WASHINGTON – Catholics across the country are encouraged to observe a nationwide prayer vigil from Thursday, January 22 to Friday, January 23, 2026, to pray for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life in post-Roe America. “Together, we must pray to change hearts and build a culture of life as we advocate for the most vulnerable. I look forward to opening our Vigil with Holy Mass together with many other bishops, hundreds of priests, consecrated religious, seminarians, and many thousands of pilgrims,” said Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities.

The National Prayer Vigil for Life is hosted each January by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Pro-Life Secretariat, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and The Catholic University of America’s Office of Campus Ministry. This year, the opening of the National Prayer Vigil for Life will take place on January 22, the anniversary date of the Roe v. Wade decision that legalized abortion nationwide in 1973.

In 2022, the Supreme Court of the United States issued its decision Dobbs vs. Jackson Women’s Health Organization, which overturned Roe v. Wade. Since the Dobbs decision, abortion policy is now determined at the state and federal levels. Some states have increased access to abortion and others are working to ensure stronger policies to protect preborn children and their mothers.

The Opening Mass of the National Prayer Vigil for Life will take place at 5:00 p.m. in the Great Upper Church of the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. on Thursday, January 22. Bishop Thomas will be the principal celebrant and homilist for the Opening Mass. At 7:00 p.m., following the Opening Mass, a National Holy Hour for Life will take place in the Crypt Church (lower level) of the Basilica, which will include Recitation of the Rosary and Benediction. The nationwide vigil concludes on Friday, January 23 in the Great Upper Church with the 8:00 AM Closing Mass celebrated by Cardinal Seán P. O’Malley, OFM, Cap., archbishop emeritus of Boston.

Pre-registration is required for clergy and seminarians. For more information about on-site attendance at the Basilica for the National Prayer Vigil for Life, please visit the event page at https://www.nationalshrine.org/event/2026-national-prayer-vigil-for-life/.

The live television broadcasts on January 22 for the 5:00 pm Opening Mass and the January 23 Closing Mass at 8:00 a.m. will be provided by the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and will be available via livestream on the Basilica’s website at www.nationalshrine.org/mass. 

For those who cannot come to Washington, Catholics across the country are invited to unite in prayer during the nationwide vigil through local diocesan prayer efforts such as special Masses and holy hours taking place during January 22-23. Additionally, thousands of Catholics are signing up for the national pro-life novena, 9 Days for Life, which will take place from January 16-24, 2026.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Insisting that the dignity of all people, including immigrants, must be respected, Pope Leo XIV asked U.S. Catholics and "people of goodwill" to read and listen to the U.S. bishops' recent pastoral message on the topic.

"When people are living good lives -- and many of them (in the United States) for 10, 15, 20 years -- to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful, to say the least," is not acceptable, the pope said Nov. 18.

Meeting reporters outside his villa in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo was asked what he thought of the "special pastoral message on immigration" approved overwhelmingly by members of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops Nov. 12. 

"We are disturbed when we see among our people a climate of fear and anxiety around questions of profiling and immigration enforcement," the bishops said. "We are saddened by the state of contemporary debate and the vilification of immigrants. We are concerned about the conditions in detention centers and the lack of access to pastoral care. We lament that some immigrants in the United States have arbitrarily lost their legal status."

The bishops also said, "We oppose the indiscriminate mass deportation of people," and they prayed "for an end to dehumanizing rhetoric and violence, whether directed at immigrants or at law enforcement."

Pope Leo told reporters in Castel Gandolfo that the pastoral message is "a very important statement. I would invite especially all Catholics, but people of goodwill, to listen carefully to what they said." 

"No one has said that the United States should have open borders," the pope said. "I think every country has a right to determine who and how and when people enter." 

However, he said, in enforcing immigration policy "we have to look for ways of treating people humanely, treating people with the dignity that they have."

"If people are in the United States illegally, there are ways to treat that," he said. "There are courts. There's a system of justice," but the system has "a lot of problems" that should be addressed.

Pope Leo also was asked about what he does in Castel Gandolfo. 

Tuesdays traditionally are the one day a week when popes have no official audiences or public events. When his schedule permits, Pope Leo goes to Castel Gandolfo late Monday afternoon and returns to the Vatican Tuesday night.

Pope Leo said he uses the day for "a bit of sport, a bit of reading, a bit of work," specifying that at Castel Gandolfo he plays tennis and swims in the pool.

Having a break during the week "helps a lot," the pope said. And it is important to take care of the body as well as the soul.

As he prepares for his first trip outside Italy as pope -- a visit to Turkey and Lebanon Nov. 27-Dec. 2 -- he also was asked when he thought he would get back to Peru where he served as a missionary and as a bishop.

Pope Leo said he likes to travel, but the events of the Jubilee year kept his 2025 calendar full. The challenge for 2026 will be finding a way to schedule the trips he would like to make, including to the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima in Portugal, Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico and then a trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru, "of course."
 

The Chairman of the Commission for Social Communications of the Kenya Conference of Catholic Bishops (KCCB), Bishop Wallace Ng’ang’a, has urged Catholic Communicators to remain deeply rooted in the Catholic faith through doctrinal soundness, sacred, uplifting Catholic music, and authentic storytelling as they disseminate the message of the Gospel. through the media.

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Pope Leo XIV announces the second edition of World Children’s Day, which will take place in Rome on September 25-27, 2026.

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Community empowerment through sustainable farming drives Sr. Josephine Kwenga’s work to help farmers in Kenyan villages develop viable farming practices in order to bring new life to families and the Church’s mission of care for creation.

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The presidents of the Bishops’ Conferences of Poland and Germany issue a joint statement to recall the 60th anniversary of an exchange of letters between their predecessors, which launched the process of Polish–German reconciliation in the Church after World War II.

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Although many religious congregations in Europe face the challenge of aging members, the heart of their vocation remains unchanged: to serve those in need with love and dedication. In Matera, in southern Italy, 93-year-old Sister Angela Sinopoli continues to do so on the streets of her city, living out her pastoral ministry of closeness.

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During his weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV reminds the faithful that God calls on us, as people of faith, to offer our voices to help those in need and to protect the environment.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 18, 2025 / 18:26 pm (CNA).

In an audience with members of the diplomatic service at the papal missions, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that they have been chosen to “become a presence everywhere of the whole Church and, in particular, of the pastoral solicitude of the pope, who presides over it in charity.”

Within the context of the Jubilee of Hope, the Holy Father recalled that the holy year is “a providential opportunity to rediscover and deepen the beauty of our vocation, that is, our common call to holiness, which commits us each day to be witnesses of Christ, the living hope for the world.”

Reflecting on the missionaries’ service of “carrying the redeeming word of the Gospel to the ends of the earth,” the pope pointed out that the great missionaries remind us that inculturation is not a superficial matter, “because it springs from the desire to dedicate oneself to the land and the people we serve.”

“Your unique service is arduous and therefore requires a heart burning for God and open to all people; it demands study and skill, self-denial and courage; it grows in trust in Jesus and in docility to the Church, which is expressed through obedience to superiors,” he said. 

Given the diversity of cultures and places where the papal representatives work, the pope invited them to bear witness “as priests in love with Christ and dedicated to building up his body.” He also encouraged them to be “a reflection of the affection and closeness that the pope has” for every ecclesial community.

In particular, he focused his attention on those living in contexts of hardship, conflict, and poverty, where moments of discouragement are common: “Precisely in these efforts, remember that the Church sustains you in prayer: Therefore, strengthen your priestly identity by drawing strength from the sacraments, from fraternal communion, and from constant docility to the Holy Spirit,” he counseled them.

He encouraged them to be mindful of their daily actions and to avoid isolation. 

“The great missionaries remind us, in fact, that inculturation is not a folkloric [superficial] attitude, because it is born from the desire to dedicate oneself to the land and the people we serve,” he explained.

He also urged them to “confirm” their motivation by listening to the Holy Spirit and to nurture prayer: “May the light of the tabernacle dispel shadows and anxieties, illuminating the path you are traveling.”

“Holding fast to this miracle of grace, be pilgrims of hope precisely where people lack justice and peace,” he added.

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

ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 18, 2025 / 16:26 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV said ”stronger climate actions will create stronger and fairer economic systems” in a video message to the local Churches of the Global South gathered at the Amazonian Museum in Belém, Brazil, for the United Nations climate conference (COP30).

The Holy Father greeted the representatives of bishops’ conferences from Latin America, the Caribbean, Africa, and Asia on Nov. 17, joining “the prophetic voice of my brother cardinals who have taken part in COP30, telling the world with words and gestures that the Amazon region remains a living symbol of creation with an urgent need for care.”

COP30, which Belém is hosting, brings together a diverse group of leaders and scientists from around the world in an event that, according to the United Nations, aims to “discuss the priority measures needed to address climate change.”

Church hierarchy in attendance include cardinals Felipe Neri Ferrão, president of the Federation of Asian Bishops’ Conferences; Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, president of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar; and Jaime Spengler, president of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops’ Council.

Leo XIV told the Catholic leaders that “you have chosen hope and action over despair, building a global community that works together.”

“This has delivered progress, but not enough. Hope and determination must be renewed, not only in words and aspirations but also in concrete actions,” he said.

The pope warned that “the creation is crying out in floods, droughts, storms, and relentless heat. One in three people lives in great vulnerability because of these climate changes. To them, climate change is not a distant threat, and to ignore these people is to deny our shared humanity.”

“There is still time to keep the rise in global temperatures below 1.5°C (2.7° F), but the window is closing. As stewards of God’s creation, we are called to act swiftly, with faith and prophecy, to protect the gift he entrusted to us,” he said.

The Holy Father then referred to the Paris Agreement, among whose 195 signatories is the Holy See, noting that “it has driven real progress and remains our strongest tool for protecting people and the planet.”

“But we must be honest: It is not the agreement that is failing,” the pope continued. “We are failing in our response. What is failing is the political will of some. True leadership means service and support at a scale that will truly make a difference.”

Leo XIV affirmed that “strong climate actions and policies both are an investment in a more just and stable world.”

The pontiff noted that “we walk alongside scientists, leaders, and pastors of every nation and creed. We are guardians of creation, not rivals for its spoils. Let us send a clear global signal together: nations standing in unwavering solidarity behind the Paris Agreement and behind climate cooperation.”

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