Jan 5, 2026 / 16:28 pm (CNA).

For thousands of college students, SEEK 2026 was more than a conference; it was a call to bring faith, courage, and joy back to their campuses and communities. 

More than 16,100 students attended the Columbus, Ohio, event alone, part of a nationwide gathering by FOCUS that drew over 26,000 participants across Columbus, Denver, and Fort Worth, Texas. Over five days of Masses, adoration, talks, and fellowship, students were encouraged to reflect on how God is calling them to live their faith boldly in daily life.

The final day in Columbus featured keynotes from Catholic speaker and host of the Hallow app’s “Hallowed Be Thy Day” Lisa Cotter and Pete Burak, vice president of Renewal Ministries and co-director of Pine Hills Boy Camp. Their talks, like those of many presenters throughout the conference, focused on discipleship, evangelization, and a courageous response to God’s call.

Answering the call to evangelization

Cotter reflected on her first 250-person SEEK experience as a student over two decades ago, remembering: “I looked around thinking, ‘There are a lot of people here.’ Look at SEEK now with over 26,000 people! That’s ‘Jesus math.’”

Though she said she initially resisted a full-time mission with FOCUS out of fear, she eventually embraced the call to evangelize, sharing the faith with college students across the country. At SEEK, she encouraged participants to build relationships, live in truth, and invite others to encounter Jesus through the Holy Spirit. “Go home and do the same,” she said. “Tell them there’s a God who loves them, who sees them, who knows them, and who wants peace, joy, and hope for their lives.”

Burak, blending humor and personal reflection, echoed this call to action by using his experience on the University of Michigan basketball team to illustrate the importance of action. “I loved being on that team. I loved what we practiced — but when it came time to play, I hesitated,” he told students.

He drew a powerful lesson from St. Peter, whom he described as “brilliant, impulsive, chaotic. One moment he’s bold enough to walk on water, the next he sinks. He sees the Transfiguration and wants to build tents. He denies Jesus and then boldly proclaims him as Lord.”

Burak emphasized that Peter’s flaws did not disqualify him: “God can use our messy, impulsive, and broken parts to accomplish great things. Your mistakes, your doubts, your moments of fear — they don’t stop God from working through you. Look at Peter: impulsive, emotional, bold, scared. God said, ‘That’s exactly who I want.’”

He encouraged students to bring that courage home and to grow in faith while stepping into mission. “Growth fuels mission, and mission fuels growth. The Church and the world need you to say ‘yes,’ even when it feels messy or scary,” he said.

Students reflect on SEEK

For many attendees, this message as well as the conference as a whole left a lasting impression. Sydney Cushen, a student from Florida Atlantic University, described a radical conversion last year that led her to commit to attending SEEK. “I feel so at home here — like this is exactly where God wants me to be,” she said.

Her classmate Coreen Germinal, a returning attendee from last year’s Salt Lake City conference, reflected on the importance of community and personal encounters with God. “Adoration with 16,000 people was incredible. The priest with the monstrance walked directly in front of me — Jesus was right there, only a step away,” she said. She also noted the inspiration she found in unexpected reunions with friends and former mentors now living out their vocations.

Students from the University of Wisconsin-Eau Claire, Emmett McMorrow and Isaac Tremmel, highlighted the power of prayer and fellowship. “From the whole conference, I’ve learned that we’re not meant to do this alone. We need each other, and we need to all lean on the Lord together,” McMorrow said.

Tremmel added: “There’s a greater appreciation for peace and silence. Even in the busyness, we were encouraged to take time in our lives to pray.”

Gabriel Wiechart from Michigan State University said the conference’s joy and respect among attendees stood out. “All the religious sisters and priests seem very joyful, and the students seem very happy and grateful to be here,” he said. “I hope my fellow MSU students and I can bring that back with us. That Christ-like joy naturally draws people in.”

‘Do not be afraid’

In the closing Mass, Bishop Thomas Paprocki of the Diocese of Springfield, Illinois, urged students to continue seeking Christ in daily life. Drawing on the feast of St. John Neumann, he encouraged them to trust God’s call, saying: “Do not be afraid. When Jesus calls you to follow him, he will give you the strength to persevere in whatever path he calls you to follow.”

The bishop also referenced Servant of God Michelle Duppong, a former FOCUS missionary whose cause for canonization is open, noting: “God continues to raise up saints for his Church today. Your life, your witness, can be part of that story.”

He reminded students that their faith was not merely for themselves but for the communities they would return to: their campuses, workplaces, and families. “Will people notice a difference in the way we live our lives?” he asked. “Will they see the joy of God’s love in our hearts, manifested in the fervent practice of our faith and in the way we treat each other with compassion and love?”

Bringing SEEK home

As students prepared to leave Columbus, the challenge of SEEK remained clear: Faith is not meant to stay at the conference. Cotter and Burak, along with Paprocki and the other speakers and religious leaders throughout the week, emphasized a life of discipleship grounded in courage, prayer, and relationships. 

For young people, the takeaways were already taking root. 

“No matter where you go, there is space for faithful young adults. I also realized ways I can be bolder in sharing my faith,” Cushen said. 

Germinal added: “The Church is not dead — it’s very much alive, and the next generation is being actively formed.”

Jan 5, 2026 / 13:06 pm (CNA).

With the signing of the law that recognizes that “the human being in gestation or the unborn child is a natural person,” Puerto Rico concluded 2025 with historic achievements in the defense of life. For Puerto Rican Sen. Joanne Rodríguez-Veve, it was a year “in which unprecedented progress was made.”

On Dec. 22, 2025, the governor of Puerto Rico, Jenniffer González, a Republican, signed Law 183-2025 — formerly Senate Bill 504 — which recognizes that the conceived child, “at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb,” is a “natural person.”

A “natural person” is simply a human person as distinguished from a juridical person such as a corporation.

Three days earlier, on Dec. 20, Gov. González had signed Law 166-2025 — formerly Senate Bill 3 — which stipulates that it will be considered “first-degree murder when a crime is committed against a pregnant woman, resulting in the death of the unborn child at any stage of gestation within the mother’s womb.”

It will also be considered first-degree murder when the unborn child dies as a result of “the use of force or violence against the pregnant woman.”

These laws are in addition to the signing on Oct. 30, 2025, of Law 122-2025 — Senate Bill 297 — which establishes guidelines for abortion cases involving minors under 15 years of age, stipulating that at least one of the girl’s parents or legal guardians must sign an informed consent form and that authorities must be notified in cases of suspected rape.

Laws 166 and 183 were authored by the president of the Senate of Puerto Rico, Thomas Rivera-Schatz, and Rodríguez-Veve is listed as a co-author, among other legislators.

Sen. Rodríguez-Veve is also the author of the bill passed as Law 122.

‘Unprecedented progress’ after more than 4 decades

In a Jan. 1, 2026, interview with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Rodríguez-Veve noted that “despite the fact that the majority of the population had consistently expressed itself in favor of protecting the lives of unborn children, the political class, dominated primarily by progressive factions, refused to pass any legislation that represented even the slightest step in defense of the human right to life.”

“Multiple legislative efforts were defeated for more than four decades, until 2025, when unprecedented progress was achieved. In just the first year of the new government, the Legislative Assembly approved three bills that address the issue of abortion,” she said.

Puerto Rico is a commonwealth of the United States; its constitution governs internally, but it is subordinate to the U.S. Constitution. Therefore, decisions of the U.S. Supreme Court, such as the now-overturned Roe v. Wade — which at the time opened the door to abortion throughout the United States — also apply in Puerto Rico and directly affect its legal system.

Rodríguez-Veve emphasized that the constitution of Puerto Rico “expressly recognizes the right to life, a recognition that, according to the legislative record during the drafting of the constitution, was included with the clear purpose of protecting the lives of human beings in the womb.”

“However, our constitutional intent was overridden by the now-obsolete U.S. Supreme Court precedent established in Roe v. Wade. Since then, Puerto Rico became one of the most permissive jurisdictions regarding abortion, allowing abortions at any stage of pregnancy, at any age, and for any reason.”

For the Puerto Rican senator, “the fundamental change” brought about by the laws signed in recent months “lies in the explicit recognition of the dignity of human life from conception, thus restoring the moral foundation that, as a people, we established in the drafting of our constitution in 1952.”

A ‘powerful message’

Rodríguez-Veve pointed out that “by recognizing the unborn child as a natural and legal person, and by classifying as first-degree murder an attack against a pregnant woman in which the baby dies, we are not only recognizing the human nature of the child in the womb, but also the dignity of its humanity.”

“In other words, it is not only about the importance of the new legal implications and the practical consequences in the application of the law, but about an even more profound change due to its ontological dimension,” she said. “The message is clear: In the womb of a pregnant woman there is not an indecipherable object without dignity but a subject, a developing human being, who has dignity and whose value is intrinsic to his or her human nature,” she added.

In response to the criticism that has circulated following the signing of the law that recognizes the unborn child as a person, the senator clarified that “no article of the new law alters the Medical Practice Act, the Medical Emergencies Act, or the standards of treatment in life-threatening situations.”

“Clinical decisions in emergency scenarios continue to be based exclusively on the risk to the patient’s life or health. The bill does not introduce anything that could prevent or delay such treatment,” she emphasized.

“It is the legal opinion of the current secretary of justice of Puerto Rico that, after the overturning of Roe v. Wade in the United States, abortion in Puerto Rico is governed by the Puerto Rican Penal Code. This interpretation means that abortion is only legal when performed to protect the life or health of the woman,” she said.

Surgery ban

Rodríguez-Veve said “the passage of Law 63-2025 constituted another colossal achievement in defense of the dignity of human life, specifically of minors at risk from the currents of woke ideology that have reached our shores.”

Law 63-2025 — which bears the signatures of Rivera-Schatz, Rodríguez-Veve, and Sen. Jeison Rosa as authors — prohibits “surgical interventions or drug treatments that alter the biological sex of a minor under the pretext of a gender transition or as part of a treatment for gender dysphoria.”

“This law represents an absolute halt to the use of minors to promote unscientific and unnatural ideas that cause them irreversible physical harm,” Rodríguez-Veve emphasized.

“With the signing of this law, no minor under 21 years of age in Puerto Rico can be subjected to chemical or surgical mutilation treatments as part of a progressive trend that, through the denaturalization of the human being, uses the most vulnerable to advance its agendas,” she emphasized.

With the achievements accomplished in 2025 and with an eye on the future, Sen. Rodríguez-Vve sees her work as “continuing to contribute to the reconstruction of the moral and human fabric that has characterized us as a people since the dawn of our national identity.”

“Puerto Rico was forged in the crucible of Christianity, and it is from our cultural and spiritual heritage that I seek to continue upholding the values ​​that were the cradle and foundation of Puerto Rican identity,” she affirmed.

‘A turning point’

In a Spanish-language article titled “The Courage to Legislate with Conviction,” published on the Puerto Rico Senate’s website, Rivera-Schatz emphasized that “this 2025 legislative year marked a turning point in the legal and moral history of Puerto Rico,” highlighting that these and other laws passed stem from “the commitment I made to the people to protect fundamental rights, the traditional family, and the reaffirmation of the principles and values ​​that distinguish us as a society.”

“These laws reflect a vision of the state that recognizes that religious freedom is not an administrative concession but a fundamental right; that the family is not an abstract concept but the institution and backbone of a society; that childhood requires special protection from public authorities; and that human life, from its most vulnerable stage, deserves legal and moral respect.”

“From a Christian perspective, these laws are rooted in principles of conscience, responsibility, stewardship, and justice,” he affirmed.

After warning that “Puerto Rico faces the challenge of preserving its freedom without losing its legal and moral soul,” the Senate president said that “from the perspective of the Christian faith, it is proclaimed that the law must serve life, the family, and social peace. From a legal perspective, it is maintained that all legislation will be evaluated in the courts, as is appropriate in a democracy, but also in the court of history.”

The Puerto Rico Senate leader concluded his article by quoting St. John Paul II’s apostolic exhortation Familiaris Consortio: “The future of humanity passes by way of the family.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Jan 5, 2026 / 12:34 pm (CNA).

Catholic bishops in Ethiopia have issued a far-reaching synodality message that speaks to the fear, suffering, and fragmentation gripping the Horn of Africa nation, repeatedly urging the people of God to “not be afraid.”

Dated Dec. 10, 2025, and obtained on Jan. 4 by ACI Africa, CNA’s news partner in Africa, the message was released at the conclusion of the 59th Plenary Assembly of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Ethiopia (CBCE) members, held in Emdibir Dec. 8–10. The gathering marked both the close of the jubilee year and the formal beginning of the implementation of the final document of the Synod on Synodality in Ethiopia.

A Catholic missionary source familiar with the Church in Ethiopia told ACI Africa that the CBCE members’ decision to circulate the message widely — and to request that it be read out at parish Masses — represents a significant shift.

“The fact that the Catholic bishops are circulating the statement and asking to have it read at parish Masses is something new,” the source said, adding that Catholic bishops in Ethiopia “were very fearful in the past. Maybe this ‘don’t be afraid’ is a new start for a marginal Church.”

A message rooted in Advent hope

The bishops’ message was addressed to clergy, women and men religious, and the laity — including Catholics in the diaspora and “all people of goodwill, ”and was inspired by the words of the angel to the shepherds: “Do not be afraid; I bring you good news of great joy for all people” (Lk 2:10).

Written during Advent to culminate in Christmas, which is celebrated on Jan. 7 in Ethiopia, the Catholic bishops situated their pastoral exhortation firmly within the concrete realities of Ethiopian life.

“In a nation burdened by many hardships — poverty, conflict, climate change, cultural confusion, and division — these words remind us that even amid darkness, the divine light of Christ shines forth, guiding us toward renewed hope and unity,” CBCE members said.

The bishops said their call to courage is not denial of suffering but rather a proclamation of faith. “We proclaim it not as a denial of the profound suffering and fear that grips our nation but as a faith-filled affirmation that God is with us,” they wrote.

Naming the wounds of the nation

The bishops described the “heavy burdens” afflicting the nation, beginning with the crushing cost of living.

“For so many families, daily life has become unbearable,” they said, adding that “soaring prices render basic provisions a luxury. Parents watch helplessly as children go to bed hungry.”

The Church leaders framed this reality as a violation of Catholic social teaching, emphasizing the preferential option for the poor and vulnerable and insisting that economic structures must serve human dignity.

They also drew attention to the devastating impact of climate change, particularly drought and environmental degradation.

“Imagine those who are dying of hunger in a country of plenty,” they wrote, calling for “ecological conversion” and quoting the May 2015 encyclical letter on care for our common home, Laudato Si’, on the need for “an overall personal conversion… which leads to heartfelt repentance and desire to change.”

Cultural fragmentation and the loss of the common good

The bishops warned that Ethiopia’s social fabric is fraying under the weight of tribal conflicts, ethnic hatred, and ideologies of division, compounded by uncritical adoption of modern digital culture.

“The new culture shaped by digitization is doing away with our long-standing values,” they observed, warning that an “us vs. them mentality” amplified by social media is eroding the sense of the common good.

“We risk losing the sense of common good — that the well-being of each is bound to the well-being of all,” they caution.

‘Our land is soaked in pain’

The CBCE members also addressed war and insecurity. “Our land is soaked in pain,” they said, pointing to civil war, ongoing local violence, and conflicts rooted in religion, ethnicity, and politics.

They insisted that peace is not simply the absence of war. “The Catholic Church teaches us that peace is not merely the absence of war but the presence of justice and the flourishing of human dignity.”

In their message, the bishops ask: “When will we have enough? When will we turn away from the cycle of violence and work towards healing and rebuilding?”

They described the social consequences of conflict — economic collapse, cultural erosion, and widespread displacement — highlighting the plight of internally displaced persons (IDPs) and Ethiopians forced into precarious lives abroad.

“As a Church, we cannot remain silent in the face of such suffering,” they declared. “We are called to be instruments of peace, to advocate for the voiceless, and to work tirelessly for reconciliation.”

The failure to dialogue

Another wound CBCE members identified in their statement was the breakdown of communication at every level of society. “Our greatest failure may be our inability to dialogue,” they said, lamenting a “Babylon of confusion” where people no longer listen to one another.”

They cited Pope Francis’ encyclical on human fraternity and social friendship, Fratelli Tutti, stressing that authentic dialogue requires “the ability to respect the other’s point of view and to admit that it may include legitimate convictions and concerns.”

Synodality as an act of resistance

Against this backdrop of fear, division, and violence, the bishops presented synodality not as an abstract ecclesial process but as a prophetic response. “Walking together is an act of resistance against every force that divides and destroys,” they asserted.

Quoting the Synod Vademecum, they reminded the people of God that synodality is “the path along which the Church is called to walk … making everyone participate in a journey of common listening and discernment.”

They emphasized that this is “not merely a Church exercise; it is a prophetic witness and a concrete answer to the deep crises we face as a nation.”

‘Do not be afraid’

In one of the most pastorally detailed sections of the CBCE members’ message, the Catholic bishops repeatedly exhort the people of God: “Do not be afraid.”

They urged Catholics to walk as “companions in the journey,” to listen deeply — especially to those on the peripheries — and to speak the truth “with courage and prudence.”

They insisted that liturgical life and prayer remain central, encouraging Catholics not to fear “to keep intact your identity as Catholics as expressed in your liturgical life.”

CBCE members also call for co-responsibility in mission, urging the baptized to participate actively in evangelization and integral human development “to benefit all humanity regardless of their creed, tribe, religion, or any background.”

Dialogue, ecumenism, renewed forms of authority as service, communal discernment, and formation in synodality are all framed by the same refrain: Do not be afraid.

Mary as the model of a synodal Church

The message culminates in a Marian vision of the Church.

“We see the features of a synodal, missionary, and merciful Church shining in full light in the Virgin Mary,” they write, describing her as the one who “listens, prays, meditates, dialogues, accompanies, discerns, decides, and acts.”

Invoking St. Paul VI, they recall that “the action of the Church in the world can be likened to an extension of Mary’s concern.”

A new public voice for a marginal Church

By asking that their message be read aloud at Catholic Masses across the country, the bishops’ message of courage can reach even the smallest communities.

As the missionary source told ACI Africa: “Maybe this ‘don’t be afraid’ is a new start for a marginal Church.”

This story was first published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted by CNA.

The practice of closing the Holy Doors at the conclusion of the Jubilee, established in 1975 and simplified by Pope Saint John Paul II during the Holy Year of 2000, is followed by the walling-up, which takes place privately around ten days later.

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Jan 5, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Key elections in November 2026 could reshape the balance of power in the U.S. government, potentially upending the current Republican trifecta in Washington and offering a referendum on President Donald Trump’s second term in office.

Thirty-three seats in the U.S. Senate are up for election, while two states will hold special elections. All 435 districts of the U.S. House of Representatives, meanwhile, are holding elections.

Republicans presently control the White House and both chambers of Congress, but their majorities in both legislative chambers are narrow; Democrats need only a net gain of four seats to flip the Senate and a net of three districts to take control of the House.

As is often the case, many of the races are seen as foregone conclusions, with Republican and Democratic candidates in most states and districts comfortably assured of victory. Yet key toss-up races could end up shifting some control of the national government to Democrats.

Chief among them is the Senate race in Maine, where GOP Sen. Susan Collins is facing reelection in a state Trump lost by about 7 points in 2024.

Maine has voted strongly in favor of Democratic presidential candidates for many years — the last time a Republican president took the state was 1988 — and while Collins has easily won election or reelection five times there since 1996, this year’s race could present a more significant challenge for the Republican, due in part to Trump’s declining favorability ratings.

Collins, who identifies as Catholic, next year may find herself racing against state Gov. Janet Mills, who is currently vying for the state’s Democratic nomination. The University of Virginia’s Center for Politics switched Maine to a “toss-up” election in October, citing Collins’ middling approval numbers and Mills’ potential challenge.

The Center for Politics points to three other “toss-up” Senate elections in 2026, those of Georgia, North Carolina, and Michigan.

In North Carolina, Republican Sen. Thom Tillis will not seek reelection, presenting an opportunity for Democrats to pick up another seat. Former state Democratic Gov. Roy Cooper has declared his candidacy there, as has former Republican National Committee Chair Michael Whatley.

A Democratic stronghold for years, the North Carolina state government has overall leaned more Republican since around 2010, though GOP presidential candidates have done well there for longer. Yet the state has overwhelmingly voted for Democratic governors for decades with few exceptions, and Trump’s vulnerability — polls show high levels of disapproval of the president there — could give Democrats a boost in a state they likely need to win to obtain control of the Senate.

House considered a toss-up; some states consider life, religion proposals

In Georgia, Democratic Sen. Jon Ossoff is expected to defend the seat he won in 2021, though he could be ousted in the primary election in May, when Republicans will also choose their candidate.

In Michigan, meanwhile, Democratic Sen. Gary Peters is retiring, leaving Democrats scrambling to elect a new candidate; no clear challenger has yet emerged in either party there, with a primary election set for Aug. 4.

Though Michigan hasn’t elected a Republican senator in about 25 years, the state’s critical role in national elections will likely render it a competitive race into November. Trump beat Kamala Harris for the state’s electors by just over 1% in 2024; he lost that state to Joe Biden in 2020 by about 3%.

Analysts, meanwhile, say the U.S. House is a potential flip for Democrats. The Center for Politics projects a tentative 211-208 Democratic majority there.

Outgoing Democratic Rep. Nancy Pelosi, meanwhile, predicted last week that Democrats would “win the House back” in November, declaring that Republican control of Congress will be “over” in 2027.

Amid the candidate elections, voters in some states will consider numerous ballot issues that could also offer referendums on Republican governance and Trump’s second term.

Some states are considering ballot initiatives related to abortion. Missouri voters will decide whether or not to enact sweeping restrictions on abortion in the state, while Nevada voters may amend the state’s constitution to create a right to an abortion there.

The Missouri measure, if passed, would also prohibit doctors from performing “gender transition” procedures on underage children. Abortion-related proposals may also appear on the ballots in Virginia, Idaho, and Oregon.

Some states may also consider religion-related ballot proposals. In West Virginia, voters in 2026 may consider a measure that would amend the state constitution to allow churches and religious denominations to incorporate under state law.

A potential proposal in Wisconsin, meanwhile, would prohibit the government from closing churches in response to public health emergencies and other crises.

Ahead of the midterms, Milwaukee Archbishop Jeffrey Grob last week lamented that politics in the United States has become “so polarized” and warned Catholics not to “get caught in camps” that amplify political differences.

“Bishops, priests, deacons, church leaders that are not Catholic, other leaders — it’s easy to get drawn into one camp or another camp, whatever the case may be,” the prelate told WISN-TV.

“We have to remain true to ourselves,” he said, “and it’s not to a particular party, but it is to our Catholic faith.”

Vatican City, Jan 5, 2026 / 05:20 am (CNA).

The parents of St. Carlo Acutis contributed to the development of a new official news application connected to the institutional website of the Vatican City State, www.vaticanstate.va, an initiative presented as part of an ongoing digital renewal and as a tribute to the young saint, often held up as a model for evangelizing through new technologies.

After downloading the app, users can read a message of thanks from the Governorate of Vatican City State to Andrea and Antonia Acutis, Carlo’s parents.

“The Governorate of Vatican City State thanks Andrea and Antonia Acutis who, on the occasion of the canonization of their son Carlo, generously contributed to the creation and development of the News App of the official website www.vaticanstate.va,” the message reads.

The new application, officially launched over the weekend, is dedicated to the Italian saint, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15 and is frequently remembered for his computer prowess.

The platform is designed to provide fast, intuitive access to news, notices, and official communications from the Vatican Governorate, aiming to improve navigation and accessibility to institutional information.

The app includes several sections, including “saint of the day,” news, interviews, videos, and direct links to other institutions of the Governorate, such as the Gendarmerie Corps, the Vatican Museums, the Vatican Pharmacy, Poste Vaticane, the Pontifical Villas, and the Vatican Observatory.

According to the report, additional features will be implemented progressively.

The app’s launch comes after the institutional website of the Holy See received a graphic overhaul following the May 8 election of Pope Leo XIV. That portal now features a more modern design, including a sky-blue background and an image of the pope greeting the faithful, updating a site that has been online since December 1995.

The Vatican City State app is available as a free download for iOS and Android devices.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

Jan 5, 2026 / 05:00 am (CNA).

Nearly 2 million people will parade through streets Tuesday in one of Europe’s largest Catholic public celebrations as the Three Kings Procession marks Epiphany across 941 cities and towns nationwide.

The annual event, known as Orszak Trzech Króli (Three Kings Procession), draws participants who dress as biblical characters, wear paper crowns, and sing Christmas carols while following figures representing the Magi to Nativity scenes set up in public squares. EWTN Poland will broadcast the main Warsaw procession live in English for the first time beginning at 11 a.m. local time.

Last year, an estimated 2 million people participated in the processions across 905 locations in Poland and abroad, according to Vatican News. This year’s event expands to 941 communities — 36 more than in 2025.

“We have prepared 600,000 crowns, 150,000 songbooks with Christmas carols, and 200,000 stickers,” said Piotr Giertych, president of the Three Kings Procession Foundation. In Warsaw alone, about 50,000 participants marched in 2025.

From school project to national tradition

The first Three Kings street parade took place in Warsaw in 2009 as an extension of a Nativity play performed by students from a local school. Since Epiphany became a national holiday in Poland in 2011, the processions have grown steadily, spreading to cities and towns across the country.

This year’s slogan, “Rejoice in Hope,” echoes the Church’s jubilee year theme, “Pilgrims of Hope,” which concludes Tuesday. The phrase comes from the 17th-century Polish Christmas carol “Mędrcy świata, monarchowie” (“Wise Men of the World, Monarchs”) by Stefan Bortkiewicz.

“We are referring to the jubilee year, which ends on Jan. 6 in the Catholic Church and was held under the motto ‘Pilgrims of Hope,’” said Anna Murawska, the event’s director. “Therefore, during the procession, we will hear a lot not only about maintaining hope in everyday life but, above all, trusting God, his mercy, and meeting him in heaven.”

Polish President Karol Nawrocki and First Lady Marta Nawrocki sent a message to participants emphasizing the processions’ message of reconciliation.

“May the image of three monarchs who, despite adversity, pursued their goal — peace and reconciliation — inspire us all to build relationships based on mutual solidarity, understanding, and respect,” the presidential couple wrote.

The ceremonial procession draws on Poland’s native traditions of Nativity plays and caroling while also incorporating elements from similar Epiphany parades in Spain and Mexico. Warsaw’s procession begins at the Copernicus Monument and proceeds up Krakowskie Przedmieście to Castle Square, where participants sing carols together in the city center.

Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization and the Holy See’s official point man for the Jubilee, gives a round-up on the Holy Year during a press conference at the Vatican on Monday, January 5.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- After praying the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo XIV said he was following the developments in Venezuela with "deep concern," in light of the United States' military operation that led to the capture of President Nicolás Maduro over the weekend.

"The good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration," the pope said Jan. 4 from the papal studio window overlooking St. Peter's Square.

"This must lead to the overcoming of violence, and to the pursuit of paths of justice and peace, guaranteeing the sovereignty of the country, ensuring the rule of law enshrined in its constitution, respecting the human and civil rights of each and every person, and working together to build a peaceful future of cooperation, stability and harmony, with special attention to the poorest who are suffering because of the difficult economic situation." 

Pope Leo also met Jan. 5 with Cardinal Christophe Pierre, the papal nuncio to the United States, who serves as the pope's personal ambassador and top Vatican diplomat in the country.

The Catholic bishops' conference of Venezuela issued a statement Jan. 3 on social media, calling for prayers and standing in solidarity with those who were injured in the attack and families of those who died.

"In the face of the events that our country is experiencing today, let us ask God to grant all Venezuelans serenity, wisdom and strength," the bishops' statement said in Spanish.

"We call on the people of God to live more intensely in hope and fervent prayer for peace in our hearts and in society, and we reject any type of violence," they continued in a second post. "May our hands be open for encounter and mutual help, and may the decisions that are made always be for the good of our people."

On Jan. 3, President Donald Trump ordered an early morning raid in Caracas, during which U.S. special forces captured Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and struck several military bases.

The operation left political uncertainty for the South American country. Trump said in a Jan. 3 news conference that a U.S. group will work with "the people of Venezuela" to determine next steps.

"We're going to rebuild the oil infrastructure, which will cost billions of dollars. It'll be paid for by the oil companies directly," he told the press at his Mar-a-Lago resort in Florida.

"We're going to have a group of people running it until such time as it can be put back on track, make a lot of money for the people, and give people a great way of life, and also reimbursement for people in our country that were forced out of Venezuela," he said.

Trump signaled the United States was prepared to maintain a long-term role in Venezuela's governance if necessary, saying the U.S. is "ready to go again if we have to. We're going to run the country right."

In her first speech as Venezuela's interim leader, Delcy Rodríguez, the vice president and oil minister, responded to the operation, saying the U.S. violated international law and that Maduro remains president. 

WASHINGTON - Catholics nationwide are invited to pray “9 Days for Life,” an annual Respect Life novena starting Friday, January 16.

In the Catholic Church, a ‘novena’ consists of prayers over nine successive days, and this particular novena is an opportunity for prayer and penance in observance of the annual Day of Prayer for the Legal Protection of Unborn Children on January 22.

All are invited to sign up! Participants may access the novena or subscribe to receive the daily prayers by email or text message in English at 9daysforlife.com or in Spanish at respectlife.org/9-dias-por-la-vida. 

Sponsored by the Committee on Pro-Life Activities of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, the novena began in 2013 in commemoration of the 40th anniversary of Roe v. Wade—the Supreme Court decision that made abortion legal throughout the United States. While the Supreme Court’s 2022 decision in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization returned the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives at federal and state levels, continuing efforts are needed to protect children and their mothers from the tragedy of abortion. This is the fourteenth year the novena is taking place. Since the novena began, it has reached hundreds of thousands of people in over one hundred countries spanning six continents.

The overarching intention of the novena is the end to abortion. Each daily prayer intention highlights a related topic and is accompanied by a reflection, educational information, and suggested daily actions. A resource kit is available, featuring the daily prayer intentions and reflections, in both English and Spanish. A press kit is also available.

For additional information and updates throughout the novena, please follow us on Instagram (@USCCB), Facebook (@USCCB), TikTok (@USBishops), Threads (@USCCB), Bluesky (@usccbofficial.bsky.social) and X (@USCCB).

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