Category: 2025 News

(OSV News) — The following is the full text of the “urbi et orbi” blessing given by Pope Leo XIV on Christmas Dec. 25, 2025.

Dear brothers and sisters,

“Let us all rejoice in the Lord, for our Savior has been born in the world. Today, true peace has come down to us from heaven” (Entrance Antiphon, Christmas Mass during the Night). Thus sings the liturgy on Christmas night, and the announcement of Bethlehem resounds in the Church: the Child born of the Virgin Mary is Christ the Lord, sent by the Father to save us from sin and death. Indeed, he is our peace; he has conquered hatred and enmity through God’s merciful love. For this reason, “the Lord’s birth is the birth of peace” (Saint Leo the Great, Sermon 26).

Jesus was born in a stable because there was no room for him in the inn. As soon as he was born, his mother Mary “wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger” (cf. Lk 2:7). The Son of God, through whom all things were created, was not welcomed, and a poor manger for animals was his crib.

The eternal Word of the Father whom the heavens cannot contain chose to come into the world in this way. Out of love, he wanted to be born of a woman and so share our humanity; out of love, he accepted poverty and rejection, identifying himself with those who are discarded and excluded.

Already in the birth of Jesus, we glimpse the fundamental decision that would guide the entire life of the Son of God, even to his death on the cross: the decision not to leave us under the burden of sin, but to bear it himself for us, to take it upon himself. He alone could do so. At the same time, however, he showed us what we alone can do, which is to take on our own share of responsibility. Indeed, God, who created us without us, will not save us without us (cf. Saint Augustine, Sermon 169, 11, 13), that is, without our free will to love. Those who do not love are not saved; they are lost. And those who do not love their brother or sister whom they see, cannot love God whom they do not see (cf. 1 Jn 4:20).

Sisters and brothers, responsibility is the sure way to peace. If all of us, at every level, would stop accusing others and instead acknowledge our own faults, asking God for forgiveness, and if we would truly enter into the suffering of others and stand in solidarity with the weak and the oppressed, then the world would change.

Jesus Christ is our peace first of all because he frees us from sin, and also because he shows us the way to overcome conflicts — all conflicts, whether interpersonal or international. Without a heart freed from sin, a heart that has been forgiven, we cannot be men and women of peace or builders of peace. This is why Jesus was born in Bethlehem and died on the cross: to free us from sin. He is the Savior. With his grace, we can and must each do our part to reject hatred, violence and opposition, and to practice dialogue, peace and reconciliation.

On this day of celebration, I wish to send a warm and fatherly greeting to all Christians, especially those living in the Middle East, whom I recently visited on my first Apostolic Journey. I listened to them as they expressed their fears and know well their sense of powerlessness before the power dynamics that overwhelm them. The Child born today in Bethlehem is the same Jesus who says: “In me you may have peace. In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have overcome the world” (Jn 16:33).

From God let us ask for justice, peace and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria, trusting in these divine words: “The effect of righteousness will be peace, and the result of righteousness, quietness and trust for ever” (Is 32:17).

Let us entrust the entire European continent to the Prince of Peace, asking him to continue to inspire a spirit of community and cooperation, in fidelity to its Christian roots and history, and in solidarity with – and acceptance of – those in need. Let us pray in a particular way for the tormented people of Ukraine: may the clamor of weapons cease, and may the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue.

From the Child of Bethlehem, we implore peace and consolation for the victims of all current wars in the world, especially those that are forgotten, and for those who suffer due to injustice, political instability, religious persecution and terrorism. I remember in a special way our brothers and sisters in Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso and the Democratic Republic of Congo.

In these final days of the Jubilee of Hope, let us pray to God made man for the beloved people of Haiti, that all forms of violence in the country will cease and that progress will be made on the path of peace and reconciliation.

May the Child Jesus inspire those in Latin America who hold political responsibilities, so that, in facing the numerous challenges, space may be given to dialogue for the common good, rather than to ideological and partisan prejudices.

Let us ask the Prince of Peace to illuminate Myanmar with the light of a future of reconciliation, restoring hope to the younger generations, guiding its entire people along paths of peace, and accompanying those who live without shelter, security or confidence in tomorrow.

We ask the Lord that the ancient friendship between Thailand and Cambodia be restored, and that the parties involved will continue to work towards reconciliation and peace.

We also entrust to God the peoples of South Asia and Oceania, who have been severely tested by recent, devastating natural disasters that have struck entire communities. In the face of such trials, I invite everyone to renew, with heartfelt conviction, our shared commitment to assisting those who suffer.

Dear brothers and sisters, in the darkness of the night, “the true light, which enlightens everyone, was coming into the world” (Jn 1:9), but “his own people did not accept him” (Jn 1:11). Let us not allow ourselves to be overcome by indifference towards those who suffer, for God is not indifferent to our distress.

In becoming man, Jesus took upon himself our fragility, identifying with each one of us: with those who have nothing left and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza; with those who are prey to hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people; with those who are fleeing their homeland to seek a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or traverse the American continent; with those who have lost their jobs and those who are looking for work, like so many young people who struggle to find employment; with those who are exploited, like many underpaid workers; with those in prison, who often live in inhumane conditions.

The invocation of peace that rises from every land reaches God’s heart, as one poet wrote:

“Not the peace of a cease-fire,
not even the vision of the wolf and the lamb,
but rather
as in the heart when the excitement is over
and you can talk only about a great weariness…

Let it come
like wildflowers,
suddenly, because the field
must have it: wildpeace.” 

On this holy day, let us open our hearts to our brothers and sisters who are in need or in pain. In doing so, we open our hearts to the Child Jesus, who welcomes us with open arms and reveals his divinity to us: “But to all who received him… he gave power to become children of God” (Jn 1:12).

In a few days’ time, the Jubilee Year will come to an end. The Holy Doors will close, but Christ our hope remains with us always! He is the Door that is always open, leading us into divine life. This is the joyful proclamation of this day: the Child who was born is God made man; he comes not to condemn but to save; his is not a fleeting appearance, for he comes to stay and to give himself. In him, every wound is healed and every heart finds rest and peace. “The Lord’s birth is the birth of peace.”

To all of you, I offer heartfelt good wishes for a peaceful and holy Christmas!

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – Jesus entering the world as a little baby in need of everything is a sign of God’s solidarity with every person in need, longing for love and a helping hand, Pope Leo XIV said at Christmas morning Mass.

“The Word has pitched his fragile tent among us. How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold; and of those of so many other refugees and displaced persons on every continent; or of the makeshift shelters of thousands of homeless people in our own cities?” he asked in his homily at the Mass Dec. 25 in St. Peter’s Basilica.

In celebrating the morning liturgy publicly, Pope Leo restored a tradition that had lapsed for 30 years. St. John Paul II did not preside over the liturgy in 1995 because he had the flu, and the morning Mass never returned to the papal calendar.

Like his predecessors, Pope Leo went to the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica at noon to give his solemn blessing “urbi et orbi” (to the city and world). And, returning to a tradition set aside by Pope Francis, who claimed he was bad at languages, Pope Leo wished people a merry Christmas in 10 languages: Italian, French, English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, Polish, Arabic, Chinese and Latin.

“Merry Christmas! May the peace of Christ reign in your hearts and in your families,” he said.

In his homily and in his Christmas message before the “urbi et orbi” blessing, Pope Leo insisted that the Christian mission of sharing the good news of salvation in Christ means being serious about what is going on in the world and working to alleviate suffering, promote dialogue and end wars and violence.

Taking on the fragile flesh of a baby, God wanted to identify with every human person, he said in the morning homily.

“Fragile is the flesh of defenseless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” he said. “Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths.”

“When the fragility of others penetrates our hearts, when their pain shatters our rigid certainties, then peace has already begun,” the pope insisted.

The response of Christians to suffering and violence must be firm but tender, he said.

“We do not serve a domineering Word — too many of those already resound everywhere,” the pope said, but rather Christians profess and serve a Lord who “inspires goodness, knows its efficacy and does not claim a monopoly over it.”

The peace proclaimed by Jesus, he said, will take root “when our monologues are interrupted and, enriched by listening, we fall to our knees before the humanity of the other.”

Pope Leo continued his reflection in his “urbi et orbi” message, telling the crowd gathered in the rain in St. Peter’s Square that Jesus, “out of love,” wanted “to be born of a woman and so share our humanity; out of love, he accepted poverty and rejection, identifying himself with those who are discarded and excluded.”

As is customary, the pope used his message to call attention to urgent needs and suffering in places around the globe and to urge people to help relieve that suffering.

“Those who do not love are not saved; they are lost,” he said. “And those who do not love their brother or sister whom they see, cannot love God whom they do not see,” as the First Letter of John says.

“If all of us, at every level, would stop accusing others and instead acknowledge our own faults, asking God for forgiveness, and if we would truly enter into the suffering of others and stand in solidarity with the weak and the oppressed, then the world would change,” Pope Leo said.

Looking around the world, the pope prayed for peace and justice in dozens of countries, including Ukraine, and, as he did the night before and during the Christmas morning Mass, Pope Leo also called attention to the plight of migrants and refugees, asking governments to accept and assist them.

“In becoming man,” he said, “Jesus took upon himself our fragility, identifying with each one of us: with those who have nothing left and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza; with those who are prey to hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people; with those who are fleeing their homeland to seek a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or traverse the American continent.”

“On this holy day, let us open our hearts to our brothers and sisters who are in need or in pain,” Pope Leo said. “In doing so, we open our hearts to the Child Jesus, who welcomes us with open arms and reveals his divinity to us.”

Octavia Thuss and her son Henry Thuss from La Cañada, California, were among the 26,000 people in St. Peter’s Square for the pope’s blessing. They also had been in the square late the night before, watching the pope’s Christmas Mass on a screen in the rain.

Since it was Pope Leo’s first Christmas as pope, “It was historic,” she said. “It was a really beautiful service.”

Spending the Christmas holiday in Rome during the final days of the Jubilee Year added to the experience, since they were among some of the last pilgrims to pass through the Holy Doors at the city’s major basilicas.

“It’s kind of a no brainer,” Henry said, adding that he felt being at the Vatican during Christmas in a Jubilee Year was akin to Muslims making a pilgrimage to Mecca.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – If people refuse to make room for others – like the poor, children and the stranger – then they also refuse to make room for God, Pope Leo XIV said as he celebrated the birth of Jesus.

“Where there is room for the human person, there is room for God,” the pope said in his homily Dec. 24 as he celebrated the nighttime liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica.

“While a distorted economy leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise, God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person,” he said. “While humanity seeks to become ‘god’ in order to dominate others, God chooses to become man in order to free us from every form of slavery.”

The Christmas hymn, “Noel,” was sung during the procession, and the Mass began with the Christmas proclamation, or “kalenda,” of Jesus’ birth. The pope lifted a cloth to reveal a statue of baby Jesus, which he then kissed and blessed with incense.

As the bells of St. Peter’s Basilica rang loudly, announcing the birth of Christ, several children representing different cultures placed white flowers around the crib of baby Jesus.

Before the Mass, Pope Leo appeared outside the basilica to greet some 5,000 people gathered in the square under the cold, pouring rain. The basilica was near capacity, and large screens set up in the square allowed the overflow crowd to follow the liturgy.

“Good evening and welcome!” the pope said to the crowd outside.

“The basilica of St. Peter’s is very large, but unfortunately, it is not large enough to receive all of you. I admire and respect and thank you for your courage and your wanting to be here this evening,” he said in English.

“Jesus Christ, who was born for us, brings us peace, brings us God’s love,” he said before heading back to the basilica for the Mass. More than 6,000 people were in the basilica, and guards were reportedly letting additional people in from the rain during the service.

In his homily, the pope reflected on how, for millennia, people looked to the heavens for guidance and a truth that was missing below on earth.

With the birth of Jesus in Bethlehem, the One who redeems humanity is born, the pope said. “To find the Savior, one must not gaze upward, but look below.”

“The omnipotence of God shines forth in the powerlessness of a newborn,” he said. “The divine light radiating from this Child helps us to recognize humanity in every new life.”

“To heal our blindness, the Lord chooses to reveal himself in each human being,” Pope Leo said. “As long as the night of error obscures this providential truth, then ‘there is no room for others either, for children, for the poor, for the stranger,'” he said, quoting from Pope Benedict XVI’s homily on Christmas Eve in 2012.

His predecessor’s words “remain a timely reminder that on earth, there is no room for God if there is no room for the human person. To refuse one is to refuse the other,” he said.

“The wisdom of Christmas,” he said, is that God gives the world a new life — his own, offered for all — in the Child Jesus. “He does not give us a clever solution to every problem, but a love story that draws us in.”

“Will this love be enough to change our history?” he asked. “The answer will come as soon as we wake up from a deadly night into the light of new life, and, like the shepherds, contemplate the Child Jesus.”

God sends a child to be “a word of hope,” he said, recalling how exactly one year ago, Pope Francis began the Holy Year dedicated to hope on Christmas Eve. The year will run through Jan. 6, 2026.

“Now, as the Jubilee draws to a close, Christmas becomes for us a time of gratitude” for the gift received and mission to bear witness to it before the world, he said.

“Let us therefore announce the joy of Christmas, which is a feast of faith, charity and hope,” he said, and become “messengers of peace. With these virtues in our hearts, unafraid of the night, we can go forth to meet the dawn of a new day.”

After the Mass, Pope Leo carried the figurine of the baby Jesus to the Nativity scene at the back of the basilica. Flanked by children on either side, the pope went to the crèche, and the Jesus figurine was placed in the manger. The pope blessed the crowd as he left the basilica.

(OSV News) – People have a deep desire to return to their lives despite the dire and complex situation in Gaza following two years of war, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, said at an annual Christmas press conference on Dec. 22.

Straying from tradition, the patriarch did not read from a prepared statement but said he would rather “have a dialogue” with the journalists. Cardinal Pizzaballa had just returned from a weekend Christmas visit to the Holy Family Parish compound in Gaza together with the general vicar of the Archdiocese of Jerusalem, Auxiliary Bishop William Shomali, where they celebrated Mass with the parishioners Dec. 21.

The patriarch and his small delegation also toured the neighboring area including tents of displaced families along the seafront, the Al-Ahli (Baptist) Hospital, a medical clinic affiliated with the Union of Churches, the Caritas Gaza Office, a Catholic Relief Services aid distribution point and Al-Azhar University. They also visited St. Porphyrios Greek Orthodox Church, meeting with the parish priest as a sign of Christian unity.

“There is stress about returning to life after two years of war. The conflict is still there. All the problems are still there, of course,” he said. After having lived in survival mode for two years, members of the tiny Christian community – now numbering only some 500 people – are beginning to ask questions about the future, he said.

“What we felt is the desire to return to life. So they want to talk about the future, our community. They wanted to celebrate Christmas joyfully. And of course, at the same time also all the questions they put aside in these two years now are coming out. What about us? What about the future? What about children? Now all the questions, also maybe the tiredness, of these two years are coming out,” he said. “And the questions about the future are there and very concrete.”

While some members of the remaining Christian community are beginning to think of emigrating, they are still waiting to see how the situation unfolds, he said, noting that life is not always necessarily easier for immigrants in other countries. Nevertheless, he said, he did fear the number of Christians who remain in Gaza would be much fewer than there have been.

As always, he said, he learned from the community how they are able to be “joyful despite everything,” especially the children.

Following a tenuous ceasefire brokered by U.S. President Donald Trump, which has laid out a complicated roadmap of sorts for disarming Hamas and rebuilding the Gaza Strip, it is time to “look forward and not remain focused on the negative consequences of the war,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa.

Both sides accuse each other of breaking the fragile ceasefire, with Israel still waiting for the return of the body of Ran Gvili, the last Israeli hostage remaining in Gaza. For its part Hamas, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants, says almost 400 Palestinians have been killed by Israel since the truce began.

In response to a journalist’s question, the patriarch said he hopes the “Trump plan will continue.”

“We know that it’s not … that simple as people think, but it’s the only roadmap we have, so we have to continue with this,” he said. The patriarch acknowledged that there would be a lot of “difficulties” and “misunderstandings” regarding the disarmament of Hamas, one of Israel’s conditions for the ceasefire.

“I think the Arab countries and those who are in relations with Hamas should work a lot in order to convince them about this. We are convinced that Gaza needs to turn the page and to have a completely different future.”

Noting that the church does not enter directly into political questions, he emphasized its opposition to the use of violence.

“We saw the result it brought and we are against all of this concerning the future,” he said.

Cardinal Pizzaballa and Bishop Shomali described a landscape of destruction with buildings left in rubble, mountains of garbage, people living in tents and many children in the streets because of a lack of open educational frameworks. Hospitals face a critical shortage of medical supplies — especially antibiotics — and properly sterilized instruments in hospitals leading to preventable deaths, they said.

At the same time some shops and restaurants are reopening – though sometimes with nothing to offer – and universities are attempting to resume classes under precarious conditions, Cardinal Pizzaballa said.

While there is no longer famine in Gaza, and food is available — many people are not working and have no cash. United Nations organizations, CRS and the Latin Patriarchate among others have been providing assistance for the needy, said Cardinal Pizzaballa. Providing needed medicines, equipment and antibiotics will also be a priority, he said.

“Things are changing every day so it’s very difficult to foresee what is necessary to do, because once you decide one thing, in a week, things can change again,” he said. “We have to be very ready to see what is necessary and to be proactive. Our role as the church also is to facilitate, to create this network with other organizations in order to be there and to support as much as possible.”

He said from a human perspective it would be difficult to speak about hope at the moment, but Christmas is the celebration of the meaning of hope.

“Jesus … didn’t wait for the history to be perfect and the human situation to be favorable. He entered history as it was. This is also a lesson for us,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa. “But in this reality we cannot limit ourselves just to denounce, accuse and blame, but also (we must) be committed to rebuilding, becoming those who want to … rebuild from the human devastation.”

(OSV News) – Catholics in northwestern Nigeria are celebrating just days before Christmas, as the last group of students kidnapped from St. Mary’s Catholic School in Papiri has been freed.

Church officials confirmed that the remaining 130 students were released on Dec. 21, ending a monthlong ordeal that began when more than 300 pupils were abducted from the diocesan school in Niger State. The school is owned by the Diocese of Kontagora and run by the Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles.

“We thank God for the release of the remaining abducted children and staff of St. Mary’s Catholic School, Papiri. Thank you for your prayers, encouragement and efforts. May God grant lasting peace and security to our country and to the world at large,” said the sisters Nigeria, in a post on Facebook.

It is not clear who kidnapped the children from the Catholic school or if any ransom was paid to secure their release.

On Dec. 21, Father Jatau Luka Joseph, secretary of the diocese, confirmed the release, while thanking all those who contributed to the safe return of the victims, including the government of Nigeria, the Niger state government and security services.

“We also extend our sincere appreciation to the parents, guardians, clergy, religious communities, humanitarian organizations and the wider public for their prayers, support and solidarity throughout this challenging period,” said the priest in a statement.

“The Catholic diocese of Kontagora remains committed to the protection, welfare and safety of all pupils, students and staff and will continue to collaborate with all relevant authorities to ensure a secure and conducive learning environment.”

Nigeria’s federal government welcomed the release of the children, saying it marked a fitting end to the year and that not a single pupil was left in captivity.

“The federal government empathizes with the parents and guardians of the pupils for the agony the abduction has caused them, wishes them a pleasant family reunion, a good healing process, compliments of the season, and a Merry Christmas,” said Mohammed Idris, Nigeria’s minister for information and national orientation.

In his Christmas message on Dec. 20, Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora, who is also chairman of Niger state’s Christian Association of Nigeria, said this year’s Christmas served as a poignant reminder of shared hope.

“Just as the 2025 theme, ‘Heaven’s Greatest Gifts,’ the best gift the church can expect this year is to receive our children and the teachers still in captivity before Christmas Day,” said Bishop Yohanna. “At these times of trial, where most parents can no longer sleep or eat, let us extend our love by continuing in prayers, because it is over four weeks now that the incident occurred,” he said just two days before all children were released.

His diocese is part of the Kaduna ecclesiastical province, a region which has recently become the epicenter of ethnic, religious and political violence. In the state by the same name, gangs kidnap and kill for ransom, rivaling Borno state, the homeland of the infamous Boko Haram terrorist group.

On Dec. 14, captors had released the first big group — 100 — of the students, including 14 secondary school students, one staff member, 80 primary school pupils and five nursery school children. At least 50 of the children had escaped from the captors in November, right after the kidnapping.

(OSV News) – The holidays are here, and the Savior comes – but for many, it will still be a blue Christmas, and possibly new year, too.

Why? They’ll be lonely.

In 2023, former U.S. Surgeon General Vivek Murthy declared loneliness in America an epidemic – and issued an 82-page report warning of its dangers to “individual and population health, community safety, resilience and prosperity.”

The report – “Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation” – advised readers loneliness is “far more than just a bad feeling”; indeed, it warned “the mortality impact of being socially disconnected is similar to that caused by smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day.”

Failure to address loneliness, Murthy added, will come at a price: “We will continue to splinter and divide until we can no longer stand as a community or a country.”

Which raises at least two questions: What can the Catholic Church do about it? And how can lonely people connect at Christmas?

“Loneliness is not just an issue of the church. Loneliness is a cultural thing,” Marcel LeJeune – president and founder of Catholic Missionary Disciples in College Station, Texas – told OSV News. “And there’s no one reason that people are lonely; it can come from a multitude of issues or reasons. We see it in people that don’t have good relationships – that could be, they don’t have good friendships; their marriages are struggling; they can’t find community.”

It’s part of LeJeune’s job to build that community — to, as the name of his ministry implies, help churches forge disciples. But the state of societal trust poses a challenge.

“What’s happened in our world – especially in the United States – we’ve seen the breakdown of community institutions. So there’s just little trust put into the church right now,” he explained. “People don’t see the parish as a place where they can find meaningful relationships. And that’s an unfortunate reality. Can you still find meaningful relationships in a parish? Absolutely — but you’ve got to work at it.”

The reason for that, LeJeune said, is “our institutions aren’t set up, for the most part, to address the issue of loneliness. What we’re set up to do is to gather people for the sacraments, for events and for programs. There’s nothing that’s wrong with that — in fact, flowing out of that, you might find friendship; connection; relationships. But the issue is,” he added, “that unless we intentionally try to help make that happen, it probably won’t happen in those places.”

LeJeune is not, however, discouraged.

“I do believe that the loneliness people feel in this culture … is also the greatest opportunity for the church in the 21st century,” he shared. “Because if we address the loneliness people feel – and we offer an antidote through community and relationships that are meaningful – then guess what happens? You’ve earned that trust that’s necessary to build a relationship wherein evangelization and discipleship can take place.”

And the template for that?

“We’ve got to go beyond just the norm of the average parish, which is stuck in the status quo,” LeJeune emphasized. “If we go back to what the grassroots methodology of Jesus was, he didn’t run programs. He had very few events, and he didn’t teach a class — even though he taught. So, what did he do?” asked LeJeune. “He gathered people together, and did meaningful things. They would eat together. They would travel together. They would pray together, and they would have conversations about things that mattered.”

In 2024, the Harvard Graduate School of Education’s “Making Caring Common” project released a four-year investigation of the underlying causes of loneliness.

“Loneliness in America: Just the Tip of the Iceberg” found people between 30 and 44 years old were the loneliest, with 29% saying they were “frequently” or “always” lonely. For 18- to 29-year-olds, the rate was 24%; 45- to 64-year-olds, 20%; 65-plus, 10%.

Men and women experienced similar rates of loneliness, and neither race or ethnicity appeared to have a role (although those with more than one racial identity had levels of loneliness at 42%). Income was a factor — Americans earning less than $30,000 were the loneliest — but not education. Busy and tired people (62%) also obviously have less time with family (66%).

Kevin Vost – a Catholic psychologist and author of “The Catholic Guide to Loneliness: How Science and Faith Can Help Us Understand It, Grow from It, and Conquer It” (Sophia Institute Press) – died unexpectedly in 2023. But when his book was published in 2017, Vost was already alerting readers “the prevalence of loneliness seems to be escalating at an alarming rate in our time.”

On the Dec. 19, 2017, broadcast of “Divine Intimacy Radio” — a show heard on EWTN Catholic Radio Network — Vost explained, “People who are lonely for a long time become more like people with depression. And there’s quite an overlap, and they can become very negative. They tend to remember just negative personal experiences or losses in the past. They might be hesitant to reach out to others, or they might fear rejection.”

He added that psychologists try to turn that thinking around.

“The psychological techniques — the most effective found in studies — are the ones that focus on that perception, the way we think about the situation, because they found most adults already do have social skills,” noted Vost. “It’s just this distorted thinking that’s preventing them to reach out. So one of the most important components in dealing with a person who is distressed by a loneliness is to try to train them to think more realistically and rationally about their situation.”

Regina Boyd – founder of Heartspace Therapy Center in Lake Mary, Florida, a licensed mental health counselor, and author of “Leaving Loneliness Behind: 5 Keys to Experiencing God’s Love and Building Healthy Connections with Others” (Ave Maria Press) – told OSV News while everyone seems digitally connected at all times, it’s a different kind of bonding than in-person communication.

“Even though we have this ability to connect online and develop relationships — which is a beautiful gift of convenience — I think it also shortens experiences in a lot of ways,” Boyd suggested.

“One person that I spoke to recently made an observation about birthdays — they get less phone calls on their birthdays because it’s so much easier to just send a text. Whereas maybe 30 years ago, they were on the phone throughout the day receiving phone calls from people. In a way, we’re connected — but also disconnected.”

The 2024 Harvard Graduate School of Education study also reported 73% of those surveyed selected technology as contributing to loneliness.

And as to the melancholy so many experience at this time of the year, Boyd thinks she knows why.

“The holidays sort of amplify whatever we might be experiencing or going through. So if we’re feeling joyful, it feels brighter during the holidays, but also if we’re feeling lonely, it feels heavier,” she observed. “And we have the experience of social comparisons. We see all of these beautiful images on social media, talking about togetherness and happiness.”

Changed routines, Boyd added, also allow for reflection.

“Emotional needs are coming to the surface — when maybe in our typical routines, we can put those emotions aside, and push past them. And when there’s loss — missed family members; people who are no longer present — the holidays provide that opportunity for grief, and reminders of those relationships that have changed.”

Her recommendation?

“It comes down to intentionality,” advised Boyd. “Rather than us waiting for a magical moment to happen, we need to take some more control back, and make moments happen for ourselves. And so maybe we have some intentional activities planned each week, once a week — taking a walk with a friend; going to that local Bible study; going to the holiday gathering you might have typically skipped. Or creating smaller, more seemingly meaningless connections — that brief conversation with your co-worker; with the employee across the counter; with your neighbor — just taking extra time to have those brief moments of connection.”

And set realistic expectations for yourself, said Boyd.

“We put so much pressure on ourselves – and it’s OK to not have the picture perfect holiday to feel connected.”

(OSV News) – As Christmas approaches and “Silent Night” begins to fill churches and homes across the world, it is worth remembering how unlikely its beginning truly was.

The world’s most famous Christmas carol – “Stille Nacht” in German – was not born in a peaceful, picture-book setting. There was no postcard village, no soft snowfall, no glowing atmosphere. Instead, it emerged from a small Austrian town marked by war, hunger and deep uncertainty.

Oberndorf, a community north of Salzburg, had endured almost two decades of upheaval from the Napoleonic Wars. The eruption of Mount Tambora – an active stratovolcano in Indonesia – in 1815 caused massive climate disruption and famine in Europe.

“After visiting the museum, most visitors are shocked by the living conditions in which people lived back then,” Martina Knall, a representative of the Stille-Nacht-Museum, told OSV News.

“They go in expecting an idyllic world, but then realize that it was quite the opposite.”

The Salzach River, Knall explained, split the once-unified town into two parts: one Bavarian and one Austrian. And on Christmas Eve in 1818, in the former St. Nicholas Church, where Silent Night Chapel now stands, assistant priest Father Joseph Mohr and schoolteacher-organist Franz Xaver Gruber introduced a gentle carol that neither man could have imagined would become a global anthem — a simple song that would one day be sung in more than 300 languages.

Knall told OSV News that both Father Mohr and Gruber came from poverty, and that their lives would have looked very different had someone not recognized their musical gifts early on.

“Josef Mohr was one of four children born to an unmarried mother,” she said. A Salzburg cleric noticed his talent and “made it possible for him to receive higher education and enter the seminary.” Without that support, Knall explained, his life “would have been marked by poverty.”

Gruber’s path was similar. “He was the fifth child of linen weavers and was expected to learn his father’s trade,” Knall told OSV News. But a schoolteacher saw the boy’s musical ability, arranged proper lessons and eventually persuaded Gruber’s father to allow him to pursue teacher training.

“Both received a chance for a better social life in childhood,” Knall said – an opportunity “rare for children of their time.” Their experiences made them particularly sensitive to the suffering of the people around them, Knall explained.

Mohr wrote a poem about holy stillness – a night when God comes quietly into a troubled world. Gruber responded with a melody that matched the text’s simplicity and depth.

“The melody is simple but creates a feeling of warmth and safety,” Knall told OSV News. “The text speaks of rescue from distress, hope and love — themes that speak to everyone.”

Together, she said, “the words and melody complement each other perfectly and stay in memory.”

Father Thomas Kunnappallil, who became pastor of Oberndorf’s parish in September, told OSV News he sees this same connection between vulnerability and hope every time the carol is sung.

“For me as a priest, ‘Silent Night, Holy Night’ is far more than a festive Christmas song,” he said. “It leads back to the deep mystery that God does not appear in the splendor and noise of this world, but in the silence of a child who gives peace and hope.”

He recalled a moment from a past Christmas Eve Mass that has stayed with him for years. As he told OSV News, “When the congregation began to sing ‘Silent Night’ at the end of the liturgy, I felt the power of this song. People who had come with very different questions, worries and longings found a moment of inner peace together. A deep sense of community arose that went far beyond words.”

For him, the carol reveals that “God is especially close in the quiet, vulnerable moments – unnoticed but comforting; silent but full of strength.”

Knall added that many common stories about the carol’s origin do not match the historical record. One myth appears again and again: that the organ was broken, forcing Gruber to accompany the carol on a guitar. Knall told OSV News this is not supported by any evidence.

“The guitar would have had to be used for all the songs during the Mass,” Knall said. “A guitar was a ‘low’ instrument and not worthy of a solemn liturgy. And there are no records that the organ was damaged.”

According to Knall, the first performance likely took place in a more intimate way. She told OSV News that it was common in the region for the figure of the Christ Child to be placed on the altar during midnight Mass and later carried to the Nativity scene.

“It was probably sung at that moment, in front of the crib,” she said.

For Father Kunnappallil , the carol reveals something about God’s way of acting in troubled times. “In a time of global uncertainty, the message of ‘Silent Night’ seems astonishingly current,” he told OSV News. “It proclaims that in the midst of a vulnerable world, God comes as peace, not as power. The ‘night’ is real — but it does not have the last word. What changes the world begins in silence.”

Father Kunnappallil, who comes from India, told OSV News that the song speaks to something universal.

“‘Silent Night’ touches people because it expresses the universal longing for peace, hope and love in a simple but profound way,” he said. “The melody is gentle and calming, the words are plain but full of meaning. The message of this song speaks of the coming of God into the world, and that is a message every person in every culture and at every time can understand.”

Through the Child of Bethlehem, he said, “the great God makes himself very small and becomes one of us.”

“He takes on human form and shows solidarity with us,” the priest added. “In doing so, God not only reveals his great love for us, but also shows us the dignity we have as human beings. In the incarnation, God made us human children into children of God. He has united himself with each of us and shared his divine life with us. That is the wonderful thing about Christmas.”

Each year, thousands of people still come to Oberndorf to stand before the small Silent Night Chapel built on the site of the original church.

This Christmas will be Father Kunnappallil’s first time leading the Dec. 24 service there. As he told OSV News, “The celebration … connects people from the region and from around the world in a moment of peace and hope.”

Dear Friends in Christ,

In words echoed by Saint Matthew in his account of the birth of Jesus, the prophet Isaiah sets the stage for God’s redemptive plan: “Behold, the virgin shall be with child and bear a son, and they shall name him Emmanuel, which means God is with us.”

On January 6, 2026, the Solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, will conclude the great Jubilee Year of Hope by closing the Holy Door in Saint Peter’s Basilica in Rome. In Catholic tradition, the Holy Door represents the passage to salvation – the entryway to God’s mercy which was opened to humanity by the incarnation of Jesus – the ultimate and supreme act by which He comes to meet people. Traditionally, Popes have closed the Holy Door as they proclaimed, “Deus qui in omni loco” (“God is here, everywhere”).

These words, which reflect those of Isaiah and Matthew, are the essence of the mystery of faith that we embrace as Christians and the heart of all that we celebrate during Advent and Christmas. They are both the foundation for our hope as believers in Christ and the motivating force of discipleship: “God is here, everywhere.”

In his homily for the First Sunday of Advent, Pope Leo reflected on the reality of God’s abiding presence in our lives, upon the hope that is ours through the incarnation and the responsibility incumbent upon all believers to live in the spirit of Christ’s redemptive love.

The Holy Father said, “The fruits of God’s action in our lives are a gift not only for us, but for everyone … serving as a reminder that the joy of goodness is contagious … We find in them an invitation to renew the power of our own witness of faith. Saint John Chrysostom spoke of the allure of holiness as a sign more eloquent than many miracles. He said: ‘The miracle happens and passes, but the Christian life remains and continually edifies … Let us therefore watch over ourselves, so that we may also benefit others.’”

The Holy Father concluded, “If we truly want to help the people we meet, let us keep watch over ourselves by cultivating our faith with prayer and with the sacraments, living it consistently in charity, and casting off works of darkness and putting on the armor of light.”

Sadly, however, while we are quick to embrace the hope that we are given through the birth of Jesus, we are often reluctant to heed his invitation to authentic discipleship. We fail to make as our own the message of salvation proclaimed throughout the ages by the life, love, mercy, and forgiveness of Jesus. We’re reluctant to heed Jesus’ invitation to walk in his footsteps. We wonder why we are unsettled and peace in our lives, our homes and our world seem so elusive. We question why God can’t provide us with a way out of suffering and pain in Ukraine, in the Middle East, in Nigeria, at our borders, in the lives of our immigrant sisters and brothers, in our neighborhoods, in our families and in our hearts. And we miss the treasure that has been given to each of us through faith.

My friends, for all the upheaval that we confront in our lives, the good news and blessing of Christmas is that “God is here, everywhere.” He has already provided us a way forward with hope if we are wise and humble enough to trust in his presence, to embrace the message of salvation born in Bethlehem, and to walk with him as faithful disciples, making the pattern of his life our own for the sake of a broken world.

During these cherished days, may we give thanks for countless numbers of blessings. May we pray for peace in our world and in our hearts. And may we open our lives to the grace and mercy of God won for us through the child named Emmanuel – God with us!

With gratitude for the privilege of serving as your Bishop and with prayers for a holy and blessed Christmas for you, your family and all you hold dear, I am

Faithfully yours in Christ,

Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, D.D., J.C.L.
Bishop of Scranton

 

SCRANTON – The faithful of the Diocese of Scranton are invited to gather in thanksgiving and prayer as the Jubilee Year of Hope concludes with a Closing Mass on Sunday, Dec. 28, 2025, at 12:15 p.m. at the Cathedral of Saint Peter in Scranton.

The Closing Mass will mark the final diocesan celebration of the Jubilee Year of Hope, observed throughout 2025 by the Universal Church.

All are welcome to attend, with a special invitation extended to those who participated in Jubilee events during the year, including the Diocesan Pilgrimage to Rome in late August and September, the Diocesan Pilgrimage to the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., on Oct. 1, 2025, and the many special Jubilee Masses and prayer opportunities held across the Diocese.

The Jubilee Year has been a time for Catholics to deepen their faith, encounter Christ more personally, and renew their commitment to live as “Pilgrims of Hope” in a world in need of healing and peace.

The Closing Mass on Dec. 28 will offer an opportunity for our Diocesan family to come together and give thanks for the spiritual fruits of the Holy Year.

The Most Rev. Joseph C. Bambera, Bishop of Scranton, will serve as principal celebrant and homilist for the Closing Mass of the Jubilee Year.

Throughout the year, the Diocese of Scranton marked the Jubilee with opportunities for prayer, pilgrimage, and worship, encouraging the faithful to reflect on the hope found in Christ and to carry that hope into their families, parishes, and communities.

The Closing Mass will invite Catholics to continue living that message of hope, faith, and discipleship beyond the conclusion of the Holy Year.

For those unable to attend in person, CTV: Catholic Television of the Diocese of Scranton will provide live coverage of the Mass. A livestream will also be made available on the Diocesan website, YouTube channel and all Diocesan social media platforms.

SCRANTON – Please see the graphic below regarding Mass times (both local and from the Vatican) for Christmas 2025.