Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary Parish

Schoolchildren attend a ceremonial welcome and tree planting at Aras an Uachtarain, the official residence of the president of Ireland, during a state visit by His Serene Highness Prince Albert II of Monaco and his fiancee, Charlene Wittstock, on April 4, 2011, in Dublin. / Credit: Gareth Cattermole/Getty Images

Dublin, Ireland, Dec 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A U.K. Supreme Court ruling has found that Christian religious education taught in schools in Northern Ireland is unlawful. 

In its judgment, the court found that the current approach lacks an “objective, critical, and pluralistic” framework and leans more toward indoctrination than fostering a diverse understanding of beliefs.

Responding to the ruling, which does not apply to Catholic schools, Bishop Alan McGuckian, SJ, of the Down and Connor Diocese firmly challenged the idea that Christianity should be given no priority in all schools, stating that anyone seeking to do so is “cutting off their nose to spite their face.”

The landmark ruling follows a case brought by an unnamed father and his daughter who attended a non-Catholic state-controlled primary school in Belfast. The girl received nondenominational Christian religious education and took part in Christian worship. 

The Supreme Court ruling upheld the earlier 2022 high court judgment that “the teaching of religious education under the core syllabus and the arrangements for collective worship in the primary school attended by the child breached her and her father’s rights under European human rights legislation.”

One of the issues referenced in the ruling was the child saying grace before meals at home. This, she told her nonreligious parents, was what they did at school. 

The ruling raises critical questions about how religious teachings are delivered in schools and the implications for students’ broader educational experiences.

In the Northern Ireland system, Catholic schools are governed differently from state schools. The Supreme Court judgment clearly states that denominational religious education and collective worship are not prohibited in Catholic-maintained schools.

McGuckian pointed out that the legislative significance of the ruling will in due course have implications for the development of the religious education core syllabus and wider engagement with religious practice and ethos within all of Northern Ireland’s schools.

While noting the Catholic exemption, McGuckian said: “Many people have asked me, while it is explicitly noted in the judgment that this ruling applies to a controlled grant-aided primary school and does not apply to Catholic schools, what difference is this Supreme Court ruling going to make to the provision of religious education across NI schools more widely? Is religion being driven out of schools? More specifically, some are asking, ‘Is Christianity being driven out of schools?’”

McGuckian noted: “I want to challenge the principle that people of a secular mindset assert, namely that Christianity should be given no priority in all schools. That principle is simply ungrounded, unreasonable, and illogical.”

“Christianity and the Judeo-Christian worldview provides the value-based foundation for all that is good in Western society and is deeply embedded within human rights legislation. The idea of the rights of the individual to be free from coercion, all the freedoms contained in the various charters of human rights, are based on and stem from the biblical teaching that every single person is created in the image and likeness of God.”

He continued: “Enlightenment thinkers of a more secular viewpoint have built on that ‘fundamentum,’ and, in many ways, they have served us well, but they grounded and built their insights on underlying Christian values that protect the dignity of every human person.”

“Those who seek to have Christianity sidelined in our shared society are cutting off their noses to spite their face,” he said.

McGuckian added that world religions should also be respected, and they also have a contribution to make in an increasingly diverse multicultural and multi-faith society. He continued: “However, it should be recognized that Christianity, centrally and uniquely, has provided the framework of values that underpin Western society.”

“In schools across the Western world, Christianity should, indeed, be given priority in our educational systems and everybody, including those of other faiths and none, should recognize and welcome this because of its foundational importance.”

While the ruling does not apply to worship and prayer in Catholic schools, it will impact and influence the religious education curriculum taught in schools, which is determined by school education authorities. The current curriculum has been in place since 2007, and its content was determined by the four main churches in Northern Ireland, which include Catholicism. 

Speaking to the BBC, the Catholic bishop of Derry, Donal McKeown, said he is positive about the need for a new religious education core curriculum and is quite open to where this goes.

“I’m looking forward to the next stage of the journey, I don’t see it as a negative thing,” he said. “There are many points to be clarified — this is an opportunity for all of us to be involved in renewing the [religious education] curriculum to enable us to create a healthy, forward-looking society.”

The European Parliament building in Brussels, Belgium. / Credit: Ala z via Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 3.0)

EWTN News, Dec 17, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

In a strongly secular European Union, the Balkans’ complex religious reality plays an important role as officials and diplomats gather on Wednesday to discuss the membership plans for six nations.

The EU-Western Balkans summit on Dec. 17 brings together European Union representatives and their counterparts from six Western Balkan nations: Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Kosovo, Montenegro, North Macedonia, and Serbia.

As officials discuss EU enlargement and current challenges, religious leaders and analysts underscore that the churches — deeply woven into the region’s national identities, geopolitics, and social fabric — will be crucial to the success of both European integration and regional stability.

The EU considers itself the main trading partner, investor, and donor for the Western Balkans and provides substantial assistance and financial support to the region. However, the religious landscape — marked by Orthodox majorities, significant Muslim populations, and Catholic minorities — reflects complex historical, ethnic, and political tensions that shape the region’s future.

“We hope that the trend of the enlargement is still serious and that it will be confirmed,” Serbia’s ambassador to the Holy See, Sima Avramović, told CNA.

Currently, there is a concern about “Russian influence, especially in Serbia, so the EU will try to discuss how to stabilize this area,” Lucio Caracciolo, founder and director of the Italian geopolitical magazine Limes, said in a conversation with CNA. At the same time, he warned of “the lack of the political will and funds to support” these countries before they are accepted to the 27-member EU.

Religious landscape

There are many ethnic groups and three main religious communities in the Western Balkans: Orthodox, Muslim, and Catholic. Albania and Kosovo are mostly Muslim, with the latter at more than 90%. Half of Bosnia and Herzegovina is Muslim. Almost three-quarters of the population in Montenegro belong to the Orthodox Church.

On the contrary, around half of the population in North Macedonia is Orthodox, followed by Muslims and other Christians. The biggest country in terms of inhabitants and area is Serbia, with more than 80% Orthodox believers, followed by other minorities.

The “Religious Freedom in the World Report 2025” by the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN) appreciated positive prospects for religious freedom in Albania and North Macedonia. It sees mostly difficulties in others; for instance, “the promotion and protection of religious freedom in Kosovo is fragile,” whereas in Montenegro, “persistent ethno-religious tensions typical of the Balkans are felt,” but ACN recognized efforts made to overcome them.

While Albania was an isolationist communist nation, the other Balkan states were part of the more liberal communist country of Yugoslavia. After the federation’s collapse in 1991, Slovenia and Croatia proceeded toward European integration, becoming EU and NATO members.

Relations among the churches and religions

The Orthodox churches are important in the countries where they represent a majority religion also for their role “in the nation-building process and in the consolidation of the local nation-states,” expert on Orthodox Christianity Daniela Kalkandjieva from the Sofia University of St. Kliment Ohridski in Bulgaria told CNA.

At times, they are unable “to exert significant influence on their local society.”

Recently, the Orthodox churches have diverged in opinions “to such political and socio-economic challenges as the refugee crisis, the anti-COVID vaccination, and the Russian invasion of Ukraine,” she explained.

The spread of the “Russian World” concept and “holy war” are “new challenges to the very ethos of Eastern Orthodoxy as a Christian denomination and provoked tensions and disunity among the adherents of this religious tradition.”

On this note, Caracciolo said that some of these churches are “certainly connected to some powers in Russia and also in the Balkans, which are often in conflict with each other.”

However, the secretary of the Holy Synod of the Macedonian Orthodox Church — Archdiocese of Ohrid (MOC-AO), Bishop Kliment, said that they “cultivate sisterly relations” with the churches of “closest neighboring peoples.”

In a statement sent to CNA, the bishop emphasized that we “build bridges of trust among us, prioritizing solidarity and unity in faith” through Eucharistic communion, mutual visits and joint services, cooperation in education, and the like.

Catholic-Orthodox relations are also complex. Though “there is always a room for more cooperation,” with Catholics, there are “good relations, mutual support, and understanding.” He mentioned the traditional annual meeting held for more than half a century in Rome in honor of Sts. Cyril and Methodius and Pope Francis’ visit to North Macedonia in 2019.

Whereas some Orthodox churches collaborate and pray with Catholic representatives, “others find such interactions incompatible with the Orthodox doctrine and maintain mostly diplomatic relations with the Holy See,” explained Kalkandjieva, who also lectures at the Pontifical Oriental Institute in Rome.

Along the same line, Avramović underscored that the religious leaders in Serbia “meet on different occasions and discuss important social, religious, and other significant issues.”

There are seven traditional churches and religious communities in his homeland, including the Slovak Evangelical Church, the Jewish community, and the Muslim community.

View of the EU

When it comes to the EU, the local Orthodox churches perceive the Union “as an important factor in the lives of their believers” and some have representation offices in Brussels, where many EU institutions are based. Nonetheless, this official dialogue and collaboration are little known in their home countries, Kalkandjieva stressed.

The MOC-AO, which represents the largest religious institution and community in North Macedonia, respects the will of the majority of its citizens and its faithful, who support European integration, Kliment underscored. We “attentively follow the complex internal challenges of the EU,” he added. The Orthodox bishop underlined that it should be “a platform for political and economic stability, fully respecting religious freedoms and the rule of law.”

A few months ago, Croatian Member of the European Parliament Tonino Picula caused a controversy as he posted an old picture of himself on X, posing with a gun commemorating Operation Storm. It occurred in 1995 as Croatia took control of what it considered the occupied territories in the south, which was a self-proclaimed republic. As the Croatian army came, thousands of Serbs fled to Serbia.

The social media post sparked backlash not only from Serbia but also from European politicians who called Picula’s statement disturbing and highly politically dangerous.

Pope Leo XIV presides at the jubilee Mass for prisoners on Dec. 14, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 16, 2025 / 15:11 pm (CNA).

The last major event of the Jubilee of Hope was dedicated to prisoners around the world, some of whom during the past weekend were able to experience freedom and fulfill a dream: to go see Pope Leo XIV.

Víctor Aguado, director of prison ministry in Valencia, Spain, accompanied a group of prisoners to the Eternal City, many of whom had spent more than 12 years behind bars. Thanks to special permission, they were able to travel and become living witnesses that “hope breaks down walls and that dignity cannot be taken away.”

In a conversation with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Aguado recounted the details of the “intense, emotional, and spiritual” trip that will forever mark the lives of the men and women who have been incarcerated. 

The group was composed of a total of 13 people from Valencia, including prisoners, volunteers, and the chaplain. Six of them were inmates in the second and third degree of the prison system — regimens that combine incarceration with controlled outings — so they had to obtain a series of permits from the Treatment Board, the General Secretariat, and the Oversight Institutions. “It was a long bureaucratic process, but we didn’t have any problems,” Aguado explained.

He explained that they selected the prisoners they have known for a long time. Those in the third degree of the prison system enjoy a semi-release regimen and live in halfway houses, while those in the second degree usually go to workshops and cooperate with everything the prison ministry proposes. “They are people of faith who attend Mass, and we knew that, given their situation and attitude, they needed this and wouldn’t turn it down,” he commented.

“They wanted to be very well prepared, free of burdens, and participate in Sunday Mass completely cleansed and at peace with themselves,” said Aguado, who also highlighted their passing through the Holy Door as one of the most emotional moments of the jubilee. “With the pilgrimage, the prisoners assumed a new responsibility and a new path, a new life, and the feeling that now they have to do things right.”

He also highlighted their excitement at seeing the pope, since for them “he is the representation of the Lord on earth.” The Sunday Mass with the Holy Father, Aguado explained, was “very simple, and although it was in Italian, it was perfectly understandable.”

“Hope goes beyond, it breaks down walls wherever it may be, and the dignity of people cannot be taken away, and that is what they conveyed during the three days we were in Rome. These were very intensely personal experiences, and we could feel their joy; everyone had a look of peace,” he noted.

For Aguado — who has been working with prisoners for 14 years — the fact that this event closed the Jubilee of Hope is no mere coincidence. “The world of prisons is not visible, and in some way we must begin to consider that people who have been judged eventually get out and have to reintegrate into normal life, and that depends on society.”

“We know that the Lord forgives everything, so who are we to not forgive these people and keep on stigmatizing them? They are called ex-convicts, but they are nothing more than persons, with all their dignity and freedom,” he affirmed.

Although he assured that the Lord “is always with them and walks with them,” he emphasized the urgency of recognizing the prisoners as living members of the Church and appealed to the responsibility of every Christian: “Sometimes we take the works of mercy for granted, but we don’t always put them into practice. The Lord challenges us: ‘I was in prison,’ and the question remains the same: ‘Did you come to see me?’”

There are many lives that need to be rescued

The Italian priest Father Raffaele Grimaldi, who left his chaplaincy at the Secondigliano prison in Naples — where he served the inmates for 23 years — to coordinate the 230 priests who minister to the nearly 62,000 detainees throughout Italy, also participated in this historic jubilee.

Speaking to ACI Prensa, he noted that the event “is a strong reminder that the Church wants to bring God’s love and mercy to prisons, who goes in search of those who are lost.”

According to Grimaldi, this jubilee “has brought to light the most difficult situations we are experiencing in our prisons and the plight of the prisoners” including overcrowding, lack of resources, suicides, neglect, and “above all, the lack of acceptance from society.”

The priest brought some prisoners from different Italian prisons before Pope Leo XIV, especially young people and one man sentenced to life in prison. “It was a moment of great joy for them,” he commented.

“Every prisoner needs to constantly hear a word of mercy: from people who do not judge, who do not point fingers, who do not condemn, but who embrace,” he stated.

He also emphasized that this jubilee has not been an isolated event, since throughout the year there has been spiritual preparation in the correctional facilities, where “proclaiming hope is a powerful message that resonates deeply in the hearts of all.”

Grimaldi admitted that these individuals have “made mistakes” and are serving a sentence for them; however, he urged people to “reach out to them so that they can take up their lives again and change,” with justice accompanied by mercy, “so that justice itself does not become vengeance.”

During his years of service in the prisons, he said he has encountered many people who have traveled on a beautiful spiritual journey, “like a young Albanian man who received the sacrament of baptism on Dec. 12.”

“This makes us understand that in our prisons there are many lives that need to be rescued and helped, because if these opportunities don’t exist, the prisoner dies inside, and we also kill the hope that is in their heart.”

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

The Wisconsin Supreme Court building in Madison, Wisconsin. / Credit: Richard Hurd/Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, Dec 16, 2025 / 13:00 pm (CNA).

The Wisconsin state government lost decisively a second time in what has become a convoluted effort to block a Catholic charity from receiving a long-running state tax exemption.

The Wisconsin Supreme Court on Dec. 15 blocked state Attorney General Josh Kaul’s attempt to fully eliminate an unemployment tax exemption after the U.S. Supreme Court ruled that the Diocese of Superior’s Catholic Charities Bureau was entitled to the tax break.

The U.S. Supreme Court in June had ruled that Wisconsin violated the First Amendment when it denied the tax exemption to the Catholic group on the grounds that the group’s charitable undertakings were not “primarily” religious.

The state responded in October by moving to eliminate the exemption entirely, arguing that the tax break is “discriminatory” and that ending the policy would “avoid collateral damage to Wisconsin workers.”

In a brief order on Dec. 15, the state’s high court affirmed that the U.S. Supreme Court ruling allows the Catholic charity to access the tax break. The court directed the state Labor and Industry Review Commission to declare the charity eligible for the exemption. 

The religious liberty law group Becket, which has represented the Catholic charity in the legal fight, said in a press release that the Wisconsin Supreme Court had ended the state government’s “crusade” against the Catholic charity. 

“You’d think Wisconsin would take a 9-0 Supreme Court loss as a hint to stop digging,” Becket Vice President Eric Rassbach said. “But apparently Attorney General Kaul and his staff are gluttons for punishment.” 

“Thankfully, the Wisconsin Supreme Court put an end to the state’s tomfoolery and confirmed that Catholic Charities is entitled to the exemption it already won,” Rassbach said. 

The ruling “protects not just Catholic Charities, but every faith-based organization that relies on this exemption to serve the public,” he added. 

In its June ruling, the U.S. Supreme Court said the First Amendment “mandates government neutrality between religions” and that Wisconsin had failed to adhere to this principle in refusing to issue the tax exemption to Catholic Charities. 

“It is fundamental to our constitutional order that the government maintain ‘neutrality between religion and religion,’” Justice Sonia Sotomayor wrote in the decision. “There may be hard calls to make in policing that rule, but this is not one.”

Justice Clarence Thomas, meanwhile, said that governments “may not use [entities such as a Catholic charity] as a means of regulating the internal governance of religious institutions.”

Following the ruling this week, David Earleywine — the associate director for education and religious liberty at the Wisconsin Catholic Conference — said the Catholic charity has been fighting for the exemption for “decades.”

“[T]rue Catholic charity is inherently religious and cannot be reduced to another secular social service,” he said.

St. Januarius (left) and the relic of the blood of St. Januarius. / Credit: Chapel of St. Januarius

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 16, 2025 / 12:58 pm (CNA).

The miracle of the liquefaction of the blood of St. Januarius, patron saint of the Italian city of Naples, occurred again on Tuesday, Dec. 16.

According to the Archdiocese of Naples, the miracle took place after Mass in the Royal Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius on the feast of the patronage of St. Januarius.

“At 9:13 a.m. local time, the blood already appeared semi-liquid. At 10:05 a.m., the complete liquefaction was announced,” the archdiocese reported.

“Dec. 16 is the third of three annual celebrations in honor of the martyred saint. This date commemorates the eruption of Mount Vesuvius in 1631, when the Neapolitans requested and obtained the miraculous intervention of St. Januarius to prevent the lava from engulfing the city,” he explained.

The announcement of the miracle was made by Monsignor Vincenzo De Gregorio, abbot of the Chapel of the Treasure of St. Januarius. The phial, once the miracle had occurred, was carried in procession to the chapel so that all those present could see it.

The miracle usually occurs on two other days of the year: every Sept. 19 (the anniversary of St. Januarius’ martyrdom) and the Saturday before the first Sunday of May (in remembrance of the transfer of his remains to Naples).

When the blood does not liquefy, as happened on Dec. 16, 2020, the inhabitants of Naples usually take it as a bad omen. However, in the face of this possibility, the Church encourages the faithful not to lose sight of what is essential.

On Sept. 19, 2024 — despite the miracle having occurred that day — the archbishop of Naples, Cardinal Domenico Battaglia, urged the faithful not to place their hope in physical manifestations but in Jesus, who calls us to care for the most vulnerable.

“I implore you, we should not worry about whether the blood of this relic liquefies or not, but rather we should worry about whether the blood of the dispossessed, the marginalized, the least fortunate, and the innocent is flowing in our streets and in our world,” the cardinal said.

“The blood of Bishop Januarius, let us never forget, always points to the blood of Christ, both the blood of Christ himself and the blood of the poor and the least fortunate in whom Christ lives,” he added.

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

The Michigan government released another report on diocesan abuse in December 2025, detailing dozens of allegations against more than 50 priests in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. / Credit: Snehit Photo/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Dec 16, 2025 / 12:15 pm (CNA).

The Michigan government this week released its fifth report on diocesan abuse in the state, detailing dozens of allegations against more than 50 priests in the Diocese of Grand Rapids. 

The report from the attorney general’s office, released on Dec. 15, comes after four other reports detailing abuse allegations in the dioceses of Lansing, Kalamazoo, Gaylord, and Marquette.  

As with the other reports, the allegations detailed in the Grand Rapids investigation go back decades. The Dec. 15 report encompasses abuse allegations against “priests or deacons who are current or former clergy for the Diocese of Grand Rapids, that occurred in the diocese from Jan. 1, 1950, to the present,” the review says. 

The alleged abuse reports were pulled from a variety of sources, including a government tip line, police investigations, and abuse reports disclosed by the diocese itself. 

The majority of the priests identified in the report — 37 out of 51 — are “known or presumed to be dead,” the report says, while none of the remaining 14 are in active ministry in the Grand Rapids Diocese. 

Nearly all of the potential criminal violations in the report occurred “before 2002,” it says. 

Most of the alleged abuse was reported to have occurred against “either boys or girls under the age of 16,” though the state said some alleged abuse occurred against adults. 

In a video message after the release of the report, Grand Rapids Bishop David Walkowiak offered his “deepest and most sincere apologies” to the victims of clergy abuse there. 

The prelate commended “the courage that victim-survivors have to tell their stories,” calling it a “testament to their strength and resilience.” 

“Priests are ordained to serve in the person of Christ himself, which makes the sexual abuse of minors incomprehensible and particularly harmful,” he acknowledged.

The bishop said the report partly inflates the number of victims by detailing “consensual relationships between priests and adults,” which he pointed out are “immoral [but] not in violation of Michigan law.”

Walkowiak said the diocese has “cooperated fully” with the attorney general’s office during the investigation. He noted that the diocese has implemented “numerous safeguards” to protect children — including zero-tolerance protocols — and has “diligently upheld these practices for more than 20 years.” 

State Attorney General Dana Nessel, meanwhile, said in a press statement on Dec. 15 that abuse survivors “deserve to be heard.”

“[B]y releasing these reports, we hope to honor the courage of victims and ensure their experiences are no longer hidden,” she said. 

Reports on the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Diocese of Saginaw are still forthcoming from the state and are expected to be released at a later date. 

The Berlaymont building in Brussels, seat of the European Commission. / Credit: EmDee/Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0)

EWTN News, Dec 16, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).

A drastic cut in EU funding has plunged the Federation of Catholic Family Associations in Europe (FAFCE) into financial crisis, according to the association, sparking accusations of “ideological discrimination” against the Brussels-based group.

FAFCE announced that the European Commission excluded all six of its recent project applications from funding, reportedly penalizing the Catholic group’s proposals for lacking sufficient “gender diversity” and “safeguards against discrimination,” according to documents reviewed by CNA.

Responding on social media, Hungarian Member of the European Parliament Kinga Gál, vice president of the Patriots for Europe group, condemned the European Commission’s decision as “the highest form of discrimination.”

She argued that the move targets the Catholic association “simply for defending family as the fundamental unit of society. In Brussels, that is now treated as unacceptable.”

“Strong families make strong communities. Strong communities make strong nations. We cannot allow Brussels to erase this core value in the name of gender ideology,” the European Member of Parliament wrote.

‘European values’

Founded in 1997 and based in Brussels, FAFCE is considered to be the only family nongovernmental organization (NGO) at the EU level that explicitly includes “Catholic” in its official name.

FAFCE represents 33 member organizations from 21 countries and bases its work on Catholic social teaching.

The cut in funding falls under two major EU programs: Erasmus+ and CERV (Citizens, Equality, Rights, and Values), which support civil society, education, and organizations that promote EU values.

The commission’s evaluation feedback cited “limited information on gender inequalities” in FAFCE’s proposals, claiming this deficit “may limit the depth of gender analysis.”

The evaluation also stated that “the approach may contravene EU equality provisions” and noted “limited safeguards against discrimination or victimization,” though the commission did not provide specific evidence for these assertions.

The rejected projects focused on child protection and youth welfare, including initiatives to prevent children’s access to pornography and combat loneliness among young people.

Two members of the European Parliament have tabled written questions to the European Commission regarding the funding decisions: Paolo Borchia and Gál, seeking assurance of equal treatment for all NGOs applying for EU grants.

CNA reached out to the European Commission for comment but did not receive a response by the time of publication.

Financial impact

The funding freeze has created severe financial strain for FAFCE. In a fundraising newsletter, FAFCE President Vincenzo Bassi stated that the organization needs 150,000 euros (approximately $157,000) to continue its current projects. Without this funding, FAFCE will be forced to dismiss employees and reduce its presence at the European Union level in 2026.

“I consider this as ideological discrimination,” Bassi wrote. “How can a federation of associations whose primary mission is the promotion of the family be excluded from EU-funded projects such as CERV or Erasmus+?”

Bassi emphasized that FAFCE has “consistently promoted dialogue and upheld the dignity of each person” and argued that “the richness of European civil society is its pluralism, a principle enshrined in art. 2 of the Treaty on the European Union.”

“No organization should ever be penalized for defending a legitimate position in the public square,” he stated.

Catholic actor and director David Henrie speaks with EWTN News after the first episode of his new travel show, “Seeking Beauty,” premiered at the Vatican’s movie theater on Dec. 15, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Dec 16, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).

The first episode of a new travel show, hosted by Catholic actor and director David Henrie, premiered at the Vatican’s movie theater on Monday evening.

“Seeking Beauty,” which will debut on EWTN’s free streaming platform EWTN+ on Jan. 19, 2026, is a series documenting Henrie’s exploration of the beauty of art and culture in six Italian cities.

Henrie and executive producer Edmundo Reyes, with other crew members, were present for the airing of Episode 1 inside Vatican City on Dec. 15. The premiere was followed by a Q-and-A with Henrie, Reyes, and Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios, moderated by Andreas Thonhauser, chief global officer of EWTN.

“It’s a blessing to be able to play the show at the Vatican, which is where we [filmed] our first episode,” Henrie told EWTN News. “You can’t help but feel grateful, and feel like [it’s] a full-circle moment.”

In the first episode, Henrie speaks to a range of experts — including art historian Elizabeth Lev and artist Kelly Medford — to learn more about the Vatican Gardens, the Swiss Guard, St. Peter’s Basilica, and St. Peter’s Square.

Reyes called it “such a special moment” to show the first episode of “Seeking Beauty” at the Vatican.

“We can’t wait for people to see it,” he told EWTN News at the event. “I think it’s going to be a great, great evangelization tool.”

Reyes, who had the original idea for the show, recalled visiting Spain with his family four years ago and how it was there he realized how many stories about art and faith have not been shared with a wider audience.

“God put in my heart this desire … Let’s create a travel show that will be more than a travel show, that would help people encounter God through beauty,” he said.

“What David has done is very special, because it’s not about going to places but retraining us or inviting us to contemplate and to look at beauty differently,” Reyes said during the Q-and-A. It’s about “God speaking to us through beauty, and not so much about, ‘Hey, here’s a cool place to visit and to put on your bucket list.’”

The series is produced by EWTN Studios in partnership with Digital Continent and in association with Novo Inspire and Sacred Arthouse.

“Each episode is very unique … There’s so much there that can touch people in different ways,” Gagnon said.

In Season 1, Henrie will also visit Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, and Subiaco, a place connected to St. Benedict. Season 2 of “Seeking Beauty” recently wrapped filming in Spain.

“I’m not an expert. You’re just seeing it through my eyes,” Henrie told EWTN News. 

“The thing that will make this accessible is that you’re not sitting down for a history lesson; it’s a travel show,” he said. “When my wife and I watch travel shows, we have a glass of wine, we hang out, we relax, we watch something. It’s easy consumption, but there’s some medicine under all the sugar.”

Paola Flynn, Vatican correspondent for EWTN Noticias, contributed to this report.

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, archbishop of Luxembourg, presided over the beatification Mass of the 50 martyrs of the Catholic apostolate, held Dec. 13, 2025, at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 16, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).

Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich, archbishop of Luxembourg, celebrated in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris on Dec. 13 the Mass of beatification for 50 young martyrs who were murdered by the Nazis out of hatred for the Catholic faith during World War II.

In an apostolic letter he sent to the French capital, Pope Leo XIV established that the feast day of the 50 new blessed martyrs, belonging to about 30 French dioceses, will be May 5, 2026.

“Raymond Cayré, priest; Gérard-Martin Cendrier, of the Order of Friars Minor; Roger Vallé, seminarian; Jean Mestre, layman; and 46 companions were beatified in Paris. They were killed in hatred of the faith in 1944-45 during the Nazi occupation,” Pope Leo XIV said after the Angelus on the third Sunday of Advent (Gaudete Sunday).

“Let us praise the Lord for these martyrs, courageous witnesses to the Gospel, persecuted and killed for remaining close to their people and faithful to the Church!” the Holy Father said, recalling that on Dec. 13, 124 martyrs were also beatified in Spain.

Light in the midst of the ‘dark century of terrible carnage’

“The first half of the 20th century will go down in European history as the dark century of terrible carnage. To the victims of the two world wars, the soldiers, are added the victims of the Nazi dictatorship. But in this darkness, there are points of light, and even now we can identify names and faces associated with some of these points of light,” Hollerich said in his homily, as reported by the Archdiocese of Paris.

“They had an immense love for God, for Christ. This love compelled them to serve their brothers and sisters who had been sent to forced labor in Germany. Indeed, there can be no love of God without love of one’s neighbor,” the Jesuit cardinal continued, referring to the more than 1 million French people sent to Nazi factories and labor camps.

The new blesseds, the archbishop continued, were “these young Catholics — priests, religious, seminarians, Catholic Action activists, and Scouts — all answered the call of Cardinal [Emmanuel Célestin] Suhard [then-archbishop of Paris] and Father Jean Rodhain.”

“Most of them were between 20 and 35 years old, and, along with so many other anonymous apostles, they understood the spiritual and moral distress of 1.5 million young French workers deported to Germany, now without any religious guidance, since German priests were forbidden to minister to them,” Hollerich noted.

“They were truly ‘Martyrs of the Apostolate.’ Their lives and their work in the service of their brothers and sisters were a trial crowned by the sacrifice of martyrdom,” he emphasized.

With their service of love and mercy, the cardinal continued, these martyrs “in the hell of the concentration camps, succeeded in creating oases of paradise, where love managed to restore courage, heal the wounds of the heart, overcome indifference, and convey serenity and peace.”

One of them, the young Scout Joël Anglès d’Auriac, who was beheaded at the age of 22 on Dec. 6, 1944, after going to confession, receiving Communion, and praying the rosary, told the prison chaplain: “I am completely at peace ... for I am going to Jesus Christ.”

Another young man, Jean Mestre, decided against requesting an exemption from the Nazi’s Compulsory Labor Service for the war effort in Germany and told his mother of his decision in this way: “I love you with all my heart, but I love Jesus Christ even more than you, and I feel that he is calling me to be his witness to my fellow workers who are going through difficult times. Forgive me if I am hurting you.”

A message for young people today

Hollerich said that all these martyrs remind us that “whatever our vocation, our profession, or our responsibilities, we are committed, as disciples of Christ, to serving our brothers and sisters wherever God, in his providence, has placed us.”

“The Nazis, on the other hand, despised religious freedom. While forced to respect it in Germany, they revealed their true nature in the occupied territories. The love of our martyrs for Christ and for the people they helped made them martyrs for religious freedom,” he continued.

“Perhaps this point will be an important testimony for us regarding the future of the Church in Europe. Faith is never a private matter; it must find expression in concrete service to our sisters and brothers,” the Jesuit cardinal emphasized.

“Following in the footsteps of our martyrs, let us strive to be faithful disciples of Christ, the Prince of Peace, and let us ask those whom we celebrate today to obtain for us the grace to live our faith,” he said.

Prayer for the canonization of the new blesseds

At the conclusion of the Mass, those present were given a prayer card with a prayer approved by the archbishop of Paris, Laurent Ulrich, to ask the Lord for the intercession of the new blesseds and for their canonization:

Lord our God,

You granted to the blessed martyrs of the Catholic apostolate

To be inspired by the ardent desire to accompany and serve their brothers

who were conscripted for Compulsory Labor Service in Germany.

Rather than saving their lives, they answered your call

and chose to imitate Christ, who became a servant,

even to the point of following him in the sacrifice of the Cross.

Deign, O Lord, to glorify our blessed martyrs

and grant me, through their intercession,

the grace [state the grace requested] that I implore with confidence,

through Jesus Christ Our Lord. Amen.

Note: People who receive graces through the intercession of the blessed martyrs are invited to write to the postulator of their cause, Father Bernard Ardura, at Viale Giotto, 27, 00153 Rome – Italy.

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

Italian Bishop Antonio Staglianò celebrates a Mass for the Jubilee of Tourism at Rome’s Church of San Salvatore in Lauro on Dec. 15, 2025. / Credit: Kristina Millare/EWTN

Rome, Italy, Dec 16, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

About 400 people participated in a Jubilee of Tourism pilgrimage in Rome on Monday evening, celebrating the unique role the industry plays in supporting the faith and religious experience of millions of pilgrims and tourists.

Isabella Ruggiero, president of the Associazioni Guide Turistiche Abilitate (Associations of Qualified Tourist Guides), who helped organize the jubilee dedicated to tourism workers, said the Dec. 15 pilgrimage was a way to bring together the professional community that daily supports visitors to Italy and the Vatican.

“This special jubilee is dedicated not only to tourist guides but to all those who work in the world of tourism: guides, tour leaders, travel agencies, tour operators, hotels, accommodation providers,” Ruggiero told CNA.

“Every pilgrimage and every single trip is the result of the work of dozens of people who help organize and carry out the trip and the pilgrimage at every stage, and who generally remain ‘behind the scenes’: from booking transportation, to cleaning the accommodation where people stay, from conceptual work, to the humblest tasks — all are necessary,” she said.

Italian Bishop Antonio Staglianò, president of the Pontifical Academy of Theology and rector of the Basilica of Santa Maria in Montesanto, opened the pilgrimage with a Mass celebration at San Salvatore in Lauro, one of Rome’s 13 Jubilee of Hope churches located near the popular tourist destination Piazza Navona.

The pilgrimage also included a candlelit procession over the Bridge of the Angels, designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini, in front of Castel Sant’Angelo, and crossing the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on the evening the Vatican unveiled its Nativity display in the square.

Roman tour guide Elizabeth Lev said the evening pilgrimage was a “great moment of reconciliation” and a chance to renew her own joy and hope of guiding pilgrims in the Eternal City, especially as the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope draws closer to its conclusion.

“The Jubilee of Tourism was an opportunity for us to become pilgrims, to pass through the Holy Door [at St. Peter’s Basilica] for prayer, instead of profession, and to give thanks for the many gifts of the year,” she told CNA.

“We have spent so much time arranging other people’s events that we only realized, ‘in extremis,’ that we didn’t have one for ourselves,” she said. “As luck would have it, the Vatican Christmas tree was lit as we entered the square so the last steps were accompanied by the joyful lights and sounds of Christmas hymns.”

“It was one of the most moving days of my life,” she added.

According to Ruggiero, more than 3,000 licensed tour guides of different nationalities currently operate in Rome.

“The role of the guide is to bring people of every social background and culture closer to beauty, art, and history, and to teach respect for our shared heritage,” the tourism association president said. “In the case of pilgrims, [it is] to highlight the spiritual and religious dimensions above all others.”

While religious tourism in Rome has “consistently remained high” with approximately 10 million pilgrims and visitors each year, Ruggiero said these numbers significantly increase during the Church’s jubilee years.

“In the Holy Year 2000, Rome welcomed approximately 25 million pilgrims,” she said. “Estimates for the current jubilee indicate that around 30 million pilgrims are expected to have visited the city by the end of the year.”

The 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope will conclude with the closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica on the Jan. 6 solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord.