President-elect Donald Trump on Dec. 20 announced his intention to appoint Brian Burch, currently the president of CatholicVote, as the next U.S. Ambassador to the Holy See.
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Bishop J. Gregory Kelly named to Texas diocese after Pope Francis removed Bishop Strickland
Despite his removal, Bishop Joseph E. Strickland has remained an outspoken detractor of Pope Francis, both online and at various events organized by Catholic laity opposed to the Holy Father.
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Joe Biden to meet with Pope Francis at the Vatican on Jan. 10
The two leaders also spoke by telephone Dec. 19 during which the 82-year-old president thanked the pope “for his continued advocacy to alleviate global suffering.”
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Joe Biden expected to visit Pope Francis in final international trip of his presidency
The White House is expected to announce soon that President Joe Biden will visit the Vatican to meet with Pope Francis next month for what would likely be the final international trip of his presidency.
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Archbishop Gänswein reflects on new diplomatic role in Baltic states
Previously serving as Pope Benedict XVI’s private secretary and later as prefect of the Papal Household, Archbishop Georg Gänswein was sent home to Germany by Pope Francis in June 2023—“a decision that had to be digested,” he said.
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Pope Francis declares 16 new saints killed during French Revolution
Pope Francis has declared as saints 16 Carmelite martyrs executed by guillotine during the French Revolution and confirmed the martyrdom and heroic virtues of five others in a series of decrees published Dec. 18.
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Ten Commandments tablet, said to be 1,500 years old, goes up for auction
Sotheby’s is facilitating the sale of what it says is an approximately 1,500-year-old tablet, which it describes as “the only complete tablet of the Ten Commandments still extant from this early era.”
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Supreme Court to hear Catholic agency’s religious exemption case
The U.S. Supreme Court on Dec. 13 agreed to hear a case from the Catholic Charities Bureau of the Diocese of Superior, Wisconsin, in which the agency argued a decision by the Wisconsin Supreme Court discounted its religious identity.
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Multiple dead reported in shooting at Wisconsin Christian school
Police in Madison said Dec. 16 they are investigating a shooting at that city’s Abundant Life Christian School that left multiple people dead and injured.
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Two women join Vatican synod planning council for first time
For the first time, women will serve on the Ordinary Council of the General Secretariat of the Synod.