Category: Diocese of Scranton News

SCRANTON – The Diocese of Scranton will once again mark the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity with an Ecumenical Celebration of God’s Word, which will be held on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026, at 12:10 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

Christians of all denominations are warmly invited to attend this prayerful gathering, which reflects the Church’s ongoing commitment to unity among all followers of Jesus Christ.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will serve as leader of prayer for the traditional ecumenical prayer service. Bishop Bambera is currently serving his final year as Chairman of the U.S. Bishops’ Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs.

The guest preacher for this year’s prayer service will be Rev. Dr. Nora Foust, Regional Conference Minister, Penn Central Conference, United Church of Christ.

The Ecumenical Prayer Service will be broadcast live at 12:10 p.m. on CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton. It will also be made available on the Diocese of Scranton website, YouTube channel, and across all Diocesan social media platforms.

ABOUT THE WEEK OF PRAYER OF CHRISTIAN UNITY

Observed worldwide each year from January 18-25, the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity encourages Christians to pray together and to renew their dedication to working toward greater understanding, reconciliation, and communion.

The Catholic Church has participated fully in this global observance since the Second Vatican Council, and in 2025, commemorated the 61st anniversary of the Decree on Ecumenism, which formally brought the Church into the modern ecumenical movement.

The 2026 theme, chosen by Christians in Armenia and drawn from Saint Paul’s Letter to the Ephesians, proclaims: “There is one body and one Spirit, just as you were called to the one hope of your calling” (Ephesians 4:4).

The theme emphasizes unity as both a gift and a calling – one rooted in the Holy Spirit and expressed through conversion of heart, shared hope, and love lived in community.

UNITY OF BELIEVERS

Unity is a divine mandate at the core of our Christian identity and is more than simply an ideal. It represents the essence of the Church’s calling – a call to reflect the harmonious oneness of our life in Christ amidst our diversity.

Throughout the Holy Scriptures, God’s call to unity resonates from the earliest times. Starting with the Old Testament, Abram’s plea to Lot highlights the divine desire for peace and harmony among the faithful: “Let there be no strife between you and me and between your herders and my herders; for we are kindred” (Genesis 13:8).

Abram’s call for harmony and mutual respect, despite their eventual parting of ways, emphasizes the importance of living peacefully.

This divine instruction continues in Leviticus 19:18, where God commands, “You shall not take vengeance or bear a grudge against any of your people, but you shall love your neighbor as yourself: I am the Lord.” Such commandments remind us that forgiveness and love are vital for maintaining unity within the community of faith.

The Psalms also celebrate the beauty of unity among God’s people.

They declare, “How very good and pleasant it is when kindred live together in unity! (Psalm 133:1). This imagery underscores the significance of unity in God’s design for His people.

In the New Testament, Jesus Christ elevates the concept of unity to a spiritual dimension, mirroring the profound relationship between Him and the Father. Unity among His followers is not merely the absence of conflict but a deep, spiritual bond reflecting the unity of the Holy Trinity.

Jesus’ prayer in John 17:21 calls for believers to be one as He and the Father are one, demonstrating that our unity is grounded in our relationship with Christ and our collective mission of sharing the Good News.

 

(OSV News) – The National Eucharistic Pilgrimage is back for 2026 with a special route that will travel the East Coast from St. Augustine, Florida, to Portland, Maine, ending in Philadelphia, organizers announced Jan. 8.

The pilgrimage – the third of its kind – will begin in May on Memorial Day weekend and end July 5. This year’s pilgrimage celebrates America’s 250th anniversary with the theme “One Nation Under God,” and its route incorporates key sites in the history of the country and its Catholics.

Organizers described the pilgrimage as “a nationwide call to renewal, unity and mission rooted in the Eucharist.”

In a Jan. 8 media release announcing the route, organizers noted that 2026 marked the 75th anniversary of the lobbying campaign, led by the Knights of Columbus, to add the phrase “One nation under God” to the nation’s Pledge of Allegiance.

“One Nation Under God is not a borrowed slogan; rather, it is an invitation to realign our lives, our communities, and our country under the sovereignty of Jesus Christ,” said Jason Shanks, president of the National Eucharistic Congress, in the media release.

The National Eucharistic Congress nonprofit organizes the pilgrimage, which first took place as four routes in 2024 ahead of the 10th National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis as part of the National Eucharistic Revival, and which returned last summer with a route from Indianapolis to Los Angeles.

“Our hope is that Catholics will come together on this significant anniversary to give thanks for our country and to pray for our future,” said Bishop Andrew H. Cozzens of Crookston, Minnesota, who serves as chairman of the National Eucharistic Congress, in the statement. “We want all Catholics to be inspired with missionary zeal to bring revival through the light and love of Jesus Christ.”

The pilgrimage has been placed under the patronage of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini, an Italian-American immigrant and the first U.S. citizen to be canonized a saint. It will also take place in solidarity with the U.S. bishops’ call to consecrate the United States to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

Like previous National Eucharistic Pilgrimages, the route will be traveled by “perpetual pilgrims,” eight young adults selected among a group of applicants (plus a “media missionary”) who will attend Mass, Eucharistic adoration, other devotions and community-building events along the way.

The pilgrimage will launch Memorial Day weekend with Mass at Our Lady of La Leche Shrine in St. Augustine, the site of the first Mass celebrated on American soil in 1565. It will also include commemorations of the Georgia Martyrs, five Franciscan missionaries who were killed for their faith in 1597, whose path for beatification Pope Francis cleared in January 2025; the celebration of the feast of Corpus Christi in the Archdiocese of Washington and the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia; and stops in the Archdiocese of Baltimore, the nation’s first Catholic diocese.

The pilgrimage will pass through most of the original 13 colonies, with stops in 18 dioceses and archdioceses: St. Augustine; Savannah, Georgia; Charleston, South Carolina; Charlotte, North Carolina; Richmond, Virginia; Arlington, Virginia; Washington; Baltimore; Wilmington, Delaware; Camden, New Jersey; Paterson, New Jersey; Springfield, Massachusetts; Manchester, New Hampshire; Portland, Maine; Boston; Fall River, Massachusetts; Providence, Rhode Island; and Philadelphia.

The pilgrims will also make a private, mid-point retreat at the St. Frances Cabrini Shrine in New York City.

The pilgrimage will end in Philadelphia with events planned July 4-5, Independence Day weekend, to commemorate the adoption of the Declaration of Independence in the Pennsylvania State House, now the city’s Independence Hall, on July 4, 1776. That weekend will include special outreach for Catholic youth and all-day Eucharistic adoration July 4. The pilgrimage’s closing Mass will take place July 5 at the Cathedral Basilica of Sts. Peter and Paul, followed by a Eucharistic procession to the National Shrine of St. John Neumann.

Organizers said in the media release that “the pilgrimage seeks to extend the fruits of the three-year National Eucharistic Revival that began in 2022 and culminated in the 2024 National Eucharistic Pilgrimage and subsequent Congress in Indianapolis. The fruits of the 2025 Drexel Pilgrimage carry forward into the 2026 Cabrini Route.”

The pilgrimage also will connect with a national prayer campaign and digital lecture series “that highlights themes and topics of America through a Catholic lens and framework,” organizers said.

MINNEAPOLIS (OSV News) – Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda is continuing his call for prayers after police said a woman was pronounced dead following a shooting involving a federal agent in Minneapolis Jan. 7.

“Following this morning’s deadly shooting in Minneapolis, I reiterate my plea for all people of good will to join me in prayer for the person who was killed, for their loved ones, and for our community,” Archbishop Hebda, head of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis, said in a statement following the incident, referring back to his request for prayers on Dec. 23 as immigration enforcement efforts in the Twin Cities drew concerns from some about attending Christmas Masses.

The incident Jan. 7 occurred in the area of 34th Street and Portland Avenue, according to Minneapolis Police Chief Brian O’Hara.

The woman shot by an officer with Immigration and Customs Enforcement has been identified by Minnesota media as Renee Nicole Good, a 37-year-old mother and poet originally from Colorado.

During a news conference, O’Hara said police responded to the area after receiving a report of a federal law enforcement officer being involved in a deadly force incident, “meaning shots had been fired.”

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security indicated on social media that “ICE officers in Minneapolis were conducting targeted operations” Jan. 7.

Upon arrival, O’Hara said officers found a woman who had suffered a gunshot wound to the head. O’Hara said CPR and other life-saving measures were administered and the woman was transported to Hennepin County Medical Center where she was pronounced dead.

O’Hara said a preliminary investigation into the incident indicated the woman “was in her vehicle and was blocking the roadway on Portland Avenue, midway between 33rd Street and 34th Street in the city.

“At some point, a federal law enforcement officer approached her, on foot, and the vehicle began to drive off. At least two shots were fired. The vehicle then crashed on the side of the roadway,” O’Hara said.

O’Hara said the Federal Bureau of Investigation and the Minnesota Bureau of Criminal Apprehension are among the agencies investigating the incident.

“This has been a very difficult time for everyone in the city and this is obviously a very, very tragic situation where a woman has lost her life,” O’Hara said.

“We’ve dreaded this moment since the early stages of this ICE presence in Minneapolis,” Minneapolis Mayor Jacob Frey said during his remarks at the news conference.

“We ask that the community continue to call for peace,” O’Hara said. Frey agreed. “Let’s unite around hope and love and peace and getting justice, that’s what we need to be doing right now,” Frey said.

Archbishop Hebda in his statement appealed for all people “to lower the temperature of rhetoric, stop fear-filled speculation and start seeing all people as created in the image and likeness of God.”

He said, “That is as true for our immigrant sisters and brothers as it is for our elected officials and those who are responsible for enforcing our laws.”

Archbishop Hebda also said he wanted to “echo today the repeated call of the U.S. Catholic bishops that we come together as a nation and pass meaningful immigration reform that does justice to all parties.”

He indicated that the issue is becoming “more divisive and violent” the longer the country refuses to grapple with it.

“It is only by working together — with God’s help — that we will have peace in our communities, state and world,” he said.

VATICAN CITY (OSV News) – With 170 red hats present in Vatican City, the extraordinary consistory of cardinals started at 3:30 p.m. Rome time with Veni Creator Spiritus sounding in the Synod Hall inside the Vatican City walls. They later moved to round tables in the Paul VI Audience Hall, where the cardinals held group discussions.

In opening remarks, Pope Leo XIV met the cardinals with one crucial message: “I am here to listen.”

“As we learned during the two Assemblies of the Synod of Bishops of 2023 and 2024, the synodal dynamic implies a listening par excellence,” the pope told the cardinals. “Every moment of this kind is an opportunity to deepen our shared appreciation for synodality.”

Calling the meeting “highly significant,” and voicing expectations that the gathering will be one of the defining moments of his papacy, the pope said. “This day and a half together will point the way for our path ahead. We must not arrive at a text, but continue a conversation that will help me in serving the mission of the entire Church,” he said.

Clearly answering a concern voiced during the general congregations before the May 2025 conclave that elected Pope Leo — that the cardinals didn’t know each other well — the pope told the cardinals that while they “are a very diverse group, enriched by a wide range of backgrounds,” they are still “called first to get to know one another and to dialogue, so that we may work together in serving the Church. I hope that we can grow in communion and thus offer a model of collegiality.”

Urging unity, one of the main themes of his pontificate, Pope Leo told the gathering that “While unity attracts, division scatters,” therefore “in order to be a truly missionary Church, one that is capable of witnessing to the attractive power of Christ’s love, we must first of all put into practice his commandment, the only one he gave us after washing his disciples’ feet: ‘Just as I have loved you, you also should love one another.'”

He said that due to time constraints, only two topics out of four proposed to cardinals prior to the gathering would be discussed during the meeting. The four options included “Evangelii Gaudium” and the mission of the church; “Praedicate Evangelium” and the service of the Holy See; synodality as an instrument of cooperation; and liturgy — the source and summit of the Christian life. Through a vote, the cardinals decided to focus on the missionary nature of the church, based on Pope Francis’s programmatic apostolic exhortation “Evangelii Gaudium,” and synodality, Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, confirmed Wednesday evening.

At the opening of the meeting, a meditation from Cardinal Timothy Radcliffe reminded the cardinals “of not leaving the successor of Peter alone as he faces the storms of the world,” Bruni said about the British Dominican cardinal’s meditation.

“Jesus commanded the disciples to get into the boat and go before him. Peter must not go into the storm alone,” Cardinal Radcliffe told the cardinals. “This is our first obedience, to be in the barque of Peter, with his successor, as he faces the storms of our times. We cannot remain on the beach saying, ‘Myself, I would not go sailing today.’ Or ‘I would choose a different boat.’ Jesus is alone on the mountain, but Peter must not be unaccompanied.”

Images and video from the extraordinary consistory shared with journalists by the press office brought to mind the images of the Synod on Synodality as cardinals moved to the Paul VI Audience Hall after the initial remarks of the pope and Cardinal Radcliffe, where they were divided into 20 groups. Nine tables were occupied by ordinary bishops of dioceses across the world and nuncios, while 11 were taken by curial officials and non-electors — specifically cardinals over 80. Each group had a president and secretary.

The pope was not present during the table discussions, Bruni said, except to offer brief closing comments.

To determine the topics to be discussed, “all groups gave their recommendations,” Bruni said during the evening briefing. “However, due to time constraints, only the secretaries of the first nine (groups), which include the cardinals of the local churches, were given three minutes to explain the work done within the groups and the reasons behind (their) choice … . The secretaries of the other 11 groups, however, only provided the titles of the chosen topics.”

“Among these 20 groups, there was no group that voted for another topic; that is, they were chosen by majority vote,” he confirmed.

Thanking the cardinals at the conclusion of the session on Jan. 7, Pope Leo “repeated the words of one of the secretaries, who mentioned how the path is as important as the conclusion,” Bruni told journalists.

“He mentioned the importance of the participation of everyone in terms of an experience of collegiality in the Church, the will, the desire, the sacrifice of the journey,” he said of the pope’s final remarks.

The pope said “the time is short, but it is important,” thanking some of the cardinals for traveling a long distance to reach Rome for the gathering,” Bruni said.

“Also for me, I feel the need to come to you. You have called the servant to this mission, and it is important that we discern together,” the pope told cardinals, according to Bruni, as they wrapped the first day of discussions.

Paraphrasing his own questions from his Epiphany’s Mass homily Jan. 6, Bruni said the pope asked the cardinals: “Is there life in our Church? Is there room for what is born? Do we proclaim a God that puts people back on a path?”

Referring to the topic chosen by the cardinals — the missionary zeal of “Evangeli Gaudium” — Pope Leo said, according to Bruni, “The joy of the gospel liberates. It makes people more attentive, but also more audacious. It suggests paths which are different from the ones that have already been walked upon. This is the experience of the novelty of the Church.”

“There may be doubt. There may be fear. Where shall we go?” Bruni said the pope asked. “But if we put our trust in the Lord and in his presence, we can do great things. It is not possible to separate one theme from another. The missionary church which looks beyond itself, that is the reason to proclaim the Gospel. And that is our mission.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The teachings of the Second Vatican Council are still “the guiding star” the Catholic Church is meant to follow, Pope Leo XIV said.

Rereading all of its teachings “is a valuable opportunity to rediscover the beauty and the importance of this ecclesial event,” he said Jan. 7, and because its work remains “a guiding principle for us today.”

“We have yet to achieve ecclesial reform more fully in a ministerial sense and, in the face of today’s challenges, we are called to continue to be vigilant interpreters of the signs of the times, joyful proclaimers of the Gospel, courageous witnesses of justice and peace,” he said.

Speaking to visitors gathered in the Paul VI Audience Hall for his weekly general audience, the pope said that with the conclusion of the Holy Year Jan. 6, he was beginning a new series of talks dedicated to the Second Vatican Council.

The council, which convened for four sessions from 1962 to 1965, produced 16 documents, addressing everything from liturgy to Scripture, missionary activity to ecumenism and interfaith relationships, and the functions of clergy and laity to religious freedom.

“Vatican Council II rediscovered the face of God as the Father who, in Christ, calls us to be his children,” he said in his talk.

The council looked at the Catholic Church “as a mystery of communion and sacrament of unity between God and his people; it initiated important liturgical reform, placing at its center the mystery of salvation and the active and conscious participation of the entire people of God,” he said.

“At the same time, it helped us to open up to the world and to embrace the changes and challenges of the modern age in dialogue and co-responsibility, as a Church that wishes to open her arms to humanity, to echo the hopes and anxieties of peoples, and to collaborate in building a more just and fraternal society,” he said.

For the past six decades, the popes have repeatedly underlined the importance of Vatican II, its teachings and its fuller implementation.

However, since the council was held so long ago, that means that “the generation of bishops, theologians and believers of Vatican II is no longer with us,” said the pope, who would have been 10 years old when the council ended in December of 1965.

“It will be important to get to know it again closely, and to do so not through ‘hearsay’ or interpretations that have been given, but by rereading its documents and reflecting on their content” directly, he said.

“Indeed, it is the Magisterium that still constitutes the guiding star of the Church’s journey today,” he said.

SCRANTON – As the Jubilee Year of Hope draws to a close, the Diocese of Scranton is placing renewed emphasis on one of its quiet, but critical, ministries – the Diocesan Tribunal.

Often working without fanfare or attention, the Tribunal assists the Bishop in matters of canon law related to marriage – including declarations of nullity (commonly known as annulments), dispensations, and permissions that help couples prepare for the sacrament of matrimony.

Father Thomas J. Petro, J.V., J.C.L., the newly appointed Judicial Vicar, said a series of significant reforms and new staff appointments aims to make the Tribunal “more accessible, more pastoral, and more responsive to the needs of the People of God.”

Father Petro said the changes respond not only to pastoral realities in parishes but also to themes raised repeatedly during Synod on Synodality listening sessions – particularly the desire for greater accompaniment for those who are divorced, those who feel distant from the Church, and newly arrived Spanish-speaking Catholics.

“We are striving to put a more pastoral face on the whole process. We’ve always joked that canon law is the ‘dark side’ of the Good News. But we all see ourselves as ministers of justice – serving the People of God in a ministry of healing. That is so important for us.”

The Tribunal is currently focusing on three major areas of renewal.

1. Assigning Priest Advocates from Day One

Recognizing that petitioners may feel unsure or anxious when beginning the annulment process, every person who applies for a declaration of nullity will now immediately be assigned a priest advocate who will accompany them throughout the process. That applies to both the petitioner and the respondent.

“That is significant because sometimes people feel intimated by the process or they have questions, especially of a personal nature, and our priests who have proficiency in canon law can help,” Father Petro explained.

2. Reintroducing an In-House Assessor

For the first time in more than a decade, the Tribunal will again have an in-house assessor, who will assist Tribunal judges by offering a psychological perspective that helps explain the circumstances surrounding a marriage at its beginning.

Monsignor Neil Van Loon, V.F., pastor of Saint Paul Parish, Scranton, and a trained pastoral counselor, has been appointed to serve in this capacity.

“Petitioners and respondents will be able to meet with our in-house assessor and have a conversation about aspects of their lives and their emotions that can help us reach a decision based upon what was really going on in their hearts and minds when they said, ‘I do,’” Father Petro said.

3. Expanded Service to Spanish-Speaking Catholics

Recognizing the growing Hispanic population throughout the Diocese, and that 25-percent of all Tribunal cases involve Spanish-speakers, two native Spanish-speaking priests have also been appointed as auditors and advocates.

Father Neftalí Féliz Sena, Assistant Pastor of Saint Pius of Pietrelcina Parish, Hazleton, and Father Fidel Ticona, Assistant Pastor of Saint Nicholas-Saint Mary Parish, Wilkes-Barre, will help conduct interviews, assist with documentation from other countries, and help individuals navigate the process in their native language.

“Both priests are currently serving in parish communities that have sizable Hispanic populations, so oftentimes they’ll know these people personally before they even apply,” Father Petro noted.

In addition to the two Spanish-speaking priests who will serve as auditors, two other priests have also been appointed to assist Tribunal judges by conducting interviews with people seeking annulments. They are Father Michael J. Boris, Assistant Pastor of Saint Ignatius Loyola Parish, Kingston, and Father Michael S. Drevitch, Assistant Pastor, Corpus Christi Parish, West Pittston.

The Tribunal’s leadership team has also expanded.

Myles McAliney, J.D., a retired civil attorney and parishioner of Saint Paul Parish, Scranton, has been hired to serve as Moderator of the Tribunal Chancery. He will oversee day-to-day operations, manage archives, coordinate dispensations and permissions, and assist administrative notaries Judy Myerski and Heather Betts. In addition to currently serving as Diocesan chancellor, Linda Price, J.C.L., will continue to serve as a Judge on the Tribunal.

A full slate of judges, auditors, and defenders of the bond – including Monsignor Patrick J. Pratico, Father Jeffrey D. Tudgay, Father Brian J.W. Clarke, Father Anthony J. Generose, Father Alex J. Roche, and Father Edward Shestak – will continue their service to the Diocesan community.

“I definitely think this reform of our Tribunal is part of Bishop Bambera’s vision to put a pastoral face on the annulment process, that we have accessibility to our Spanish speaking parishioners, and we make the process as expeditious as possible,” Father Petro added.

People interested in learning more about the Tribunal’s ministry or the declaration of nullity process may call (570) 207-2246 or speak to their local pastor who can direct them.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – The powerful and violent cannot control, suppress or commodify God’s grace, friendship and will to usher in a new dawn, Pope Leo XIV said.

“Around us, a distorted economy tries to profit from everything. We see how the marketplace can turn human yearnings of seeking, traveling and beginning again into a mere business,” he said, celebrating Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica Jan. 6, the feast of the Epiphany, and officially closing the celebration of the Holy Year dedicated to hope.

“Let us ask ourselves: has the Jubilee taught us to flee from this type of efficiency that reduces everything to a product and human beings to consumers?” he asked. “After this year, will we be better able to recognize a pilgrim in the visitor, a seeker in the stranger, a neighbor in the foreigner and fellow travelers in those who are different?”

Before the Mass, the pope, cardinals and bishops present in Rome, gathered in the atrium of the basilica and gave thanks to God for the gifts received during the Holy Year. Dozens of the world’s cardinals were in Rome to attend the pope’s first extraordinary consistory Jan. 7-8, to pray, support and advise the pope on the life and mission of the church.

Pope Leo went to the threshold of the Holy Door and pulled each side shut. The door will be sealed until the next Holy Year, which is likely to be 2033, the 2000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

While the last of the Holy Doors in the city was closing, “the gate” of God’s mercy will never be shut, Pope Leo said before shutting the door. God “will always sustain the weary, raise up those who have fallen” and offer “good things” to those who place their trust in him.

In his homily, Pope Leo compared the millions of men and women who came to Rome on pilgrimage to modern-day Magi, “who left palace and temple behind” in search of a new “king,” which they found in the baby Jesus in a humble grotto in Bethlehem.

“Yes, the Magi still exist today. They are the people who sense the need to go out and search, accepting the risks associated with their journey, especially in a troubled world like ours that may be unpleasant and dangerous in many ways,” he said.

However, Pope Leo cautioned, today’s seekers must encounter in today’s churches and sacred places the same humble source of life, hope and joy that the Magi encountered in Bethlehem.

“How important it is that those who pass through the doors of the church perceive therein that the Messiah has just been born, that a community gathers in which hope springs forth and that a story of life is unfolding!” he said.

“Jesus encountered and allowed himself to be approached by all people,” he said, because “the Lord wants his presence to grow among us as God-with-us.”

“No one can sell this to us. The child whom the Magi adore is a priceless and immeasurable good,” the pope said, criticizing “a distorted economy,” which even tries to exploit and commodify the human desire for freedom and true fulfillment.

God revealing himself to humanity as man is “a gift,” Pope Leo said. “He reveals himself and lets himself be found.”

“His ways are not our ways, and the violent do not succeed in controlling them, nor can the powers of the world block them,” he said, recalling the great joy the Magi felt upon finding the Messiah and despite Herod’s efforts to destroy what had been promised.

The fear and violence unleashed by King Herod “make us think of the many conflicts by which people resist and even damage the new things that God has in store for everyone,” he said. “Loving and seeking peace means protecting what is holy and, consequently, that which is newly born like a small, vulnerable, fragile baby.”

“God challenges the existing order,” the pope said. “God is determined to rescue us from both old and new forms of slavery. He involves young and old, poor and rich, men and women, saints and sinners in his works of mercy and in the wonders of his justice.”

“Let us ask ourselves: is there life in our church? Is there space for something new to be born? Do we love and proclaim a God who sets us on a journey?” Pope Leo asked.

“Fear does indeed blind us. Conversely, the joy of the Gospel liberates us. It makes us prudent, yes, but also bold, attentive and creative; it beckons us along ways that are different from those already traveled,” he said.

“It is wonderful to become pilgrims of hope,” who journey together and are amazed by God’s faithfulness, he said.

“If we do not reduce our churches to monuments, if our communities are homes, if we stand united and resist the flattery and seduction of those in power, then we will be the generation of a new dawn,” he said. In Jesus, “we will contemplate and serve an extraordinary humanity, transformed not by the delusions of the all-powerful, but by God who became flesh out of love.”

Outside on a cold, rainy winter morning, St. Peter’s Square was filled with thousands of people watching the Mass on big screens and awaiting the pope to recite the Angelus at noon.

Hundreds of people dressed in traditional and festive costumes took part in an annual folkloric Epiphany procession along the main boulevard in front of the basilica. Marching bands and people in Renaissance costumes paraded up the street behind the Three Kings on horseback.

Before reciting the Angelus from the balcony of the basilica’s loggia, the pope prayed that God’s words “come to fulfillment in us, may strangers and enemies become brothers and sisters.”

“In the place of inequality, may there be fairness, and may the industry of war be replaced by the craft of peace,” he said. “As weavers of hope, let us journey together toward the future by another road.”

 

(OSV News) – As deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro made his first appearance Jan. 5 in a New York courtroom on narco-terrorism charges after the Trump administration carried out what President Donald Trump called on social media “a large scale strike against Venezuela,” uncertainty about immigration status lingered for some Venezuelan migrants in the U.S.

Astrid Liden, communications officer for the Hope Border Institute, a group that works to apply the perspective of Catholic social teaching in policy and practice to the U.S.-Mexico border region, and a Venezuelan-American, told OSV News, “In recent years, hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans have sought protection in the United States, many passing through the US-Mexico border. Millions of Venezuelans live abroad due to the situation in Venezuela, and we share their hope in the end of the reign of Maduro, whose rule led to the displacement of so many.”

However, she added, “The recent end of TPS for Venezuelans by the Trump administration sets a very dangerous precedent and puts hundreds of thousands of Venezuelans at risk.”

Maduro was arraigned in a Manhattan federal court by Judge Alvin Hellerstein. Cameras are prohibited in most federal court proceedings, but according to reporters, Hellerstein said, “It’s my job to assure this is a fair trial.”

At the brief hearing, Maduro said through an interpreter that he was “innocent” and “still president of my country.”

Maduro’s regime was seen as illegitimate by many countries around the world, including the European Union. Venezuela’s opposition demonstrated through collecting digitized voter tallies that their candidate, Edmundo González Urrutia, won the 2024 presidential election with 67% of the vote; but Maduro refused to cede power. The Biden administration, which recognized González as Venezuela’s rightful president-elect, in January 2025 said Maduro “clearly lost the 2024 presidential election and has no right to claim the presidency.”

However, world leaders also expressed concern that the U.S. military action to remove Maduro flouted international law.

At an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council just prior to Maduro’s hearing, U.N. Secretary General Antonio Guterres said he was “deeply concerned that rules of international law have not been respected,” while U.S. ambassador Mike Waltz called the action a “surgical law enforcement operation.”

The previous day, Pope Leo XIV expressed “deep concern” following Maduro’s capture.

“This must guarantee the country’s sovereignty, ensure the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution, respect the human and civil rights of all, and work to build together a serene future of collaboration, stability, and harmony, with special attention to the poorest who suffer due to the difficult economic situation,” he said after reciting the Angelus prayer with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square Jan. 4.

At a Jan. 3 press conference, Trump said the U.S. will “run the country” of Venezuela “until such time as we can do a safe, proper and judicious transition,” but questions remained about that process.

But the action also highlighted uncertainty for some Venezuelans in the U.S.

In 2025, the Trump administration ended Temporary Protected Status for about 600,000 Venezuelans living in the U.S., stripping their legal status to remain in the U.S. TPS status is sometimes granted to countries where natural disasters or civil unrest have fueled displacement.

Asked during an appearance on “Fox News Sunday” Jan. 4 whether Venezuelans in the U.S. who were previously under TPS can apply for asylum, Homeland Security Secretary Kristi Noem suggested they can do so, but did not directly address whether deportations to that country would continue.

“Every individual that was under TPS has the opportunity to apply for refugee status and that evaluation will go forward,” Noem said, without elaborating on how those evaluations would be made.

In a comment on the subject at his press conference, Trump said, “Frankly, some wanna stay and some probably wanna go back.”

Catholic immigration advocates previously urged the Trump administration to leave TPS status in place for countries including Venezuela in part because of its political instability.

“The dismantling of a corrupt autocratic regime does not occur simply through the removal of its head — we know this well,” Linden said. “This protection in the United States must be maintained until voluntary and safe return truly becomes a viable option. As Pope Leo XIV has said, we must ensure that ‘the good of the beloved Venezuelan people’ — both those in the country and those abroad — remains enshrined. We must see Venezuelans, including the leaders elected in 2024, involved in a process of democratic transition for there to be a country where Venezuelans can one day return to.”

J. Kevin Appleby, senior fellow for policy at the Center for Migration Studies in New York and the former director of migration policy for the USCCB, told OSV News, “TPS should be renewed at least until a democratically-elected government is in power, so that people feel they will not face persecution upon return.”

He added, “Moreover, the remittances that would flow to the country from half a million Venezuelans with TPS would help steady the country economically.”

In comments to reporters on Maduro’s hearing, Notre Dame Law School professor and organized crime expert Jimmy Gurulé, a former federal prosecutor and former assistant U.S. attorney general, said the hearing is likely the first part of what will be a lengthy legal process.

“While justice will ultimately be served in the Maduro case, it won’t be anytime soon,” he said.

A jury trial in the Maduro case, Gurulé said, “is unlikely to commence until sometime in 2027” in part because “the list of pretrial issues goes on and on.”

“Initially, defense attorneys will challenge the legality of the court’s jurisdiction over Maduro,” he said. “Defense counsel will argue that the U.S. military invasion of Venezuela and subsequent apprehension of Maduro not merely violated principles of international law, but constituted the crime of aggression.”

“Maduro’s defense attorneys will seek broad criminal discovery, which could include a request for the disclosure of classified evidence,” he added. He said that could involve lengthy litigation under the Classified Information Procedures Act, which “balances the government’s needs to protect secrets with a defendant’s rights to a fair trial.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – An estimated 33 million visitors and pilgrims came to the Vatican to celebrate the Jubilee Year, exceeding early forecasts, officials said at a news conference at the Vatican Jan. 5.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section for new evangelization and chief organizer of the 2025 Holy Year, said the figure is based on estimates from a study by Roma Tre University, online registrations for the Holy Year, and the number of people who passed through the Holy Doors of Rome’s major basilicas and attended papal events.

By the time the Holy Year ends Jan. 6, he said, at least 33 million people will have taken part, which breaks down to more than 90,000 people a day. The period with the most pilgrims in Rome was during the Jubilee of Young People from July 21 to Aug. 10, which registered more than 13 million people.

Early estimates had expected that the Jubilee Year would bring 30 million to 35 million visitors to the Vatican. The city saw about 22 million people come to Rome in 2024, Roberto Gualtieri, mayor of Rome, said during the news conference.

Based on data collected solely from registered pilgrims, visitors from the United States ranked second only to Italy, accounting for nearly 13 percent of the total number of registered visitors, Archbishop Fisichella said. Pilgrims from more than 185 countries participated in the Jubilee Year.

“It is inevitable that such a milestone also brings with it an assessment of this year, which in many respects has been extraordinary. Begun under Pope Francis, the Jubilee concludes under Pope Leo XIV,” the archbishop said in Italian. “The funeral and the new election were added to the entire Jubilee program, showing the whole world the ability to act with determination and confidence amid an exceptional series of events.”

Archbishop Fisichella thanked Rome’s officials for their hard work in supporting the inflow of visitors, and said that the increase also led to increased visitor rates across the city’s tourist sites.

Gualtieri agreed, saying it was a year of unprecedented tourism across the city. To accommodate the Jubilee Year and the influx of visitors, construction crews completed 110 projects across Rome, including the restoration of historic squares, monuments and holy sites.

Lamberto Giannini, Rome’s prefect, who coordinates maintaining law and order in the city, said that city and Vatican teams worked together to complete the many construction projects “without serious accidents or workplace injuries and with extensive oversight to prevent mafia infiltration — something clearly possible given the scale of the investments.”

Vatican leaders have already begun planning the next Jubilee Year, which will take place in 2033 to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the death and resurrection of Jesus.

“The journey, therefore, is not finished,” Archbishop Fisichella said. “This was only a significant step, preparing the way for another event of grace that must be planned with foresight and a strong awareness of an upcoming global event.”

(OSV News) – Pope Leo XIV expressed “deep concern” following the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, by the United States in a large-scale attack.

After reciting the Angelus prayer with pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square Jan. 4, the pope said the “well-being of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over all other considerations and lead to overcoming violence and pursuing paths of justice and peace.”

Entrusting Venezuela to its patroness, Our Lady of Coromoto, as well as the country’s recently canonized saints – Sts. José Gregorio Hernández and Carmen Rendiles – Pope Leo called on Catholics to pray and highlighted the need to respect Venezuela’s right to autonomy and self-determination.

“This must guarantee the country’s sovereignty, ensure the rule of law enshrined in the Constitution, respect the human and civil rights of all, and work to build together a serene future of collaboration, stability, and harmony, with special attention to the poorest who suffer due to the difficult economic situation,” he said.

After months of tension, U.S. President Donald Trump ordered the nighttime military operation Jan. 3, capturing Maduro and his wife, and transporting them to New York to face narco-terrorism conspiracy charges, The Associated Press reported.

According to AP, Venezuelan officials said some people were killed in the U.S. attack but did not disclose the number of casualties.

Reactions from around the world have been mixed, with many, particularly Venezuelans in the diaspora, hailing Maduro’s capture, while others expressed concerns that the U.S. attack violated international law.

The country’s bishops issued a brief “message of accompaniment and closeness with the People of God” via Instagram and X that did not comment directly on the capture of the Venezuelan president and his wife, but instead urged for “prayer for the unity of our people.”

“In light of the events that our country is experiencing today, let us ask God to grant all Venezuelans serenity, wisdom, and strength,” the bishops said. “We express our solidarity with those who were wounded and the families of those who died.”

Less than an hour later, the bishops issued a second brief statement calling on the people of Venezuela “to live more intensely in hope and fervent prayer for peace in our hearts and in society, rejecting any type of violence.”

“May our hands open for encounter and mutual aid, and may the decisions that are taken always be made for the well-being of our people,” the bishops wrote.

The statement was shared by other Latin American bishops’ conferences, including the bishops of Argentina and Mexico.

The Mexican bishops’ conference said it was “united in prayer with the bishops of Venezuela to ask God for serenity, wisdom, and strength for the Venezuelan people.”

In a brief comment to SIR, the news agency of the Italian bishops’ conference, Archbishop Jesús González de Zárate of Valencia, Venezuela, president of the country’s bishops conference, said he had been “awake since 2 a.m. to follow what was happening” and that he was accompanying “our people with prayer.”

While Venezuelans are still in shock, Archbishop Zarate said, “the facts are still in development to properly assess” the situation and emphasized his “trust in God and the values of our people.”

Bishop Juan Carlos Bravo Salazar of Petare, a diocese located east of the Venezuelan capital of Caracas, issued a statement Jan. 3 on the diocese’s Instagram account acknowledging that the people of Venezuela “are living through moments of confusion, uncertainty, and pain, in which we do not see clearly what is happening.”

“Our strength and hope are in the Lord of life and peace,” Bishop Bravo said, urging the need “to maintain serenity, peace, and above all a climate of prayer.”

He also urged caution, asking people to “take shelter and not go out.”

“For the good of our people, do not make calls to (take to) the streets, nor disseminate unverified and unconfirmed information, nor from sources that are not reliable or official. Let us stay in communication among ourselves, between pastoral zones, and with our closest collaborators,” he said.