Catholic News Service

Admittedly not a big fan of needles, Miami Archbishop Thomas G. Wenski winced as he became possibly the first U.S. bishop to receive a COVID-19 vaccination.

The Vatican decreed that priests can celebrate as many as four Masses on several important feast days, including Christmas, to accommodate the participation of the faithful.

U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Services announced that seven countries will receive an extension for its citizens to remain in the U.S. under the Temporary Protected Status program.

The Supreme Court, once again siding with houses of worship opposed to pandemic-related restrictions, ordered lower federal courts in Colorado and New Jersey Dec. 15 to reexamine state-imposed indoor worship restrictions.

If Christians forget to remember in prayer people who are suffering, their prayer can become a superficial activity that feeds their ego rather than seeking the good and well-being of others, Pope Francis said.

A California judge Dec. 10 ruled in favor of a Catholic priest of the traditionalist Society of St. Pius X who is fighting Gov. Gavin Newsom's enforcement of COVID-19 restrictions on houses of worship.

The archdiocese claimed the District's hard cap on religious services singles out religious groups for more restrictive COVID-19 limitations on public gatherings than those placed on businesses and other venues in the city.

Joy should be the hallmark of a Christian's life, a reflection of knowing that one is loved by God, saved by Jesus Christ and committed to leading others to him, Pope Francis said.

The "gravity" of the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and "the lack of availability of alternative vaccines," are "sufficiently serious" reasons to accept the Pfizer/BioNTech and Moderna vaccines, the bishops said.

The humble image of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a reminder of the gift of God's abundant blessings to all men and women, Pope Francis said.

The image of baby Jesus nestled in the manger is a much-needed reminder during the pandemic that God gives the world the gift of hope in troubled times, Pope Francis said.

Reflecting on crises still unfolding in Syria and Iraq, Pope Francis encouraged every effort — big or small — to help foster peace there and help Christians remain.

The trees from which it is produced are in severe decline and one species in particular — the boswellia papyrifera — risks going extinct in the next 50 years.

The sacrifice of five Catholic priests who gave their lives ministering to people in Shreveport during the 1873 yellow fever epidemic will now be recognized with the formal opening of their sainthood cause.

Pope Francis sought the intercession of the first Indigenous saint of the Americas as COVID-19 continued to devastate many Latin American countries.

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Vatican secretary of state, was hospitalized Dec. 8 in preparation for a scheduled surgery to treat an enlarged prostate, the Vatican press office confirmed.

Praying to God in times of joy and sorrow is a natural, human thing to do because it connects men and women to their father in heaven, Pope Francis said.

With the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe closed for her feast to prevent the spread of COVID-19, Pope Francis said Catholics still can receive a plenary indulgence Dec. 11 and 12 for their Marian devotion if they follow certain conditions.

Addressing pilgrims in St. Peter's Square on the feast of the Immaculate Conception Dec. 8, the pope said the grace "to be totally free from sin" is a gift from God and the "fullness of holiness" given to Mary from the beginning.

President-elect Joe Biden's Catholic faith came less into play than the values he and Pope Francis share at a Georgetown University-convened online panel examining how U.S.-Vatican relations could be shaped under the Biden administration.