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In a message commemorating the 30th anniversary of the Italian newspaper 'Il Foglio', Pope Leo XIV reminds press of their responsibility to help build "a more just and peaceful world,” and to resist "extremist and misleading polarization that reduces reality to a parody of itself," where cultural and religious roots are reduced "to mere labels" and thought is turned into "a simple calculation." Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-il-foglio-anniversary-press-media-newspaper.html

Pope Leo XIV tells young participants in the Political Innovation Hackathon’s 'One Humanity, One Planet' Conference that 'there can be no peace while humanity wages war against itself,' and warns that 'no policy can genuinely serve the people if it denies the unborn the gift of life, or if it neglects to support those in need.' Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-political-innovation-hackathon-one-humanity-one-planet.html

Pope Leo XIV sends a telegram to all those affected by Storm Kristin, which has killed at least 6 people and crippled central Portugal. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-xiv-telegram-storm-kristin-portugal-solidarity.html

Pope Leo XIV urges the bishops of Peru to renew their commitment to unity, fidelity to the Gospel, and pastoral closeness, as they face the challenges of evangelisation in today’s world. He also recalls his personal pastoral experience in the nation and admits that Peru has a special place in his heart. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-bishops-peru-ad-limina-pastoral-closeness.html

As Haitians residing in the United States face the end of temporary protected status, US Bishops call on the Trump Administration to act in a “just and merciful way” by extending their temporary residency permits. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-01/usccb-bishops-urge-trump-administration-extend-haiti-residency.html

The Zimbabwe Catholic Bishops’ Conference (ZCBC) and the Catholic University of Zimbabwe (CUZ) have formalised a partnership aimed at strengthening safeguarding and holistic formation in Zimbabwe’s education system through psycho-spiritual therapy and counselling training. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/africa/news/2026-01/zcbc-and-catholic-university-of-zimbabwe-partner-for-psycho-spir.html

Pope Leo XIV meets with the leadership and members of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and thanks them for their work. He encourages them to continue their mission and invite young people to take part. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-network-prayer-intention-young-people-heart-of-jesus.html

Cardinal Secretary of Stato Pietro Parolin speaks to journalists about the climate of tension in Minnesota, the Holy See’s position on the 'Board of Peace', and diplomatic talks on Greenland. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-01/parolin-holy-see-minneapolis-united-states-greenland-peace.html

During his weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV remembers the "beloved people of Mozambique," struck by devastating floods, and expresses his prayers for the victims and reassures his closeness to loved ones, the displaced, and rescue workers. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-my-thoughts-go-to-the-beloved-people-of-mozambique.html

After ten years as the President of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation, the mandate of Father Federico Lombardi comes to an end, and Father Roberto Regoli, the new President, thanks Father Lombardi and looks ahead to an “exciting five-year period” for the Foundation with the celebrations of the centenary of the birth of Benedict XVI in 2027. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-01/ratzinger-foundation-fr-roberto-regoli-appointed-new-president.html

Eighty-one years after the Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp was liberated, we remember the millions of lives lost to the Holocaust and focus on preventing the recurrence—in any form—of this form of “hatred, bigotry, racism and prejudice”. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2026-01/25-years-international-holocaust-remembrance-day-never-forget.html

North Korea fired several suspected short-range ballistic missiles into the sea on Tuesday. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2026-01/north-korea-fires-missiles-into-sea.html

Cardinal Prefect Victor Fernández opens the plenary assembly of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, and calls for care and intellectual humility when pronouncing on delicate theological issues. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-01/cardinal-fernandez-meditation-plenary-dicastery-doctrine-faith.html

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, presided over Mass at the Cathedral of Copenhagen as the Papal Legate for the celebrations marking the 12th centenary of the start of Saint Ansgar’s mission in Denmark, and recalled the relevance of the Benedictine monk in a world wounded by new forms of slavery and marked by exclusion and indifference. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-01/parolin-the-credibility-of-church-comes-not-from-power-denmark.html

The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity has named the Palestinian organization Taawon as the third honoree of its seventh edition, recognizing the non-profit for its decades-long humanitarian and development work across the region. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/world/news/2026-01/zayed-award-judges-name-palestinian-organization-3rd-honoree.html

Pope Leo XIV meets officials of the Tribunal of Roman Rota for the inauguration of their judicial year, and urges them to safeguard the truth with rigor but without rigidity and to exercise charity without omission. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-meets-auditors-of-tribunal-of-roman-rota.html

On January 29, Athletica Vaticana will deliver the Olympic and Paralympic Cross at a Mass at the Basilica of San Babila, which will serve as the “Church of Athletes” throughout the Winter Games. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-01/olympic-cross-set-to-arrive-in-milan-for-winter-games.html

In the wake of two recent killings by federal immigration agents in Minneapolis, US Bishops call for restraint, peace, and respect for every human life. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-01/usa-bishops-urge-restraint-ice-killings-minneapolis.html

During the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV highlights the observance of Sunday of the Word of God, thanks those who care for those affected by leprosy, and reminds Christians of the conclusion of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-angelus-word-god-leprosy-day-christian-unity.html

At the Angelus, Pope Leo XIV reflects on the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry, urging Christians not to be paralysed by fear or unfavourable circumstances, but to trust in God’s timing. He also calls on the faithful to proclaim the Gospel in every human setting, as a force for fraternity and peace. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-angelus-catechesis-bring-gospel-everywhere.html

In his message for the 100th World Mission Day, Pope Leo XIV writes that the Church’s identity is to be a community in mission, “at the service of fraternity among all human beings and harmony with all creation.” Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-world-mission-day-baptism-peace-love-unity.html

Following a tradition begun with his predecessor, Pope Leo meets with a small group of business leaders from the energy and critical minerals sectors operating in Latin America and the Caribbean. Their focus ranges from building bridges to territorial needs and aspirations for care of our common home and decent work. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-meets-energy-mineral-leaders-from-latin-america-caribbean.html

As the Church celebrates the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time, Fr. Luke Gregory, OFM, reflects on the theme: “The here and now significance of Jesus’ ministry in Capernaum.” Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-01/gospel-reflection-third-sunday-ordinary-time-capernaum.html

The Vatican Secretary of State is visiting Denmark as Papal Legate for the 1,200th anniversary of the beginning of Saint Ansgar’s mission. His programme also includes diplomatic meetings, among them visits with King Frederik X and Foreign Minister Rasmussen. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-01/cardinal-parolin-denmark-visit-anniversary-saint-ansgar.html

Pope Leo XIV will visit five parishes of the Diocese of Rome, meeting with parish groups and celebrating Mass each Sunday during Lent. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-xiv-visit-diocese-rome-five-parishes.html

Pope Leo XIV receives Grand Duke Guillaume of Luxembourg with his wife, Grand Duchess Stéphanie, in the Vatican on Friday. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-xiv-luxembourg-royals.html

John Allen, editor and founder of Crux, died in Rome after a long illness. The Vatican expert analyzed and recounted the events of the last quarter century in the life of the Catholic Church. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/vatican-city/news/2026-01/john-allen-the-journalist-who-explained-the-vatican-with-expert.html

Marking the fifth anniversary of the Treaty of the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons, several Bishops of Japan and the United States renew calls for nations to work toward a world free of nuclear arms. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-01/united-states-japan-bishops-nuclear-ban-treaty-disarmament.html

The Polish Military Ordinariate has awarded the Benemerenti Prize to the Polish-language section of Vatican Radio–Vatican News and L’Osservatore Romano in recognition of their contribution to promoting the values of peace. The honor was also conferred on several units of the Polish Armed Forces: the Operational Command of the Armed Forces, the Armed Forces Support Inspectorate, and the Air Force Orchestra. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-01/poland-vatican-media-honored-for-promoting-peace.html

Bishop Michael Burbidge of Arlington and Bishop Barry Knestout of Richmond. | Credit: Katie Yoder/EWTN News; photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Washington Jan 18, 2026 / 08:00 am (CNA). The Virginia Catholic bishops on Friday spoke out against an abortion amendment that would remove state protections for unborn children, calling the measure “extreme.” The Virginia General Assembly passed a proposed amendment that would add a fundamental right to abortion to Virginia’s constitution, if voters approve it this November. The proposed abortion amendment would establish a “fundamental right to reproductive freedom, including the ability to make and carry out decisions relating to one’s own prenatal care, childbirth, postpartum care, contraception, abortion care, miscarriage management, and fertility care.” Bishops Michael Burbidge of Arlington and Barry Knestout of Richmond called the move “shocking to the conscience,” noting that lawmakers quickly moved the proposed amendmen...

Archbishop Dabula Mpako of the Archdiocese of Pretoria. | Credit: Photos courtesy of Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) Jan 18, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA). Archbishop Dabula Mpako of South Africa’s Catholic Archdiocese of Pretoria has issued a canonical decree requiring a group of parishioners who reportedly incited a series of protests at the Cathedral of the Sacred Heart in the archdiocese to undergo a “rehabilitative process” or be penalized — including the possibility of excommunication. In the decree circulated on Jan. 11, Mpako described the events of December 2025 in which some parishioners of the cathedral are said to have organized demonstrations, inciting other parishioners to participate in them. He said that they disrupted Mass to protest a pastoral decision that was made by the bishop concerning “a pastor of the archdiocese.” The actions of Dec. 7 and Dec. 28, Mpako said, “seriously harmed ecclesial communion and the good name of t...

A woman receives a baby shower at her local church through Embrace Grace. | Credit: Embrace Grace Jan 18, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA). Amy Ford was 19 years old when she found herself with an unplanned pregnancy. Scared and thinking her life and dreams were over, she attempted to get an abortion but was unable to go through with it. Ford and the baby’s father turned to their church for support and received none. The experience led her to create Embrace Grace , a nonprofit that provides support and community through local churches for pregnant mothers in need. The story behind the ministry Ford told EWTN News that she thought “my life was over, my dreams were over, that my parents were going to hate me.” She said she thought she would end up homeless. “The father of the baby felt the same way and we just thought we could have an abortion and maybe that’s a quick fix and we’ll just deal with the consequences of a broken heart later. And even though we grew up knowing abortion was ...

A statue of St. Carlo Acutis has been inaugurated in Myanmar, and a diocesan priest describes it as offering an example to young people on how to live their faith, “even in times of trial, especially during this difficult time the nation is experiencing.” Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/church/news/2026-01/myanmar-st-carlo-acutis-statue-erected-as-symbol-of-hope.html

Father Travis Moger on the day of his ordination alongside his son, Mark; wife, Amelia; mother; and daughter, Maddy. | Credit: EWTN News screenshot Jan 17, 2026 / 11:00 am (CNA). Father Travis Moger has been a Catholic priest for just nine months, and his journey to ordination was a unique one. A former Baptist pastor and Navy chaplain, he was ordained in May 2025 in the Diocese of Wheeling-Charleston, West Virginia, seven years after he, his wife, and his son entered the Catholic Church. “I didn’t come into the Church in order to be a priest; God used prayer to draw me to the Catholic Church,” Moger told EWTN News reporter Julia Convery. During a military campaign as a Navy chaplain, Moger; his wife, Amelia; and his son, Mark, all separately began to feel the call toward Catholicism. While Moger was away, his wife had begun attending RCIA (Rite of Christian Initiation of Adults, which is now called OCIA — the Order of Christian Initiation of Adults). Father Thomas Falkenthal,...

Former United States Ambassador to the Holy See Francis Rooney speaks to “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Catherine Hadro on Monday, May 12, 2025. | Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot Jan 17, 2026 / 10:00 am (CNA). Francis Rooney, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, said Pope Leo XIV’s papacy marks a period of opportunity for the Church in the U.S. in an interview this week with “EWTN News In Depth.” The former diplomat and congressman highlighted Leo’s measured approach to diplomacy in light of U.S. involvement in Venezuela. “He’s always calm, he’s always careful, and he’s very judicious in his comments," Rooney said in a report that aired Jan. 16. “The Holy See has a long tradition of intervening in hostage situations and situations of marginalized people or people under great stress and change, like a regime change,” Rooney said. The Vatican’s move to host opposition leader María Corina Machado this week, he said, likely had diplomatic intentions to strengthen her st...

Pope Leo XIV invites the faithful to pray for Christian unity and for peace, especially in our time marked by a lack of respect for human dignity and heightened international tensions. Read all   source https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/pope-leo-pray-for-christian-unity-and-for-peace.html

Scene from the 2024 National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. | Credit: “EWTN News in Depth”/Screenshot Jan 17, 2026 / 09:00 am (CNA). Catholic clergy and lay people reported a stronger devotion to the Eucharist after the National Eucharistic Revival. This week, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) released the report for the National Eucharistic Revival Impact Study . Done in collaboration with the National Eucharistic Congress corporation and Vinea Research , the study surveyed nearly 2,500 lay Catholics, clergy, and Church staff during the summer and fall of 2025. The online survey asked questions about revival promotion, participation, and impact one year after the initial National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and Congress. The price tag of the Eucharistic congress was more than $10 million , organizers said. “Never in my tenure of working for the Church have I seen such deep impact,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Euch...

London, England with the skyscrapers of Canary Wharf in the background. | Credit: © User:Colin / Wikimedia Commons Jan 17, 2026 / 08:16 am (CNA). Abortions in England and Wales hit a record high as use of the abortion pill continues to rise. The number of abortions jumped 11% from 2022 to 2023, going from 250,000 to 270,000 according to figures from the Department of Health. Almost 90% of these abortions were done via abortion pills, and most were performed on very young unborn children, usually aged two to nine weeks. Surgical abortions have been decreasing for the past two decades, according to the Department of Health The abortion rate is estimated to be at 12.3 per 1,000 women in 2023, almost doubling the 2013 rate, which was 7.1 per 1,000 women. About 40% of women who had abortions in 2023 in England and Wales had already had an abortion in the past. Pregnancy support line takes 1.3 million calls in 2025 Heartbeat International’s pregnancy support helpline broke records w...

A Bangladeshi border post in Bagha, Rajshahi district, near the India-Bangladesh border on June 13, 2021. | Credit: Dewan Tirtho / Wikimedia (CC BY-SA 4.0) Jan 17, 2026 / 08:00 am (CNA). For decades, India was the most affordable and trusted destination for Bangladeshis seeking medical treatment abroad. Among them were thousands of Catholics who relied on Indian hospitals — many run by Christian institutions — for lifesaving care. But following political unrest in Bangladesh in July–August 2024 and the subsequent strain in relations with New Delhi, tightened Indian visa policies have sharply reduced access, leaving Catholic patients and families struggling both medically and emotionally. An average of 3.6 million Bangladeshis used to travel to India annually for tourism, medical treatment, and business. Since Aug. 5, 2024, however, the number of Bangladeshi travelers — especially medical patients — has dropped dramatically, largely due to stricter visa procedures. “I wanted to...

Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius, Lithuania, offers Mass on the feast of St. Luke for the Synod on Synodality delegates in St. Peter’s Basilica on Oct. 18, 2023. | Credit: Evandro Inetti/EWTN News/Vatican Pool Jan 17, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA). The president of the Council of European Bishops’ Conferences (CCEE) issued an appeal to Christians across Europe to pray for peace during the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity, observed Jan. 18–25. In a letter addressed to Catholic bishops across the continent, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius linked this call to prayer with the recent updating of the Charta Oecumenica , the key ecumenical charter for cooperation and unity among Christian churches in Europe, formally signed in Rome on Nov. 5, 2025. The Lithuanian prelate said that “this unity among the baptized in Christ is a powerful instrument of peace throughout the world,” especially in a “war-torn world.” What is the Charta Oecumenica? The Charta Oecumeni...

Credit: David Gyung/Shutterstock Jan 17, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA). An artificial intelligence (AI) marketplace launched by a business professor at The Catholic University of America seeks to offer products and services in a venue consistent with the social teachings of the Catholic Church — it is called Almma AI . Lucas Wall, who teaches finance at the university and has led several entrepreneurial ventures, began building Almma AI in mid-2023. The marketplace facilitates transactions for AI-related products, allowing people to upload their creations to be purchased or, in some cases, used for no charge. The types of products that can be offered on the marketplace include Large Language Models (LLMs) — similar to ChatGPT and Grok — along with AI prompts, personas, assistants, agents, and plugins. Although other marketplaces exist, Wall told EWTN News that Almma AI is designed to ensure the average person can “benefit from this new revolution that is coming” by selling or purc...

President Donald Trump speaks to reporters in the South Court Auditorium in the Eisenhower Executive Office Building on Aug. 5, 2025, in Washington, D.C. | Credit: Win McNamee/Getty Images Jan 16, 2026 / 18:29 pm (CNA). U.S. bishops and Catholic pro-life organizations will be watching to see if President Donald Trump’s health care plan includes pro-life language. Trump has faced criticism  over the past week from pro-life activists after he urged Republican lawmakers to be “flexible” on the Hyde Amendment when negotiating extensions for health care subsidies related to the Affordable Care Act. Trump’s health plan, outlined in a four-point memo , will be negotiated with Congress over whether to include the strongest possible pro-life protections and prevent federal funds from being used to pay for abortions. The Hyde Amendment, long included in federal spending bills, prevents tax dollars from being used on elective abortions. The United States Conference of Catholic Bi...

Staten Island, New York | Credit: John McAdorey/Shutterstock Jan 16, 2026 / 17:40 pm (CNA). The New York Police Department (NYPD) says it will increase officer presence at local churches after several crimes committed at Catholic parishes on Staten Island. Several Catholic churches on Staten Island have been vandalized or attacked in recent weeks , including a robbery and a violent incident during a morning Mass in which two police officers were injured. State Sen. Jessica Scarcella-Spanton called for increased police presence at churches in the area after the incidents. At a Jan. 15 press conference, local leaders including NYPD Staten Island Borough Commander Melissa Eger said police presence would be heightened at churches across the borough. Eger said at the press conference that none of the incidents indicated that the Catholic churches had been targeted due to religion, describing the crimes as “acts ... of opportunism and theft" as well as one incident involvin...

Dutch conservative political commentator and activist Eva Vlaardingerbroek delivers a speech during the first “Remigration Summit” at Teatro Condominio on May 17, 2025, in Gallarate, Italy. She was recently barred by the U.K. government from entering the U.K., deemed “not conducive to the public good.” | Credit: Emanuele Cremaschi/Getty Images) Jan 16, 2026 / 17:10 pm (CNA). Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed: Dutch conservative activist and Catholic convert barred from entering UK Eva Vlaardingerbroek, a 28-year-old Dutch lawyer, activist, and Catholic convert, announced on X that her Electronic Travel Authorization was revoked as of Jan. 13 and she may not enter the U.K. The U.K. government said her “presence in the U.K. is not conducive to the public good” and that she may not appeal it. The notice came just days after she accused Britian’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer of allowing “the ongoing rape and killing of British gi...

U.S. Vice President JD Vance. | Credit: Gage Skidmore, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons Jan 16, 2026 / 16:40 pm (CNA). Vice President JD Vance is scheduled to speak at the 2026 March for Life Rally in Washington, D.C., on Jan. 23. Vance, who is the nation’s second Catholic vice president, will join Republican House Speaker Mike Johnson and Rep. Chris Smith, R-New Jersey, among other speakers at the 53rd annual pro-life event, organizers said. “Vice President Vance is grateful to the tens of thousands of Americans who travel to the National Mall each year to speak out in support of life and looks forward to joining them for the second consecutive year,” a spokesperson for the vice president told EWTN News. Vance will be attending and speaking at the event for the second time as vice president. He spoke at the March for Life in 2025 where he delivered his first public remarks in the leadership position. Addressing the crowd at the 2025 march, Vance said becoming a f...

Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of the Diocese of Columbus, Ohio. | Credit: Photo courtesy of the Archdiocese of Cincinnati. Jan 16, 2026 / 14:35 pm (CNA). Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, expressed gratitude that the Department of Homeland Security is easing visa restrictions for religious workers and called for passage of a bill to address visa backlogs. “This rule change provides some much-needed relief!” Fernandes said in a statement released Jan. 15. “We take comfort in knowing that sacramental and pastoral care will not be disrupted in our parishes, schools, hospitals, and prison ministries.” Under the rule , religious workers in the country on R-1 visas would no longer be required to reside outside of the U.S. for a full year if they reach their statutory five-year maximum period of stay before completing their green card applications. Fernandes said 21 priests and 13 sisters who hold R-1 visas and work within the diocese would have been affected in the a...