Italy

Pope Leo spoke to members of the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See in the Vatican Apostolic Palace Jan. 9.

Eight hundred years after St. Francis transformed Greccio with the first Nativity, a Polish priest and his community are drawn back to the same hillside, hoping for a Christmas miracle …

The pope also signed decrees recognizing the martyrdom of 11 Spaniards and the heroic virtues of three other candidates during an audience at the Vatican Dec. 18.

Dozens of members of the Italian government intelligence apparatus met the pope Dec. 12 in the Hall of Blessings over the atrium of St. Peter’s Basilica.

Instead of dressing as ghosts or monsters, children appear as saints and angels, joining joyful parades, games and prayer services to highlight All Saints’ Day.

Ignacio, at his young age, takes on the challenges of the disease with a mature confidence in God’s will. The teen’s treatment will last for two years.

“When we hear the cries of those in difficulty, let us ask ourselves, are we witnesses to the Father’s love, as Christ was to all?”

These soon-to-be-saints “experienced different elements of struggle throughout their lives” but “they maintained a constant relationship with the Lord.”

VATICAN CITY (CNS) — Making the first state visit of his papacy, Pope Leo XIV met Italian President Sergio Mattarella and spoke of common concerns, including war, migration, ecology and …

“The merciless fire destroyed a heritage of documentation, signs of devotion, and the few personal belongings the nuns lived with,” the archbishop said.