Cardinal Baldassare Reina, Vicar General of Rome and Archpriest of the Basilica of St. John Lateran, presides over the closing of the Holy Door and the subsequent Mass and invites the faithful to manifest the presence of God in the places where there is no fraternity, justice, truth and peace.

Every December, as huge chunks of the world deck the halls and trim the trees, a special breed of pilot decides that standard flight patterns are beneath (pun intended) them. Because why fly a straight line when you can create Grinch sky art across the winter sky? This holiday season, we’ve spotted not one but two ambitious attempts to paint everyone’s favorite Christmas villain...

Catholics across the globe are lifting up 5-year old Micah Kim in prayer this Christmas season. His father, Paul Kim, a popular Catholic speaker and comedian, husband and father to six children, shared on Dec. 22, that Micah had suffered a “medical emergency” and was in an ambulance heading to the hospital...

An aspect of the Christmas story we often fail to notice is the way that God, through the Incarnation, became a burden to Mary and Joseph and the people around them. From Luke’s Gospel we know that Jesus’s parents were not wealthy, yet that didn’t stop God from asking them to have a child sooner than they had anticipated...

Looking for a way to go into the new year with some extra grace? Did you know the Church offers TWO chances for plenary indulgences as we ring in the New Year? The first opportunity comes on New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, as we reflect on all God has done in 2025 and prepare for a new year — a Jubilee Year! For those who publicly recite the Te Deum, a plenary indulgence is granted under the normal conditions detailed below.

The ancient commemoration of the birth of our Lord and Savior resounds through the ages and occupies a pivotal place in the Christian life. Faithful around the world mark the solemn occasion of our salvation with extra prayers, Mass attendance, sacramental participation and family traditions...

The Catholic world is preparing for the centenary next year of the death of Antoni Gaudí, the Spanish architect who imagined the Sagrada Família church in Barcelona, a striking 20th-century conception of all creation singing the praises of God, in forms and shapes taken from the natural world...

The Gospel begins with the departure of the magi and the message of an angel. It is hard to imagine a more exalted moment for a father, when great men have sought out his child and angels intervened for his safety. But the message of the angel must have been hard for Joseph to take...

Pope Leo XIV on Friday urged Christians to resist the temptation to treat others as enemies, saying the mystery of Christmas calls believers to recognize the God-given dignity of every person, even in their adversaries. “Christians, however, have no enemies, but brothers and sisters, who remain so even when they do not understand each other,” the Pope said...

Dick Van Dyke’s new memoir puts it out front: he’s no genius. Instead, he’s been lucky personally and professionally. On the professional side this book is flawless: no soft-pedaling failures or 20-20 hindsight about his prospects; no easy vengeance on long-dead nemeses; no pedantic hints for aspiring performers; and no (thank God!) explanations about what makes jokes funny.