While crowding against the railings of St. Peter’s Square during a Dec. 31 blessing of the Vatican’s Nativity scene, students of Mary Immaculate Catholic School began to take up the tune of “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing.” As they raised the hymn, the students were greatly surprised to discover the addition of a new voice: that of Pope Leo XIV, who had paused in his rounds to join in the festive song.
Holy Year
An estimated 33 million visitors and pilgrims came to the Vatican to celebrate the Jubilee Year, exceeding early forecasts, officials said at a news conference at the Vatican Jan. 5.
Before the final countdown to the New Year, Christians should take a moment to remember all God’s blessings of the past year and to reflect honestly on how they responded to those graces, Pope Leo XIV said.
Amid poinsettias and sparkling Christmas trees, Archbishop Bernard A. Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis told Catholics gathered Dec. 28 at the Cathedral of St. Paul that the promise of the 2025 Jubilee of Hope did not disappoint, as the Church focused on mercy and conversion.
Close to 3 million pilgrims and visitors attended audiences, liturgies, or meetings at the Vatican with Pope Leo XIV from the time of his election in May through December, according to the Prefecture of the Papal Household.
Even in difficult situations and harsh places, like prisons, when people focus on caring for one another, respecting each other, and offering forgiveness, “beautiful flowers spring forth from the ‘hard ground’ of sin and suffering,” Pope Leo XIV said.
A human connection of love and care between a teacher and student is a key part of the educational process, Pope Leo XIV said, and one that is even more important at a time when so many students experience fragility.
The supreme rule in the Catholic Church is love, which compels all of the faithful to serve, not to judge, exclude, or dominate others, Pope Leo XIV said.
The NCCHM delegation to the Jubilee included clergy, religious sisters, and lay leaders who minister to Hispanic populations across the U.S. Like Gonzales, many pilgrims carried with them the intercessions, photos, and stories of migrant families back home.
Modern hermits seek solitude not to escape the world but to learn how to listen more closely to God, to their neighbors, and to creation, Pope Leo XIV said as he met about 50 Italian hermits who came to the Vatican for the Jubilee of Consecrated Life.