Pope Francis prays during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Oct. 9, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNAVatican City, Jan 2, 2025 / 09:40 am (CNA).Pope Francis offered his condolences after 15 people were killed in New Orleans when a U.S. Army veteran drove a pickup truck with an Islamic State flag into a crowd celebrating the New Year.The pope sent a condolence message to New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Jan. 2 offering prayers for the souls of the deceased as well as the healing and consolation of the injured and bereaved. "His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the attack that took place in New Orleans," said the message sent on the pope's behalf by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin."In assuring the entire community of his spiritual closeness, His Holiness commends the souls of those who have died to the loving mercy of Almighty God and prays for the heali...
Pope Francis prays during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Oct. 9, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Vatican City, Jan 2, 2025 / 09:40 am (CNA).
Pope Francis offered his condolences after 15 people were killed in New Orleans when a U.S. Army veteran drove a pickup truck with an Islamic State flag into a crowd celebrating the New Year.
The pope sent a condolence message to New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond on Jan. 2 offering prayers for the souls of the deceased as well as the healing and consolation of the injured and bereaved.
"His Holiness Pope Francis was deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the attack that took place in New Orleans," said the message sent on the pope's behalf by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.
"In assuring the entire community of his spiritual closeness, His Holiness commends the souls of those who have died to the loving mercy of Almighty God and prays for the healing and consolation of the injured and bereaved. As a pledge of peace and strength in the Lord, the Holy Father sends his blessing."
The New Orleans attack is being investigated as an act of terrorism by the FBI, which believes that the driver, Shamsud-Din Jabbar, 42, did not act alone. Jabbar was killed in a shootout with police after driving a truck with an explosive device into a crowd of people celebrating the new year in New Orleans' French Quarter three hours after midnight.
President Joe Biden said Wednesday evening that the driver had posted videos to social media saying that he was inspired by the Islamic State group in the hours before what Biden called the "heinous act."
About 30 other people were injured by the New Orleans attack, including two police officers wounded by gunfire from the suspect, according to Reuters.
Among the 15 victims were a mother of a 4-year-old, an 18-year-old aspiring nurse from Mississippi, and a student-athlete who was visiting home for the holidays.
"Our prayers go out to those killed and injured in this morning's horrific attack on Bourbon Street," Aymond said in a brief statement released on the archdiocese's website.
"This violent act is a sign of utter disrespect for human life," he said. "I join with others in the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New Orleans in offering prayerful support to the victims' families. I give thanks for the heroic duty of hundreds of law enforcement and medical personnel in the face of such evil."
FBI officials have said they are also looking for any links with a separate incident in Las Vegas on New Year's Day in which one person was killed and seven people were injured when a rented Tesla Cybertruck exploded into flames outside of the Trump International Hotel.
Pilgrims cross the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on Dec. 25, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN NewsACI Prensa Staff, Jan 2, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).A jubilee is one of the most significant events of the Catholic Church that occurs only every 25 years.With the beginning of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, there are many questions the faithful may ask: What can the jubilee contribute to my life of faith? What is a Holy Door? What is a jubilee church? How can I participate if I don't go on pilgrimage to Rome? The answers to these and other questions will help Catholics understand the value of this exceptional time of grace.The importance of a jubileeWhy is the jubilee such an important event for Catholics? The answer is simple: It offers an extraordinary opportunity to attain salvation and experience that God's holiness can transform us. Ultimately, it is a gift that helps us reach heaven.Why? Because it makes available to the faithful all the easy means to obtain ...
Pilgrims cross the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica in the Vatican on Dec. 25, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
ACI Prensa Staff, Jan 2, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
A jubilee is one of the most significant events of the Catholic Church that occurs only every 25 years.
With the beginning of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, there are many questions the faithful may ask: What can the jubilee contribute to my life of faith? What is a Holy Door? What is a jubilee church? How can I participate if I don't go on pilgrimage to Rome? The answers to these and other questions will help Catholics understand the value of this exceptional time of grace.
The importance of a jubilee
Why is the jubilee such an important event for Catholics? The answer is simple: It offers an extraordinary opportunity to attain salvation and experience that God's holiness can transform us. Ultimately, it is a gift that helps us reach heaven.
Why? Because it makes available to the faithful all the easy means to obtain benefits from the "treasury" of the Church, for example, a plenary indulgence, which returns the soul to the state it was in when it received baptism.
Speaking with ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner, Father Giuseppe Bonomo, an Italian priest at the Atri Cathedral in Teramo, Italy — where there is a Holy Door instituted by Pope St. Celestine V — emphasized that the jubilee is also a unique time for "personal and community conversion."
In fact, during each month of the year, one or more jubilees dedicated to different groups will be celebrated in Rome. In January, for example, there is the Jubilee of the World of Communications, in February the Jubilee of Artists, in April the Jubilee of Teenagers, in May the Jubilee of Confraternities. You can consult the calendar here.
Two indulgences in one day?
In the sacrament of penance sins are forgiven. However, the temporal punishment required by divine justice remains. The indulgence grants the remission of all temporal punishment in purgatory, so that if a person dies after receiving this gift, he or she goes directly to heaven.
The immense value and profound significance that this "treasure" contains makes it a privilege reserved for specific places and times designated for it to be granted. This is where the greatness of the jubilee year lies, a time when the opportunities to obtain it are multiplied — even twice in one day!
Although there is a rule that only one plenary indulgence can be obtained per day, during the jubilee year a second one can be obtained if it is done for the souls in purgatory, i.e., the second one will be applicable only to the deceased.
Requirements to obtain the jubilee indulgence
To obtain the jubilee indulgence it is important first to know how it is granted (the requirements) and second, where (the specific place or times) it is granted. With the arrival of the Jubilee of Hope, the Vatican noted the three usual conditions:
"All the faithful, who are truly repentant and free from any affection for sin, who are moved by a spirit of charity and who, during the holy year, purified through the sacrament of penance and refreshed by holy Communion, pray for the intentions of the supreme pontiff, will be able to obtain from the treasury of the Church a plenary indulgence, with remission and forgiveness of all their sins, which can be applied in suffrage to the souls in purgatory," the document states.
How can one experience the Jubilee 2025 without going on pilgrimage to Rome?
During the year 2025, Catholics will be able to obtain the indulgence on pilgrimages to any holy place of the jubilee, those churches designated for this purpose. In Rome, in addition to the four main basilicas, there are 13 other churches.
The Eternal City is undoubtedly the center of the 2025 Jubilee, and during the year it expects to welcome 30 million people. However, if one cannot go on pilgrimage to Rome, there are many other ways to obtain the indulgence and experience a true conversion and strengthening of faith.
Bonomo explained to ACI Prensa that any Catholic who wishes can do so in his or her own city. "You must ask your bishop how many churches there are in your diocese" with these qualifications, he explained.
"There are many jubilee churches! And of course you can obtain the plenary indulgence in these churches," he said.
You can also obtain it if you visit sacred places such as Marian shrines or other basilicas. You can check which ones here.
It can also be received by performing works of mercy and penance, such as visiting those in need or in difficulty (the sick, prisoners, the lonely elderly, etc.), even by abstaining, at least for one day, from "trivial distractions," such as social media and "superfluous consumption."
In addition, those who cannot participate in pilgrimages for "serious reasons" can gain the indulgence if they recite "the Our Father, the Profession of Faith in any approved form, and other prayers in conformity with the objectives of the holy year … offering up their sufferings or the hardships of their lives."
The Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News
What is a Holy Door and how many are there in the world?
Pope Francis officially inaugurated the 2025 Jubilee of Hope by opening the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica on Dec. 24, 2024. Passing through a Holy Door during the jubilee symbolizes entry into a new life in Christ and the beginning of a journey of conversion.
Bonomo noted that Holy Doors "can be permanent or not." The first category includes only nine in the whole world: "The most famous is that of St. Peter in the Vatican, followed by those of the three major basilicas in Rome: St. John Lateran, St. Paul Outside the Walls, and St. Mary Major."
"But there are also others outside Rome, such as the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela [Spain], the Basilica of Santa Maria di Collemaggio in L'Aquila [Italy], the Basilica-Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Québec [Canada], the Atri Cathedral [Italy], and Sacred Heart Cathedral in New Delhi [India]," he added.
Furthermore, the Italian priest explained that "the basilicas with permanent Holy Doors have their own statutes." For example, "the Basilica of Atri is open every year from Aug. 14–22, while those in Rome are open only during a jubilee year," he continued.
In the case of Santiago de Compostela, a holy year occurs when July 25, the saint's feast day, falls on a Sunday. During that year, the plenary indulgence can be obtained at the cathedral.
The 'nonpermanent' Holy Doors
Nonpermanent Holy Doors are those that are opened only for a specific jubilee year, as on Dec. 26, 2024, when for the first time in the jubilee tradition, Pope Francis opened a Holy Door in the Rebibbia prison, located on the outskirts of Rome.
Ten years ago, during his trip to the Central African Republic, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of the Bangui cathedral, a gesture made shortly after the beginning of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy to encourage "peace in this country and the world." In addition, on Dec. 18 of that year he opened the Holy Door of Charity in a reception center in Termini in Rome.
During the Extraordinary Jubilee of 2015, Pope Francis granted the opening of the Holy Door also in cathedral churches and allowed the dioceses to establish Holy Doors. This, however, will not happen in 2025, since this year the rules for an ordinary jubilee are followed and not an extraordinary one.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
A Sister of the Missionaries of Charity touches the bronze Holy Door at the papal basilica during its opening for the 2025 Jubilee Year. The religious sister, wearing the distinctive white and blue habit of the order founded by Mother Teresa, joins other faithful in this traditional gesture of devotion as they pass through the ceremonial door on Jan. 1, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNACNA Newsroom, Jan 1, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).The pealing of a precious ancient bell marked a momentous beginning to the 2025 Jubilee Year at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major, where Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas opened the Holy Door on Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.The Lithuanian cardinal, elevated to the College of Cardinals in December 2024, presided over the ceremony at Rome's preeminent Marian shrine, where the "Bell of the Lost" rang out across the Eternal City from atop the Esquiline Hill.Faithful gather at the flower-adorned Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on...
A Sister of the Missionaries of Charity touches the bronze Holy Door at the papal basilica during its opening for the 2025 Jubilee Year. The religious sister, wearing the distinctive white and blue habit of the order founded by Mother Teresa, joins other faithful in this traditional gesture of devotion as they pass through the ceremonial door on Jan. 1, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
CNA Newsroom, Jan 1, 2025 / 16:17 pm (CNA).
The pealing of a precious ancient bell marked a momentous beginning to the 2025 Jubilee Year at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major, where Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas opened the Holy Door on Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God.
The Lithuanian cardinal, elevated to the College of Cardinals in December 2024, presided over the ceremony at Rome's preeminent Marian shrine, where the "Bell of the Lost" rang out across the Eternal City from atop the Esquiline Hill.
Faithful gather at the flower-adorned Holy Door of the Basilica of St. Mary Major in Rome on Jan. 1, 2025, as the jubilee year gets underway. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
In his homily, Makrickas emphasized the bell's spiritual significance, noting how it has called pilgrims to prayer since the Church's first jubilee and continues to serve as a sonic symbol of Mary's guidance, much like the "Star of the Sea" that illuminates the darkness.
Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas blesses the congregation during the opening ceremony of the Holy Door at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major on Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
"Every pilgrim who crosses the threshold of the Holy Door of this first Marian shrine of the West during the jubilee year will pray before the icon of the Mother of God, Salus Populi Romani, and before the sacred crib of Jesus," the cardinal said during his homily.
Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, wearing Marian blue and cream vestments, delivers the homily during the Mass opening the Jubilee Year at Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major on Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
The papal basilica, also known as the "Bethlehem of the West," houses both the venerated icon of Mary and relics of Christ's crib. Makrickas highlighted how these sacred objects connect to Pope Francis' document "Spes Non Confundit," which announced the jubilee year.
A pilgrim touches the bronze panels of the newly-opened Holy Door at St. Mary Major on Jan. 1, 2025, continuing a centuries-old tradition of passing through the sacred portal during jubilee years. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
Quoting the papal bull, the cardinal reminded the faithful that pilgrims are especially invited to "make a prayer stop at the Marian shrines of the city to venerate the Virgin Mary and invoke her protection."
The faithful fill the ornate nave of the Basilica of St. Mary Major during the opening Mass of the jubilee year on Jan. 1, 2025, in Rome. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
The basilica's location at the center of a star-shaped road network symbolically evokes the Star of Bethlehem, Makrickas noted, reflecting its 1,600-year mission to serve as "a bright star, at the service of the True Light, pointing to the Savior, true God and true man, born of the Virgin Mary."
An illuminated Nativity scene display stands before the baroque facade of the Basilica of St. Mary Major at night, with the church's iconic bell tower visible against the dark Roman sky, on Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA
The cardinal concluded his homily by entrusting the jubilee year to the Mother of God, praying that she might lead all pilgrims to Jesus, "the fullness of time, of all time, of everyone's time."
Pope Francis speaks to the crowd gathered on St. Peter's Square, Jan. 1, 2025. / Credit: Vatican MediaCNA Newsroom, Jan 1, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).Pope Francis marked the Angelus prayer on the first day of 2025 by calling on Christian nations to set an example through debt relief for the world's poorest countries and renewing his passionate plea for peace in global conflict zones.Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace to what the Vatican reported as approximately 30,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the pontiff connected the Church's World Day of Peace with the upcoming jubilee year, emphasizing debt forgiveness as a concrete path to peace.St. Peter's Square as seen through the colonnade during the New Year's Day Angelus with Pope Francis, Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media"The first to forgive debts is God, as we always ask him when praying the 'Our Father,'" Francis said. "And the jubilee calls for translating this ...
Pope Francis speaks to the crowd gathered on St. Peter's Square, Jan. 1, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media
CNA Newsroom, Jan 1, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).
Pope Francis marked the Angelus prayer on the first day of 2025 by calling on Christian nations to set an example through debt relief for the world's poorest countries and renewing his passionate plea for peace in global conflict zones.
Speaking from the window of the Apostolic Palace to what the Vatican reported as approximately 30,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the pontiff connected the Church's World Day of Peace with the upcoming jubilee year, emphasizing debt forgiveness as a concrete path to peace.
St. Peter's Square as seen through the colonnade during the New Year's Day Angelus with Pope Francis, Jan. 1, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media
"The first to forgive debts is God, as we always ask him when praying the 'Our Father,'" Francis said. "And the jubilee calls for translating this forgiveness to the social level, so that no person, no family, no people may be crushed by debt."
The pope encouraged "the leaders of countries with Christian traditions to set a good example by canceling or reducing as much as possible the debts of the poorest countries."
Powerful plea for peace amid global conflicts
Reflecting on global conflicts, Francis expressed gratitude for those working toward dialogue and negotiations in war zones. He specifically mentioned Ukraine, Gaza, Israel, Myanmar, and Kivu, a region in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo that has suffered from prolonged violence and instability.
"Brothers, sisters, war destroys, it always destroys! War is always a defeat, always," the pope emphasized.
Francis reflected on the day's Gospel reading from Luke 2:16-21, which recounts the shepherds' arrival at the manger in Bethlehem. He drew attention to both what the shepherds saw — the child Jesus, whose name in Hebrew means "God saves" — and what remained unseen: Mary's heart that "treasured and meditated on all these things."
"God chose to be born for us," Francis said. "The Lord came into the world to give us his very life." He connected this divine choice to what he called "the hope of redemption and salvation" that beats in Mary's maternal heart for all creation.
Earlier in the day, the pontiff pleaded for peace and the protection of human life at St. Peter's Basilica, calling for "a firm commitment to promote respect for the dignity of human life, from conception to natural death" in his New Year's Day homily.
Cardinal Angelo Amato. / Credit: Presidencia El Salvador/Wikimedia (CC0)CNA Newsroom, Jan 1, 2025 / 08:33 am (CNA).Cardinal Angelo Amato, the former prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints who oversaw numerous significant canonizations including that of Mother Teresa, died Dec. 31. He was 86.A member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Amato served the Holy See in key positions spanning four decades.In a telegram announcing his death, Pope Francis on Wednesday praised the "edifying witness of this spiritual son of St. John Bosco who for many years spent himself with human refinement and generosity for the Gospel and the Church."The pope's message, sent to Father Stefano Martoglio, vicar of the Rector Major of the Salesians, highlighted Amato's "priestly spirit and theological preparation" through which he served the Holy See, particularly in the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.The funeral Mass will ...
Cardinal Angelo Amato. / Credit: Presidencia El Salvador/Wikimedia (CC0)
CNA Newsroom, Jan 1, 2025 / 08:33 am (CNA).
Cardinal Angelo Amato, the former prefect of the Vatican's Congregation for the Causes of Saints who oversaw numerous significant canonizations including that of Mother Teresa, died Dec. 31. He was 86.
A member of the Salesians of Don Bosco, Amato served the Holy See in key positions spanning four decades.
In a telegram announcing his death, Pope Francis on Wednesday praised the "edifying witness of this spiritual son of St. John Bosco who for many years spent himself with human refinement and generosity for the Gospel and the Church."
The pope's message, sent to Father Stefano Martoglio, vicar of the Rector Major of the Salesians, highlighted Amato's "priestly spirit and theological preparation" through which he served the Holy See, particularly in the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.
The funeral Mass will be celebrated Jan. 2 at 2 p.m. at the Altar of the Chair in St. Peter's Basilica, with Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re as the main celebrant. Pope Francis will preside over the final commendation and farewell.
Born in Molfetta, Italy, on June 8, 1938, Amato made his first religious profession in 1956 and was ordained a priest in 1967.
His scholarly path led him to roles in theological education, including positions at the Pontifical Gregorian University and the Pontifical Salesian University, where he served as dean. His academic journey included time in Greece, where he conducted research on Orthodox theology.
Pope John Paul II appointed him secretary of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith in 2002, and Pope Benedict XVI later named him prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in 2008. Benedict created him a cardinal in 2010.
"Faithful to his motto 'Sufficit gratia mea,' ['my grace is sufficient'] even in recent times marked by suffering, he abandoned himself to the goodness of the Heavenly Father," Pope Francis noted in his message.
Supporters of former president Donald Trump watch as he holds a rally in the historically Democratic district of the South Bronx on May 23, 2024, in New York City. / Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty ImagesWashington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 1, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).Both Latino and white Catholic voters shifted toward President-elect Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, according to the first post-election survey that breaks down Catholic voters by their ethnicities.Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris with 312 Electoral College votes compared with her 226 Electoral College votes and won the national popular vote by nearly 2.3 million people. Exit polls showed that he won the overall Catholic vote by a double-digit margin on Election Day after losing that demographic to Joe Biden in 2020.According to a survey published by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) in December 2024, a large portion of Trump's improved performance among Catholics cam...
Supporters of former president Donald Trump watch as he holds a rally in the historically Democratic district of the South Bronx on May 23, 2024, in New York City. / Credit: Spencer Platt/Getty Images
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Jan 1, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
Both Latino and white Catholic voters shifted toward President-elect Donald Trump in the 2024 presidential election, according to the first post-election survey that breaks down Catholic voters by their ethnicities.
Trump defeated Vice President Kamala Harris with 312 Electoral College votes compared with her 226 Electoral College votes and won the national popular vote by nearly 2.3 million people. Exit polls showed that he won the overall Catholic vote by a double-digit margin on Election Day after losing that demographic to Joe Biden in 2020.
The survey was conducted Nov. 8–Dec. 2, 2024, and included a sample of 4,757 adults who said they had voted in the 2024 election. The margin of error for the full sample is +/- 1.9 percentage points.
Large shift from Latino Catholic voters
Although Trump still lost the Latino Catholic vote, the survey suggests a much narrower win for Harris than other Democrats have claimed in recent history. The poll found that Harris won 55% of Latino Catholic voters, with Trump winning 43% of that demographic.
Harris' 12-point margin of victory among Latino Catholics was much narrower than Biden's victory among the demographic in 2020. That year, Biden claimed a massive 35-point margin with 66% of the Latino Catholic vote compared with Trump's 31%, according to the Pew Research Center. If those numbers are accurate, this suggests a 23-point shift in Trump's favor over just four years.
This is also a large shift from former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton's margin of victory with Latino Catholics, which she won by a 59-point margin by securing about 78% of the vote with Trump only winning 19%, according to a separate Pew poll. This suggests a 47-point shift in the president-elect's favor over eight years.
Trump's support from Latino Catholic voters in the 2024 election was also much larger than the support received by former Republican nominees in recent years.
Former President Barack Obama won the Latino Catholic vote by a 46-point margin in his 2008 presidential victory and by a larger 54-point margin in his 2012 reelection, according to the Pew Research Center. Former President George W. Bush lost the Latino Catholic vote by 32 points in the 2000 election and in the 2004 election.
Smaller growth among white Catholic voters
Trump's support from white Catholics also grew in the 2024 election, according to the PRRI survey.
The president-elect won 59% of the white Catholic vote compared with Harris, who received just 39% of that demographic — a 20-point margin of victory. This was a five-point improvement over his 15-point margin of victory in 2020 when he secured 57% of white Catholic voters compared with Biden's 42%, according to Pew.
Trump failed to match his 2016 margin of victory, when he won the white Catholic vote by 64% compared with Clinton's 31%, based on Pew numbers. In that election, Trump won white Catholics by a larger 33-point margin.
Previous years also showed white Catholic voters supporting Republican nominees. According to Pew numbers, former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney won the white Catholic vote by 19 points in 2012 against Obama. Former Sen. John McCain won the demographic by only five points against Obama in 2008.
In 2004, Bush won white Catholics by a 13-point margin, and in 2000 he won the demographic by a seven-point margin.
Trump's pitch to Catholic voters
During the last few weeks of his 2024 presidential campaign, Trump made a strong push to garner support from Catholic voters.
In a speech, Trump accused Harris of being "destructive to Christianity" and said that Catholics were "treated worse than anybody" by Democrats. He also criticized Harris for skipping the annual Al Smith dinner, which is hosted by Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York, calling it "deeply disrespectful to the event and in particular to our great Catholic community."
Vice President-elect JD Vance, a convert to Catholicism, said during a speech that many Catholics "rightfully feel abandoned" by Biden and Harris. He also penned an op-ed that accused Harris of having prejudice against Catholics for her record on religious liberty and hostile questions directed toward judicial nominees for being members of the Knights of Columbus.
null / Credit: Darthennode/ShutterstockACI Prensa Staff, Dec 31, 2024 / 16:00 pm (CNA).On New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, and the first day of the new year, the Catholic Church offers the opportunity to obtain plenary indulgences as a sign of God's mercy and the desire for sanctification of all her members.A plenary indulgence is remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.Indulgences on Dec. 31On the eve of the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Church grants a plenary indulgence to those Christian faithful who publicly recite the Te Deum, thanking God for the year that is ending. This blessing is extended especially on Dec. 31.To recite the Te Deum click here.Indulgences on Jan. 1Likewise, on Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, a plenary indulgence is granted to those who publicly recite the hymn "Veni Creator," imploring blessings for the new year that is beginning.To recite the "Veni Creator," click here.Additional...
null / Credit: Darthennode/Shutterstock
ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 31, 2024 / 16:00 pm (CNA).
On New Year's Eve, Dec. 31, and the first day of the new year, the Catholic Church offers the opportunity to obtain plenary indulgences as a sign of God's mercy and the desire for sanctification of all her members.
A plenary indulgence is remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.
Indulgences on Dec. 31
On the eve of the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Church grants a plenary indulgence to those Christian faithful who publicly recite the Te Deum, thanking God for the year that is ending. This blessing is extended especially on Dec. 31.
Likewise, on Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, a plenary indulgence is granted to those who publicly recite the hymn "Veni Creator," imploring blessings for the new year that is beginning.
Additionally, those who devoutly receive the papal blessing "urbi et orbi" ("for the city and for the world"), either through radio, television, or the internet, as well as those who devoutly receive the blessing of the bishop of their diocese, will also be able to obtain these special blessings from the Church.
Conditions to obtain a plenary indulgence
In addition to performing the specific work mentioned in the previous points, the following conditions must be met:
First, it is necessary to be detached from all sin, even venial sin.
Second, one must make a sacramental confession, receive Communion, and pray for the pope's intentions. These conditions can be met a few days before or after carrying out the action prescribed to obtain the indulgence, but it is suggested that Communion and prayer be performed on the same day that the action is carried out.
It's important to note that several indulgences can be obtained through a single confession, although frequent participation in the sacrament of reconciliation is recommended in order to deepen one's conversion and purity of heart.
As for receiving Communion and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father, it should be noted that with just one Communion and one prayer, made on the same day, a plenary indulgence is obtained.
Finally, the condition of praying for the intentions of the supreme pontiff is fulfilled by reciting one Our Father and one Hail Mary. However, each Christian is given the right to use any other formula according to his personal piety and devotion.
What is a plenary indulgence?
A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin.
It is not a forgiveness of sin but the remission of punishment for sins already forgiven. It may apply either to oneself or to souls already in purgatory.
In order to obtain a plenary indulgence the faithful must — in addition to being in the state of grace — both have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin (even venial sin), have sacramentally confessed their sins and received the Eucharist (either within or outside of Mass), and must pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.
The conditions for a plenary indulgence can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the actions specified to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Pope Francis presides over vespers and the Te Deum of thanksgiving in St. Peter's Basilica on Dec. 31, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNAVatican City, Dec 31, 2024 / 17:50 pm (CNA).Pope Francis celebrated first vespers for the vigil of the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, in St. Peter's Basilica on Tuesday, saying the last day of 2024 is a time to reflect and give thanks for the "universal vocation" of Rome."Rome is called to welcome everyone so that everyone can recognize themselves as children of God and brothers and sisters among themselves," the Holy Father said during a brief homily following the vespers reading (cf. Gal 4:4-5).According to the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization, more than 30 million people are expected to visit Rome during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, which concludes on Jan. 6, 2026. Expressing his gratitude for the work of thousands of men and women for the opening days of the jubilee year, the pope said their work to welcome p...
Pope Francis presides over vespers and the Te Deum of thanksgiving in St. Peter's Basilica on Dec. 31, 2024, at the Vatican. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Vatican City, Dec 31, 2024 / 17:50 pm (CNA).
Pope Francis celebrated first vespers for the vigil of the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, in St. Peter's Basilica on Tuesday, saying the last day of 2024 is a time to reflect and give thanks for the "universal vocation" of Rome.
"Rome is called to welcome everyone so that everyone can recognize themselves as children of God and brothers and sisters among themselves," the Holy Father said during a brief homily following the vespers reading (cf. Gal 4:4-5).
According to the Vatican's Dicastery for Evangelization, more than 30 million people are expected to visit Rome during the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, which concludes on Jan. 6, 2026.
Expressing his gratitude for the work of thousands of men and women for the opening days of the jubilee year, the pope said their work to welcome pilgrims corresponds to the specific yet universal vocation of the Eternal City to bring people together with "the hope of a fraternal world."
"It is beautiful to think that our city in recent months has become a construction site for this purpose," the pope said. "To welcome men and women from all over the world, Catholics and Christians of other confessions, believers of every religion, seekers of truth, freedom, justice and peace, all pilgrims of hope and fraternity."
Bishops and cardinals join Pope Francis for vespers and the Te Deum of thanksgiving in St. Peter's Basilica on Dec. 31, 2024, at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
Insisting that fraternity is not just an ideology, economic system, or technological progress, the Holy Father said: "The holy Mother of God gives us the answer by showing us Jesus."
"She, who holds the mystery of Jesus in her heart, also teaches us to read the signs of the times in the light of this mystery," he said during vespers.
"The hope of a fraternal world is he, the incarnate Son, sent by the Father so that we can all become what we are, that is, children of the Father who is in heaven, and therefore brothers and sisters among ourselves," he added.
Addressing cardinals, bishops, priests, religious men and women, and laypeople inside the basilica, the pope challenged them to work on the "construction site that involves each of us" during the jubilee.
"This construction site is the one in which, every day, I will allow God to change in me what is not worthy of a son — change! — what is not human, and in which I will commit myself, every day, to live as a brother and sister to my neighbor," he said.
At the conclusion of his homily, the Holy Father invoked the Mother of God to "help us to walk together, as pilgrims of hope, on the path of fraternity."
"May the Lord bless us, all of us; may he forgive us our sins and give us the strength to continue on our pilgrimage in the coming year," he prayed.
Each year, the pope presides at the annual celebration of first vespers (evening prayer) for the vigil of the Jan. 1 solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, followed by the traditional singing of the Te Deum hymn in thanksgiving for the past year.
Participants pray during a peace walk in Baltimore promoted by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. / Credit: Yvonne WengerCNA Staff, Dec 31, 2024 / 14:00 pm (CNA).Catholics in the Archdiocese of Baltimore gathered on Monday night to participate in an interfaith community prayer service in the city memorializing victims of homicide there. The coalition of faith leaders and other community organizers met at St. Joseph's Monastery Parish in the city's Irvington neighborhood before holding a prayer walk to My Brother's Keeper, a nonprofit community resource service run by Catholic Charities. Participants gather at St. Joseph's Monastery Parish during a peace walk sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. Credit: Yvonne WengerThe names of the city's homicide victims were read aloud during the 15-minute walk. The city has recorded roughly 200 homicides throughout 2024, down from earlier years but still significantly higher than the ...
Participants pray during a peace walk in Baltimore promoted by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. / Credit: Yvonne Wenger
CNA Staff, Dec 31, 2024 / 14:00 pm (CNA).
Catholics in the Archdiocese of Baltimore gathered on Monday night to participate in an interfaith community prayer service in the city memorializing victims of homicide there.
The coalition of faith leaders and other community organizers met at St. Joseph's Monastery Parish in the city's Irvington neighborhood before holding a prayer walk to My Brother's Keeper, a nonprofit community resource service run by Catholic Charities.
Participants gather at St. Joseph's Monastery Parish during a peace walk sponsored by the Archdiocese of Baltimore, Monday, Dec. 30, 2024. Credit: Yvonne Wenger
The names of the city's homicide victims were read aloud during the 15-minute walk. The city has recorded roughly 200 homicides throughout 2024, down from earlier years but still significantly higher than the national average.
Yvonne Wenger, a spokeswoman for the archdiocese, told CNA that the 2024 event was the second such walk. A similar prayer service was held last year.
In a press release the archdiocese said the grief ministry works "through partnerships with the Baltimore Police Department and Roberta's House, a nonprofit family grief support center."
The prayer event was "also part of the ongoing efforts of Health By Southwest to improve and reform the social drivers of health through a partnership with St. Joseph's Monastery, Catholic Charities, My Brother's Keeper, Mount Saint Joseph High School, the archdiocese, and Ascension Saint Agnes Hospital," the archdiocese said.
The archdiocese has for years been active in promoting peace initiatives in Baltimore, which for decades has been one of America's most violent cities. The city infamously went from 1978 to 2012 with yearly homicides in excess of 200, peaking in 1993 at 353.
In 2023 the archdiocese launched a gun buyback program in an effort to get dangerous weapons off the streets. Church officials obtained over 360 guns at the cost of about $50,000.
In a second gun buyback program in August, the archdiocese aimed to get even more guns out of the city. The program ultimately raised $70,000 to buy back the guns, with remaining funds going to the grief ministry.
In total the programs took nearly 650 weapons off the streets, "including over 50 semi-automatic guns and a handful of stolen weapons," the archdiocese said.
The Syrian town of Maaloula. / Credit: Valery Shanin/ShutterstockACI MENA, Dec 31, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).In the weeks since Syria's government was overthrown, the Christians of Maaloula, a historic town in western Syria known for its Christian heritage, have been living with an intensifying fear for their safety, exacerbated by a recent incident involving a Christian and a Muslim family. But what is the full story, and what is the reality for Christians in Maaloula right now?A church source, speaking to ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, on condition of anonymity, said that after former President Bashar al-Assad's regime regained control of Maaloula about 10 years ago, it prohibited some Muslims from entering the town due to their collaboration with the Al-Nusra Front in carrying out killings, kidnappings, and acts of vandalism targeting Christians and their churches. But following the regime's collapse, these individuals returned to the town, exerting pressure on Ch...
The Syrian town of Maaloula. / Credit: Valery Shanin/Shutterstock
ACI MENA, Dec 31, 2024 / 14:30 pm (CNA).
In the weeks since Syria's government was overthrown, the Christians of Maaloula, a historic town in western Syria known for its Christian heritage, have been living with an intensifying fear for their safety, exacerbated by a recent incident involving a Christian and a Muslim family. But what is the full story, and what is the reality for Christians in Maaloula right now?
A church source, speaking to ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, on condition of anonymity, said that after former President Bashar al-Assad's regime regained control of Maaloula about 10 years ago, it prohibited some Muslims from entering the town due to their collaboration with the Al-Nusra Front in carrying out killings, kidnappings, and acts of vandalism targeting Christians and their churches. But following the regime's collapse, these individuals returned to the town, exerting pressure on Christians under the pretext that Christians had displaced them.
"Some of those who had been expelled caused problems, and Christians were viewed as aligned with the previous regime," the source explained. "Yet ironically, their joy at its fall was greater than others', as most of our youth emigrated to escape mandatory or reserve military service."
Regarding the recent attacks on Christians, the source shared that "threats began against five Christian families to seize their agricultural lands. Some Christians were also told to leave their homes and the town or they would face death. The reasons for these threats include old vendettas or accusations against Christians of bearing arms and joining the 'National Defense' forces."
The source continued: "These threats turned into action when the home and café of Bashar Shahin and his family were seized, despite some Muslims defending them. After mediation, Bashar was allowed to retrieve his belongings. Additionally, two homes were broken into and robbed. There were other forms of harassment as well, such as gunfire near a priest distributing Christmas gifts to children at a kindergarten, and reports from Christians about being spat on."
The source asserted that the de facto authority in Maaloula is an individual linked to the Turkish Suleiman Shah Brigade (named after the grandfather of Osman I, the founder of the Ottoman Empire). As a result, local residents and church leaders have appealed to Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham, a Sunni Islamist political and paramilitary organization, for intervention.
"Christians in Maaloula do not feel secure. In the absence of the state we called upon, safety has vanished — particularly since weapons have been entirely removed from Christians while remaining in the hands of others," the source said. "We are advocates of peace and want to build Maaloula hand in hand with all its components."
The town of Maaloula in Syria. Credit: ACI MENA
The source said that the major incident that escalated tensions in the town happened in the early hours of Dec. 26 when a Muslim man, Abdul Salam Diab, and his father stormed a farm belonging to a Christian man named Ghassan Zakhm, intending to rob it. Abdul Salam was killed during the event. "Unfortunately, the case was framed as a religious issue, portraying Christians as aggressors against Muslims, even though it was purely an isolated incident," the source said.
This incident has reportedly prompted many Christian families to leave the town, as no entity is ensuring their safety anymore. Of the approximately 325 Christian families in Maaloula, nearly 80 have left, according to local sources. Additionally, four Christian homes belonging to Zakhm's relatives have been seized.
Details of the Dec. 26 incident
Speaking to ACI MENA, a Christian resident of Maaloula provided further details about the Dec. 26 incident.
"Before Christmas, members of Hay'at Tahrir al-Sham insisted that Christians decorate their homes to avoid any tension. However, things did not proceed smoothly," he said.
"In the early hours of Dec. 26, surveillance cameras at Ghassan Zakhm's farm captured masked individuals breaking the lock on the farm's gate. Ghassan and his son Sarkis immediately headed to the site, requesting security committee members to accompany them, though they failed to show up despite their promises."
The source confirmed that upon the farm owners' arrival, a firefight broke out between the two parties, resulting in the death of the intruder, Abdul Salam. Ghassan then surrendered himself to a priest, Father Fadi al-Barkil, who handed him over to the relevant authorities in Damascus to prevent further unrest.
This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Pope Francis prays during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on Oct. 9, 2024. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNA
