Vatican News

Southern California Catholics pray for kidnapped Nigerian Bishop with strong ties to the area

CNA Staff, Dec 30, 2020 / 05:29 pm (CNA).- Priests and parishioners in Southern California are praying for the safe return of Bishop Moses Chikwe, the auxiliary bishop of Owerri Archdiocese in Nigeria, who served for several years in the Diocese of San Diego as a priest before returning to his country.

Twenty Catholic missionaries killed worldwide in 2020

Vatican City, Dec 30, 2020 / 07:00 am (CNA).- Twenty Catholic missionaries were killed across the world in 2020, the information service of the Pontifical Mission Societies said Wednesday.

Agenzia Fides reported Dec. 30 that those who lost their lives in service of the Church comprised eight priests, three religious women, one male religious, two seminarians, and six lay people.

Vatican COVID-19 commission promotes vaccine access for the vulnerable

Vatican City, Dec 29, 2020 / 01:27 pm (CNA).- The Vatican’s COVID-19 commission said Tuesday it is working to help promote fair access to the coronavirus vaccine, especially for those who are most vulnerable.

In a note published Dec. 29, the commission, which was formed at Pope Francis’ request in April, stated its six objectives in relation to the COVID-19 vaccine.

Pope Francis appoints Bishop Dermot Farrell as head of Dublin archdiocese

Vatican City, Dec 29, 2020 / 10:06 am (CNA).- Pope Francis Tuesday named theologian Bishop Dermot Farrell of Ossory, Ireland, as the next archbishop of Dublin.

Farrell, 66, takes over leadership of the metropolitan archdiocese from Archbishop Diarmuid Martin, whose resignation was accepted by the pope Dec. 29.

Martin, who turned 75 in April, led the large Irish archdiocese since 2003 as coadjutor archbishop, and since 2004 as archbishop.

Pope Francis issues law reorganizing Vatican finances

Vatican City, Dec 28, 2020 / 05:10 am (CNA).- Pope Francis issued a new law Monday reorganizing Vatican finances following a series of scandals. 

In a document issued Dec. 28, the pope formalized the transfer of financial responsibilities from the Vatican’s Secretariat of State to the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), which functions as the Holy See’s treasury and sovereign wealth manager.

Pope Francis: Be a witness to Christ in your ordinary life

Vatican City, Dec 26, 2020 / 09:01 am (CNA).- Be a witness to Jesus Christ in the way you conduct your ordinary, everyday life, and it will become a masterpiece for God, Pope Francis encouraged Saturday.

Speaking on the Feast of St. Stephen the Martyr Dec. 26, he said, “the Lord wants us to make our lives masterpieces through the ordinary things, the everyday things we do.”

Pope Francis calls for ‘vaccines for all’ as he gives Christmas Urbi et Orbi blessing

Vatican City, Dec 25, 2020 / 05:30 am (CNA).- Giving his traditional Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” blessing Friday, Pope Francis called for coronavirus vaccines to be made available to the world’s neediest people. 

The pope made a special appeal to leaders to grant the poor access to vaccines against the virus which has claimed more than 1.7 million lives worldwide as of Dec. 25.

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