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.
Hope
The Nativity scene and the Christmas tree are signs of faith and hope, Pope Leo XIV said.
Pope Leo XIV encouraged American youth in a unique digital discussion Nov. 21, telling them that they were not only the “future of the Church,” but “the present,” saying “your voices, your ideas, your faith matter right now.”
The priests who staff nunciatures and other Vatican diplomatic missions around the world must be priests first and diplomats second, Pope Leo XIV told them.
Being a Christian means recognizing every person as a brother or sister and always being ready to lend a helping hand, Pope Leo XIV said.
Lawyers, former inmates, and leaders of justice reform were among the nearly 140 participants who attended a restorative justice conference rooted in Catholic social teaching.
Jesus is always walking alongside everyone, no matter how mundane or precarious their journey, Pope Leo XIV said.
Getting old is part of the wonder of creation and is a sign of hope, Pope Leo XIV said.
Crying out to God during moments of extreme trial does not mark a crisis of faith but can reflect an act of total surrender to and enduring trust in God, Pope Leo XIV said.
Christian hope is not about avoiding pain and suffering but about knowing that God gives people the strength to persevere and to love even when things go wrong, Pope Leo XIV said.