Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church

commentary

CNA Staff, Nov 27, 2025 / 18:12 pm Pope Leo XIV ended Nov. 27 in Istanbul, concluding the initial day of his first papal trip abroad in Turkey. The Holy Father will spend Nov. 27 [...]

blog

blog

cna

cna

While Pope Leo is on his first apostolic visit in Turkey, he sent victims of a fire in Hong Kong the assurance of his closeness and prayer through his Secretary of State. A note from Cardinal Pietro Parolin to the bishop of Hong Kong, Stephen Chow Sau-Yan, assured “all those suffering from the effects of Read More…

Pope assures prayer after ‘calamity’ in Hong Kong

While the 82 journalists (from some 15 countries) aboard the plane that took Leo XVI to Turkey could have hardly been more welcoming and exuberant, the reception in Ankara wasn’t quite so warm. A little over six months after his election, the Holy Father added another checkmark to his papal resume by honoring two promises Read More…

Pope’s 1st day of 1st trip: From press to politics

Vatican City, Nov 27, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).

A towering Christmas tree now stands in the center of St. Peter’s Square, after the spruce arrived at the Vatican on Thursday morning. 

The 88-foot-tall spruce tree from Italy’s Bolzano province was erected next to the ancient Egyptian obelisk which stands in the middle of the 17th century Baroque square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.

This year, the northern Italian municipalities of Lagundo and Ultimo gifted the Christmas tree to the Vatican. The tree was harvested in the alpine valley of Ultimo.

In an Oct. 20 interview published on the Vatican State website, Bishop Ivo Muser of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone said the tree reaffirms the local church’s “spiritual and emotional bond” with the pope. 

“It is a way of saying: ‘We are with you, Pope Leo; we wish to pray with you and share the joy of Christmas with you,” he said.

“The tree thus becomes an ‘ambassador’ of our territory, our culture, and our faith — a way of bringing a small piece of our local Church into the heart of the universal Church,” he added.

The Vatican’s large-scale nativity display — donated by the Italian Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno — is currently under construction behind covered fencing in St. Peter’s Square.

The highly-awaited 2025 nativity scene will honor St. Alphonus Maria de Liguori, whose remains lay in the southern Italian diocese. In Italy, St. Alponsus is famous for composing the famous Italian Christmas carol “Tu scendi dalle stelle” (“From starry skies descending”).

Bishop Giuseppe Giudice of the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno said the nativity project for the Vatican, which involved a “long period of preparation,” will also showcase local Neapolitan Christmas traditions.  

“I am happy to say that everyone working on the project is from our wonderful region, and the Nativity scene will be rich in elements typical of our local Agro nocerino-sarnese area,” he said in an Oct. 24 interview published by Vatican City State.  

The Vatican will hold a special ceremony on Dec. 7 at 6:30 pm local time to present  the Christmas tree and nativity scene to the public. The display will be open to the public until mid-January 2026.

[...]

Prince Albert II of Monaco in 2025. / Credit: VALERY HACHE/Getty Images Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 27, 2025 / 13:35 pm (CNA). Here is a roundup of recent pro-life- and abortion-related news.U.S. legislators introduce bill to protect medical... [...]