The Vatican has announced the theme of the Preacher of the Papal Household’s Advent sermons: “Awaiting and hastening the coming of the day of God: Jubilee hope between waiting for the Lord and the universality of salvation.”

Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, will preach the sermons on the three Fridays of Advent in Paul VI Audience Hall, in the presence of Pope Leo, the Roman Curia, employees of the Vatican City State and the Vicariate of Rome. The papal preacher customarily preaches his sermons on the Fridays of Advent and Lent.

Pope Leo XIV received Mongolian President Ukhnaagiin Khürelsükh in an audience yesterday.

President Khürelsükh subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, and Msgr. Mihăiță Blaj, the recently appointed Undersecretary for Relations with States. The parties discussed Church-state relations and their “shared desire to further develop cooperation, including in the cultural sphere,” according to a Vatican statement.

Mongolia, an East Asian nation of 3.3 million (map), is 59% Buddhist, 18% ethnic religionist, 5% Muslim, and 2% Christian. Pope Francis made an apostolic journey there in 2023.

With the headline “Nel silenzio colpevole del mondo” [In the culpable silence of the world], L’Osservatore Romano devoted the most prominent front-page article in its December 4 edition to the plight of Haiti.

“Chaos ‘governs’ Haiti,” began the article, in which staff journalist Roberto Paglialonga interviewed Gabriele Regio, regional manager of the charitable organization AVSI.

The bishops of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church issued a pastoral letter, “In Unity Lies the Strength of the People,” in which they called for prayer, fasting, and almsgiving during the Nativity Fast for the nation’s sake.

“The only certain path to victory is to pursue the way of Christ,” they wrote. “True victory for Ukraine will not come from the intervention of allies or diplomatic efforts. It will come when each of us makes a sacrifice—of time, energy, abilities, conveniences, and, if necessary, life.”

Pope Leo XIV asked Slovakia to “cherish and uphold the traditional family” and to “build bridges instead of walls,” President Peter Pellegrini said following a papal audience yesterday.

“To our young people, his message shines with clarity and hope: Seek faith with courage, take an active role in shaping our society, and prepare yourselves to shoulder the future of our beloved homeland,” Pellegrini continued. “Pope Leo XIV also expressed his sincere desire to visit Slovakia soon. As President, I welcome this hope with open arms.”

President Pellegrini subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, and Msgr. Mihăiță Blaj, the recently appointed Undersecretary for Relations with States. The parties discussed Church-state relations, the international situation, and “strengthening social cohesion, promoting justice and protecting the family,” according to a Vatican statement.

Slovakia, a Central European nation of 5.6 million (map), is 84% Christian (73% Catholic). Pope Francis made an apostolic journey there in 2021.

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Today the Roman Martyrology commemorates St. Sabbas (439-532), an anchorite who dedicated his life to prayer and manual labor. He is pictured as an abbot with an apple, as he was once tempted to eat an apple outside of the prescribed mealtime, whereupon he vowed never to eat apples again. In Jerusalem he built a famous laura (as oriental monasteries are called), which bears his name. When the Arabs later conquered the Holy City, the monks fled to Rome, where they built a monastery and introduced the veneration of their saint. In the Eastern Church St. Sabbas ranks high in popular devotion; he is distinguished by the titles "God-bearer, the Saint, Citizen of the Holy City, Star of the Desert, Patriarch of Monks."

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