St. Mary's of the Lake Roman Catholic Church

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis has called on all nations to eliminate the death penalty, to divert a fixed percentage of arms spending to a global fund to fight hunger and climate change, and to cancel the international debt of developing nations as concrete ways to usher in a new era of hope.

"Sporadic acts of philanthropy are not enough. Cultural and structural changes are necessary, so that enduring change may come about," the pope said in his message for World Peace Day 2025.

The message, "Forgive us our trespasses: grant us your peace," was released Dec. 12 at a Vatican news conference ahead of the Jan. 1 commemoration.

Offering his "cordial good wishes for the New Year to the heads of state and government, to the leaders of international organizations, to the leaders of the various religions and to every person of goodwill," the pope made three proposals for bringing about "much-needed changes" during the Jubilee Year, which focuses on "Pilgrims of Hope."

The proposals, he wrote, are "capable of restoring dignity to the lives of entire peoples and enabling them to set out anew on the journey of hope."

The first proposal, he wrote, is renewing the appeal launched by St. John Paul II for the Holy Year 2000 to consider "reducing substantially, if not canceling outright, the international debt which seriously threatens the future of many nations."

Foreign debt, Pope Francis wrote, "has become a means of control whereby certain governments and private financial institutions of the richer countries unscrupulously and indiscriminately exploit the human and natural resources of poorer countries, simply to satisfy the demands of their own markets."

Pope Francis also said wealthier nations must recognize their own "ecological debt" to the global south due to the exploitation of resources, the destruction of ecosystems and the effects of climate change. "The more prosperous countries ought to feel called to do everything possible to forgive the debts of those countries that are in no condition to repay the amount they owe."

"A new financial framework must be devised, leading to the creation of a global financial charter based on solidarity and harmony between peoples," he wrote, so that debt forgiveness is not just "an isolated act of charity that simply reboots the vicious cycle of financing and indebtedness."

The pope's second proposal was for "a firm commitment" to respecting "the dignity of human life from conception to natural death, so that each person can cherish his or her own life and all may look with hope to a future of prosperity and happiness for themselves and for their children."

"Without hope for the future, it becomes hard for the young to look forward to bringing new lives into the world," he wrote. And a "concrete gesture that can help foster the culture of life" is the elimination of the death penalty in all nations.

The death penalty "not only compromises the inviolability of life but eliminates every human hope of forgiveness and rehabilitation," he wrote.

The pope's third appeal follows "in the footsteps of St. Paul VI and Benedict XVI," he wrote. "In this time marked by wars, let us use at least a fixed percentage of the money earmarked for armaments to establish a global fund."

The fund should finance initiatives "to eradicate hunger" and facilitate educational activities in poor countries to promote sustainable development and combat climate change, he wrote. "We need to work at eliminating every pretext that encourages young people to regard their future as hopeless or dominated by the thirst to avenge the blood of their dear ones."

Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, told reporters at the Vatican Dec. 12 that Caritas Internationalis was launching a global campaign called "'Turn debt into hope' with a global petition aimed at raising awareness about the systemic change needed."

The Jubilee Year and the Christian call for conversion are invitations, not "to a moralistic effort at self-improvement, but to a radical change in how we look at reality," he said.

"Conversion is a path traced by that love for Christ that inspires, transforms, orients, energizes us," the cardinal said. Faith in the merciful and providential hands of God "frees our hearts from anguish, to respond and to serve."

Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, executive director of Catholic Mobilizing Network, which promotes restorative justice and the end to capital punishment, said "the death penalty's very existence epitomizes a throwaway culture."

"Capital punishment is a 'structural sin' existing in at least 55 nations across the globe, where nearly 28,000 people find themselves on death row," she told reporters, adding that this number "does not include cases in countries where there are no official statistics reported."

In the United States, in addition to the federal death penalty, "27 of the 50 states have the death penalty," she said.  

Also speaking at the news conference was Vito Alfieri Fontana, an engineer who worked at Italian companies producing grenades and anti-tank and anti-personnel mines.

He said he experienced a personal conversion and began working for the International Campaign to Ban Landmines after his children kept asking about what he did and why, and amid growing public opposition to the use of anti-personnel mines and the promptings of the late Father Tonino Bello to reflect on his life.

"What for me had been normal, became a burden," he said. He was able to emerge from "a privileged bubble -- home to 1% of the population who produce, control and distribute arms" -- and enter into the world of the 99% -- those who do not want war and want to live in peace.

Pope Francis said in his message that the jubilee tradition is meant to remind all people, "rich and poor alike, that no one comes into this world doomed to oppression: all of us are brothers and sisters, sons and daughters of the same Father, born to live in freedom, in accordance with the Lord's will."

Christians "feel bound to cry out and denounce the many situations in which the earth is exploited and our neighbors oppressed," he wrote.
 
Calling for and implementing concrete solutions to systemic injustice is part of the Christian desire to "break the bonds of injustice and to proclaim God's justice," he added.

Pope calls for end to death penalty

Krisanne Vaillancourt Murphy, an internationally known advocate for ending the death penalty, was invited by the Vatican to help present Pope Francis' message for the World Day of Peace 2025.

WASHINGTON – “With one clear voice, we reaffirm our unwavering and unqualified recognition of the fact that each and every human life is sacred, that all persons are imbued by God with an inviolable dignity, which no earthly power can deny.” The Catholic Church commemorates the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe, patroness of the Americas, on December 12. Besides this Marian feast day and devotion to the Blessed Mother carrying special significance for many immigrants in the United States, Our Lady of Guadalupe is also known as patroness of the unborn after appearing to Saint Juan Diego as a pregnant mother. Invoking her intercession, the following reflection was authored by several chairmen of committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB):

“Though we so often distinguish ourselves through borders, races, languages, political ideals, and so many other possible sources of division, Our Lady’s patronage is a powerful reminder that we are all called to be one in Christ Jesus, beginning from the moment of our conception. At this time, when some of our brothers and sisters are experiencing fear and anxiety, we are reminded of the abiding words of Our Lady to Saint Juan Diego: ‘Do not fear any illness or vexation, anxiety or pain. Am I not here, I who am your Mother? Are you not under my shadow and protection?’

“Throughout the life of our nation, we have seen at times unacceptable demonstrations of prejudice and hatred, including in recent days mass communications targeting people of color and disparaging comments about immigrant communities. With one clear voice, we reaffirm our unwavering and unqualified recognition of the fact that each and every human life is sacred, that all persons are imbued by God with an inviolable dignity, which no earthly power can deny. The sinful ideologies of racism and xenophobia are antithetical to these core teachings of our Christian faith. No person formed by and committed to the Gospel of Life can harbor such views in good conscience. 

“We beseech you, Blessed Mother: May the same love you radiated in the presence of Saint Juan Diego nearly five hundred years ago penetrate the heart of every man, woman, and child in our nation, creating in each one of us a profound and unrelenting awareness of our shared humanity. Intercede for us with your Son, Jesus, whom you brought forth from your womb to shine as the Light of the World. Envelop us in the comfort of your mantle, bringing forth the peace, hope, and healing that is so desperately needed in our age.”

This reflection on the Feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe was shared by Bishop Mark Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Migration; Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, chairman of the Committee on Pro-Life Activities; Bishop Eusebio L. Elizondo, auxiliary bishop of Seattle and chairman of the Subcommittee on the Pastoral Care of  Migrants, Refugees, and Travelers; and Bishop Joseph N. Perry, auxiliary bishop emeritus of Chicago and chairman of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism. 

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NEW YORK - Today, as part of ongoing and broader efforts to counter antisemitism across society, American Jewish Committee (AJC), in partnership with the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs, released Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition. This groundbreaking resource paves the way for deeper and wider cooperation in a shared commitment to eradicating antisemitism at a time when recent events have challenged Catholic-Jewish relations.

Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition features Catholic commentary on various entries of AJC’s renowned Translate Hate glossary of antisemitic terms, themes, and memes. It comes as Catholic and Jewish communities prepare to mark six decades of trust-building and mutual learning beginning when the Catholic Church reached out to the Jewish people and the world with Nostra Aetate, the historic Second Vatican Council document disseminated on October 28, 1965, which dramatically and publicly decried antisemitism and transformed the Church’s approach to the Jewish people for the better.

“For sixty years, dialogue has helped to establish lasting friendship among leaders in the Catholic and Jewish communities,” said Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. “As we prepare to mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, it is more important than ever to renew our commitment to stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters against all forms of antisemitism. Sadly, we are currently witnessing a tragic rise in antisemitic incidents both globally and here in the United States, a painful reminder that our work is not done. This project is but one example of the fruits of our collaboration that we hope will have wide-ranging impact as Catholics and Jews continue building bridges and combat antisemitism together.”

Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition is the product of investment in Catholic and Jewish leadership dialogue. It is the latest, but not the last, installment in deepening and extending the infrastructure, educational tools, and reach of Catholic-Jewish relations. 

“This Catholic edition of Translate Hate is a groundbreaking project for Catholic-Jewish relations and could not come at a more needed time, as we are experiencing the most dramatic rise in antisemitism since the Holocaust, including notably in the United States,” said Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC Director of Interreligious Affairs. “USCCB’s allyship and leadership in confronting antisemitism as a threat not only to the Jewish people but also to civilized society more broadly is a key part of the national whole-of-society approach we need to combat anti-Jewish hate. We are proud to partner with USCCB and support its ‘The Fruit of Dialogue: Catholics Confronting Antisemitism’ initiative. The path inaugurated by Nostra Aetate must continuously be renewed and this USCCB partnership with AJC is a reaffirmation of that commitment.”

As with the original Translate Hate, the Catholic edition will be flexible and updated with more Catholic commentaries, even as the glossary list of antisemitic terms expands.

“Like the versions that came before it, we hope that Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition will help equip Catholics, Jews, and others with the tools needed to recognize antisemitism,” said Holly Huffnagle, AJC U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism. “The first step in combating antisemitism is being able to understand and identify it. Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition presents this information in a way that can be used at all levels of Catholic and Jewish formal and informal education and empower our partners to stand up to anti-Jewish hate.”

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AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is an assembly of the hierarchy of bishops who jointly exercise pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The USCCB’s Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs works to build fruitful relationships with other religious faiths in the United States through fostering bonds of friendship, mutual understanding, and constructive collaboration. www.usccb.org

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Media Contact: 

U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops: Chieko Noguchi, media-relations@usccb.org, 202-541-3200

American Jewish Committee: Jennifer Bell, mediacomms@ajc.org, 202-836-0958

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The "most beautiful gift" the Catholic Church and its members can give the world is a reason to live with hope, Pope Francis said.

"The Christian cannot be satisfied with having hope; he or she must also radiate hope, be a sower of hope," the pope said at his weekly general audience Dec. 11.

Speaking to thousands of visitors and pilgrims in the Vatican audience hall, the pope said he was concluding the series of audience talks that he began in May reflecting on the role of the Holy Spirit in the life of the church. 

"The Holy Spirit is the ever-gushing source of Christian hope," the pope said, pointing to St. Paul's Letter to the Romans, which says, "May the God of hope fill you with all joy and peace in believing, so that you may abound in hope by the power of the Holy Spirit."

"If the church is a boat," Pope Francis said, "the Holy Spirit is the sail that propels it and lets it advance on the sea of history, today as in the past!"

At the end of his audience, the pope also expressed his hopes for peace and harmony in Syria after the fall of President Bashar Assad.

Saying he was following the news about Syria "at this delicate moment in its history," Pope Francis prayed Syrians could establish a new government without further conflict.

"I pray through the intercession of the Virgin Mary that the Syrian people may live in peace and security in their beloved land," he said, "and that the different religions may walk together in friendship and mutual respect for the good of the nation, which has been afflicted by years of war." 

In his main talk, the pope brought together the Advent hope for the coming of the Lord and the theme of the upcoming Holy Year, which is "Pilgrims of hope."

For Christians, he said, "hope is not an empty word, or a vague desire of ours that things may turn out for the best; it is a certainty, because it is founded on God's fidelity to his promises. This is why it is called a theological virtue: because it is infused by God and has God as its guarantor."

Hope also is not "a passive virtue, which merely waits for things to happen," the pope said. Rather, "it is a supremely active virtue that helps make them happen."

Pope Francis cited an unnamed writer who explained that the Holy Spirit, bearer of hope, "is the strength given to those who have no strength. He leads the struggle for the emancipation and full realization of the people of the oppressed."

At the same time, the pope said, Christian hope should be shared "with gentleness and reverence," as the First Letter of Peter says, "because it is not so much the strength of the arguments that will convince people, but rather the love that we know how to put in them. This is the first and most effective form of evangelization."
 

Pope prays for Syria

During his general audience Dec. 11, Pope Francis prayed for Syria.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- "With tears in our eyes, let us raise our prayer for peace," Pope Francis said as he thanked the people of Bethlehem and Palestinian authorities for a Nativity scene to decorate the Vatican audience hall.

A Christmas creche conveys the "message of peace and love that Jesus left us," the pope said Dec. 7 during a meeting with the artisans, volunteers and government representatives responsible for the Christmas decorations in the Paul VI Audience Hall and in St. Peter's Square. 

Pope Francis asked them all to remember the people in the Holy Land and in other parts of the world who are "suffering from the tragedy of war."

"Enough war, enough violence," he said. "Do you know that one of the most profitable investments here is in arms production? Profit for killing -- But why? Enough wars! May there be peace in all the world and for all people, whom God loves."

In the creche in the audience hall, the olive-wood baby Jesus is lying on a white and black kaffiyeh, a Palestinian headdress. Some commentators remarked that the choice seemed to imply that Jesus was born a Palestinian rather than a Jew. And The Times of Israel called it "provocative."

In a tweet describing the Nativity scene, the American Jewish Committee wrote, "We are disappointed and troubled that a meaningful religious tradition has been politicized in this way."

In the meantime, the Vatican announced Dec. 10 that Pope Francis would meet Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas Dec. 12. The two last met in 2021 at the Vatican.

Neither the Israeli nor the Palestinian embassies to the Holy See responded to a request Dec. 10 for comment about the kaffiyeh in the creche. 

The Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square for 2024 came from Grado, Italy, an island surrounded by a lagoon dotted with other tiny islands where the people have "casoni" or mud and thatch huts; traditionally people out fishing would stop to rest and fix lunch in the huts.

The townspeople, with 40 volunteer artists and craftspeople, recreated a casone for the Holy Family in St. Peter's Square. And the three Magi journey toward the baby Jesus in a flat-bottomed boat piloted by an old fisherwoman.

Pope Francis noted that "a 'batela,' the typical flat-bottomed boat" is needed to cross the water.

Today, too, "a boat is needed to reach Jesus," he said. "The church is the boat. One does not reach Jesus alone -- never -- we reach him together, we reach him as a community, on that great little boat that Peter continues to lead and on which, huddling together a little, there is room for everyone." 

"In the church, there is always room for everyone," Pope Francis insisted. "One might say, 'But what about sinners?' They are the first, they are the privileged, because Jesus came for the sinners, for all of us, not for the saints. For everyone. Do not forget this. Everyone, everyone, everyone, everyone inside."

Antonio Boemo, the designer of the Nativity scene in the square, told reporters the scene is composed of 102 pieces of recycled material which will be dismantled and taken back to Grado after Christmas.

He also noted that Mary is holding a lily in her lap. On Christmas Eve, the lily will be replaced with a statue of the baby Jesus. 

Pope Francis, at the morning audience, and officials from the small mountain town of Ledro in northern Italy, speaking in the evening, insisted the red pine Christmas tree the town sent to the Vatican was cut down as part of an ecologically sound forest management project.

A local group had launched a petition in October to prevent what they called "fir tree-icide."

Pope Francis said the old tree giving its life to provide the space and light the younger trees need to grow "can be a beautiful image of the church," which spreads the light of Christ "precisely due to the succession of generations of believers who gather around the single origin, Jesus: the old gave life to the young, the young embrace and protect the old, in a mission in the world and on a journey toward Heaven."
 

Vatican's Nativity scene offers hope to war-torn regions

The Christmas tree In St. Peter’s Square was illuminated, and the Nativity scene there was unveiled during an evening ceremony December 7.

WASHINGTON - “Catholics across the United States help strengthen the faith and bring the Good News of Jesus to the poor, vulnerable, and oppressed,” said Bishop Daniel H. Mueggenborg of Reno, chairman of the Committee on National Collections for the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). The bishops who serve on the five subcommittees of the Committee on National Collections met recently and awarded nearly 500 grants totaling more than $19.5 million to further the mission of Jesus Christ and provide support to some of the most impoverished and marginalized people in the United States and around the world.

The grants awarded by these program subcommittees were made possible by parishioners’ donations to five annual collections:

• The Catholic Campaign for Human Development 
• The Catholic Home Missions Appeal 
• The Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe
• The Collection for the Church in Latin America 
• The Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa

“The grants made possible through these national collections embody the spirit of what Pope Francis called for when he designated the Jubilee 2025 with the theme 'Pilgrimage of Hope,'” Bishop Mueggenberg said. “This Jubilee year is a special opportunity for the Catholic faithful to share the hopeful message of the Gospel with the world. In that spirit of hope and through their generosity to the national collections, Catholics support pastoral ministries to prisoners and refugees, training for lay leaders, and the Church’s efforts to build peace in lands affected by war and oppression,” he said.

Funded projects range from support for ministries and priestly vocations in the mission dioceses of the United States and its territories, as well as the economic and community development work of grassroots organizations working to combat poverty in neighborhoods across the country. This concern for the poor and marginalized extends overseas with support for efforts to stop human trafficking in the Horn of Africa, helping Catholic sisters care for war victims in Ukraine, and rebuilding a hurricane-ravaged church in Cuba.

Catholic Campaign for Human Development:

The Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development approved 93 grants totaling nearly $2.3 million to community and economic development organizations across the country. These organizations work at the grassroots level to improve access to affordable housing and healthcare services, as well as economic development projects that allow workers to become employee-owners of community-enriching cooperative businesses and homeowners through community land trusts. Rooted in the principles of Catholic Social Teaching, nearly 81% of funded organizations include Catholic members or partners such as parishes, dioceses, and local Catholic Charities agencies.

Three additional grants totaling over $275,000 were awarded internally to the USCCB Secretariat of Justice and Peace in support of its efforts to educate Catholics about the root causes of poverty as well as to support the vital work of the USCCB Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism.

Catholic Home Missions Appeal:

The Subcommittee on Catholic Home Missions awarded grants totaling more than $7.2 million to 73 dioceses and eparchies in the United States and its territories where Catholics are either lacking sufficient resources or too few in population to support ministry without outside help. In addition to grants supporting pastoral activities in dioceses, one set of grants will provide more than $393,000 to help diocesan staff improve their pastoral and administrative skills. Other grants totaling $75,000 will cover registration fees for key personnel to attend the U.S. bishops’ training conferences on child and youth protection, pro-life activities, marriage and family life ministries and support engaging Black Catholics.

A special grant was created from donations given at the closing Mass of the National Eucharistic Congress in Indianapolis. This gift of nearly $79,000 will fund scholarships for 16 seminarians selected by their bishops in mission dioceses and eparchies. These Catholic Home Missions Eucharistic Seminarians will be highlighted as part of the continuing National Eucharistic Revival efforts.

Collection for the Church in Central and Eastern Europe:

The Subcommittee on Aid to the Church in Central and Eastern Europe approved 109 grants totaling over $3.7 million to address the pastoral needs of Catholics in 28 countries affected by the violence of the ongoing war in Ukraine as well as decades of oppression by the communist regimes of the former Soviet Union and its allies.

In Ukraine, an organization founded to deepen the spiritual life and pastoral skills of religious sisters and priests has shifted its focus to aiding displaced persons and other traumatized war victims, thousands of whom live in Ukrainian convents and monasteries. A grant of $30,000 for this organization will increase the Church’s capacity to provide pastoral and social assistance for war victims through training and support to the religious who care for them. 

In Levice, Slovakia, where high rates of suicide, divorce and especially abortion have been coupled with drastic government cuts to social services, a grant of $30,000 will sustain a life-affirming Catholic ministry to families. Founded in 2016, the Center for Practical Assistance to Women and Girls began as a crisis pregnancy service and has expanded to address domestic violence and sexual abuse; offer marital and pre-marital counseling; teach natural family planning; run a children’s summer camp; and train clergy and catechists to respond pastorally in difficult family situations. 

Collection for the Church in Latin America:

The Subcommittee on the Church in Latin America approved 177 grants totaling more than $4.3 million.

In the Archdiocese of Guayaquil, Ecuador, a grant of $25,0000 supports a team of priests and volunteers who are bringing faith, hope and classes on Christian living into one of the most dangerous prisons in the world. Littoral Prison, which houses about 10,000 men and women, had been run by the inmates. These rival drug gang bosses engaged in bloody struggles for power within its walls until the government ordered the military to take charge early this year. This did not quell the violence and human rights groups have reported torture by military guards. In these perilous circumstances, the prison ministry has assisted families and created spaces where prisoners can hear the Word of God, receive the Eucharist, grow in faith and allow Christ to transform them. 

In Cuba, where Catholics persevere despite nearly 60 years of anti-religious repression, the Archdiocese of Havana received $89,400 to rebuild a 19th century church in San Felipe that was partially destroyed by Hurricane Francine in September 2024. The money for weather-resistant building supplies was raised through a special collection for the Bishops’ Emergency Disaster Fund and is being distributed through the Subcommittee for the Church in Latin America. 

Solidarity Fund for the Church in Africa:

Human trafficking has been referred to as “modern slavery” and has more victims today worldwide than at any time in history, with Africans comprising nearly a quarter of the 40 million captives. At its recent meeting, the Subcommittee on the Church in Africa approved 34 grants totaling $1.05 million, including one of $25,000 that will enable the bishops’ conferences of Eastern Africa to strengthen and coordinate their longtime anti-trafficking efforts in Ethiopia, Somalia, Eritrea, Djibouti, Sudan and South Sudan. The grant covers initial organizing and training for key Catholic, civil and charitable leaders to establish comprehensive programs to prevent trafficking, protect and provide care for victims and prosecute traffickers. In the words of the East African bishops, “The Church, with its commitment to social justice and extensive presence in the region, is uniquely positioned to lead such an initiative, providing both immediate relief to victims and long-term solutions to address the root causes of trafficking.”

“These grants help support the mission that Jesus gave to his first apostles, carrying forward his work to spread the faith, seek out the lost, love our neighbor, and extend his mercy to the poor and suffering,” said Bishop Mueggenborg.

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WASHINGTON - The United States and the international community should assist Syria as it “starts a new chapter in its rich history,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace. 

“In yet another dramatic development in the Middle East, after enduring more than a decade of bloody civil war, Syria is undergoing a national political transition that will surely impact the entire region. Cardinal Mario Zenari, Apostolic Nuncio in Syria, expressed his profound relief that the transition was relatively peaceful, while also noting the arduous task ahead for the Syrian people saying, ‘Thank God, this transition happened without bloodshed, without the carnage that was feared. Now the path ahead is steep—those who have taken power have promised to respect everyone and to build a new Syria. We hope they will keep these promises, but of course, the road ahead remains very difficult.’ 

“I echo Cardinal Zenari’s sentiments on the transition and the aspirations of the Syrian people are clear: the people of Syria want a government in Damascus that will respect and defend human rights, especially the religious freedom of minorities, uphold the rule of law, and promote economic and civil society development throughout the country. As Syria starts a new chapter in its rich history, I urge the United States and the international community to keep the people of Syria in prayer and to closely monitor the situation so that all aid organizations are able to reach those most in need.” 

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Theology should serve as a guiding companion for those seeking meaning and truth, particularly during life's pivotal moments, Pope Francis said, calling on theologians and theology faculties to expand their outreach.

Speaking to participants in a conference on the future of theology organized by the Dicastery for Culture and Education, the pope asked that the discipline be made "accessible to all," particularly those engaging with theological questions during middle age.

"Middle age is a special time in life," when, upon achieving greater stability in one's work and personal life, "failures are painfully felt and new questions arise as youthful dreams fade," he said Dec. 9.

In response to such situations people "can feel abandoned or even at an impasse -- a mid-life crisis -- and sense a need to renew their quest, however tentatively, perhaps even with a helping hand," he said. "Theology can be that guide on the journey."

Pope Francis asked that theology programs make adjustments to accommodate people interested in advancing their studies in middle age.

"Please, if any of these people knock at the door of theology, of the schools of theology, may they find it open," he asked the scholars. "Make sure that these women and men find in theology an open house, a place where they can resume their journey, a place where they can seek, find and seek again."

The international congress, titled "The Future of Theology: Legacy and Envisioning," was taking place at the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome Dec. 9-10. The program included sessions addressing themes such as the geographical and cultural diversity of theology; the integration of non-theological perspectives such as music, literature and science; and theology's role within society, the church and the world.

Participants included theologians, academics and artists from various global contexts, with contributions highlighting interdisciplinary approaches and local theological traditions.

Reflecting on the current state of theology, the pope stressed the need to expand the role of women in academic theology: "There are things that only women understand, and theology needs their contribution."

"An all-male theology is an incomplete theology," he said. "We still have a long way to go in this direction."

Pope Francis also expressed his desire that theology "help to rethink how to think" and to help society "move beyond simplification."

"Reality is complex; challenges are varied; history is full of beauty and at the same time marred by evil," he said, explaining that a failure to engage with such complexity often results in a tendency to simplify ideas.

"Simplification, however, mutilates reality," he said. "It gives rise to empty and unilateral thinking, and it generates polarization and fragmentation."

The pope said one "antidote" to simplification could be found in developing cross-disciplinary approaches to theological reflection, such as studying theology in conjunction with philosophy, literature, the arts, mathematics, physics, history, law, politics and economics.

"By helping to rethink how to think, theology will once again shine forth as it deserves, in the church and in the various cultures, helping each and all in the pursuit of truth," he said.

Pope Francis said that the purpose of theology is not to draw attention to itself or its practitioners, rather "it works quietly and humbly so that the light of Christ and his Gospel can emerge."

"All theology is born of friendship with Christ and love for his brothers, his sisters and his world," he said, "this world, at once magnificent and tragic, filled with overwhelming beauty but also great suffering."

ROME (CNS) -- With the city of Rome presenting a gauntlet of major roadworks and construction projects ahead of the opening of the Holy Year 2025, Pope Francis used the disruptions as an opportunity to encourage people to do some spiritual renovation before the jubilee.

On a cloudy afternoon with the threat of rain Dec. 8, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Francis went to the center of Rome to continue the tradition of praying before a statue of Mary high atop a column near the Spanish Steps. 

At dawn that morning, Rome firefighters climbed nearly 90 feet using a truck and ladder to place a ring of white flowers on Mary's outstretched arm and bouquets at her feet, continuing a Roman tradition that began in 1949.

Pope Francis brought his own basket of white roses tied with a yellow and white Vatican ribbon, and, as is his custom, he recited a prayer to Mary rather than giving a speech to the thousands of Romans, visitors and tourists who joined him. 

Rome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri was there. He has been dogged with criticism about how the major jubilee projects, most of which are still incomplete, have snarled traffic and disappointed tourists hoping to see sights now covered in scaffolding.

Pope Francis said Mary knows the work is causing "quite a few inconveniences, yet it is a sign that Rome is alive, renewing itself, trying to adapt to needs, to being more welcoming and more functional."

Speaking to Mary, he said her "mother's gaze" sees beyond the construction chaos. "And I seem to hear your voice that with wisdom tells us, 'My children, these works are fine, however, be careful: do not forget the worksites of the soul!"

"'The real Jubilee is not outside,'" he imagined her saying, "'it is inside: inside you, inside hearts, in family and social relationships. It is within that you must work to prepare the way for the coming Lord.'"

And, the pope added, "it's a good opportunity to make a good confession, to ask forgiveness for all our sins. God forgives everything. God forgives always."

Pope Francis thanked Mary for the suggestion "because, without wanting to, we risk being totally caught up in organizing, in all the things to be done," with the risk that "the grace of the Holy Year, which is a time of spiritual rebirth, of forgiveness and social liberation," can be stifled. 

He also asked people to pray for the mayor, "who has so much to do."

With the theme, "Pilgrims of Hope," the pope plans to open the Holy Year at St. Peter's Basilica before Mass Dec. 24. He also will open a Holy Door at Rome's Rebibbia prison Dec. 26. The Holy Door at the Basilica of St. John Lateran will open Dec. 29; at the Basilica of St. Mary Major Jan. 1; and at St. Paul Outside the Walls Jan. 5.

Pope Francis thanked Mary "because still, in this time poor in hope, you give us Jesus, our hope!"

He also told Mary that "the flowers we offer you are meant to express our love and gratitude; but you especially see and appreciate those hidden flowers, which are the prayers, the sighs (and) the tears, especially of the little ones and the poor."

As the pope's car approached the Spanish Steps, a woman jumped the metal barrier along the street, sending security scrambling. Part of a group of women who want the pope to condemn bull fighting and have interrupted other services, she was apprehended immediately.

On this way back to the Vatican, Pope Francis stopped at Rome's new Museo del Corso in Palazzo Cipolla to see Marc Chagall's White Crucifixion, which is on exhibit there until Jan. 27. The Vatican press office said it is a work "particularly dear" to the pope.
 

Father Elio Lops, chaplain of Rome's firefighters, blesses a wreath of flowers before firefighters place it on a tall Marian statue overlooking the Spanish Steps in Rome Dec. 8, 2024, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Firefighters watch as a colleague places flowers on a Marian statue near the Spanish Steps in Rome Dec. 8, 2024, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

A firefighter places a wreath on the outstretched arm of a Marian statue near the Spanish Steps in Rome Dec. 8, 2024, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

After a firefighter placed a large wreath on the outstretched arm of a Marian statue near the Spanish Steps in Rome Dec. 8, 2024, the feast of the Immaculate Conception, other firefighters place flowers at the feet of the statue. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Visitors and tourists gather at dawn to watch firefighters place flowers on a Marian statue near the Spanish Steps in Rome Dec. 8, 2024, the feast of the Immaculate Conception. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Pope: Mary Immaculate, may Jubilee offer hope to humanity

Pope Francis celebrated the Feast of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Becoming a cardinal is an insistent call to put Jesus at the center of one's life, to love the poor as he did and to strengthen the bonds of unity within the Catholic Church, Pope Francis said as he created 21 new cardinals from 17 nations.

"To walk in the path of Jesus means, in the end, to be builders of communion and unity," the pope told the new cardinals during an afternoon consistory Dec. 7 in St. Peter's Basilica.

Cardinal Angelo Acerbi, a 99-year-old former Vatican diplomat, was the first to receive his red hat from Pope Francis. And Cardinal Domenico Battaglia of Naples, whom Pope Francis added to the list of new cardinals in November -- a month after announcing the others -- was the last.

Cardinal Francis Leo of Toronto was the only North American among the new cardinals. 

Pope Francis presided over the prayer service with a large bruise on the lower part of his right cheek and chin. He had fallen early Dec. 6, and photos from his audiences that morning showed him wearing a small bandage on his chin.

Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, said the pope had hit his chin on his bedside table.

The creation of cardinals took place within a prayer service, which included reading the Gospel of St. Mark's account of the Apostles James and John asking Jesus to "grant that in your glory we may sit one at your right and the other at your left." 

The disciples' concern about earthly glory also can infect followers of Jesus today, the pope said. "Our hearts can go astray, allowing us to be dazzled by the allure of prestige, the seduction of power, by an overly human zeal for the Lord. That is why we need to look within, to stand before God in humility and before ourselves in sincerity, and ask: Where is my heart going? Where is it directed?"

"Among the disciples, the worm of competition was destroying unity, while the path that Jesus walked was leading him to Calvary" and the ultimate sacrifice, Pope Francis told the new cardinals and thousands of people -- including current members of the College of Cardinals -- who gathered to celebrate with them.

On the cross Jesus fulfilled his saving mission, the pope said, and he tore down "the dividing wall of hostility" so that "all might see themselves as children of the same Father and as brothers and sisters of one another."

"For this reason, the Lord is looking to you, who come from different backgrounds and cultures, and represent the catholicity of the church," the pope told them. "He is calling you to be witnesses of fraternity, artisans of communion and builders of unity." 

In one reflection of the church's diversity and universality, four of the new cardinals were not wearing a red cassock with a white surplice, topped by a red cape. Instead, the two cardinals from Eastern Catholic churches -- Cardinals Mykola Bychok, a Ukrainian Greek Catholic, and George Jacob Koovakad, a Syro-Malabar Catholic -- wore vestments from their church traditions. And the two Dominicans -- Cardinals Timothy Radcliffe, a theologian, and Jean-Paul Vesco, archbishop of Algiers -- wore their white habits.

Pope Francis gave each of the new cardinals from the Latin-rite church a red zucchetto, a red biretta and a ring. Cardinals Bychok and Koovakad received special headdresses.

And echoing the practice centuries ago when the clergy of Rome elected the pope, the bishop of Rome, each of the new cardinals was assigned a title or "titular" church in the city, making them members of the diocese's clergy.

Pope Francis asked the cardinals to wear the cardinals' red as a reminder of their call to "be fearless witnesses to Christ and his Gospel in the city of Rome and in faraway regions.

During the consistory, the new cardinals made a profession of faith by reciting the Creed in Latin and made an oath of fidelity to Pope Francis and his "canonically elected" successors.

With the consistory, the College of Cardinals reached 253 members, 140 of whom were under the age of 80 and eligible to enter a conclave to elect a new pope. 

Speaking on behalf of the group, Cardinal Acerbi thanked Pope Francis and emphasized how the new cardinals were committed to strengthening the unity of the church and promoting peace at a time when, "unfortunately, the human family is disturbed and disfigured by inequalities, wars and poverty in many parts of the world."

In his homily, the pope told the new cardinals that the Lord was calling them to be "a radiant sign in the midst of a society obsessed with appearances and power" by not arguing over who is the greatest or who is right most often.

"Love one another with fraternal love and be servants to one another, servants of the Gospel," Pope Francis told them.