jubilee Year that has just begun, urging us to be messengers of hope with a simple, but concrete 'yes' to life with choices that bring life."

Reflecting on the Prologue of John's Gospel, the pope reminded the faithful that Jesus, the Word Incarnate, is "the light that shines in darkness, and the darkness has not overcome it."

Pope Francis said that the Gospel "reminds us, then, how powerful is God's love, which is not overcome by anything and which, despite obstacles and rejections, continues to shine and illuminate our path."

The pope added that we are living in a time of "great need for light, for hope, and a need for peace" in which "men at times create situations so complicated that it seems impossible to get out of them." 

He underlined the eternal nature of God's love, saying, "God never stops. He finds a thousand ways to reach everyone, each and every one of us, wherever we are, without calculation and without conditions, opening even in the darkest nights of humanity windows of light that the darkness cannot obscure."

At the start of the new year, Francis encouraged everyone to reflect on their capacity to bring light into the lives of others, "How can I open a window of light in my environment and in my relationships? Where can I be a glimmer of light that lets God's love pass through? What is the first step I should take today?"

Pope Francis invoked the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary as he led the crowd in the Angelus prayer in Latin, urging Christians to follow Our Lady's example. "May Mary, star that leads to Jesus, help us to be shining witnesses of the Father's love for everyone," he said.

Pope Francis also prayed for war-torn regions of the world, calling on Catholics to continue praying for peace in Ukraine, Palestine, Israel, Lebanon, Syria, Myanmar, and Sudan.

"May the international community act firmly so that humanitarian law is respected in conflicts," he said. "No more striking schools, hospitals; no more hitting workplaces! Let us not forget that war is always a defeat, always."

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Rome, Italy, Jan 5, 2025 / 10:42 am (CNA).

American Cardinal James Harvey opened the holy door at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls on Sunday, completing the opening of all five holy doors in Rome for the Catholic Church's 2025 Jubilee of Hope.

Pilgrims who visit Rome during the Jubilee, a holy year celebrated every 25 years, will have the opportunity to receive a plenary indulgence by passing through the doors.

"The opening of the holy door marks the salvific passage opened by Christ through his Incarnation, death, and resurrection, calling all members of the Church to be reconciled with God and with one another," Harvey said.

The ceremony began in the basilica's column-lined courtyard with the ancient sound of a shofar, a ram's horn historically used by the ancient Israelites to announce jubilee years, as recorded in the Bible.

Cardinal Harvey offered a prayer, asking that Christians live the Jubilee Year with the faith of the Apostle Paul, "so that captivated by the love of Christ and converted by his mercy we may proclaim to the world the Gospel of grace." 

He then pushed open the heavy bronze doors, pausing for a moment of silent prayer at the threshold before entering as the congregation sang the Jubilee hymn, "Pilgrims of Hope."

Harvey, a Milwaukee native and archpriest of the basilica, presided over the Mass for the opening of the holy door. The 75-year-old cardinal formerly served as the prefect of the papal household for Pope John Paul II and Benedict XVI. 

"With the opening of the holy door this morning at the Papal Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls … we crossed the threshold of the sacred temple with immense joy because, in a symbolic way, we passed through the door of hope," Harvey said during his homily.

The Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, one of Rome's four papal basilicas, is built over the tomb of St. Paul and was first consecrated in 324 by Pope Sylvester. It has long been a significant site of pilgrimage, and during the Jubilee, it will play a central role as one of the five holy door locations designated by the pope.

"By crossing the threshold of this basilica with faith, we enter the time of mercy and forgiveness so that according to the right expression of our holy patron Saint Paul, the way of hope that does not disappoint may be opened to every woman and every man," Harvey said.

Pope Francis chose "Pilgrims of Hope" as the theme of the 2025 Jubilee Year. In Spes Non Confundit ("Hope Does Not Disappoint"), the papal bull announcing the Jubilee, Pope Francis described hope as a virtue that "does not deceive or disappoint because it is grounded in the certainty that nothing and no one may ever separate us from God's love."

In his homily, Harvey reflected on the virtue of hope, quoting Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical Spes Salvi: "We have been given hope, trustworthy hope, by virtue of which we can face our present: the present, even if it is arduous, can be lived and accepted if it leads towards a goal, if we can be sure of this goal, and if this goal is great enough to justify the effort of the journey."

"'The good news,' the Christian message, is the announcement of this accomplished reality of Jesus Christ died, risen, and glorified. He is our hope," Harvey added.

The Jubilee, the first ordinary one since the Great Jubilee of 2000, is expected to draw millions of pilgrims to Rome. The other four holy doors of the 2025 Jubilee are located at St. Peter's Basilica, the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran, the Basilica of St. Mary Major, and — for the first time in the history of Jubilees —inside Rome's Rebibbia Prison.

"The dark door of time, of the future, has been thrown open. The one who has hope lives differently; the one who hopes has been granted the gift of a new life," Harvey said, quoting Benedict XVI's Spes Salvi.

Harvey explained that hope is "a theological virtue because it's infused by God and has God as its guarantor. It's not a passive virtue which merely waits for things to happen. It's a supremely active virtue that helps make them happen."

"The Church invites each pilgrim to undertake a spiritual journey in the footsteps of faith, and the Church strongly hopes that it may reignite the flame of hope," he said.

The holy door at St. Paul's will remain open until Dec. 28, 2025. "Saint Paul left us these precious words when he wrote to the Romans, 'May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit,'" Harvey said.

"The cross of Christ, the glorious symbol of victory over sin and death, is our unique hope," he said.

"To radiate hope, to be sowers of hope … is certainly the most beautiful gift that the Church can give to all humanity, especially at this moment in its history," the cardinal added.

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CNA Newsroom, Jan 4, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Pointing to the perils of pastoral pessimism, Pope Francis urged a congregation of teaching sisters on Saturday to cultivate joy in their ministry, warning them that stern countenances drive people away from the faith.

"Many times in my life I have encountered nuns with a vinegar face, and this is not friendly, this is not something that helps to attract people," the pope said.

Speaking to participants in the General Chapter of the Union "St. Catherine of Siena" of School Missionaries in the Vatican's Clementine Hall, Francis emphasized three essential qualities for religious educators: holiness, preparation, and friendliness.

The congregation, marking its centenary year, chose as its chapter theme "Understanding the present to comprehend together the future of the Union as it journeys with the Church" — an approach Francis praised as being "in line with the legacy" left by their founder, Venerable Luigia Tincani.

The pope quoted St. John Paul II's 1995 description of their founding vision, which called for "constant commitment to one's own sanctification, a serious theological and professional preparation, and a lifestyle that is friendly and loving toward everyone, especially young people."

Francis particularly emphasized the Dominican motto that shapes their educational ministry: "contemplata aliis tradere" (to hand on to others the fruits of contemplation).

The pope also delivered a strong warning against gossip in religious communities. "Please, distance yourself from gossip. Gossip kills, gossip poisons," he said. "Please, no gossip among you, none. And to ask this of a woman is heroic, but come on, let's go forward, and no gossip."

During an exchange about vocations, when sisters indicated they had "a dozen" novices worldwide, Francis encouraged them to actively seek new apostolates. "Look for a vocational apostolate, look for it!" he urged.

The Union of St. Catherine of Siena Missionary Teachers was founded in Italy in 1925 by Tincani. Following the spiritual heritage of St. Catherine of Siena and the Dominican tradition of combining contemplation with education, the congregation focuses on promoting Christian humanism through education, serving in schools and universities across several continents.

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