Dec 31, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

2025 was filled with impactful moments — from the death of Pope Francis to the election of the first American-born pope, Leo XIV, to hundreds of thousands of young people who gathered in Rome for the Jubilee of Youth to the canonization of the Church’s first millennial saint.

Here are some of the top Catholic moments of 2025:

Death of Pope Francis

The new year began with Catholics around the world uniting in prayer for Pope Francis’ health as he entered the hospital on Feb. 14. He was admitted to Gemelli Hospital in Rome due to a respiratory infection that progressed to bilateral pneumonia, requiring a prolonged hospitalization that lasted almost six weeks.

On March 23, Pope Francis was discharged from the hospital and gave a blessing from the hospital window to the faithful who were gathered.

Soon after, on March 29, the late pontiff was readmitted to the hospital with difficulty breathing. On April 21, the day after Easter, Pope Francis passed away at the age of 88 from a stroke, coma, and irreversible cardiovascular collapse, according to the death certificate published just over 12 hours after Francis’ death.

More than 400,000 people filled St. Peter’s Square for the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26 as the world said goodbye to the first Latin American pope, who led the Catholic Church for 12 years.

Conclave and election of Pope Leo XIV

On May 7, 133 cardinal electors gathered in the Sistine Chapel for the start of the conclave. After four ballots, Cardinal Robert Prevost was elected on May 8 as the 267th pope of the Catholic Church and took the name Pope Leo XIV. A Chicago native, he became the first American pope in Church history.

Thousands gathered in St. Peter’s Square erupted in cheers as the bells of the basilica began to toll, confirming the election of a new pontiff. The crowds gathered as word spread throughout Rome that a new pope had been chosen.

Jubilee of Youth

One of Pope Leo’s first major events was the Jubilee of Youth, which was held in Rome from July 28 to Aug. 3. Roughly 1 million young adults from around the world filled the streets of Rome as each day was filled with different opportunities and events for the young people to experience the richness of the Catholic faith.

On Aug. 2, Pope Leo XIV was greeted by the largest crowd he had addressed during his pontificate thus far for the evening vigil at Tor Vergata, an outdoor venue 10 miles east of Rome. An estimated 1 million people were in attendance. The Holy Father arrived by helicopter and then drove through the grounds on the popemobile, waving to the cheering young people before the prayer service began.

Minneapolis school shooting

The Catholic community was shaken when a school shooting took place on Aug. 27 at Annunciation Catholic Church in Minneapolis. Two children were killed and 20 were injured. The shooter was identified as Robin Westman — who was born “Robert” and identified as a transgender woman — who died by suicide shortly after shooting through the windows of the church during a weekday school Mass.

The Holy Father sent his condolences and offered prayers for the victims. He described the event as an “extremely difficult” and “terrible” tragedy.

Canonization of Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati

On Sept. 7, two of the Church’s most beloved blesseds became saints: Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati. The canonizations of the two men, promulgated before an estimated 70,000 people in St. Peter’s Square, were the first of Leo XIV’s pontificate.

During his homily, the pope said: “Today we look to St. Pier Giorgio Frassati and St. Carlo Acutis: a young man from the early 20th century and a teenager from our own day, both in love with Jesus and ready to give everything for him.”

“Dear friends, Sts. Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis are an invitation to all of us, especially young people, not to squander our lives but to direct them upwards and make them masterpieces,” he added.

Newman made doctor of the Church

The Catholic Church gained a new doctor of the Church on Nov. 1 , when Pope Leo XIV declared St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the Church, recognizing the English cardinal and theologian — one of the most influential converts from Anglicanism — as a towering figure of faith and intellect in modern Catholicism.

“Newman’s impressive spiritual and cultural stature will surely serve as an inspiration to new generations whose hearts thirst for the infinite and who, through research and knowledge, are willing to undertake that journey which, as the ancients said, takes us ‘per aspera ad astra,’ through difficulties to the stars,” the pope said in his homily.

Pope Leo featured at NCYC

On Nov. 21, Pope Leo took part in his first digital encounter with American youth during the National Catholic Youth Conference, which took place Nov. 20–22 in Indianapolis.

The conference featured Catholic speakers, daily Mass and adoration, music and worship, breakout groups and workshops, and interactive exhibits with games, vendors, meetups, and live radio shows.

The main attraction of the conference was the hourlong live, virtual dialogue the pope had with those in attendance. Five young people were chosen to ask the Holy Father questions, which ranged from prayer to technology to friendships and the future of the Church. Pope Leo gave those gathered invaluable advice regarding the several different topics discussed.

First papal trip to Turkey and Lebanon

Pope Leo visited Turkey and Lebanon during his first papal trip from Nov. 27–Dec. 2. The wide-ranging international visit included historic ecumenical encounters, deeply symbolic gestures of prayer, and pastoral visits to Christian communities under pressure. The Holy Father highlighted the importance of unity, peace, and fraternity, and brought encouragement to a region marked by ancient faith and present suffering.

In a homily delivered at the final liturgy of the year, Pope Leo reflects on “the mystery of Christ, which points to a plan for human history” - a plan that stands in stark contrast to “armed strategies, concealed beneath hypocritical rhetoric.”

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Dec 31, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

2025 was the Jubilee Year of Hope — and the news often seemed determined to put that promise to the test. But from conversions to hidden acts of heroism, miracles amid the ashes, and powerful gestures from Pope Leo XIV, these eight stories show why this extraordinary year can truly be remembered as a time when hope shone bright.

1. Tabernacle survives Los Angeles wildfires

In Pacific Palisades, California, Corpus Christi Catholic Church burned to the ground during the devastating Los Angeles wildfires, but firefighters found the tabernacle completely intact amid the ashes, with the Blessed Sacrament preserved. The image of the untouched tabernacle quickly went viral, becoming a powerful sign of Christ’s presence and hope for a parish community that had lost almost everything.

2. ‘I only kneel before God’: A martyr in Myanmar

In Myanmar, Father Donald Martin Ye Naing Win was killed on Feb. 14 after reportedly refusing to kneel before armed men, declaring: “I only kneel before God.” His last words and martyrdom spread across Catholic media as a stark witness that fidelity to Christ is worth more than life itself, even amid violent persecution.

3. Three priest brothers care for their mother with Alzheimer’s

A moving story from Brazil showed three priests — Father Sildo César da Costa, Father Sérgio Luís da Costa, and Father Silvano João da Costa — who are brothers, taking turns caring for their elderly mother suffering from Alzheimer’s. Their hidden, daily sacrifice offered a living catechesis on the Fourth Commandment and reminded many that priesthood and family love are not opposed but can be beautifully united in humble service.

4. Large family devoted to Sacred Heart walks away from serious crash

A large Catholic family, consecrated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, survived a serious car accident without losing a single member. They publicly thanked the Lord and the Virgin Mary for their protection, renewing interest in enthroning the Sacred Heart in homes and in trusting God in moments of danger.

“It all happened in a matter of seconds,” José María Mayoral, the father of the family, who lost control of the car and crashed into the median, then into the right guardrail, and finally rolled over before coming to a stop, told ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner.

According to Mayoral, several truck drivers and families who witnessed the accident stopped to help. “They all agreed on one thing: It was a miracle that no one was hurt,” he added.

For the family, the explanation was clear: Their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus was not just a tradition “but a living and profound trust.”

He shared that after this experience his mission became even more clear: “Continue spreading this devotion, continue to trust him, and continue to testify that, even in the midst of danger, his love is the safest refuge.”

5. Marriage restored through St. John Paul II’s theology of the body

The testimony of Carmen García and Carlos Mejía recounted how their deeply wounded marriage was healed through the catecheses of St. John Paul II and the Proyecto Amor Conyugal apostolate — a program being taught to married couples throughout dioceses in Spain that teaches the true meaning of marriage based on St. John Paul II’s “theology of the body.”

Their story shows that when couples embrace God’s plan for marriage, even relationships marked by atheism, infidelity, or deep wounds can be renewed and transformed.

6. Pope Leo XIV’s strong words for marriage and the family

During the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents, and the Elderly, Pope Leo XIV said during his homily on June 1 that marriage is “not an ideal but the measure of true love between a man and a woman” and called families “the cradle of the future of humanity.” His clear and hopeful teaching inspired parishes and movements to deepen catechesis, accompaniment, and defense of the family in a confused cultural climate.

7. Historic ecumenical moments in England and Rome

For the first time in 500 years, a pope and the king of England prayed together in the Sistine Chapel, as Pope Leo XIV and King Charles III led an Ecumenical Prayer for the Care of Creation on Oct. 23. This was historic as it marked the first time since the Protestant Reformation that a reigning British monarch and a pope have prayed together during a royal state visit to the Vatican.

In another historic gesture, more than 50 Catholic priests processed into Canterbury Cathedral to celebrate Mass in honor of the feast of the Translation of St. Thomas Becket on July 7, reconnecting England with its ancient Catholic roots and offering a powerful sign of reconciliation and remembrance. This historic event drew over 800 Catholics — the largest congregation to be in the cathedral since the Reformation — blending faith, history, and culture in a powerful tribute to England’s Catholic roots.

8. Saints and miracles

The beatification cause of Sister Clare Crockett — an inspirational young Irish religious sister who died in 2016 — officially opened on Jan. 12 in Madrid, Spain, formally recognizing her as a servant of God and drawing many young people to her joyful, radical witness.

Another story of hope was that of Antonia Raco, a 67-year-old Italian woman long affected by an incurable neurodegenerative illness who was announced as the 72nd official miracle taking place in Lourdes on April 16.

After bathing in the waters at Lourdes in 2009, Raco “began to move independently,” after which “the effects of the infamous illness immediately and definitively disappeared,” the Italian Diocese of Tursi-Lagonegro in Italy said in a statement.

“I had wanted to go to Lourdes since I was a child,” Raco recalled in a press conference on July 25. That wish came true in 2009, when she and her husband, Antonio, traveled to the shrine with the Italian pilgrimage association Unitalsi.

The experience, however, was not exactly as she had once imagined: She arrived in a wheelchair, already struggling to breathe and swallow.

On the second day, sanctuary volunteers brought her to the baths. “We prayed together. That’s when I heard a beautiful young female voice say three times: ‘Don’t be afraid!’”

Dec 31, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The past year has seen several notable Catholics pass away — from public officials to the vicar of Christ himself.

Here’s a rundown of some prominent Catholics around the world who left us in 2025:

Pope Francis (Dec. 17, 1936 — April 21, 2025)

The Holy Father, Pope Francis, passed away at 7:35 a.m. on Easter Monday, April 21, at his residence in the Vatican’s Casa Santa Marta. The 88-year-old pontiff led the Catholic Church for a little more than 12 years.

The first Latin American pope in history as well as the first Jesuit pope, Francis led the Church through significant canonical and catechetical reforms, urging the faithful to reach out and minister to those on the margins of society while preaching the mercy of God.

Upon his death he left the legacy of what Cardinal Kevin Farrell said was a life “dedicated to the service of God and his Church,” one that urged the faithful to “live the values of the Gospel with fidelity, courage, and universal love, especially for the poorest and most marginalized.”

Pope Francis was succeeded in the chair of St. Peter by Pope Leo XIV on May 8.

Mabel Landry Staton (Nov. 20, 1932 — Feb. 20, 2025)

Mabel Landry Staton, a trailblazing athlete who briefly set an Olympic record at the 1952 Summer Olympics, died on Feb. 20 at age 92.

Representing the United States at the Olympic games in Helsinki in 1952, Staton — known as “Dolly” after a nickname from her father — set a record in the long jump category at 19 feet 3.25 inches. Though the record only lasted for several minutes before New Zealand athlete Yvette Williams bested it, Staton would go on to win medals in the 1955 Pan American Games.

The Philadelphia Inquirer reported that Staton served as a Eucharistic minister at St. Thomas More Church in Cherry Hill, New Jersey, as well as on the board of the Black Catholic Ministry of the Diocese of Camden.

According to the Inquirer, Staton “could still outsprint some of the local high school boys in her 70s.”

Alasdair MacIntyre (Jan. 12, 1929 — May 21, 2025)

Alasdair MacIntyre, a towering figure in moral philosophy and a Catholic convert credited with reviving the discipline of virtue ethics, died on May 21 at age 96.

His seminal 1981 work “After Virtue” reshaped contemporary moral and political philosophy, emphasizing virtue over utilitarian or deontological frameworks.

Known by many as “the most important” modern Catholic philosopher, MacIntyre’s intellectual and spiritual journey spanned atheism, Marxism, Anglicanism, and ultimately Roman Catholicism.

James Hitchcock (Feb. 13, 1938 — July 14, 2025)

James Hitchcock — a noted historian of the Catholic Church, popular author, and longtime college professor — died on July 14 at age 87.

Hitchcock was remembered by friends and colleagues as a man of prophetic insight who defended Church teaching and helped to make the Catholic intellectual tradition accessible for his students and readers.

Hitchcock taught history at Saint Louis University from the late 1960s until 2013. Some of the most popular of the dozen books he wrote include his one-volume “History of the Catholic Church: From the Apostolic Age to the Third Millennium,” published in 2012 by Ignatius Press.

Frank Caprio (Nov. 24, 1936 — Aug. 20, 2025)

Frank Caprio, who served as a Providence, Rhode Island, municipal court judge for nearly 40 years and came to be known as “America’s nicest judge,” passed away on Aug. 20 from pancreatic cancer.

Caprio gained worldwide fame for a lenient judicial style that blended justice, extreme empathy, and mercy when his courtroom was televised in a program called “Caught in Providence.”

The program began in 1999 and went viral in 2017, achieving hundreds of millions of views since then. The show was nominated for a Daytime Emmy Award in 2021 and has a YouTube channel with nearly 3 million subscribers.

Caprio told EWTN News in February that he always kept in mind something his father, a hardworking Italian immigrant with a fifth-grade education, had impressed upon him: “What might seem like a small fine to some was something that many couldn’t afford.”

“Your case is dismissed” became Caprio’s signature phrase.

Thomas A. Nelson (March 1, 1937 — Aug. 16, 2025)

Thomas A. Nelson, the founder of TAN Books — a Catholic publishing house known for its books promoting traditional Catholicism in the post-Vatican II era — died Aug. 16 at age 88.

Nelson, who had previously worked as a teacher, founded TAN Books and Publishers Inc. in Rockford, Illinois, in 1967 and an accompanying printing plant in 1978. In addition to being Nelson’s initials, TAN is an acronym for the Latin phrase “Tuum Adoramus Nomen” (“Let Us Adore Thy Name”).

Under Nelson’s ownership, TAN became known for publishing orthodox Catholic books, including reprints of classic Catholic works on theology, Scripture, traditional devotions, the Traditional Latin Mass, and the lives of the saints as well as new titles on these subjects by contemporary authors.

Katharine, Duchess of Kent (Feb. 22, 1933 — Sept. 4, 2025)

The Duchess of Kent, who became the first senior British royal to be received into the Catholic Church since the 17th century, died on Sept. 4 at the age of 92.

Renowned for her natural charm, compassion for the sick and downtrodden, and commitment to serving others, the duchess was a much-loved and hardworking British royal whose popularity was enhanced by her own personal suffering and self-effacing nature.

She was received into the Church in January 1994 by Cardinal Basil Hume. Up until then, no senior royal had publicly been received into the Church since 1685.

Katharine spoke favorably of the Church’s moral precepts. “I do love guidelines and the Catholic Church offers you guidelines,” she once told the BBC. “I have always wanted that in my life. I like to know what’s expected of me.”

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt (Aug. 21, 1919 — Oct. 9, 2025)

Sister Jean Dolores Schmidt, the beloved Catholic nun who became known across the country at the age of 98 as the chaplain of the Loyola University Chicago men’s basketball team, died Oct. 9 at the age of 106.

Sister Jean was born Dolores Bertha Schmidt on Aug. 21, 1919, to Joseph and Bertha Schmidt. She was raised in a devout Catholic home in San Francisco’s Castro District.

In 1937, she joined the Sisters of Charity of the Blessed Virgin Mary and took the name Sister Jean Dolores. In 1991, she joined the staff at Loyola Chicago and three years later became part of the basketball team, first as an academic adviser before transitioning to chaplain.

Sister Jean led the team in prayer before each game — praying for her players to be safe, for the referees to be fair, and for God’s assistance during the game.

She also admitted to praying for the opposing team, though “not as hard.”

Sister Mary Michael of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, PCPA (Feb. 25, 1931 — Nov. 10, 2025)

Sister Mary Michael of the Eucharistic Heart of Jesus, PCPA, died on Nov. 10 at age 94 after roughly three-quarters of a century of religious life.

Sister Mary Michael was the last of the original five nuns who, along with EWTN foundress Mother Angelica, began the Our Lady of the Angels Monastery in Irondale, Alabama.

Born Evelyn Shinosky on Feb. 25, 1931, to Joseph and Helen Shinosky, she entered Sancta Clara Monastery in Canton, Ohio, on Aug. 15, 1951, and received the habit and her new name the following May.

Her passing marked the end of an era at EWTN and at the monastery — one that saw both the launch of the global Catholic network and the expansion of the religious community to include the Shrine of the Most Blessed Sacrament of Our Lady of the Angels Monastery.

Paul Badde (March 10, 1948 — Nov. 10, 2025)

Paul Badde, author of many well-known books such as “Benedict Up Close,” “The Face of God,” and “The True Icon,” died on Nov. 10 at the age of 77 after a long illness. Badde was also a veteran contributor to EWTN and CNA Deutsch, CNA’s German-language news partner.

Born in Schaag, Germany — a small village on the Lower Rhine — he studied philosophy and sociology in Freiburg as well as art history, history, and political science in Frankfurt. Before embarking on a journalistic career, Badde worked as a teacher for several years.

A founding editor of Vatican Magazine, Paul and his wife, Ellen, had five children.

Sister JoAnn Persch (June 27, 1934 — Nov. 14, 2025)

Longtime immigrant rights advocate Sister JoAnn Persch died on Nov. 14 at age 91.

Two weeks before her death, Persch attempted to bring Communion to detainees at the Broadview, Illinois, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) facility where for decades the Sisters of Mercy ministered to migrants and refugees. Officials denied her entry.

Persch and Sister Pat Murphy were founding members of the Su Casa Catholic Worker House in Chicago, serving refugees from Central America who were survivors of war, torture, and political persecution.

May the souls of the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.

2025 was marked by the death of Pope Francis, the conclave, the election of Pope Leo XIV, and the beginning of a pontificate shaped by journeys, meetings, and calls for peace. All of this unfolds in the midst of the Jubilee Year of Hope, which is set to conclude on January 6. Let us take a look back at this Holy Year.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The tenacious hope of people of faith, believing in a better tomorrow, keeps God's plan of salvation alive in the world, Pope Leo XIV said. 

They keep hope alive even though today, just like in the past, there are other kinds of plans unfolding, he said during an evening prayer service in St. Peter's Basilica Dec. 31. 

They include plans "aimed at conquering markets, territories and zones of influence. Weaponized strategies, cloaked in hypocritical speeches, ideological proclamations and false religious motives," he said. 

The pope, accompanied by dozens of cardinals and bishops, and thousands of visitors in the basilica, prayed vespers and then sang the "Te Deum" ("We praise you, oh God") in thanksgiving for the blessings of the past year. 

The prayer service was held less than a week before the official close of the Holy Year 2025, which was inaugurated by Pope Francis when he opened the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica during Christmas Eve Mass in 2024. Pope Leo was scheduled to close the door Jan. 6, the feast of the Epiphany, thereby officially marking the end of the Holy Year. 

"Let us thank God for the gift of the Jubilee, which has been a great sign of (God's) plan of hope for humanity and the world," Pope Leo said in his homily. 

In this plan, God has "reserved a special place for this city of Rome," he said. "Not because of its glories, not because of its power, but because Peter and Paul and so many other martyrs shed their blood here for Christ." 

"That is why Rome is the city of the Jubilee," he told the congregation, which included Rome's mayor, Roberto Gualtieri, who was seated in the front row. 

The birth of the Son of God "suggests a plan, a great plan for human history," the pope said, which will "sum up all things in Christ, in heaven and on earth." 

"Sisters, brothers, today we feel the need for a wise, benevolent, merciful plan," he said. "May it be a free and liberating, peaceful, faithful plan, like the one the Virgin Mary proclaimed in her canticle of praise: 'His mercy is from age to age to those who fear him.'" 

"The Holy Mother of God, the smallest and highest among creatures, sees things through the eyes of God: she sees that with the might of his arm, the Most High disperses the plots of the arrogant, overthrows the powerful from their thrones and raises up the lowly, fills the hands of the hungry with good things and empties those of the rich," he said. 

"God loves to hope with the heart of the least" and the meek, he said, "and he does so by involving them in his plan of salvation." 

"The more beautiful the plan, the greater the hope," he said. "And indeed, the world goes on like this, driven by the hope of so many simple people, unknown but not to God, who, despite everything, believe in a better tomorrow, because they know that the future is in the hands of the One who offers them the greatest hope." 

After the service, Pope Leo visited the Vatican Nativity scene in St. Peter's Square and prayed at the creche while the band of the Swiss Guard played Christmas carols. He then greeted the faithful gathered there, exchanging small talk and wishing people a happy new year. 

As 2026 approaches, Vatican News revisits some reflections by the Popes on this transitional period between the end of 2025 and the arrival of the new year.

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On the third anniversary of Pope Benedict XVI’s death, Cardinal Kurt Koch, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, celebrates Mass in the Vatican Grottoes and recalls the German Pope’s desire for Christians to seek the face of God throughout our earthly lives.

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At the final General Audience of 2025, Pope Leo XIV invites the faithful to give thanks for the past, seek forgiveness, and entrust the journey ahead to God’s mercy.

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As global conflict reaches levels unseen since the Second World War, Pope Leo XIV’s Message for the World Day of Peace challenges a war-centred understanding of security. Neil Thorns, CAFOD’s Director of Advocacy, reflects on why redefining “realism” is now essential.

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