Christian News

After U.S. forces captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro and his wife Saturday, Pope Leo expressed deep concern over the situation. Global reactions to the developments are split.

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday closed the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, bringing the ordinary Holy Year to an end — a time of grace that invited Catholics to conversion, reconciliation, and hope. The pontiff processed toward the Holy Door as the antiphon O clavis David was sung. Reaching the threshold, he knelt before the door and remained for a few minutes in silent prayer...

Apparently, God is a Steelers fan.Baltimore rookie kicker Tyler Loop’s 44-yard field goal attempt sailed wide right as time expired in the Steelers’ 26-24 win Sunday night at Acrisure Stadium. That was dramatic enough. To make it even more so, the critical miss came in the same end zone where, two hours before the game, the Steelers enlisted the help of a higher power.

New York Times bestselling author and Harvard professor Arthur Brooks encouraged attendees at SEEK 2026 to resist the temptation as missionaries to “fight fire with fire.” In his Jan. 4 keynote speech in Columbus, Ohio, Brooks said the world “is not just a cold world,” but “a world that attacks you.” In this context, he said, it can be challenging not to fight back.

The great Russell Shaw has left us. Pundit, journalist, novelist, virtuoso of friendship, he was mentor to my generation in Catholic media. In almost seventy years in the business, he wrote thousands of articles and dozens of books. Kathryn Lopez remarked on the fittingness of such a wise man passing on the Feast of Epiphany. You'll find an entertaining bio here...

Jesus presents himself for baptism in today’s Gospel not because He is a sinner, but to fulfill the word of God proclaimed by His prophets. He must be baptized to reveal that He is the Christ (“anointed one”)—the Spirit-endowed Servant promised by Isaiah in today’s First Reading. His baptism marks the start of a new world, a new creation...

Family estrangement has moved from the margins to the mainstream and this shift is now visible across popular culture and media alike. Oprah recently gave airtime to the “rising trend” of adult children who have severed ties with their parents. The New York Times offered suggestions for how to cope with family estrangement, especially around the holidays...

Say goodbye to abrupt departures, that awkward am-I-staying-or-going dance, and hovering anxiously (and conspicuously) near the door.There’s an art to bidding your host adieu, even if you’re slipping out earlier than expected—and experts say it’s a skill that can serve you well at any gathering, any time of year.Here’s exactly what to say to deliver a great goodbye.

Elites in Ancient Rome went to great lengths to advertise their status and wealth. Based on recent archaeological excavations in Egypt, at least some high-ranking military officials even showed off with their choice of pets. In the Journal of Roman Archaeology, researchers at Poland’s University of Warsaw described...

During a decade of service at the Vatican Secretariat of State, I was constantly perplexed by the Holy See’s unwillingness or inability to utilize already existing ecclesial structures for effective governance. As the Cardinals meet in Rome over the next few days, it’s worth taking a hard look at some recent ways in which the Church has been operating...

For as long as human beings have looked up at the night sky, we have tried to make sense of ourselves by reading what we see there. Long before telescopes or algorithms, people named the stars, traced patterns between them, and searched the heavens for meaning that seemed elusive closer to home...

A good definition of frustration: The difference between the way we want things to be and the way they are. It is the gap between expectations and reality. Expecting others to act well is understandable. Treat me well, as I treat you. You would agree that I treat you well, wouldn’t you? A plea I hear repeatedly as a psychologist...