Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

Cardinal Baltazar Enrique Porras. / Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Caracas, Venezuela, Dec 10, 2025 / 16:45 pm (CNA).

On Dec. 10 Venezuelan immigration police confiscated and invalidated the passport of Cardinal Baltazar Porras, the archbishop emeritus of Caracas, as he was preparing to travel to Bogotá, Colombia, from Simón Bolívar International Airport in Maiquetía.

According to the Grand Priory of the Military and Hospitaller Order of St. Lazarus of Jerusalem in Venezuela, on Wednesday morning the cardinal "was subjected to humiliating treatment" by airport authorities under the government of Nicolas Maduro.

From Bogotá, Porras was scheduled to take a flight to Madrid and then travel to Toledo, where he was going to participate in the solemn ceremony that would invest him as Spiritual Protector of the Order of St. Lazarus in Venezuela. Accompanying the cardinal were Grand Prior José Antonio Rodríguez and his wife, who were allowed to board the plane.

“Immigration police officers unjustly detained His Eminence Cardinal Porras [along with] the Grand Prior with his wife. The cardinal's Venezuelan passport was confiscated and invalidated, preventing him from boarding his scheduled flight to Bogotá, with a connection to Madrid,” the order explained in a statement.

“Even though His Eminence presented his Vatican City State passport, issued by virtue of his dignity as a cardinal and with the diplomatic prerogatives that correspond to him as a prince of the Catholic Church, he was denied boarding. The cardinal was subjected to humiliating treatment, including a search of his personal belongings and clothing, with the use of drug-sniffing dogs, while his luggage was removed from the plane,” the statement added.

The Order of St. Lazarus in Venezuela emphasized that what happened constituted a “flagrant violation” of international law, especially the Vienna Convention on Diplomatic Relations.

Consequently, “with feelings of profound indignation and in defense of the dignity of our order, its authorities, and the Holy Church,” a complaint has been filed with the Vatican Secretariat of State, requesting that it convey a “formal protest to the Venezuelan authorities for the violation of the diplomatic prerogatives of His Eminence Cardinal Baltazar Porras.”

The Order of St. Lazarus in Venezuela also requested that the Holy See demand “the immediate return of the confiscated documents and a guarantee of unimpeded international travel for His Eminence, in accordance with current international norms.”

‘Strength lies in the weakness of the manger’

In a statement addressed to the bishops of Venezuela, Cardinal Porras recounted what happened at Simón Bolívar Airport, noting that “the most common experience in this last quarter of a century is to suffer almost constantly, with few exceptions.”

Upon reviewing his passport, immigration police told him that he appeared as deceased in the identification system. The cardinal also reported that he was followed even into the restroom by the soldiers who prevented him from traveling.

“We are in the Christmas season. Strength lies in the weakness of the manger, in the fragility of the truth that is built in peace, without violence and without abuse. Hope comes through continuous work for the good of all, especially the excluded,” the archbishop emeritus of Caracas stated.

In recent weeks, Porras has been the target of numerous attacks and abuses from prominent figures in the socialist government, mainly by President Nicolás Maduro and Minister of the Interior, Justice, and Peace Diosdado Cabello. 

In the days leading up to and following the canonization of Venezuela's first saints on Oct. 19, the cardinal denounced the precarious situation in the country from Rome, specifically calling for an end to political persecution and the release of the thousands of people detained for ideological reasons.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Sister Lucia, visionary of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal. / Credit: Fatima Shrine

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 10, 2025 / 16:22 pm (CNA).

Today, Dec. 10, marks the 100th anniversary of the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to Sister Lucia of Fatima in Pontevedra province in Spain, where the devotion of the Five First Saturdays of the month was revealed.

After the apparitions of the Angel of Portugal in 1916, the apparitions of the Virgin Mary to three shepherd children — Francisco, Jacinta, and Lucia — occurred in Fatima the following year.

After the deaths of her two cousins in 1919 and 1920, Lucia was placed under the protection of the bishop of Leiria, who sent her incognito to study at a school run by the Dorothean Sisters in Porto, Portugal, under the pseudonym of Dolores.

When she turned 18, she expressed the desire to enter the Discalced Carmelite order, but the Dorothean Sisters persuaded her to go to their novitiate located in Tuy, a town in Spain's Galicia region north of Portugal.

Since her identity could not be revealed, the sisters were unable to certify the studies required for her to enter the novitiate, so they sent her to Pontevedra to perform manual labor at the Dorothean Sisters' house there.

The Virgin Mary asks her to reveal the devotion of the First Saturdays

Feeling discouraged by the situation, and thinking that becoming a Carmelite nun was increasingly a distant possibility, on Dec. 10, 1925, Lucia’s cell was illuminated with a supernatural light.

"Our Lady, as if wanting to instill courage in me, gently placed her motherly hand on my right shoulder, showing me at the same time Her Immaculate Heart, which she held in her other hand, surrounded by thorns," the visionary later wrote.

At that moment, the Child Jesus, who was also present, addressed her, saying, "Have compassion on the Heart of your Most Holy Mother, covered with thorns with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them." 

The Virgin Mary then asked Lucia to reveal the devotion of the Five First Saturdays, about which she had already spoken to her, along with Jacinta and Francisco, eight years earlier in Fatima:

“I promise to assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation, all those who, on the first Saturday of five consecutive months, shall confess, receive Holy Communion, recite five decades of the rosary, and keep me company for 15 minutes while meditating on the 15 mysteries of the rosary, with the intention of making reparation to me.”

‘And have you revealed to the world what the Heavenly Mother has asked you?’

Five days later, on Dec. 15, 1925, according to the testimony of Lucia, who eventually became a Carmelite in 1949, while performing her assigned duties, she encountered a boy to whom she wanted to teach the Hail Mary and urged him to go to a chapel to recite a short prayer.

Several weeks passed and in February 1926, Sister Lucia said she met the boy again and asked him if he had prayed to the Virgin Mary as she had suggested. The boy turned to her and said, "And have you revealed to the world what the Heavenly Mother has asked you?”

At that moment, the boy transformed "into a resplendent child," with whom Sister Lucia continued to speak. The little boy insisted that she spread devotion to the First Saturdays because "many souls begin, but few persevere to the very end, and those who persevere do it to receive the graces promised.”

“The souls who make the five First Saturdays with fervor and to make reparation to the Heart of your Heavenly Mother, please me more than those who make fifteen, but are lukewarm and indifferent,” said the child, who confirmed that confession did not have to be immediate, provided that Communion was received in a state of grace and with the intention of making reparation.

All these events were recounted by Sister Lucia in 1927, after she went to the tabernacle on Dec. 17 to ask how to reveal this devotion if it was part of the secret communicated at Fatima.

Sister Lucia said that Jesus told her unequivocally: "My daughter, write what they ask of you; and everything that the Blessed Virgin revealed in the apparition in which she spoke of this devotion, write that down as well. As for the rest of the secret, continue to keep silent."

Sister Lucia’s time in Spain

Sister Lucia resided in Spain from 1925 to 1946. During her stay in the country, she wrote her memoirs. When the Second Republic was proclaimed in 1931, and given its anti-religious character, dressed in civilian clothes she took refuge in Rianxo, a port town also in Galicia, at the home of the sister of the superior of the Dorothean Sisters in Tuy.

She also spent a month on the island of La Toja, located off the coast, where she was advised to go because she was ill. In 1945, she traveled to Santiago de Compostela for the Holy Year.

Popular devotion

The Virgin Mary's apparitions to Sister Lucia in Pontevedra have not received official recognition from the Vatican. However, like other phenomena of the same nature, they sparked popular devotion from their very beginnings.

In the 1930s, but especially in the 1940s, after the Spanish Civil War, devotional acts and pilgrimages to the site of the apparitions multiplied, and in the following decades, associations and parish projects were established.

In the last third of the 20th century, the place became known as the Shrine of the Apparitions, yet at the beginning of the 21st century it was in danger of ruin, to the point that the Spanish Bishops’ Conference acquired the site in 2021 from the World Apostolate of Fatima association in Spain and began restoration work.

Holy Year in Pontevedra

To mark this centenary, the Holy See has granted the celebration of a jubilee year with the theme "Mary kept all these things in her heart," taken from the Gospel according to St. Luke.

The Apostolic Penitentiary has granted the apostolic blessing and a plenary indulgence, under the usual conditions, to pilgrims who visit the Shrine of the Apparitions in Pontevedra until Dec. 10, 2026.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Sister Norma Pimentel spoke with the Holy Father at the Oct. 2, 2025 meeting. / Credit: Vatican Media

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 10, 2025 / 16:00 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has suspended Catholic Charities of the Rio Grande Valley from receiving federal funding, according to the charity group.

The Catholic Charities group is the charitable branch of the Diocese of Brownsville and is part of Catholic Charities USA and Caritas Internationalis.

The charity is located in South Texas and operates the Humanitarian Respite Center in McAllen. The migrant shelter is run by Sister Norma Pimentel, known popularly as “the immigrants’ nun.” Pimentel and the center offer immigrants awaiting court hearings shelter and food before they travel to meet relatives in other cities and states.

The nonprofit reported in a statement that the organization learned that the government "temporarily suspended” its "eligibility for federal funding pending a further determination." 

“Those on the front lines of our humanitarian outreach know the work we do truly helps to restore human dignity,” Pimentel said in the statement. “I take very seriously every single dollar entrusted to us.”

The organization did not specify exactly what led to the suspension, and reported it is “committed to compliance with federal grant requirements and will work expeditiously with DHS to resolve this matter.”  

“All funding provided by DHS was used to care for individuals who were brought to CCRGV by U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP),” the organization said. “These are individuals who were released by CBP with a document that gave them permission to travel to their points of destination with instructions on where to follow up with their immigration proceedings.”

“CCRGV exists for one purpose – to help those in need,” the statement said. “Ours is a humanitarian response aimed at restoring human dignity to the thousands of immigrants who have been offered care, and we are proud of our work feeding the hungry and providing care for those here in our country.”

The suspension applies only to the Catholic charity, but not to Catholic Charities USA or any other branches nationwide. 

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security did not respond to a request for comment from CNA.

Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, speaks about a sanctions plan to increase pressure on the Nigerian government amid ongoing Christian persecution on Dec. 9, 2025. / Credit: Madalaine Elhabbal/CNA

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 10, 2025 / 15:30 pm (CNA).

U.S. President Donald Trump is crafting a sanctions plan to increase pressure on the Nigerian government amid ongoing Christian persecution, according to a leading member of Congress. 

President Trump “ “is in the process of crafting a comprehensive action plan including sanctions to pursue reform,” according to Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, who described Nigeria as “ground zero,” and the “focal point of the most brutal and murderous anti-Christian persecution in the world today.” 

Smith, a Catholic who chairs the house Subcommittee on Africa, Global Health, and Human Rights, mentioned the plan during his Dec. 9 speech at “The Emergency Summit on Crimes Against Christians,” organized by For the Martyrs, a nonprofit that aids persecuted Christians. Sen. Josh Hawley, R-Missouri, and Rep. Marlin Stuzman, R-Indiana, also spoke at the event. 

The veteran New Jersey congressman praised Trump’s designation of Nigeria as a Country of Particular Concern (CPC) and affirmed that “Religious freedom will now be at the forefront of the U.S.-Nigeria bilateral relationship.” 

The president can choose from a menu of sanctions for a CPC-designated country under the International Religious Freedom Act (IRFA), ranging from diplomatic measures to economic sanctions. The White House did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

During his remarks, Senator Josh Hawley said Nigeria “has recently drawn global attention and has drawn the attention of our own president.” 

“I applaud President Trump for standing up for persecuted Christians. I applaud the president for putting Nigeria back on the watch list where it belongs,” Hawley said. The Missouri senator quoted the Book of Revelation while praising Christians persecuted around the world, saying: “They love not their lives, even unto death.” 

“We see here in the Lord's own word, his testament to the power of the persecuted church,” Hawley said. “That he says it is those who are persecuted, who are willing to lay down their lives for the Gospel…it is those believers whose blood bears witness to the truth of the gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Stutzman, whose district includes Fort Wayne, Indiana, also condemned the persecution of Christians in Nigeria during his remarks, and praised Trump for being “the strongest president on [religious freedom] since probably Ronald Reagan.” 

“We have a president who's willing to call out those bad guys around the world,” he said. “At the end of the day, I think this is why it's so important for us as Americans, especially for us as Christians. We are the party of life. We believe life is a gift from God. And so therefore, we should protect it. And we should be asking those folks, What is the threat? What is the threat of Christians in Nigeria to the government, to the leaders in that nation? What is the threat of Christians there?”

Trump has charged Rep. Riley Moore, R-West Virginia, with leading an investigation into persecution in Nigeria.

China

Congressman Smith went on to highlight religious persecution in China, saying “Chinese dictator Xi Jinping’s accelerated and brutal crackdown on believers in China must be exposed and stopped as well.” He highlighted the October raids on home churches by Chinese security agents, saying, “in Xi Jinping’s China, devotion that isn’t Communist Party-approved is treated as a political problem to be solved by police brutality.”

“We must act with sanctions, especially those prescribed by the International Religious Freedom Act,” Smith said. 

Hawley also drew attention to persecution in China, where he said “the totalitarian, secularist, anti-Christian government carried out raids on home church after home church.” 

The St. Louis Cathedral and Jackson Square are seen at sunset near the French Quarter in downtown New Orleans on April 10, 2010. / Credit: Graythen/Getty Images

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 10, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).

New Orleans Archbishop Gregory Aymond announced a Sunday Mass dispensation for migrants fearing deportation amid heightened presence of immigration enforcement officials in the state.

“​​As I write to you, our immigrant sisters and brothers are facing real fear and anxiety in the wake of an increase in immigration enforcement actions,” Aymond wrote in a Dec. 8 letter.

Aymond is the fifth U.S. bishop to announce dispensations for Catholic immigrants from Sunday Mass. Bishop Michael Duca of Baton Rouge granted the same dispensation in his diocese earlier this week. Bishops in the dioceses of San Bernardino, California; Nashville, Tennessee; and Charlotte, North Carolina, also granted a dispensation this year.

Aymond’s move comes amid the deployment of 250 Border Patrol agents to the region with plans to arrest 5,000 individuals across Louisiana and Mississippi as a part of the Trump administration’s “Operation Catahoula Crunch.”

“I have been made aware that many of our faithful families have chosen not to leave their homes out of fear of encountering immigration enforcement actions,” Aymond said. “In light of these circumstances, I am granting a dispensation from the obligation to attend Mass for those Catholics rightfully afraid to participate in Mass because of their fear.”

The dispensation, he said, would remain valid until the Catholic individual feels safe to return, or until it is revoked or amended. 

“I encourage those who choose to stay home to gather as a family to spend time in prayer and to perhaps participate virtually in the Celebration of the Eucharist either online or on television,” he continued. “Please continue to pray for our community and for peace as we look ahead with hope to you rejoining us in church and full participation in the Sacraments.”

Aymond emphasized his “prayerful support” of migrants “in the face of these challenging times,” calling on people of faith to join him in prayer for families in the immigrant community, “that we work for real justice and a system that protects and preserves the dignity of the human person and families regardless of where they live or from where they come. “ 

The flag of the European Union. / Credit: U. J. Alexander/Shutterstock

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 10, 2025 / 12:35 pm (CNA).

The Commission of the Bishops’ Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) has expressed concern about a recent ruling by the Court of Justice of the European Union, which obliges all member states to recognize so-called "homosexual marriages" legally performed in another country.

In a Dec. 9 statement, the president of COMECE, Bishop Mariano Crociata, warned that the ruling could have an impact on the legal sovereignty of each nation, since the recognition of these unions is mandatory even if they are not valid under a country’s own legal system.

The ruling concerns a same-sex Polish couple who “married” in Germany in 2018. Upon returning to Poland, the authorities refused to record their union in the civil registry. The European court has deemed this refusal contrary to EU law, meaning that all member states are now obligated to recognize the rights stemming from this bond.

Union between a man and a woman

On behalf of the Church in Europe, Crociata referred to the Church's anthropological vision, "founded on natural law," and reiterated that marriage is a "union between a man and a woman."

In this context, the Italian prelate pointed out that the ruling restricts the rights of each nation, especially those in which "the definition of marriage is part of their national identity." In his opinion, the ruling could generate "pressure to amend national family law" and also increase "legal uncertainty."

Currently, almost half of the European Union countries have not legalized same-sex unions: Poland, Bulgaria, Cyprus, Slovakia, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, and Romania.

In this regard, the bishops emphasized the need for "a prudent and cautious approach" to family law with cross-border implications and urges avoiding "undue influence" on national legal systems in Europe.

Surrogacy could be a consequence of the ruling

Crociata also cited Article 9 of the EU Charter of Fundamental Rights, which states that "The right to marry and the right to found a family shall be guaranteed in accordance with the national laws governing the exercise of these rights."

Consequently, the European bishops warned that the approach adopted in this ruling could lead to “negative developments in other sensitive areas,” such as surrogacy.

They therefore expressed their concern about “the current challenging situation in the EU and the polarization present in our societies,” warning that such rulings “can give rise to anti-European [Union] sentiments in member states and can be easily instrumentalized in this sense.”

 This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Notre Dame College in Mymensingh district, Bangladesh / Credit: Stephan Uttom Rozario

Dhaka, Bangladesh, Dec 10, 2025 / 12:00 pm (CNA).

The president of the Bangladesh Catholic Bishops' Conference, Archbishop Bejoy D'Cruze of Dhaka, has expressed concern after threats against two prominent Catholic colleges posed "a grave concern for the Catholic Church," particularly ahead of Christmas and elections scheduled for February in a Dec. 3 statement.

On Dec. 2, a letter written in Bengali under the name Tawhidee Muslim Janata ("faithful Muslim people") was sent to two of Bangladesh's most prestigious colleges: Notre Dame College, run by the Holy Cross Fathers, and Holy Cross College, run by the Holy Cross Sisters.

The letter thanked the Catholic Church for its role in education but said that the Church is now trying to convert not only indigenous groups and Muslims to Christianity by offering various incentives.

"In a country where 90% of Muslims live, you are trying to convert people by using educational institutions as a tool," the group stated in the letter.

The letter urged the colleges to ensure that educational and social institutions are not used directly or indirectly for religious conversion. "We are not giving you any advice —rather we order you to be careful. If you do not pay heed to our warning, the Tawhidee Muslims' will not spare your places of prayer, churches, cathedrals, chapels and missionary institutions," the letter stated.

After receiving the letter, the Notre Dame College authorities filed a general diary with local police.

In his statement, D'Cruze noted that the majority of students and teachers at both institutions are Muslims. Notre Dame College is for boys and Holy Cross College for girls. The priests and nuns who run these institutions are now living in fear and anxiety, he said.

Although Catholics make up less than 1% of Bangladesh's 180 million people, this small religious community has made a significant contribution to the country's education sector, D'Cruze said.

The Church operates at least one university, 18 colleges, 76 high schools, and over 1,000 primary schools across the nation, all of which are open to people of all faiths.

D'Cruze, who also heads the Bangladesh Catholic Education Board Trust, said in his statement: "It is a grave concern for the Catholic Church to give security to our students and faithful who come to church and institutions."

"I draw your kind attention to stand by us, students, faithful, and institutions," D'Cruze said. "The Catholic Church is not involved in proselytization; on the contrary, this is what takes place."

Pattern of attacks

The threats come amid a series of attacks targeting Catholic institutions in Dhaka in recent weeks.

On Nov. 7, two homemade bombs were thrown at the gate of St. Mary's Cathedral just hours before a national jubilee celebration.

The following day, explosive devices were hurled at St. Joseph's Higher Secondary School and College, also a major Church-run educational institution in Dhaka. On Oct. 8, Holy Rosary Church in the capital, one of the country's oldest churches, was also attacked.

Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims in St. Peter's Square during a Jubilee audience on Nov. 22, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media.

Vatican City, Dec 10, 2025 / 11:21 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday rejected technological promises to indefinitely prolong human existence — such as those proposed by “transhumanism”— and said the resurrection of Christ “reveals to us that death is not opposed to life.”

Speaking on a cold morning in St. Peter’s Square Dec. 10, the pontiff warned that numerous current anthropological visions “promise immanent immortality [and] theorize the prolongation of earthly life through technology.”

That outlook, he said, is characteristic of “the transhumance scenario,” a phenomenon that “is making its way into the horizon of the challenges of our time.”

In response, Leo urged people to consider two central questions: “Could death really be defeated by science? But then, could science itself guarantee us that a life without death is also a happy life?”

The Holy Father explained that death and life are not opposed, and that in the Christian meaning, death is “a constitutive part of [life], as the passage to eternal life.”

“The Pasch of Jesus gives us a foretaste, in this time still full of suffering and trials, of the fullness of what will happen after death,” he added.

Thailand-Cambodia border clashes

At the end of his audience, Pope Leo spoke out against violent clashes at the border of Thailand and Cambodia, saying he was “deeply saddened by the news of the escalation of the conflict.”

The hostilities have injured more than 100 people and displaced thousands of people in both countries. An estimated 13 people, including civilians, have been killed as the fighting entered the third day on Wednesday.

“I express my closeness in prayer to these beloved populations and I ask the parties to immediately cease fire and resume dialogue,” the pope said.

Death, ‘a great teacher of life’

In his catechesis for the general audience, Leo XIV noted that throughout history, “many ancient peoples developed rites and customs linked to the cult of the dead, to accompany and to recall those who journeyed towards the supreme mystery.” But today, death “seems to be a sort of taboo” and “something to be spoken of in hushed tones, to avoid disturbing our sensibilities and our tranquility.”

The pope lamented that this attitude often leads people to avoid visiting cemeteries.

He also evoked the teachings of St. Alphonsus Liguori, recalling the enduring relevance of the saint’s work, “Preparation for Death.” The pontiff emphasized that, for the saint, death is “a great teacher of life,” capable of guiding the believer toward what is essential.

As the pope explained, St. Alphonsus invited people to “to know that [death] exists, and above all to reflect on it” as a way to discern what is truly important in life.

Leo also recalled that, in Alphonsian spirituality, prayer holds a central place “to understand what is beneficial in view of the kingdom of heaven, and letting go of the superfluous that instead binds us to ephemeral things.”

From this perspective, he asserted that only the resurrection of Christ “is capable of illuminating the mystery of death to its full extent.”

“In this light, and only in this, what our heart desires and hopes  becomes true: that death is not the end, but the passage towards full light, towards a happy eternity,” he said.

The pope explained that the risen Christ “has gone before us in the great trial of death, emerging victorious thanks to the power of divine Love.”

“He has prepared for us the place of eternal rest, the home where we are awaited; he has given us the fullness of life in which there are no longer any shadows and contradictions,” Leo said.

This story was originally published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV uses a tablet to navigate the website of the new digital version of the Vatican's Pontifical Yearbook, known as the "Annuario Pontificio" in Italian. / Credit: Vatican Media.

Vatican City, Dec 10, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).

The Vatican this week launched the first-ever digital version of its annual directory, creating an easier way to find reliable and up-to-date information about the Church’s structures and members all around the world.

The red-covered Pontifical Yearbook — known in Italian as the “Annuario Pontificio” — is an important reference updated every year with Church statistics, the names and contacts of bishops, information about the departments of the Holy See, and more.

The Pontifical Yearbook, in its current form, started in the early 20th century, though other versions of a book with information about the Catholic hierarchy and the Roman Curia can be traced to the 18th century or earlier.

The biggest benefits to users are the ability to easily search for information and the possibility for updates to be reflected in real time.

Before now, to keep the directory current, one would have to cut out and glue periodic updates from the Vatican into the hardback book.

The directory includes global data that is frequently changing, including statistics about Catholic dioceses and missions, and information about bishops, the members of the Church, the number of priests and religious, and the Holy See’s diplomatic representation.

It also contains information about the pope and cardinals, and lists the people who lead the many different entities that make up the Roman Curia and the Vatican.

On Dec. 8, the Vatican’s Secretariat of State, which is responsible for publishing the Pontifical Yearbook, unveiled the digital version, available in both web and app versions for an annual subscription of 68,10 euros ($79.20), around the same price as a printed version, which is still being published.

The Vatican said in time it intends to offer the directory in languages other than Italian, “making it more accessible to a growing number of users around the world.”

At a presentation of the project, Pope Leo XIV had a chance to receive a first lesson in how the digital yearbook works. He thanked those involved, calling it “a wonderful service which will be of great help.”

Entrance to the building of the Polish Constitutional Tribunal / Credit: Adrian Grycuk / Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0 pl)

EWTN News, Dec 10, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Poland's Constitutional Tribunal unanimously ruled Dec. 3 that the Communist Party of Poland (KPP), founded in 2002, is incompatible with the nation's 1997 constitution, citing papal encyclicals condemning communism as it effectively banned the organization and ordered its removal from the national register of political parties.

The court said the party's program embraces ideological principles and methods associated with totalitarian communist regimes, which the Polish Constitution explicitly prohibits.

"There is no place in the Polish legal system for a party that glorifies criminals and communist regimes responsible for the deaths of millions of human beings, including our compatriots," said Judge Krystyna Pawłowicz as she presented the tribunal's reasoning. "There is also no place for the use of symbols that clearly refer to the criminal ideology of communism."

Article 13 and the constitutional ban on totalitarian ideologies

In its ruling, the tribunal pointed to Article 13 of the Polish Constitution, which forbids political parties or organizations whose programs reference totalitarian methods and practices, including those associated with Nazism, fascism, or communism. The constitution also prohibits groups that promote racial or national hatred, encourage violence to seize political power, or operate with secret structures or undisclosed membership.

After reviewing the party's documents, ideology, and activities, the court concluded that the KPP's stated goals aligned with communist totalitarianism and therefore violated Article 13.

The decision comes almost five years after Poland's former justice minister and prosecutor general, Zbigniew Ziobro, submitted a request to the tribunal to have the KPP outlawed. Last month, Polish President Karol Nawrocki also filed his own application.

Historical claims and the Church's teachings on communism

The KPP identifies itself as the ideological heir to several earlier communist movements in Polish history, including the original Communist Party of Poland (1918–1938) and its precursor, the Social Democracy of the Kingdom of Poland and Lithuania (1893–1918). It also claims continuity with the postwar Polish Workers' Party (1942–1948) and the Polish United Workers' Party, which governed the country during the communist era from 1948 until 1990.

In its written justification, the tribunal took the unusual step of referencing Catholic social teaching, citing passages from two papal encyclicals condemning communism.

The judges referenced Pope Pius XI's 1931 encyclical Quadragesimo Anno, which condemned communism's reliance on class struggle, abolition of private property, and its record of "cruelty and inhumanity" across Eastern Europe and Asia. They also cited Pope Pius XI's later encyclical Divini Redemptoris (1937), which warned that communist movements sought to inflame class antagonisms and justify violence against perceived opponents in the name of "progress."

The tribunal used these texts to illustrate what it described as the inherently totalitarian nature of the ideology underlying the party's program. It also served as historical evidence of communism's documented practices and global impact, well understood by the framers of Poland's post-communist constitution.

Party to be removed from register

The judges concluded that the KPP's activities violated constitutional prohibitions on organizations referencing totalitarian methods, ordering the party's removal from the national register and effectively dissolving it.

During the hearing, the chairwoman of the KPP's national executive committee, Beata Karoń, argued that, while her party has "a certain vision of what it wants," if the proposals are unattractive, the party simply won't gain support in elections.

The ruling reflects the broader challenge faced by countries once under Soviet domination, which continue to reckon with the political and cultural wounds of communist rule while working to rebuild their institutions and identity in a post-totalitarian era.