St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada. | Credit: CCN Photo/Terry O’Neill

Jan 12, 2026 / 13:29 pm (CNA).

In a case with implications for religious freedom, institutional autonomy, and health care access across Canada, a British Columbia Supreme Court trial starting Jan. 12 will consider whether faith-based hospitals can be forced to provide euthanasia on site.

The case, Gaye O’Neill et al. v. His Majesty the King in Right of the Province of British Columbia, Vancouver Coastal Health Authority, and Providence Health Care Society, arises from the death of a terminally ill woman who sought medical assistance in dying (MAID) while receiving care at St. Paul’s Hospital in Vancouver. Because St. Paul’s is a Catholic facility that does not provide assisted suicide, the patient was transferred to another health care facility that offered MAID. Her family and co-plaintiffs allege the transfer caused “unnecessary pain and distress” and argue that the policy allowing faith-based facilities to opt out of MAID violates the Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms.

The co-defendants in the case are the Providence Health Care Society, the Catholic denominational authority that operates St. Paul’s and 16 other facilities, the B.C. Ministry of Health, and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority (VCH).

Trial proceedings are scheduled to run from Jan. 12 to Feb. 6. While the legality of MAID itself is not being challenged, the court must decide whether publicly funded, faith-based hospitals can maintain MAID-free spaces or whether the state’s duty to provide access overrides institutional conscience rights.

Central to the defense is a 1995 Master Agreement between the B.C. government and denominational health providers. The agreement formally recognizes the right of faith-based facilities to preserve the spiritual nature of the facility and governs how services incompatible with a facility’s religious identity are handled, typically through transfer rather than on-site provision.

Supporters of the current system argue that this pluralistic model protects the diversity of care available to British Columbians.

The Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops in 2023 released a statement reiterating its opposition to euthanasia in Catholic hospitals. Vancouver Archbishop J. Michael Miller noted that the bishops had already drawn a line in the sand at their September plenary meeting when they stated unanimously that MAID would not be delivered at Catholic hospitals.

The new statement formalized that stance by saying the bishops “unanimously and unequivocally oppose the performance of either euthanasia or assisted suicide (MAID) within health organizations with a Catholic identity.”

The case has drawn a large number of interveners, reflecting its potential national impact on the future of denominational health care in Canada.

The Christian Legal Fellowship (CLF) will argue for the protection of associational religious freedom, suggesting that institutions, like individuals, possess a right to collective conscience. CLF has said that forcing a religious community to act against its foundational beliefs has dehumanizing consequences and undermines the purpose for which such institutions exist.

The Canadian Physicians for Life and the Evangelical Fellowship of Canada are expected to focus on the sanctity of life and the integrity of the medical profession, arguing that a health care system that mandates the ending of life within all its facilities risks failing to protect the most vulnerable.

Conversely, the B.C. Humanist Association has called for the provincial government to “tear up” the 1995 Master Agreement, arguing that it undermines the government’s duty of religious neutrality. “No one should suffer needlessly at the end of life,” said executive director Ian Bushfield, adding that the state should not put the interests of religious institutions ahead of individual rights.

The Canadian Civil Liberties Association (CCLA), also intervening, plans to challenge whether a publicly funded organization can claim standalone religious protections independent of its staff. The CCLA will argue that ascribing religious rights to an institution whose primary purpose is health delivery poses inevitable difficulties for state neutrality.

The Delta Hospice Society (DHS) has introduced a distinct legal argument, suggesting that section 7 of the Charter, which protects the right to life, liberty, and security of the person, should protect a patient’s right to access a MAID-free environment.

“There are many terminally ill palliative care patients who desire to spend their final days without being asked if they want their life ended by their health care provider,” said constitutional lawyer Allison Pejovic, representing the society. DHS argues that for many patients, a space free of euthanasia is a requirement for psychological security of the person.

The trial comes as construction continues on the new $2.18 billion St. Paul’s Hospital at its new site. The B.C. government has indicated it remains committed to the project’s Catholic identity, despite the ongoing litigation.

Evidence and testimony will be heard through early February, with the court expected to receive final written submissions in the spring.

This story was first published by The Catholic Register and has been reprinted by CNA with permission.

Pope Leo XIV introduced a new papal staff on Jan. 6, 2026, during the closing of the Holy Door | Credit: Vatican Media / null

Jan 12, 2026 / 12:25 pm (CNA).

Last week during the Jan. 6 closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV used a new papal staff, or ferula, which is used by pontiffs in solemn ceremonies and represents their leadership as bishop of Rome and supreme pastor of the entire Church.

According to the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Holy See, popes have traditionally received this insignia after their election, when they took possession of their see in St. John Lateran Basilica.

The papal staff, used only by the pope and topped with a cross or a crucifix, is different from the bishop’s crozier — the shepherd’s staff — which ends in a curve and is used by bishops and archbishops.

It was St. Paul VI who, in 1965 on the occasion of the closing of the Second Vatican Council, used a silver ferula with a crucifix designed by the sculptor Lello Scorzelli. The pontiff began to use this cross with increasing frequency in liturgical celebrations, as his successors would later do.

St. John Paul II also chose to use the papal ferula from the beginning of his pontificate. Even in the last years of his life, the late pontiff leaned on it while convalescing in his room.

Benedict XVI used a ferula topped with a golden cross, previously used by Blessed Pius IX. Leo XIV used Benedict XVI’s ferula on May 18 during his first Mass as pope and has also used the one designed by Scorzelli for St. Paul VI.

The new papal ferula used by Pope Leo XIV is in continuity with those used by his predecessors, linking the mission of proclaiming the mystery of love expressed by Christ on the cross with its glorious manifestation in the Resurrection.

Furthermore, as the Vatican explains, its style is reminiscent of Scorzelli’s work, as it depicts Christ no longer bound by the nails of the Passion but with his glorified body in the act of ascending to the Father.

The ferula bears the motto chosen by Pope Leo XIV: “ In illo uno unum,” (“In the one Christ we are one”), which captures the theological dimension of his magisterium, founded on the unity and communion that makes us the Church.

The use of the papal ferula is seen as carrying a profound symbolic meaning: It expresses the specific mission of the successor of Peter to confirm his brothers in the faith and preside over the Church in charity.

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

Former U.S. Attorney General Bill Barr speaks with “EWTN News In Depth” on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: “EWTN News In Depth”/Screenshot

Jan 12, 2026 / 11:45 am (CNA).

Former United States Attorney General Bill Barr said military action to capture Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro was “legitimate under U.S. law.”

On Jan. 3 President Donald Trump announced that U.S. forces “captured” Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores, and flew them out of the country following a “large-scale strike” on the South American nation.

Since the capture, Congress has remained divided on whether the capture was legal under U.S. and international law. In a Jan. 9 interview with “EWTN News In Depth,” Barr said it was “completely legitimate” under the U.S. Constitution.

Barr served as the 77th attorney general of the United States from 1991 to 1993 under President George H.W. Bush. He was later reappointed as the 85th attorney general from 2019 to 2020 during the first Trump administration.

There are two questions raised in regard to the Maduro situation, Barr said. The first is: “Is it appropriate under American law to use our defense and law enforcement powers the way we did to apprehend Maduro?”

“In my mind, there’s no question that the United States, under our Constitution, had the right to deal with the threat posed by the cocaine trafficking, the drug activities, and the threatening conduct of Maduro’s regime with Cuba, China, and Russia,” Barr said.

The second question is: “Assuming it is legal for the United States to do it, which branch of government should make that call, and is it necessary to have congressional approval?”

“I think the history is very clear that this kind of action, targeted action to deal with a particular threat, is within the discretion of the president,” Barr answered. “Yes, the Congress can declare war, but responding to particular threats, using force, is something that historically virtually all presidents have done.”

Before the raid that captured Maduro, the United States significantly increased its military presence in the Caribbean under Operation Southern Spear and conducted seizures of sanctioned Venezuelan tankers. It conducted drone strikes against suspected narcotics and cartel-linked targets. The military also carried out aerial strikes against civilian boats in the Caribbean resulting in dozens of civilian deaths.

The last time the U.S. deposed a Latin American leader was exactly 36 years ago to the day that Maduro was captured, when U.S. forces captured Gen. Manuel Noriega in Panama. Bush sent troops to arrest, capture, and bring back Noriega for trial.

At the time of Noriega’s capture, Barr was serving as assistant U.S. attorney general and advised the White House on the matter. “There are a lot of parallels” between the situation with Maduro and Noriega, he said.

“We did not recognize Noriega as the legitimate government of Panama because there had been an election, which clearly the democratic forces won, and he suppressed it and remained in power,” Barr said. “Same thing with Maduro. We do not recognize Maduro.”

“Under our law, Maduro is not the leader of the state. Maduro is just a Venezuelan citizen who has seized power and is oppressing the Venezuelan people. That’s how our law views it. And that was the same with Panama.”

In Panama, which is about 12 times smaller than Venezuela, there were already thousands of U.S. troops stationed there when Noriega, who had long-standing ties to the CIA, was taken. A government had been elected legitimately.

Both leaders “were involved heavily in the drug business,” Barr said. “I’d have to say Maduro is much more heavily involved and has repressed his country for over a decade and has destroyed their economy.”

In Venezuela, “a quarter of the country left the country, a quarter of it, 8 million people,” Barr said. “We’re dealing with … a humanitarian crisis. We’re dealing with a country that’s deeply involved in [the] narcotics trade. It was clearly justified, both as a matter of law enforcement and defending the interests of the American people.”

Pope Leo calls for ‘safeguarding the country’s sovereignty’

Venezuela has “a secular socialist government, and they have not protected religious liberty, especially where they view leaders as hostile to the government or not supporting their policies,” Barr said.

“The Catholic bishops down there, I think, issued a statement and made clear that they felt that he had been an oppressive ruler and were relieved to see him ousted from power and that that was a positive step,” Barr said.

“I hope the leaders in Rome pay attention to the position of the Catholic bishops down in Venezuela that have had to deal with it,” he said.

Since the capture, Pope Leo has called for the safeguard of Venezuela’ s sovereignty and that the rule of law in the Constitution is followed.

“Sovereignty is to show respect for the idea that a people should determine their own future,” Barr said. “They should make their own choices, that a people should be able to govern themselves. Now, that applies where you have freedom. But we’re dealing here with a regime that overturned the results of a free election and clearly was not accepted by the people.”

Maduro is “an unpopular dictator who has seized power and turned that country into a piggy bank for his family and for his generals,” Barr said.

“A just war is fought for defensive purposes, to protect the interest, the well-being of your own citizens. Here, you’re dealing with a regime that has been preying on the United States. We indicted him because, and there will be evidence, he’s deliberately trying to weaken and hurt the United States.”

“He’s responsible for tens of thousands, probably hundreds of thousands after all this time, of American deaths,” Barr said. “Our vital interests were at stake. He was providing a base for Hezbollah. He was involved in manufacturing weapons for Iran to use against our allies. He provided a base for Russia and China in his country.”

Next steps

Following Maduro’s capture, people are left wondering if the Trump administration will carry out similar action on other nations. Barr said he does not believe that the U.S. will have to get involved with countries like Cuba or Colombia, because there will be changes without outside intervention.

“Cuba is completely dependent on Venezuelan oil,” he said. “Cuba is so poor because of their socialist regime that they can’t afford to buy oil. What they do is they swap military and intelligence assets and help to the Venezuelans in order to get the oil.”

“I think the oil will be shut down, and I think that that will create a crisis in Cuba, and I think Cuba could very easily fall,” Barr said. In turn, “it also puts pressure on Colombia.”

“The leader of Colombia is the first socialist left-wing leader Colombia has had in over 100 years, and it’s been a disaster for the country. His ratings are extremely low. This is an election year. He cannot succeed himself.”

“I think there’s an opportunity for a change in government there. I don’t think we necessarily have to do anything there. I think that will come,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV meets Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the Vatican on Jan. 12, 2026. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jan 12, 2026 / 06:50 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV met with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the Vatican on Monday in an audience that was not initially included in the official schedule for the day.

The meeting was added to the pontiff’s agenda in the Holy See’s noon news bulletin. The Vatican has not released any details about the audience.

Machado, one of the leading figures of the Venezuelan opposition, has been a prominent voice in denouncing the institutional, economic, and humanitarian crisis facing the country.

The Venezuelan politician, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in December, is also expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump this week.

According to a post on X from Machado's political party, Vente Venezuela, the politician met with the pope to request his help in the release of all political prisoners in Venezuela.

“Today I had the blessing and honor of being able to share with His Holiness and express our gratitude for his attention to what is happening in our country. I also conveyed to him the strength of the Venezuelan people who remain steadfast and in prayer for the freedom of Venezuela, and I asked him to intercede for all Venezuelans who remain kidnapped and disappeared,” Machado said after the meeting, according to a post on X from political organization Comando Con Venezuela.

Machado also met with Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Jan. 12, according to Comando Con Venezuela.

Nicolás Maduro is being held in a New York prison after appearing before a federal judge on various charges related to drug trafficking and terrorism following his capture by the U.S. military in the early hours of Jan. 3.

Delcy Rodríguez, former vice president of Venezuela, has assumed the interim presidency of the country following Maduro’s arrest.

In his Angelus message on Jan. 4, Leo XIV called for full respect for the country’s national sovereignty and for the human and civil rights of its people.

“It is with deep concern that I am following the developments in Venezuela,” said the pontiff, stressing that “the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration.”

The pope urged cooperation to “build a peaceful future of collaboration, stability, and harmony” and emphasized that this effort must be made “with special attention to the poorest, who suffer because of the difficult economic situation.”

In his address to the diplomatic corps on Jan. 9, Leo reiterated his call to respect “the will of the Venezuelan people” and for work “to safeguard the human and civil rights of all, ensuring a future of stability and concord.”

Hannah Brockhaus contributed to this report.

This story was first published on ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. It was updated at 10:18 a.m. ET with the statement from Machado.

Credit: CDC/Debora Cartagena

Jan 12, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Catholic medical professionals and ethicists had mixed reactions to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) announcement last week that it has revised the recommended childhood and adolescent vaccine schedule.

In a press release on Jan. 5, the CDC announced a revised recommended childhood immunization schedule, which reduces the number of universally recommended vaccines from 18 to 11. It retains routine recommendations for all children against measles, mumps, rubella, polio, pertussis, tetanus, diphtheria, Haemophilus influenzae type b, pneumococcal disease, human papillomavirus (HPV), and varicella (chickenpox).

Vaccines for rotavirus, influenza, COVID-19, hepatitis A, hepatitis B, meningococcal disease, and RSV now shift to recommendations for high-risk groups or after “shared clinical decision-making” between providers and families.

According to a Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) memo, the CDC “applies shared clinical decision-making recommendations when evidence indicates that individuals may benefit from vaccination based on an analysis of the individual’s characteristics, values, and preferences, the provider’s medical judgment, and the characteristics of the vaccine being considered.”

Insurance companies must continue to cover all vaccines.

The changes come after President Donald Trump directed the heads of the CDC and HHS in December 2025 to “review best practices from peer, developed nations regarding childhood vaccination recommendations and the scientific evidence underlying those practices” and to make changes accordingly.

After reviewing the vaccination practices of 20 peer nations, a scientific assessment found that “the U.S. is a global outlier among developed nations in both the number of diseases addressed in its routine childhood vaccination schedule and the total number of recommended doses but does not have higher vaccination rates than such countries.”

“Science demands continuous evaluation,” Dr. Jay Bhattacharya, director of the National Institutes of Health (NIH), said in the CDC press release. “This decision commits NIH, CDC, and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to gold standard science, greater transparency, and ongoing reassessment as new data emerge.”

Dr. Tim Millea, chair of the health care policy committee at the Catholic Medical Association (CMA), welcomed the changes, telling CNA that he thought the CDC approached the revisions “in a very logical way.”

“There has been a huge drop in trust surrounding vaccines since the COVID-19 pandemic,” Millea said. “The suggestions during COVID that the science was ‘settled’ rubbed a lot of us the wrong way.”

“The loudest critics of these new recommendations say this is ideology over science,” he said. “Science is a process, not an end. If we need more evidence, let’s get it,” he said, pointing out Bhattacharya’s call for “gold standard” science and “ongoing reassessment.”

Millea, a retired orthopedic surgeon, said he has confidence that Bhattacharya and Dr. Marty Makary, head of the FDA, are “not going to let ideology get ahead of science.”

The president of the National Catholic Bioethics Center (NCBC), John Di Camillo, told CNA in a statement regarding the updated immunization recommendations: “The people look to public health authorities precisely for this kind of guidance, which is responsive to continually evolving research, ongoing discussions among professionals in the medical field, and ethical principles that promote the common good, respect the dignity of the human person, and limit the interference of financial and ideological conflicts.”

‘Let those closest to the children make the decisions’

Millea acknowledged that critics of the CDC’s revised recommendations say comparing the U.S. vaccine schedule to that of much smaller, more homogeneous nations such as Denmark is like “comparing apples to oranges.”

However, he pointed out that the CDC’s revised schedule is simply a recommendation, and each of the 50 U.S. states is free to do what it deems best. “It’s like 50 laboratories. Let’s see what works the best.”

Invoking the Catholic principle of subsidiarity, Millea said “let those closest to the children who are getting the vaccinations make the decisions.”

“One of the positive aspects of the pandemic is that now we can take a step back and we’re questioning, not because something may be wrong, but maybe because it could be improved upon,” Millea said.

John F. Brehany, executive vice president and director of Institutional Relations at the NCBC, told CNA that “the new schedule appears to have been designed with good intent; that is, … to have gained public trust in the absence of mandates and to have contributed to population health outcomes that meet or exceed those of the U.S.”

“The new schedule does not take a ‘one size fits all’ approach but rather structures recommendations based on the nature of the diseases, vaccines in question, and characteristics of the children or patients who may receive them,” he continued. “This approach appears to be well-founded and to provide a sound foundation for respecting the dignity and rights of every unique human person.”

This will ‘sow more confusion’

Dr. Gwyneth Spaeder, a Catholic pediatrician in North Carolina, did not welcome the changes to the immunization schedule.

While she acknowledged that the damage to trust in institutions was substantial after the COVID-19 pandemic, she thinks the issues surrounding the COVID-19 vaccine’s safety and efficacy “cannot be compared” with the decades of studies demonstrating the safety of common children’s immunizations.

“It is not the same moral calculus,” she said.

She does not believe revising the immunization schedule this way will restore trust in institutions, which she said might take “years or even generations” to rebuild.

This method will “sow more confusion,” Spaeder said. “Instead of trying to rebuild trust in transparent, evidence-based practices, we have created a situation where everyone is told different things … For this child, we think this schedule is the best, for that child, there’s a different one. That’s not how public health works.”

She also said that comparing the homogeneous, relatively tiny population of 6 million in Denmark to that of the diverse population of 340 million in the U.S. is “a false comparison.”

“Their children are at less risk from falling through the cracks and contracting these diseases we try to vaccinate against,” she said, noting the protective public health effects of Denmark’s universal health care and generous parental leave policies.

“The children who will be most harmed in the U.S. are the underserved,” Spaeder said. “That’s being lost in this conversation. We can have a lot of high-level political arguments, but I am most concerned about my patients from single-parent homes who attend day care from young ages, or who are born to mothers who don’t have adequate prenatal care.”

“They will lose out the most from not being protected from these diseases.”

Archbishop Georg Gänswein speaks at an event hosted by the Catholic magazine Kelionė at the Lithuanian National Library in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Jan. 7, 2026. | Credit: L. Macevicienes/Zurnalaskelione.lt / null

Jan 11, 2026 / 10:32 am (CNA).

Archbishop Georg Gänswein, the apostolic nuncio to the Baltic states and longtime personal secretary to Pope Benedict XVI, said he now prays not for but to the late pontiff, asking for his intercession, and expressed hope the beatification cause will open soon.

Speaking at an event hosted by the Catholic magazine Kelionė at the Lithuanian National Library on Jan. 7, Gänswein offered personal reflections on his new diplomatic mission, the celebration of Christmas in Lithuania, and his decades-long collaboration with Joseph Ratzinger.

“I come from the most beautiful part of Germany, but I have lived in Rome for most of my life,” Gänswein said.

“As a bonus and thanks for all my work, I received an assignment to work in the Baltic states,” he said jovially.

Asked about differences between Christmas in Rome and in the Baltic region, the archbishop answered with characteristic humor: “I celebrated Christmas in Rome for 28 years, and in Vilnius for two. The first difference is the cold.” He added that Lithuania’s seasonal displays left a strong impression, drawing attention to “very beautiful Christmas decorations” and saying the Christmas trees “are very beautiful, maybe even more beautiful than in St. Peter’s Square, in the Vatican.”

Gänswein also expressed gratitude that the celebration of Christ’s birth in Lithuania is not merely cultural or superficial. He said he has sensed a reverence in which “its depth is felt here,” pointing to a faith that remains attentive to the mystery at the heart of the season.

During the conversation, the nuncio returned to the influence of Benedict XVI, describing his years beside Ratzinger as a gift of divine providence.

“All the years of cooperation together have left an indelible experience,” he said. “It was not only intellectual and theological formation but also formation of the heart, soul, and everything that we can call life.”

Gänswein recalled to the audience that his first encounter with Ratzinger came when he was still a young seminarian, reading the future pope’s articles and books while Ratzinger was a professor in Germany. “I tried to read and study all of his writings,” he said, explaining that he came to see Ratzinger not only as a theologian and academic but also as “a man full of faith and intelligence.”

After his priestly ordination in 1984, Gänswein served as an assistant parish priest before continuing his studies. He later completed doctoral work and eventually arrived in Rome, where he first met Ratzinger while the cardinal was serving as prefect of the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith. Gänswein said Ratzinger invited him into collaboration, an invitation he regarded as mysterious and grace-filled.

“What did he call me for? I don’t know,” he said, “but I see it as a great gift of Providence.” In 2003, he added, he became Ratzinger’s personal secretary.

Speaking of Benedict XVI after the late pope’s death, Gänswein made a striking remark about prayer and spiritual closeness: “And now, when Pope Benedict XVI has departed to be with the Lord, I notice that I do not pray so much for him, but to him, asking for his help.” He said there were moments, including during his service in the Baltics, when he found himself asking for Benedict’s intercession.

At the same time, he stressed the Church’s caution regarding sainthood causes. “The Church is a very wise and very prudent mother,” he said, noting that in beatification causes she is “twice wise and twice prudent” and that time must pass to discern whether public esteem reflects genuine holiness rather than passing fame.

In a December 2025 interview with German Catholic television network K-TV, Gänswein said: “Personally, I have great hopes that this process will be opened.” The interview aired shortly before a private audience he held with Pope Leo XIV during a discreet mid-December visit to Rome.

The Kelionė gathering also featured talks from other invited speakers. Educator Vytautas Toleikis, who works as a moral education teacher at Vilnius St. Christopher Gymnasium, is the founder of the informal education group “Walkers.” He described taking students on weekly walks around Vilnius to encounter people he personally admires. He said the goal is to broaden students’ horizons through lived encounters with kindness and human warmth, adding that these meetings often surprise him as much as they do the young people.

Singer Sasha Song, who represented Lithuania at the 2009 Eurovision, shared a brief personal testimony about his struggle with addiction and the transformation he experienced after rehabilitation. He said the experience taught him to value life differently, describing his current state as one marked by gratitude and a renewed sense of happiness.

Professor Robertas Badaras, a toxicologist with four decades of experience, reflected on how substance abuse has changed since the Soviet period. He noted that while alcohol once dominated, society now confronts an expanding array of substances, including a vast number of hallucinogens and stimulants.

Actress Justė Liaugaudė, representing the “Red Noses Clown Doctors,” spoke about offering emotional support to patients of all ages, especially those who struggle to find joy amid illness. She described how the organization’s presence has expanded in clinical settings, including, she said, being the only nonmedical personnel permitted to accompany children into operating rooms — a reminder that compassion can reach where words and medicine sometimes cannot.

For Gänswein, however, the evening’s most enduring note returned to what he called the quiet, lifelong schooling he received at Benedict’s side, a formation not only of the mind but also of the whole person and the conviction that gratitude, faith, and truth are never merely ideas but realities meant to be lived.

Pope Leo XIV baptizes a child in the Sistine Chapel at the Vatican on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Jan. 11, 2026. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jan 11, 2026 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV baptized 20 infants, the children of Vatican employees, during Mass in the Sistine Chapel on Sunday for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord.

In his homily, the pope urged parents to see faith as essential for their children’s lives, comparing it to the basic care no newborn can do without.

“When we know that something good is essential, we immediately seek it for those we love,” he said. “Who among us, in fact, would leave newborns without clothes or without nourishment, waiting for them to choose when they are grown how to dress and what to eat?”

“Dear friends, if food and clothing are necessary to live, faith is more than necessary, because with God life finds salvation,” the pope said.

Baptism as God’s closeness

Reflecting on the Gospel account of Jesus’ baptism, Leo said the Lord chooses to be found where people least expect him — “the Holy One among sinners” — drawing near without keeping distance. He pointed to Jesus’ reply to John the Baptist: “Let it be so now, for it is proper for us to fulfill all righteousness,” explaining that God’s “righteousness” is his saving action, by which the Father makes humanity righteous through Christ.

The pope described Jesus’ baptism in the Jordan as a sign renewed with deeper meaning — “death and resurrection, forgiveness and communion” — and said the sacrament celebrated for the infants is rooted in God’s love.

“The children you now hold in your arms are transformed into new creatures,” Leo told parents. “Just as from you, their parents, they have received life, so now they receive the meaning for living it: faith.”

A word to mothers and fathers

Leo emphasized the role of parents as the first witnesses and educators of faith, saying God’s provident love becomes visible on earth through mothers and fathers who ask for faith for their children.

He also noted the changing seasons of family life: “Certainly, the day will come when they will become heavy to hold in your arms; and the day will also come when they will be the ones to support you.”

The pope prayed that the sacrament would strengthen families in lasting love: “May baptism, which unites us in the one family of the Church, sanctify all your families at all times, giving strength and constancy to the affection that unites you.”

The signs of baptism

Turning to the rites themselves, Leo explained the meaning of baptism’s symbols: “The water of the font is the washing in the Spirit, which purifies from every sin; the white garment is the new robe that God the Father gives us for the eternal feast of his kingdom; the candle lit from the paschal candle is the light of the risen Christ, which illumines our path.”

“I wish you to continue it with joy throughout the year that has just begun and for your whole life, certain that the Lord will always accompany your steps,” he said.

The baptism of children of Vatican employees is a tradition begun in 1981 by St. John Paul II. The first ceremonies were held in the Pauline Chapel, and since 1983 the annual celebration has taken place in the Sistine Chapel.

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

Four new priests and six new deacons were ordained for South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio on Jan. 4, 2026. | Credit: Ruru Gene News/Sister Laurencila, FSSA

Jan 11, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The four newly ordained priests and six newly ordained deacons for South Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of Tombura-Yambio have been reminded of the urgency of their mission in the contemporary world, especially in communities wounded by conflict, poverty, and division.

In his Jan. 4 homily during the ordination Mass that coincided with the solemnity of the Epiphany at St. Augustine Parish in the diocese, Bishop Eduardo Hiiboro Kussala reflected on the role of priests in reconciling broken communities, forming consciences through education, restoring dignity among the poor, and remaining steadfast where fear and suffering persist.

“I am not ordaining you for an ideal country,” Hiiboro said and described South Sudan, the world’s youngest nation, as a nation deeply loved by God and in need of committed pastoral leadership.

He noted that the Church sends priests into real situations marked by fragility but also hope.

The bishop, who serves as the president of the Integral Human Development Commission of the Sudan and South Sudan Catholic Bishops’ Conference, further urged those he was ordaining to be stars in guiding others to Jesus Christ in their respective ministries.

Hiiboro reflected on the story of the Magi and reminded the new priests and deacons that ordination does not replace Christ but points others toward him.

Reflecting on the star that guided the three Wise Men from the East to see the infant Jesus, Hiiboro urged the newly ordained deacons and priests to allow their lives to guide people to Jesus through faithfulness and witness.

“As the Magi followed the star and found Christ, you are now sent to be stars, guiding others to Jesus,” the bishop said.

Calling for unity among members of the clergy as one of the most powerful forms of preaching, the South Sudanese bishop encouraged fraternity, shared prayer, and forgiveness, reminding the clergy that love among priests is a visible sign of discipleship.

The bishop cautioned against constant complaint and division among members of the clergy, warning that such attitudes weaken vocation and harm communities.

Instead, he encouraged priests to embrace the cross of Christ, noting that suffering, when embraced with humility, sanctifies — but destroys one who rejects it.

Discouraging a “celebrity mentality” among priests, Hiiboro said the Church is more concerned with “holy shepherds rooted in the daily realities of the people.” Holiness, the bishop explained, is not an escape from life but faithfulness within it.

He urged priests never to abandon prayer, warning that a priest who stops praying gradually loses direction.

The South Sudanese Church leader went on to describe the three evangelical vows — celibacy, obedience, and simplicity/poverty — as paths to inner freedom, not limitations, which help priests overcome ego, attachment, and isolation.

Hiiboro, referencing the words of Pope Francis, urged priests to remain close to the communities they serve, portraying them as agents of peace, defenders of human dignity, promoters of education, and advocates for food security and self-reliance.

He emphasized that such involvement is not political activism but a genuine expression of living the Gospel.

The bishop also cited examples of saints who made a lasting impact on society through faith and service, including St. Benedict of Nursia, St. Daniel Comboni, St. Josephine Bakhita, and St. John Bosco — noting that they demonstrated courage even in challenging and imperfect circumstances.

The bishop also urged those he was ordaining to embrace their priestly identity with confidence, reminding them that their very presence, conduct, and appearance already preach before words are spoken.

This article was originally published by ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa, and has been adapted for CNA.

Pope Leo XIV speaks to bishops gathered for the Jubilee of Bishops on June 25, 2025, in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 11, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Soon after the election of Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle shared in a press conference that moments before then-Cardinal Robert Prevost was chosen to be pontiff, Tagle noticed the emotion by the soon-to-be-pope as it was becoming more clear he would be elected, so he reached into his pocket and offered Prevost a piece of candy.

It was this simple moment that inspired Lauren Winter, founder of the Catholic company Brick House in the City, to start the Adopt a Bishop initiative.

“It really reminded me that these are all human beings who made the choice one day to accept a very serious ‘yes,’” Winter told CNA in an interview.

The Adopt a Bishop initiative, which has been launched in collaboration with The Dorothea Project, invites the faithful to adopt a bishop for the year and pray for that bishop throughout the year.

“I think our bishops carry an enormous and often invisible spiritual weight,” she said. “They carry a responsibility that most of us never see — it’s pastoral and spiritual and it’s deeply personal and they’re holding entire dioceses in their prayer. And I think that kind of weight requires spiritual support.”

This is the first year of the initiative and over 1,000 people have already signed up to adopt a bishop in prayer. When an individual signs up on the website that person is randomly assigned a bishop from anywhere in the world.

Winter explained that she decided to use a random generator in order to “remove preference.”

“I didn’t want anyone to choose a bishop that they already knew and admired and I wanted to leave that room for the Holy Spirit,” she said. “And it may be a bishop you are already familiar with. It may be a bishop that is someone that you have disagreed with. But the call to prayer is still there and I think receiving a bishop instead of choosing one, that felt more like a posture of reception, which I feel like it’s more aligned with how grace works in the Church — just leaving the room there for the Spirit to work.”

The Catholic business owner highlighted the importance spiritual adoption plays in the Church in that it reminds us that “we are also being prayed for, it strengthens the bonds within the Church, and then I feel like it helps us to live more intentionally as one body of Christ.”

Winter said she hopes that through this initiative “people feel more connected to their bishop, to the Church, to the quiet work of prayer, and how a small faithful commitment can really shape our faith.”

“I imagine many people when they meet a bishop, they ask the good bishop to pray for them and I think it’s really beautiful that we can return that — the reciprocity of prayer. I think they need our prayers too.”

Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the recitation of the Angelus on Jan. 11, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media / null

Vatican City, Jan 11, 2026 / 03:25 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday lamented escalating violence in Iran and Syria and renewed his appeal for peace in Ukraine while also offering a special blessing for children receiving baptism and praying for those born into “difficult circumstances.”

Speaking after the Angelus on Jan. 11, the pope said: “My thoughts turn to the situation currently unfolding in the Middle East, especially in Iran and Syria, where ongoing tensions continue to claim many lives.”

He added: “I hope and pray that dialogue and peace may be patiently nurtured in pursuit of the common good of the whole of society.”

The pope’s remarks came amid unrest in Tehran, where anti-government protests that began about two weeks ago have left more than 70 people dead, according to human rights organizations.

He also pointed to renewed fighting in Syria, where international media reports say clashes have erupted in Aleppo between the interim government’s army and the Kurdish-led Syrian Democratic Forces over control of neighborhoods in the city center. At least 14 civilians have been killed, with dozens injured and tens of thousands displaced, according to those reports.

Turning to the war in Ukraine, Leo warned of the mounting toll of Russian strikes as winter intensifies.

“In Ukraine, new attacks — particularly severe ones aimed at energy infrastructure as the cold weather grows harsher — are taking a heavy toll on the civilian population,” he said. “I pray for those who suffer and renew my appeal for an end to the violence and for renewed efforts to achieve peace.”

Recent attacks have left more than 1 million homes without water or heat in Ukraine’s Dnipropetrovsk region.

Earlier in the day, the pope celebrated Mass for the feast of the Baptism of the Lord and baptized 20 newborns, the children of Vatican employees, in the Sistine Chapel. After the Angelus, he said he wanted to extend his blessing “to all children who have received or will receive baptism during these days — in Rome and throughout the world — entrusting them to the maternal care of the Virgin Mary.”

He added: “In a particular way, I pray for children born into difficult circumstances, whether due to health conditions or external dangers. May the grace of baptism, which unites them to the paschal mystery of Christ, bear fruit in their lives and in the lives of their families.”

During his Angelus reflection, Leo spoke about the meaning of Christ’s baptism and how the sacrament of baptism makes believers “children of God through the power of his Spirit of life,” encouraging the faithful to remember “the great gift we have received” and to bear witness to it “with joy and authenticity.”

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