Holy Spirit Roman Catholic Church

CNA Staff, Dec 20, 2025 / 07:00 am In an era when artificial contraception often dominates public discussions on family planning, the Catholic Church continues to champion natural family planning (NFP). Far from merely another [...]

Downtown Kansas City, Kansas / Credit: Jamie Squire/Getty CNA Staff, Dec 20, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA). Multiple Catholic schools in Kansas were targeted by what were apparently hoax bomb threats this week, according to authorities. Law enforcement... [...]

The pope with boys and girls from Italian Catholic Action on Dec. 18, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 20, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA). Pope Leo XIV told the young people of Italian Catholic Action that they can perform a simple ge... [...]

Pope Leo XIV has convened an “extraordinary” consistory — a meeting with the cardinals — to be held in Rome on January 7-8, 2026, the Holy See officially announced on December 20. Eight months after the conclave, the cardinals will return to Rome for a major meeting with the Pope, who is counting on their Read More…

Pope Leo’s January meeting with cardinals confirmed

“The Jubilee is coming to an end, but the hope that this year has given us will not fade,” said Pope Leo XIV during the final Jubilee audience, held in St. Peter’s Square on December 20, 2025. On the day before the final Sunday of Advent, he affirmed that “to hope is to give birth,” Read More…

Evil begets nothing, hope gives life, says Pope

Pope Leo XIV offered some brief words to the Catholic Action Youth of Italy, and they provide a lovely meditation for these final days of Advent. He spoke of welcome: Yes, around the Lord, who became man to save us, there is room for everyone! He spoke of being peacemakers in our daily lives: [L]et Read More…

Pope’s words to kids make perfect final Advent meditation

Jelly Roll, a hip-hop and country music artist who rebuilt his life after serving time in prison, was granted a full pardon by Tennessee Governor Bill Lee on Thursday, December 18. “His story is remarkable, and it’s a redemptive, powerful story, which is what you look for and what you hope for,” Lee told the Read More…

Jelly Roll, felon-turned-Vatican-music star, granted pardon

Federal workers will get Christmas Eve and the day after Christmas off from work in 2025, President Donald Trump declared in an executive order on Thursday, December 18. “All executive departments and agencies of the Federal Government shall be closed and their employees excused from duty on Wednesday, December 24, 2025, and Friday, December 26, Read More…

Christmas Eve and December 26 declared US federal holidays this year

When reading the various accounts of Jesus’ brith, the census of Caesar Augustus may seem like an insignificant part of the story. For many, it appears to only serve as part of the historical context, situating Jesus’ birth at a particular point in time. Yet, many spiritual writers have found this small detail to have a Read More…

How the census is an important detail of the Nativity story

“Hail, Full of Grace ….” (Luke 1:28) When the Angel Gabriel greets Mary in the book of Luke, he doesn’t greet her by name. He calls her “Kecharitomene,” which is a perfect-tense Greek term meaning “You who have been perfected by grace … and remain so.” Not “partially graced,” not “highly favored,” but completely filled with God’s Read More…

Things Our Lady did not say — and neither should we