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Is religion obsolete?

In light of Christian Smith's sociological analysis, this article questions the supposed decline of Christianity and defends its continued relevance as a personal relationship with God.

José Carlos Martín de la Hoz-December 29, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

Christian Smith (1960), professor of Religious Sociology at the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, United States, is a specialist in the transmission of faith to new generations and the influence of Christian faith on social relations.

In this work, he will exhaustively quantify the sociology of religion to provide us with accurate data so that we can agree with or contradict his interesting conclusions (29). 

The first conclusion of this work, derived from the exposition, tables, analyses, and reference authors, would be that sociologists of religion in the United States are closer to reality than Spanish sociologists of religion who, as we have had occasion to point out on other occasions, are heavily influenced by the political ideologies of the Spanish transition and the present day.

The critical realism of this professor of Sociology at the University of Notre Dame in the United States is not perfect, nor does it coincide 100% with reality, simply because only God has a complete vision of reality, since He scrutinizes the interior of our consciences and knows our deepest thoughts and the truth of our intentions. However, his realistic view and the minimal ideology with which he approaches problems certainly make it more relevant and, above all, capable of providing guidelines for reconnecting with God on a personal and family level (41).

Christianity is not obsolete: faith as a personal relationship

Christianity is certainly not obsolete, nor will it ever be, because even though people today may be less religious or less observant, or may have a weaker doctrinal and liturgical formation than in other times, they will always have the power of obedience to be found and loved by Jesus Christ our Savior, as St. Paul said to Timothy: “God desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth” (1 Tim 2:3-4).

On the other hand, there is and always will be an infallible bridge through which Jesus Christ connects with each of the men and women he has created and to whom he has given an immortal soul. This bridge, which can be crossed at any time, consists in the fact that we are “the image and likeness of God” (Gen 1:36). Therefore, through understanding and the heart, Jesus Christ passes through every day and invites us to a personal relationship with Him, to heaven on earth and heaven in heaven, as can be seen in our personal lives.

Christian anthropology

Now that we are celebrating the 500th anniversary of the founding of the School of Salamanca, since Francisco de Vitoria OP began teaching at the Faculty of Theology of the University of Salamanca in 1526, we must look at how the Salamanca master developed the concept of the dignity of the human person and, specifically, the fundamental concept of freedom throughout his classes, rulings, and lectures. 

What is obsolete, therefore, is a concept of man and anthropology that may have been interesting at other times in history and facilitated coexistence and the construction of social order, but must now give way to anthropological models more in line with the thinking of our time.

Precisely for Victoria, man is essentially relationship, as God is in her intimate life: three subsistent relationships: the subsistent relationship of Fatherhood, the subsistent relationship of Sonship, and the subsistent relationship of Love. Hence, man, the image and likeness of God, is also essentially relationship with God and with others. 

In fact, man matures in the most important of relationships, which is that of love. Let us not forget that “God is love” (1 John 4:8) and therefore, what we do is give love in our relationships as a fruit of the love received in our relationship with God.

Secularization, education, and the future of faith

Now let's return to Professor Christian Smith's analysis to note some of his interesting observations about the importance of promoting this anthropological concept we have just discussed. 

Indeed, our author repeatedly returns to the subject of prayer and the things that young and old alike talk about with God in their prayers. Logically, drawing on the Spanish tradition of the Golden Age of Castilian mysticism and the universal call to holiness for all Christians from the Second Vatican Council (Constitution “Lumen Gentium” n.11), he proposes a renewed Christianity based on a personal and real relationship between Christians and God. Therefore, if there is a personal relationship, Christianity is alive; if not, it is dead and quickly disappears from the horizon of life (49).

Christian Smith will certainly tell us that the intellectual and educational level of believers has risen enormously over the course of the 20th and 21st centuries. Certainly, in Western civilization, the education we can impart to Christians is much higher and deeper than in other periods of history, and in that sense, it is assumed that in the coming years the doctrinal formation imparted by priests and pastoral agents will be more attractive and profound than it is today, and that this will have an impact on the appeal of Jesus Christ: for in order to love Jesus Christ, it is necessary to know him better. (99).

The way the chapters of the book are titled is interesting: “The 1990s, the beginning of the end,” which includes the technological revolution and the internet as accelerators of the divorce between neoliberalism and Catholicism (137).  Certainly, in Europe, the process of secularization had begun earlier, and what it has really shown is that Christianity, being a personal relationship, cannot remain a set of ideas or a package of beliefs.

We will conclude with Jesus“ own question: ”When the Son of Man comes, will he find faith on earth?" (Lk 18:8). Certainly, if in liturgical and sacramental life, people will always find the beginning or nourishment for a life of knowledge and love of Jesus Christ and the communal experience of faith that will also break the strong individualism of our time.

Why religion became obsolete

Author: Christian Smith
Editorial: OUP USA
Year of publication: 2025
Pages: 440
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Evangelization

Marie de Saint-Exupéry: much more than the mother of the author of ‘The Little Prince’

The years 2024 and 2025 have commemorated the French aviator and writer Antoine de Saint-Exupéry. Solid biographies and other texts highlight the figure of his mother, Marie Boyer de Fonscolombe (1875-1972), Marie de Saint-Exupéry, a resilient Christian woman who saw three of her children die, full of faith and dedication to others.

Francisco Otamendi-December 29, 2025-Reading time: 5 minutes

Olivier d'Agay, great-nephew of Antoine de Saint-Exupéry, who disappeared in 1944 while piloting an Allied aircraft in World War II, said in an interview in June this year that his great-uncle would have mixed feelings. 

On the one hand, joy, upon seeing the success of his Little Prince of Asteroid B-612. But on the other, sadness, “because humanity did not advance” (‘La Crónica de hoy’). 

We do not know if the writer and pilot's mother, Marie Boyer de Fonscolombe, would be sad. But it is very true that Marie was much more than the aviator's mother, according to his biographers, who highlight her resilience and deep faith.

Strength in the face of the death of her children

Because Marie de Saint-Exupéry bore with fortitude the death of her husband Jean, who died suddenly in 1904, and of three of her five children (Francois at age 15, from rheumatic fever (1917); Marie-Madeleine, in 1926, from tuberculosis; and the poet pilot, Antoine, in 1944).

These losses had a profound impact on his life, but he survived them with persevering faith and intense dedication to others until his death in 1972. 

Ideals, culture, and faith

Marie Boyer de Fonscolombe She was born into a family of ancient French nobility deeply marked by ideals, culture, and faith, which strongly influenced her upbringing and values. She received part of her education from the Sisters of the Sacred Heart in Lyon.

The biographies by Stacy Schiff and Persane-Nastorg, cited at the end, and the family works collected by Olivier d'Agay, show that Marie raised her children—particularly Antoine—in an environment that was unusual for its time: a combination of moral rigor and great inner freedom.

A very young widow at 28, with five children to care for, she did not opt for a rigid or authoritarian upbringing. On the contrary, she encouraged imagination, artistic sensitivity, and personal reflection.

Faithfulness to the call

She instilled in her son Antoine a constant conviction: life only has meaning when it is lived as a calling, not as a comfort. This advice was not formulated as theory, but as example. Marie insisted on the importance of fidelity to one's conscience, even when it involved risk or misunderstanding. This attitude is at the root of the sense of duty that Antoine showed as a pilot and writer, and which runs through works such as ‘Wind, Sand and Stars’.

Biographies note that Marie never discouraged her son's difficult decisions—not even his dangerous vocation as a pilot—even though they caused her fear. Her constant advice was not “avoid danger,” but “be faithful to what you are called to do.”.

At this point, Schiff emphasizes that Antoine found in his mother a figure of unconditional support, capable of sustaining without possessing, and guiding without dominating.

A life of quiet, deep, and hopeful faith

One of the most striking features of Marie de Saint-Exupéry is the discretion of her faith. She was not a woman of religious discourse or spiritual prominence. However, all biographies agree that her life was sustained by a firm Christian faith, inherited from her family and assumed in a personal and mature way.

This faith was manifested above all in her hope, tested by extreme circumstances. Marie outlived her husband and three of her children, as we have seen, coping with the disappearance of Antoine in his plane in Corsica during World War II.

Instead of retreating into bitterness, his response was a persistent trust in God and in the ultimate meaning of life, even when that meaning was not visible.

The biography Marie de Saint-Exupéry, l’étoile du Petit Prince describes her spirituality as a faith marked by pain. It is not a naive religiosity, but a hard-won, silent hope, sustained by prayer and the conviction that death does not have the last word. This certainty was decisive for her inner balance and her ability to continue giving herself to others.

In the vision that transmitted For Antoine, faith does not appear as a closed system of answers, but rather as an orientation toward the light, even in the middle of the night. This attitude helps us understand The Little Prince, where hope is not imposed, but rather proposed as a quest.

Service to others in the world wars

If there is one point on which all sources clearly agree, it is that Marie lived her faith through service. Her spirituality was eminently practical.

During World War I, she trained and worked as a nurse, caring for wounded soldiers in military hospitals. It was a sustained, demanding, and physically demanding commitment.

After the war, and especially after the death of her daughter Marie-Madeleine, she intensified her dedication to others. She collaborated with aid organizations, the Red Cross, and local initiatives to help the sick and vulnerable. During World War II, now elderly, she once again became involved in caring for and supporting civilians affected by the conflict.

Biographies emphasize that this service was not an escape from personal suffering, but a conscious response to it. Marie seemed convinced that pain can only be transformed when it is shared and directed toward the good of others.

This logic had a profound effect on Antoine, who in his writings emphasizes brotherhood, responsibility, and the value of sacrifice for something that transcends us.

Below are some quotes from Marie de Saint-Exupéry, with formulations from familiar sources. 

“Faith does not consist in having no nights, but in walking toward the light.”

In a letter addressed to one of her children, Marie expressed her faith not as an easy certainty, but as a persevering quest, in terms that biographies summarize as follows: “Faith does not consist in having no nights, but in walking toward the light even when you cannot see it.” The idea is reflected in biographies.

“We have not lost those we love; they have gone before us.

In a summary very close to the original text, also from familiar sources, after the death of one of her children, Marie wrote words that express her Christian hope: “We have not lost those we love; they have gone before us.” And this hope led her to an even greater dedication to the service of others.

On God and Interiority

According to explanations from family testimonies collected by Olivier d'Agay, Marie insisted to Antoine that a relationship with God is not imposed from outside, but is discovered in the depths of one's innermost being. Every human being carries within them something that transcends them; that is where God waits, she said. Antoine would say in The Little Prince: ‘What is essential is invisible to the eye.’.

These ideas are drawn from biographies such as Marie de Saint-Exupéry, l’étoile du Petit Prince, by Michèle Persane-Nastorg, Éditions du Triomphe, Paris, 2023; the aforementioned Olivier d'Agay, Stacy Schiff's ‘Saint-Exupéry: A Biography’, which offers in-depth family context, and literary and non-literary articles in digital format (Aleteia) or in academic journals in particular.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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Gospel

Caring for the Christ within us. Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God

Vitus Ntube comments on the readings for the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, corresponding to January 1, 2026.

Vitus Ntube-December 29, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

After singing yesterday's Te Deum In thanksgiving to God, and as we find ourselves at the end of the Octave of Christmas and at the beginning of a new calendar year, the Church presents us with the feast of Mary, Mother of God. This is no coincidence. It invites us to delve deeper into what St. Paul refers to when he speaks of “the fullness of time”: “When the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of a woman". (Galatians 4, 4)

The Church does not focus solely on Mary's physical motherhood, but above all on her spiritual disposition. We remember that woman who raised her voice and said: “Blessed be the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you.”She praised the conception and nursing of Jesus. Our Lord redirected her attention to the true blessedness that comes from caring for the Word of God in our lives: “Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and keep it.”(cf. Lk 11:28). Mary is blessed not only because she conceived Christ in her body, but because she welcomed the Word of God into her heart. And yet this spiritual primacy does not diminish the beauty and truth of her physical motherhood.

On a day like this, it is worth contemplating what Mary's physical motherhood really implies. If we take Jesus“ humanity seriously, then we must take Mary's motherhood equally seriously. Jesus "He grew in wisdom, stature, and favor.” (Luke 2:52). He was breastfed by his mother. Every mother knows the special joy and tenderness that accompany the act of caring. Mary's motherhood and Christ's sonship are profoundly real. She gave him her own body and blood, as well as her time, her attention, and her sleepless nights. Caring is slow, patient, demanding work... and deeply rewarding.

Celebrating the feast of Mary, Mother of God, is celebrating the joys of motherhood. I like to imagine, in a literary way, a correspondence between Mary and her cousin Elizabeth, something similar to Memoirs of Two Young Wives by Honoré de Balzac, in which two friends, Louise and Renée, share their experiences. At one point, Renée tells her friend Louise about her experience of motherhood. She writes: “Giving birth is nothing; breastfeeding is giving birth every moment. […] Nothing can be seen or felt in conception, not even in pregnancy, but breastfeeding, my dear Louise, is a happiness that never ends. You see what milk becomes: it turns into flesh, it blossoms on the tips of those sweet little fingers, like flowers, and so delicate; it grows on the fine, transparent nails, it unfurls in the hair, it wiggles and wriggles on the feet. [...] Oh, Louise, breastfeeding is a transformation that can be seen hour after hour, dazzling to the eye! It is not with your ears but with your heart that you hear the child's cries; you understand the smile in his eyes or on his lips or in his restless little feet, as if God had written letters of fire in the air for you.".

It is not unreasonable to think that Renée's experience, so beautifully expressed, was no less so for Mary. These were some of the things that Mary kept in her heart and pondered (cf. Lk 2:19).

Mary's joys in caring for and accompanying Christ to his full stature can also be ours as we begin the new year. Here, then, is our first resolution for the year: to care for the Christ within us.

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The Vatican

Families suffering in wars, close to the Pope's heart

On Holy Family Sunday, the last Sunday of 2025, the Pope prayed during the Angelus for families suffering because of war, for children, the elderly, and the most vulnerable, and also for peace. “Let us entrust ourselves together to the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth,” he invited.  

Editorial Staff Omnes-December 28, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

In the Angelus On the last Sunday of the year, the feast of the Holy Family, the Pontiff encouraged us to “in the light of the Lord's Christmas, continue to pray for peace. Today, in particular, let us pray for families suffering because of war,” and he encouraged us to entrust ourselves to “the intercession of the Holy Family of Nazareth.”.

A test for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph

At the beginning, Pope Leo XIV referred to the Gospel episode of the “flight into Egypt” and the massacre of the Holy Innocents. “Today we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family, and the liturgy offers us the story of the “flight into Egypt” (cf. Mt 2:13-15, 19-23),” he said. 

“It is a moment of trial for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. Over the resplendent picture of Christmas, the disturbing shadow of a mortal threat is cast, almost unexpectedly, originating in the tormented life of Herod, a cruel and bloodthirsty man, feared for his cruelty, but precisely because of this, deeply lonely and obsessed with the fear of being dethroned.”. 

Nativity scene at St. Patrick's Cathedral in New York City on December 25, 2024. (Photo by OSV News/Gregory A. Shemitz).

Death of children of Jesus' age

“When he learns from the magi that the ‘king of the Jews’ has been born (cf. Mt 2:2), feeling threatened in his power, decrees the death of all children of the age of Jesus. 

In his kingdom, the Pope emphasized, “God is performing the greatest miracle in history, in which all the ancient promises of salvation are fulfilled, but he is unable to see it, blinded by the fear of losing his throne, his riches, his privileges.”.

This “hardness of heart further highlights the value of the presence and mission of the Holy Family, which, in the despotic and greedy world represented by the tyrant, is the nest and cradle of the only possible answer to salvation: that of God, who, with total generosity, gives himself to men without reserve and without pretension.”. 

“The world always has its ‘Herods’”

Unfortunately, the Pope reflected, “the world always has its ‘Herods’, its myths of success at any price, of unscrupulous power, of empty and superficial well-being, and often suffers the consequences with loneliness, despair, divisions, and conflicts.”. 

Let us not allow “these illusions“ to stifle the flame of love in Christian families,” he urged. “On the contrary, let us protect the values of the Gospel in them: prayer, frequent reception of the sacraments—especially confession and communion—healthy affections, sincere dialogue, fidelity, simple and beautiful realism in words and good deeds every day.”. 

Praise of Saint Joseph, obedient to the voice of the Lord

The Pope has also praised Saint Joseph. “The gesture of Joseph, who, obedient to the voice of the Lord, brings his wife and child to safety, is revealed here in all its redemptive significance. In fact, in Egypt, the flame of domestic love grows, to which the Lord has entrusted his presence in the world, and gains strength to bring light to the whole world.”.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, walks in procession on Christmas Eve in front of the Basilica of the Nativity in Bethlehem, West Bank, on December 24, 2025. (Photo by OSV News/Ammar Awad, Reuters).

“A caress from the Pope”

Alms-giving Cardinal Konrad Krajewski has recently reported on “a small caress” from Leo XIV.

This has taken the form of financial aid to various parts of the world, to support families who, like Jesus's, “are traveling the painful road of exile in search of refuge.” Three trucks carrying humanitarian aid have arrived in the areas most affected by the bombings in Ukraine. Thus, Cardinal Krajewski concludes, Leo XIV “not only prays for peace, but also wishes to be present with families who are suffering,” according to the Vatican agency.

The authorEditorial Staff Omnes

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Culture

Fernando Delapuente, engineer and artist, reflected the joy of living 

The Official College of Physicians of Madrid offers a retrospective on the prolific painter who reflected the joy of life in his paintings.

Editorial Staff Omnes-December 28, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

Fernando Delapuente Rodríguez-Quijano (Santander, 1909 – Madrid, 1975) painted 1,246 pictures and numbered them all. He was the perfect combination of engineer and artist: meticulous and organized, yet completely free in his creativity. The Illustrious Official College of Physicians of Madrid is hosting an exhibition, organized by the Methos Foundation, which brings together 70 of these pieces in a retrospective on the pictorial evolution of “a very original guy.”. 

This is how Andrés Barbé, curator of the exhibition, explains it. Delapuente was the fourth of six siblings; he began studying law at his parents“ urging, ”but only lasted one semester.“ He enrolled in industrial engineering and, when he was in his second year, in fine arts. ”Politically uncommitted,” he lived through the war in a checa (a type of prison) and later took refuge in the Cuban embassy. ”He became a professor of drawing at the school, but what he really liked was painting," and he resigned from his professorship. He founded an engineering and architecture firm and, among other projects, designed the campus of the University of Navarra and was commissioned to design Torreciudad... But painting was always there.

The exhibition is organized into six areas that reveal the evolution of his painting. An initial, more academic phase, until he traveled to Italy in the 1950s, which completely changed his career path. In Ravenna, when he saw the sunrise reflecting on the mosaics of a basilica, he had, as he himself said, a “conversion to color and became a Fauvist [of Fauvism].” In the “do whatever you want” spirit of this type of style, Delapuente uses color, but unlike other painters, he does so with very defined lines. He moved from ochres and earth tones to focusing on Van Gogh, Matisse, “people who use color.”. 

That is why the second part is Italy, and the third, Paris, with more gray tones, because the City of Love does not have the light of Rome, and Delapuente painted what he saw. This section features one of his few paintings with people, as the artist almost completely renounced figurative art to paint cities, lands, or seas. In fact, despite having obtained brilliant grades in anatomy, when he includes a person in a scene, he does so in an almost childlike way, without hardly working on it. This “urban fauvism” is what leads the curator to define Delapuente as an “innovative man.”. 

“What mattered to him,” Barbé argues, “was the urban structure, although here he also does whatever he wants,” moving buildings around or placing together those that are distant in the real city. "Or he also paints buildings that no longer exist.". 

Love for Madrid

An example of the artist's fondness for the city is the last part of the exhibition—after the seascapes and country scenes—which is the city of Madrid. He could be called, according to the curator, the painter of Madrid. “But the idealized Madrid that he liked.” “My Madrid,” said the artist, in which there were not as many people or cars as in his later years. 

Barbé has located more than 120 paintings he did of the capital. In that Madrid he loved so much, Fernando Delapuente died at the age of 66 from a heart condition he had suffered from all his life, but which never prevented him from living a passionate, intense, and enthusiastic life.

“He was a very normal man. Very sociable. Very neat; he wasn't the typical scruffy artist. Endearing. He had supernaturalized his life; he was a member of Opus Dei and created friendly, positive, pleasant, and decorative paintings that look great. He had character. He was a man of friends; he had many. He lived life to the fullest, and this is reflected in his paintings. He was orderly, systematic, and a very hard worker.”.

A very carefully curated exhibition

This exhibition, which has been in preparation for over a year, consists entirely of loans from private individuals. Pieces have been brought in from Pamplona, Bilbao, Granada, Almeria, Valencia, and, above all, Madrid. The curator explains that Delapuente often painted the same subject. In other words, identical works (each with its own nuances), which he then sold. He has many seascapes, the curator acknowledges, and of different seas with their different colors. “At the end of his life, he became very much like Turner,” explains Barbé. This can be seen in his oil on canvas. Strong sea with seagull, from 1975, the same year he died.

Where to watch it

The exhibition is a tribute to Delapuente on the 50th anniversary of his death. It is a tribute in a clean and clear space, the exhibition hall of the College of Physicians, located in the heart of Madrid's art scene (Santa Isabel, 51). 

It will be open until January 17, 2026, Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 9 p.m., and Saturdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. Admission is free.

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United States

Tammy Peterson: “I never imagined the depth of the changes that would come into my life with my conversion.”

Tammy Peterson is a public figure who has influenced thousands of people, not only as the wife of renowned intellectual and psychologist Jordan Peterson, but also because of her own profound story of faith.

Javier García Herrería-December 28, 2025-Reading time: 7 minutes
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Tammy Peterson's path to conversion to Catholicism emerged from the darkness of illness and despair. After being diagnosed with a rare and aggressive form of cancer, Tammy faced months of pain, surgery, and a long recovery. It was during this period of extreme fragility that, on the recommendation of a friend, she began to pray the rosary.

What began as a search for comfort turned into a spiritual encounter that culminated in his baptism and full entry into the Catholic Church. His story is a moving example of how faith can flourish even in the most difficult circumstances.

How was your relationship with your parents?

—My father was a businessman and was always very busy. He had a very open mind and instilled in me a lot of courage and strength to try things that were unknown or seemingly beyond my reach. Thanks to him, I inherited an open mindset, and I am truly grateful to the Lord for that.

My mother was also by my side, but she didn't fully trust my father. Years later, I understood why: she had probably been abused by her own father, who died very young. He was a man with depression, and it was clear that he wasn't well. I always noticed that my mother distrusted my father to some extent, and that was difficult for me growing up. My father had friends who would stay at the office after work to drink together, and my mother was always suspicious of what might happen there. Many people face problems like these, and it's not easy to integrate them into your own life. Still, my father was a great person, and I feel very fortunate to have had him.

My mother had early-onset dementia. She began to get sick at age 50 and passed away at 70. At the time, she and my dad were living in Vancouver, while I was in Toronto. I would travel to help them: I would find a caregiver, clean, organize their medications, and make sure they were both eating well. Fortunately, all four of us siblings helped out. We were all there to support my father, who cared for my mother until the end. 

At one point, the medication made my mother paranoid again. She began to suspect my father once more, and I felt the same way I did in my teens, when she also mistrusted him unfairly. In a way, it was like a blessing from God that allowed me to see clearly that this paranoia came from my mother, not my father. And I thanked him inwardly, because he showed me something important.

Finally, they changed my mother's medication and she stabilized again. The two remained together until her death. It was only a brief episode, but a significant one, because it taught me something essential and allowed me to become very close to my father during the last twenty years of his life, which ended at the age of 93, just a couple of years ago.

Now I see it as God's grace: we receive what we need to learn just when we need it. 

How would you describe your spiritual life in your youth and before rediscovering your faith?

—I grew up in a Protestant church environment. When I was little, both of my grandmothers were active members of the Protestant faith. My paternal grandmother played the piano at church. And my maternal grandmother sang in the choir. They were both great role models for me. 

When I was little, I went to Sunday school at church, but I don't remember my parents being there. I had three older brothers, who I think also went. Apart from attending Sunday services, we didn't pray at home, not even to say grace before dinner or bedtime prayers.

In the summer, we participated in activities at an Adventist church. And as a child, I also went to some camps with different types of churches, something that didn't matter to my parents at all. 

As a teenager, I was a very curious girl. We lived in a very remote place, and I used any excuse—no matter how insignificant—to skip church. When I left home and started college, I attended church during my first year. But when the next year began, the minister started with the same sermon he had given the year before, and I took that as an excuse to stop attending. 

It's funny how many excuses a person can come up with when they're really just looking for ways to avoid something.

I recall those times and all those little excuses I used without understanding why I really didn't want to go to church, or why it might be beneficial for me to do so, regardless of the time, who was there, or where the church was located. None of that was essential.

How is your life now that you have returned to the faith?

—The only truly important thing I have learned is that I go there, sit down, put my feet firmly on the ground, and thank God for being alive, for having one more day to do what He wants me to do. That is what I have learned. I understood it when I was six years old, and I have lived that way ever since.

How has my life changed? It's interesting. One day, while my husband Jordan and I were talking about the transformations I had experienced since returning to the faith, we wrote a list of virtues that had emerged in me since my conversion. We came up with a total of thirty virtues that I have received since that moment. 

(Tammy looks for a piece of paper and begins to read it.). 

I will review some of them: I am more like a little girl, more fun, less cynical, less volatile, less concerned with control and power; more patient and kind; more focused on the well-being of others; more hospitable, more obedient, more present, more beautiful, warmer; more discerning, more elegant, more serene, more resilient, more compassionate; more socially adept; a better mother; easier to negotiate with; more willing to listen and converse; more precise with my words; I think more deeply; I am more creative; easier to work with; a better leader; more attractive; more confident in my courage, more courageous with confidence, and more thoughtful.

These are many of the ways my life has been transformed since my conversion. It is truly extraordinary. I never imagined the depth of the changes that would come into my life...

Tammy with her husband, author and intellectual Jordan Peterson.
Tammy with her husband, author and intellectual Jordan Peterson.

You have been through cancer. How has your faith helped you get through it?

—I don't know if I could have gotten through my cancer experience without God's help. It was truly an amazing experience. I left everything in God's hands, and I learned something fundamental: we don't have to worry about the thoughts we don't want to have. Before, I let my mind wander uncontrollably, but now I understand that I can choose what to think about. If a thought is inappropriate, I simply fight to make it go away. It's a lesson that has helped me understand the superficial nature of certain thoughts and how to let them go.

Before my conversion, I grew up Protestant, but my grandmother converted from Catholicism to Protestantism. When I was a child and entered a church, I wondered where the Virgin Mary was, because she wasn't evident there, and that confused me. Later, during my conversion, I had a profound experience: a Mexican grandfather from New Zealand helped me reconnect with my Catholic faith. He prayed with me in Spanish and told me that my grandmother was with me. This made me feel that I had repaired a historical rift in our family, and it allowed me to see the Catholic faith as something that had always been present, even if I hadn't fully understood it since I was a child.

During my illness, Queenie, a good Catholic friend, taught me how to pray the Rosary. Learning and praying the Rosary gradually brought me closer to Jesus as my savior. Today, I continue to pray it every morning; it helps me stay on God's path and not my own. The beauty of the Catholic Church—the priests, the icons, the vestments—also taught me to be more humble, for beauty reminds us of God's greatness and humility, and helps us pause and focus on Him.

What other things have surprised you about Catholicism?

—Confession was a profound experience of forgiveness for me. Some time ago, I learned the techniques Al-Anon and the Twelve Steps, a program of spiritual principles and practical actions originally developed by Alcoholics Anonymous. That's how I learned to know myself better and share my mistakes, but Catholicism allowed me to go deeper, freeing me in Confession from past burdens that I couldn't forgive myself. The Eucharist, for its part, is a concrete practice that teaches us to receive God's grace, even on the most difficult days. Practicing prayer and communion prepares us to accept grace when we really need it.

Our society has become increasingly divisive and superficial, sometimes incapable of nuance. The Church, on the other hand, teaches us to be humble, attentive, and open. Prayer and listening to God's will guide us to act in a right and loving way, even amid the confusion and division we see around us. Daily practice, though simple, allows us to draw closer to God and live according to His will. Even small acts—sitting and looking out the window, breathing consciously, giving thanks for the light and life God gives us—are ways to cultivate spirituality and humility in our daily lives.

Parenting also reflects this. Observing my three-year-old granddaughter taught me the importance of guiding without imposing, of supporting and correcting without becoming oppressive. Respect and patience in relationships are extensions of the spiritual practice that the Church teaches us. This applies not only to the family, but also to society in general, especially in times of polarization and division. 

Now, I have a podcast to spread these ideas. I speak mainly to young women, helping them find their way, reconcile faith with their lives, understand the importance of family and motherhood, and navigate the modern feminist narrative with Christian awareness. I try to teach them that they can aspire to a full and meaningful life without renouncing their faith or their deepest calling.

What role did your husband play in your conversion?

—My husband has been a key influence on my faith and conversion. Through his example, dedication, and support during my most difficult years, I learned to listen, observe, and trust God in every decision and challenge. His support was instrumental during my diagnosis and treatment, and he taught me the value of practical and patient love in everyday life.

This entire experience—the cancer, the conversion, the family, the parenting, the service to others through the podcast—has taught me that living the faith is not just an act of prayer, but a daily commitment to do what is right, to guide others with love, and to seek God's grace at all times. It's about small daily steps, conscious acts, humility, and gratitude. And above all, it's about recognizing that God accompanies us every step of the way, guiding us and strengthening our lives, even in the deepest trials.

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RelatedRelated NewsJordan Peterson debates against 25 atheistsRelated NewsChristian Gálvez: “My conversion began with the way my wife loved me.”Related NewsFrom reggaeton to giving her life to God: the conversion of Belén Ayuso
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Saint Teresa, Rigoberta Bandini, and a God who is family

The familiar reality of the Trinity is revealed in the home, in everyday life, in liturgy, and at work.

Beatriz Gallástegui Baamonde-December 27, 2025-Reading time: 9 minutes

One of the most famous representations of the Trinity is Rublev's icon. Although it is not a narrative icon, but rather a contemplative one, I would like to focus on two details: God is family, he is Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, represented by three figures with youthful faces who seem to be enjoying peaceful dialogue. These three figures share a table. Is there anything more familiar than sharing a table? God is family, and God is familiar.

“Three persons and one beloved / among all three there was [...] / one love three have / whose essence was said to be: / that the more one loved / the more love there was” (St. John of the Cross). God is unique, but not solitary. This is the essence of God: a family that never stops loving each other. The Trinity is a constant overflowing of love. It is because of this overflowing of Trinitarian love that God created the earth and humankind. 

Continuing with the metaphor of the table, God the family overflows with love and dwells among us and within us. “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us,” says St. John in his Gospel. Further on: “If anyone loves me, he will keep my word, and my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him.”.

The place par excellence of God's family is the human heart, as the Catechism beautifully reflects. The Trinity, God's family, has made its home in our hearts, where heaven and earth meet. God overflows in my heart. The image of Rublev's icon is happening in my heart.

The indwelling of the Trinity in the heart

The indwelling of the Trinity within my heart is something so universal that not only is it beautifully expressed by Saint Augustine of Hippo or Saint Teresa when speaking of the dwellings, but it is also intuited and sung about by Rigoberta Bandini in her song “Too Many Drugs.” She states that she is always “trying to understand things that have to do with being” and concludes that “in the end, it all comes down to looking, that inside I have a royal palace, full of rooms to skate in.”. 

If we learn to look within our hearts, we find ourselves in the Home of the Trinity, in the dwelling place of the Triune King, and with His grace, we have a palace full of rooms to skate in.

And once God is in my heart, does the overflowing love cease? No. This loving union in our hearts overflows and spills out, because the Trinity continues to overflow. And this heart, yours and mine, inhabited by the Trinity, where does it manifest the overflow of its love? In the thousands of little charms that home has (to paraphrase Silvio Rodríguez and his song “A dónde van”). If God is family, he will continue to overflow and leave his mark on the familiar. 

The Lord walks among the pots and pans.

Today I came home from work as usual, with my computer bag, gym bag, and lunch box under my arm. After saying hello to my roommate, we decided to have dinner together. Yatekomo and a salad with whole wheat bread was the menu laid out on a white Ikea table, with a Chinese esparto grass placemat. We talked about our day, our plans for the future, and some deep concerns, and then we went to bed.

As I have in mind the indwelling of the Trinity, and its overflowing and expression in my reality, I am left thinking that “the Lord walks among the pots and pans.” I look at Rublev's table and then at my Ikea table and think about the charms of home. What would the Saint say now about the yacht? Does the Lord still dwell among the ready meals, the endless schedules, the infinite agendas, and the prefabricated tables? I certainly want to think so, and I will try to explain it.

After creating the world and humankind (we have agreed that He did so out of an overflow of His familial love), the Trinity gives us some keys to participating in that loving current. Genesis tells us that God placed humankind in the Garden of Eden “to work it, cultivate it, and care for it.”.

A digression: a broader view of the concept of work

I would like to make an important point here. We need to get rid of the idea of work that comes to mind, that thing I get paid for or where I am exploited, that thing my resume says I know how to do... and I encourage the reader to take a much broader view of the concept of work. Perhaps the definition of work we learned in high school physics class fits here: work is anything that exerts a force and produces a displacement or transformation.

Therefore, brushing my teeth, making the bed, raising my hand to greet someone on the street, putting on my socks, picking up my little boy, letting my grandfather lean on me, playing paddle tennis, eating, writing a poem, organizing the ideas in my head... everything is work, and we must consider it as such. End of parenthesis.

A divine conversation

God the family (r) tells us in Genesis to care for and cultivate the earth, to make it familiar, to take the world and make it our own, to turn it into a home. This is an important key. God the family (r), from Rublev's icon, is happening in my heart and asking me to do the same in my concrete, everyday reality.

We can imagine (purists abstain) God the Father chatting lovingly with the Son and the Spirit during that long after-dinner conversation, being a Father who loves surprises, saying to his Son: “Have you seen that soup Mary has made? She's worshiping me with it, it smells spectacular from here. Have you noticed Javier's crying? That's what I call crying with gusto; his tears bring me glory. And what about the disastrous report Teresa has presented? But she has made an effort... even disasters can worship me. And what about how well Victoria has dusted today? Have you seen it, Jesus? It was inspired by the Holy Spirit... what a rascal.”.

God the Father is the God of surprises, who every day gives us the world to care for and cultivate and give him a great surprise, which is to worship him. He is chatting at that table, waiting to see how, with its fruits, transformed by our work (in the broad sense, not just our profession), we worship him and fulfill his command: to care for and cultivate the Garden of Eden.

From home to home: from table to table

Another key that our family God gives us through his Son, which has a lot to do with family, is Holy Mass. “Gathered around your table” is a song we all recognize. At Holy Mass we are all gathered together, as God's family, around a table where there is room for everyone, as in the best families. 

On the table we have bread and wine. I want to pause here. If God were not a God of surprise, he would have instituted Holy Mass with wheat and grapes, fruits of his own that the earth produces (though not without our work), but he wanted to make even more evident that he is a God of surprise who wants to need our transformation, our work, to come and dwell in him. With all the risks that this entails: that the bread may be defective, that the wine may be spoiled, and so on and so forth.

God does not want my perfection, but my love, my worship with what I have, working for love and giving it to him. He will come and dwell in it, and more than that, he will become bread and wine on a table to feed me. Is there anything more familiar than feeding your family with bread and wine?

At Mass

Our family God gives us the key in Holy Mass. The family Trinity overflows from your heart into the reality you touch. And you touch reality because you have “seen everything” in Holy Mass. What can we see in Holy Mass?

1. Holy Mass takes place in a sacred space., usually in a church. There is the Trinity overflowing and we worship it through specific decorations, lighting, light entering the building, sculptures or images, layout, cleanliness... and when Holy Mass ends, we all hear the words “Go in peace,” leave here and tell others what you have seen.

In Latin it is more precise, it says “Ite Misa est”, go out into the world to tell what you have seen, to do the same, to expand the family (and family values). God tells me: my Trinitarian presence is made visible through you. And one arrives home or at work and can then think about the arrangement of things, their harmony, whether there is light, whether there is cleanliness... I have learned that the harmony of the space I inhabit leads me to worship God, to make the space familiar. You are something like King Midas, that everything you touch, everything you work for out of love, God inhabits.

2. There are specific vestments for Holy Mass., The vestments of the priest, the altar, the pulpit, specific linens that have their purpose, their care for the Trinity. There are specific colors for festivities, higher quality vestments for solemnities, there are details that make up the Home.

We are flesh, just like God, who became flesh in Christ. Flesh needs to be clothed, sheltered, it has touch, it is capable of caressing. It is therefore fitting to follow the instruction when leaving, “Ite Misa est,” go and tell what you have seen, clothe yourselves in harmony, make yourselves beautiful, welcome the destitute as I have welcomed you, caress, heal wounds, clothe those who have no clothes, sew on a button, iron a shirt, fold some sheets, lay a tablecloth, even if it is plastic, have festive rituals because a friend, a son, a brother is coming.

3. In Holy Mass there is a specific meal, bread and wine.. I have already mentioned that it is a substance processed by man and not wheat and grapes. But the food of Holy Mass is special; it is the kiss of God, the family that nourishes us. The first thing each of us receives at birth is the kiss-food of our mother. We immediately seek to suckle from the breasts of our blessed mother.

Rigoberta sings it again in that provocative (not as much as a human Virgin breastfeeding a God) and profound song: “You who held your body tightly to my head, wanting to cry, but with strength... I don't know why our breasts are so scary, without them there would be no humanity and no beauty.” There, the act of kissing and eating merge into one, just as in Communion. 

And after hearing the “Ite Misa est”? Kiss, because “all the kisses we give, all taste like You” as Siloé says. They all taste like Communion to me; that is where they originate. Show affection, and if the kiss is affection, at home that kiss is mediated by culinary culture. This culinary culture has a lot to do with domestic rituals, activities that allow us to glimpse the purpose of the family and feel its unity.

4. The times of Holy Mass are specific, There is a time for silence, a time for listening, a time for praying together, a time for walking to the table... What can this teach us? To cultivate time. Moving from time to ritual: this is expressed very well in a chapter of The Little Prince, when the Fox says to the Little Prince: “It would be better if you always came at the same time. If you come, for example, at four in the afternoon, I will begin to be happy from three o'clock. But if you come at any time, I will never know when to prepare my heart... Rituals are necessary.”.

Time can and should be tamed, cared for, cultivated, made into a home. Cosmic rhythms (day, night, seasons) harmonize with bodily rhythms (growing, eating, sleeping), and the internal time of the home is added. “Ite Misa est,” go forth, recount and tame what you have experienced, think about the importance of family time, of Sunday aperitifs where you always go, of coffee at the office at 12 noon, of celebrations, of home time, tamed, familiar, specific to each person. Only by taming time will we have it. Because the opposite of haste is not slowness, but having time.

Having time is the condition that makes care, study, imaginative daydreaming, and creation possible. While a fast-paced and saturated life weakens us, having time and room for maneuver is part of the health of good rhythms.

Home, a performance that brings love into play 

Home is a performance that brings into play love and our talents for the encounter with the Beloved. With the thousands of charms that home and family have, we arrive at the contemplation of the Home par excellence, which is the Trinity. It is our way of

participate from the Son at the table of Rublev's icon. And only those who begin here below to recognize this Beauty will recognize the Beauty of Heaven, which satisfies without satiating, where we will finally be enveloped by Trinitarian love, seated together at the table.

Love as attention

Finally, I believe there is one characteristic that must be cultivated for all of this to make sense: love as attention. Simone Weil describes this concept. He talks about love and how it requires “putting down roots” in the other person and in reality, and for this, attention is essential. Only those who are capable of paying attention are capable of a loving gaze and are able to see beyond. 

With an attentive, loving gaze, reality becomes beautiful, and we find traces of Beauty in everything, even in the midst of the greatest suffering. Loving attention makes us fly, makes us see that things are no longer “because they have to be that way,” but rather I glimpse the loving torrent of the Trinity and I want to join it. Attention to detail is no longer a kind of obsession or OCD, but is born of love and acceptance of reality.

It is this attentiveness that makes the beloved disciple the only one who recognizes the Risen Lord. St. John says: “Then the disciple whom Jesus loved said to Peter, ”It is the Lord!'".

Attention that appears in the Resurrection

That attention is the same as that which appears in the Resurrection: “Then the other disciple, who had reached the tomb first, also went in, and he saw and believed.” What was it that he saw and believed? What on earth must he have seen in the tomb to believe in that way?

A priest gave me an explanation: through the attentive gaze of the beloved disciple, he saw the folded shroud. We know that the Jews were very clear about the Passover ritual, with its cups and psalms at every turn. We also know that Jesus left the last cup undrunk, which he drinks on the Cross just before his death. We also know that depending on how you fold your napkin, you indicate whether you are coming back or whether you have already left the banquet.

Juan saw the folded shroud, a sign that a guest was returning to the banquet. Jesus left the Last Supper unfinished on Holy Thursday, completing it with his Resurrection. An attentive eye can see this. There is great significance and charm in folding a napkin, and we will only be able to see these beautiful charms of home by cultivating our gaze.

Attention, at its highest level, is the same as prayer; it is contemplation. Therefore, by cultivating an attentive, loving gaze, we can say with St. John of the Cross that “my soul has been employed, and all my wealth is at its service; I no longer keep livestock, nor do I have any other occupation, for my only exercise is in loving.”.

The authorBeatriz Gallástegui Baamonde

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Passion for Rilke

Although no one questions the significance of Rainer Maria Rilke's work, his personality has been equally decisive in the interest his poetic universe arouses.

Carmelo Guillén-December 27, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

Although no one questions the significance of Rainer Maria Rilke's work, his personality has been equally decisive in the interest aroused by his poetic universe. His life experiences fed his biography and creative sensibility: his complex relationship with his mother, the influence of various women, the reinvention of his identity—from changing his name to inventing a fictional nobility—and his constant travels throughout Europe. Born in Prague, he chose German as his literary language and, on occasion, French. 

Beyond these circumstances, his writing is based on an essential conviction: “The creator must be a world unto himself, finding everything in himself and in the nature to which he has adhered.”, as he expressed in the first of his Letters to a Young Poet, where he summarizes his ideal of inner life and his ethics of art: silence, patience, and fidelity to oneself. In the third of these letters, we read: “Go inside yourself. Explore the reason that drives you to write (...) Would you die if you were denied the ability to write?”It is not about writing to be read, but to be.

A spirituality without dogma

From this premise, his poetry seeks to convert existence into spiritual substance: to transform lived experiences—love, death, loneliness—into revelation. Hence his status as a metaphysical poet, a reference point for those who dare to look inward.
Although he was not a Catholic author in the strict sense, his work retains a reinterpreted Christian imprint. As Gonzalo Torrente Ballester observed: “Rilke's thinking, although not Catholic, presupposes Catholicism. It presupposes it historically, as a cultural achievement (...). It is Christianity without Christ.”In Rilke, God is not an external presence, but a creation of the soul; an inner reality that arises from human experience and is elevated through poetic language.

To which Torrente Ballester himself adds: “Rilke's poetry, prose, and letters frequently refer to God; but God, for Rilke, is something that man creates. Reversing biblical terms, man, according to Rilke, creates God in his own image and likeness. This idea is not unique to Rilke. (...) We find it in Scheler, in Unamuno, in Antonio Machado. From such a God, Christ cannot be the Word.".

This context is key to understanding his spirituality, which inherits Christian symbols but reformulates them from within, stripping them of dogma. The divine is not an external presence, but a construction of the soul, a reality that springs from human experience and is elevated through poetic language.

Duino Elegies

One of the highlights of his work is the Duino Elegies (1923), written over more than a decade and born, according to the author himself, from a visionary experience facing the Adriatic Sea. In them, the figure of the angel acts as a central symbol: not the biblical angel, but a being of unbearable intensity, an image of the absolute, which terrifies the poetic self with its perfection. In the first elegy we read: “Every angel is terrible. / And so I hold back, stifling the cry / of a dark sob, Oh! To whom / can we / turn then? Not to angels, nor to human beings either...".

This tension between the longing for the transcendent and the impossibility of sustaining its brilliance sums up his spiritual drama: the desire for the eternal in the face of human fragility. His poetry thus inhabits that boundary between the earth and what transcends it. It offers no certainties, but suggests revelations. Instead of consolation, it proposes a radical acceptance of mystery, since “beauty is nothing more than the beginning of the terrible".

To exist in song

Another essential example is Sonnets to Orpheus (1923), composed in a few days as a tribute to a young woman who had died. The cycle celebrates the transformative power of song, embodied in Orpheus, who was able to tame death with his lyre. In Sonnet II, Rilke writes: “Singing is existence. For God, it's easy. / But when are we?”. Here, a key idea is condensed: singing—creating, describing the world—is not an aesthetic act, but an ontological one. For the god, existing comes easily; for humans, living and singing are almost heroic tasks. Poetry, understood in this way, is not decoration: it is resistance and devotion.

Added to this is what could be called a poetics of the moment: the idea that the ephemeral contains the eternal if one knows how to look. In a letter written in 1921, Rilke notes: “You have to love the ephemeral. That is where the eternal lies hidden.”This attitude toward time distances him from both nihilism and transcendent hope. For Rilke, redemption lies in living fully, in transforming every experience into consciousness, and every consciousness into words.

The panther

Perhaps no poem of his better sums up than The panther that tension between the prison of the visible and the longing for the invisible. The animal, locked behind the bars of its gaze, turns in circles, oblivious to the outside world, but with a latent strength that still vibrates: “Only sometimes does the curtain of his eyelids rise / silently. An image travels inward, / traverses the tense calm of his limbs / and, when it falls into his heart, it melts and fades away.”Like the panther, the poet lives in a cage: that of language, that of his era, that of his body. But from that space, as Rilke teaches us, he can rise—even if only for a few moments—toward eternity. 

The panther

In Le Jardin des Plaintes. Paris)

His gaze has grown weary from so much observing.

those bars before him, in an endless parade,

that nothing else could enter it anymore.

It seems to you that there are only thousands of bars

and that behind them no world exists.

Meanwhile, time and again, he moves forward, drawing

with their narrow footprints,

the movement of their nimble, gentle legs

shows a resounding dance

around a center where he remains alert

an impressive will.

Only sometimes does the curtain of her eyelids rise

silent. An image travels inward, 

run through the calm tension in your limbs

and, when it falls into your heart, it melts and vanishes. 

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The Vatican

Enrique Shaw: the Vatican confirms that it is possible to be a holy businessman

On the 18th of this month, the Vatican confirmed that Pope Leo XIV approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of an Argentine layman, the now venerable Enrique Ernesto Shaw, clearing the way for his beatification.

OSV / Omnes-December 26, 2025-Reading time: 5 minutes

In the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells his disciples that “it is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” These words have resonated for centuries as a warning and a challenge, not because salvation is impossible for the rich, but because it is demanding. On December 18, the Vatican confirmed that an Argentine layman, Enrique Shaw, met that challenge.

He announced that Pope Leo XIV had approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of the venerable Henry Ernest Shaw, thus clearing the way for his beatification.

Shaw, husband and father of nine children

Shaw, who died in 1962 at the age of 41, was neither a priest nor a religious figure. He was a husband, father of nine children, naval officer, and businessman, and died in a situation of financial solvency, or wealth. However, his life, lived with an unusual consistency between faith and action, has made him one of the next candidates for glory in Argentina.

Born in 1921 at the Ritz Hotel in Paris to an Argentine family, Shaw grew up in a privileged environment, but chose a path marked by discipline, service, and prayer. He spent most of his childhood in Argentina, but lived for a year in the United States with his father and brother after his mother died when he was four years old. It was there that Shaw received the sacrament of confirmation. 

Although his father was a non-practicing Catholic, he fulfilled a promise he made to his dying wife to raise their children in the faith.

More biographical details

Shaw remains the youngest graduate of Argentina's naval academy, having entered at the age of 14. When he retired at the age of 24, he had reached the rank of lieutenant.

Shaw returned to the United States several times, but one decisive trip was in 1945, when the Argentine Navy sent him to study meteorology. He arrived in New York on September 2, 1945, the day World War II ended, with a change of heart. 

The connection between the economy, business, and the Gospel

During the trip, Shaw spoke several times with Monsignor Reynold Hillenbrand, a priest from Chicago known for training Catholic leaders through social engagement and pastoral work.

Monsignor Hillenbrand convinced Shaw that he would never be “just another worker,” but that he could make a difference as a businessman.

Under Hillenbrand's guidance, Shaw left the Navy and entered the business world, convinced that economic life was not separate from the Gospel, but rather one of its most demanding areas. This connection attracted the attention of Pope Leo XIV, who was in Chicago. 

Leo XIV: it is possible to be both a businessman and a saint

In a message to Argentina's 31st Industrial Conference, the Pope wrote that Shaw's life shows that it is possible to be both a businessman and a saint, that economic efficiency and fidelity to the Gospel are not mutually exclusive, and that charity can penetrate even industrial and financial structures.

He studies at Harvard and runs Rigolleau.

Shaw founded the Christian Association of Business Executives of Argentina. Inspired by his education at Harvard Business School—where he studied by invitation despite not having applied for admission—he also helped found his country's Pontifical University.

At the same time, he took over the general management of his wife's family business, Cristalería Rigolleau, had nine children, led the men's section of Catholic Action in Argentina, and helped found the local Caritas office. At Rigolleau, Shaw established a pension fund and health care system for the company's 3,400 workers, providing medical care, financial support in case of illness, and loans for important life events.

More than 260 workers donated blood for him.

All this happened before Shaw died of cancer at the age of 41, after a six-year battle. Some 260 workers donated blood to help the man who knew them by name, often asked about their families, and carried a small notebook to jot down their needs.

Shortly before his death, Shaw thanked them: “I can tell you that now almost all the blood running through my veins is the blood of workers. That is why I identify more than ever with you, whom I have always loved and regarded not only as executors, but also as executives.”.

Company: community of people, human dignity

Shaw understood the business world not as a profit machine, but as a community of people. Convinced that work should serve human dignity, he promoted labor relations based on dialogue, justice, and respect, even amid the intense social and political conflicts of Argentina in the 1950s.

His convictions led him to take concrete action. Shaw promoted the concept of family wages in Argentina, a pioneering effort to ensure that wages reflected not only productivity but also the real needs of family livelihoods. For Shaw, wages could never be abstract figures; they had to enable a dignified life.

Arrested for belonging to Catholic Action

His public fidelity to the faith came at a price. In 1955, during severe religious persecution following the burning of churches and the confrontation between the state—led by President Juan Domingo Perón—and the Church, Shaw was arrested twice for his involvement in Catholic Action. He endured the opposition with serenity, never separating his personal piety from his public responsibility.

With the support of his fellow Argentine, Pope Francis, Shaw's cause advanced slowly but steadily. However, what finally opened the door was a healing that medicine could not explain.

Its cause: the inexplicable healing of a child

On June 21, 2015, a 5-year-old boy suffered a devastating brain injury after being kicked by a horse near Suipacha, on the outskirts of Buenos Aires. Doctors warned the family that his condition was so serious that surgery might not be advisable. Faced with a bleak prognosis, the parents entrusted their son to Shaw's intercession.

The boy survived and today, now a teenager, leads a normal life with no lasting effects. The Church formally recognized the healing as miraculous and published the decree on December 18, with the approval of Pope Leo XIV.

Fernán de Elizalde, administrator of the cause, told Infobae that at the critical moment, the child's father prayed: “I exchange your holiness for the health of my son.”.

Vocation of the laity

The approval marks a significant moment not only for Argentina, but for a global church increasingly focused on the vocation of the laity. Shaw's life offers a concrete answer to one of Christianity's persistent tensions: how to live with wealth, power, and responsibility without losing one's soul.

—————–

– Inés San Martín is vice president of Marketing and Communications for the Pontifical Mission Societies in the United States. She writes for OSV News from Rosario, Argentina. 

This information was originally published in OSV News, and can be found at here.

—————

The authorOSV / Omnes

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Leo XIV: «Let us not be overcome by indifference toward those who suffer, for God is not indifferent to our miseries.»

During Christmas Mass and the "urbi et orbi" blessing, the Pope emphasizes the fascination with the Child Jesus. moves you toward devotion to others. 

Javier García Herrería-December 25, 2025-Reading time: 6 minutes

On the morning of December 25, inside St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope offered a homily placing the Christmas celebration in its most universal and human dimension, recalling that «throughout the world, Christmas is a celebration of music and song par excellence,» a time when joy is expressed as a proclamation that crosses peoples and cultures and draws us out of indifference toward our neighbors.

But that joy, he explained, is neither superficial nor evasive. It springs from God's gift itself, a gift that is not imposed, but calls and waits. «God's gift is fascinating, it seeks acceptance and moves us to surrender,» he said, emphasizing that its strength lies precisely in its vulnerability. It is a gift that «surprises us because it exposes us to rejection» and that «attracts us because it snatches us from indifference.» In that tension—between attraction and risk—the authenticity of the Christian faith is at stake.

Divine filiation

The Pope then delved deeper into one of the central ideas of his homily: divine filiation not as an abstract concept, but as a concrete capacity to live differently. «Becoming children of God is a true power,» he said, although he warned that this power is stifled when the heart is closed. That gift, he said, «remains buried as long as we remain indifferent to the cries of children and the frailty of the elderly, to the powerless silence of victims and the resigned melancholy of those who do evil without wanting to.».

Indifference, rather than visible sin, is presented as the great enemy of the Gospel.

Helping others

In this context, the Pope recalled some words of «beloved Pope Francis,» quoted expressly to re-evoke the «joy of the Gospel.» He recalled how Francis warned that «sometimes we are tempted to be Christians while keeping a prudent distance from the wounds of the Lord.» In the face of that temptation, Jesus« direct call resounded strongly: »Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others." Faith, he insisted, is not lived from a place of sterility, but from contact.

This contact becomes even more urgent because, as the Pontiff reminded us, the Incarnation has changed God's language forever. «Since the Word became flesh, now flesh speaks, crying out the divine desire to meet us.» And that flesh today has concrete names and faces. «The Word has pitched his fragile tent among us,» he said, inviting us to look at the most painful realities of the present.

Seeing the fragility of others

He made direct reference to the situation in the Holy Land: «And how can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind, and cold, and those of so many other displaced persons and refugees on every continent, or the makeshift shelters of thousands of homeless people in our cities?» Fragility, he emphasized, is not an idea, but a real condition: «Fragile is the flesh of defenseless populations, tested by so many wars, ongoing or ended, leaving rubble and open wounds.».

In one of the most profound passages of his homily, the Pope linked this compassionate gaze with the birth of true peace. «When the fragility of others pierces our hearts, when the pain of others shatters our solid certainties, then peace begins.» Not a peace built on balances of power, but «the peace of God,» which «is born of a sob that is welcomed, of a cry that is heard.» It is a peace that «is born amid ruins that cry out for a new solidarity» and that is nourished by «dreams and visions that, like prophecies, reverse the course of history.».

Urbi et Orbi blessing

From the central loggia of the facade of St. Peter's Basilica, the Pope gave the blessing. urbi et orbi Christmas message focused on peace understood not as an imposed balance, but as a task that arises from personal conversion.

Before the faithful gathered in the square and the millions of people who followed the event around the world, the Pontiff clearly stated: «Sisters and brothers, this is the path to peace: responsibility.» He emphasized that real change begins when each person abandons the logic of accusation and assumes their own share of blame. If everyone, he said, «instead of accusing others, first acknowledged their own faults and asked God for forgiveness,» and if at the same time they knew how to «put themselves in the place of those who suffer» and were «in solidarity with the weakest and most oppressed,» then, he said with conviction, «the world would change.».

Jesus Christ, peace of the world

The Pope rooted this call in the heart of the Christian mystery, recalling that peace has a face and a name. «Jesus Christ is our peace,» he proclaimed, explaining that he is so «first and foremost because he frees us from sin» and because «he shows us the way to overcome conflicts, all conflicts, from interpersonal to international ones.».

He insisted that there can be no authentic peace without prior inner liberation, since «without a heart free from sin, a forgiven heart, one cannot be peaceful men and women and builders of peace.» That is why he recalled that «Jesus was born in Bethlehem and died on the cross: to free us from sin.» In this context, he strongly affirmed that «He is the Savior» and that, sustained by his grace, «each of us can and must do our part to reject hatred, violence, and confrontation, and to practice dialogue, peace, and reconciliation.».

A review of some places

On Christmas Day, the Pontiff wanted to send a message of closeness to Christian communities living in contexts of particular suffering. «I wish to send a warm and paternal greeting to all Christians living in Middle East«,« he said, recalling his recent meeting with them during his first apostolic journey. From this pastoral closeness, he raised a specific plea to the Lord, saying: "We implore Him for justice, peace, and stability for the Lebanon, Palestine, Israel, and Syria".

The blessing was also extended to the European continent, explicitly entrusted to the «Prince of Peace.» The Pope asked that Europe preserve «a spirit of community and collaboration,» that it remain «faithful to its Christian roots and history,» and that it continue to show «solidarity and hospitality to those in need.» In this context, he invited everyone to pray «in a special way for the troubled Ukrainian people, that the roar of weapons may cease,» a sober request that resonated strongly amid the silence of the square.

The Pope's prayer then embraced all the victims of armed conflicts around the world, entrusting them to «the Child of Bethlehem.» He implored «peace and comfort for the victims of all the wars being fought in the world, especially those that have been forgotten,» and for those who suffer «because of injustice, political instability, religious persecution, and terrorism.» With special attention, he remembered «in a special way our brothers and sisters in Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of the Congo«, putting a face to tragedies that are often silenced.

In the context of «these last days of the Jubilee of Hope,» the Pope invited us to pray «for the beloved people of Haiti«, calling for «an end to all forms of violence in the country» and for the nation to be able to move forward «on the path of peace and reconciliation.» He also turned his gaze to Latin America, asking that «the Child Jesus inspire those with political responsibilities» so that, in the face of current challenges, «space is given to dialogue for the common good and not to ideological and partisan exclusions.».

Asia also featured prominently in the blessing. The Pontiff asked the Prince of Peace to «enlighten Myanmar with the light of a future of reconciliation,» which «restores hope to younger generations» and «guides all the people of Myanmar along the paths of peace,» accompanying those who live «without a home, without security, and without confidence in tomorrow.».

He also implored that «the old friendship between Thailand and Cambodia» and that the parties involved continue to strive «for reconciliation and peace.» His prayer also extended «to the peoples of the South Asia and Oceania«, hard hit by «recent devastating natural disasters» that have severely affected entire populations.

Closing of the Jubilee Year

In the final part of his message, the Pope issued a direct warning to consciences, calling on people not to give in to one of the great evils of our time: «Let us not allow ourselves to be overcome by indifference towards those who suffer, because God is not indifferent to our miseries.».

And, recalling that «in a few days the Jubilee Year will come to an end,» he offered a word of hope that transcends the closing of the celebrations: «The Holy Doors will be closed, but Christ, our hope, remains with us always.» With an image of great spiritual power, he concluded by affirming that «He is the Door that is always open, which leads us into divine life.».

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Photo Gallery

Leo XIV giving the «Urbi et orbi» blessing»

From the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica, December 25, 2025.

Editorial Staff Omnes-December 25, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute
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Gospel

The Christian family becomes holy. Feast of the Holy Family

Vitus Ntube shares with us the readings for the Feast of the Holy Family on December 28, 2025.

Vitus Ntube-December 25, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

Today the Church celebrates the Feast of the Holy Family of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph. It is the last Sunday of the year and the Sunday immediately after Christmas: a natural extension of the solemnity of the Lord's birth. A few days ago, we read in Luke's Gospel how the shepherds said to one another: “Let's go to Bethlehem”, and there they found Mary and Joseph with the baby Jesus lying in the manger. The shepherds teach us not only the attitude we should have at Christmas—going to Bethlehem—but also what we are called to find when we arrive. Our gaze is directed not only to Jesus, but also to his mother and father. The Church invites us to contemplate this icon in which we see the tenderness, joy, and loving care of Mary and Joseph toward the Child. As Pope Benedict XVI once said: “Christmas is the family holiday par excellence.".

By choosing to be conceived, born, and raised in a human family, God himself has consecrated and sanctified the reality of family life. The human family becomes a holy family. Just as Christ was baptized not to be purified by water, but to make water holy, so too, by being born into a family, he sanctifies it. The vocation and mission of every family become clearer: it becomes the ordinary place of encounter between God and humanity. Holiness is not something distant; it takes flesh in the daily rhythms, sacrifices, and joys of family life.

Before the icon of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, we find no speeches, guidelines, or advice on how to have a holy family. Jesus taught about marriage: Mary kept in her heart the wonders that surrounded her Son; Joseph spoke little, but in his silence he expressed a fidelity to God's plan that was stronger than words. What we find, instead, are events: episodes that allow us to enter into the mystery of the Holy Family.

One such episode is found in today's Gospel reading. It is a very moving episode, with much light to offer contemporary culture. I must confess that it is a bittersweet episode for me. First of all, as an African, I am glad that Jesus spent part of his childhood on African soil. It is a source of pride. But the circumstances that made it possible make it bitter. We see the Child Jesus, the Holy Family, threatened by Herod. The Holy Family migrates and finds hospitality in Egypt.

We also see Jesus“ early experience with cultural identity. He left for Egypt to fulfill the prophecy: "From Egypt I called my son”Then he returned to the land of Israel, and since Joseph was afraid to go there at that time, they settled in the region of Galilee, in Nazareth, thus fulfilling the prophecy that he would be called a Nazarene.

Amidst all these displacements, what stands out most is José's attitude. We repeatedly hear the instruction: “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee. …”. And each time, Joseph gets up, takes the child and his mother, and sets out on his way. The holiness of a family depends on listening to God's will and obeying it. Joseph embodies this disposition. His obedience is prompt, courageous, and intelligent—so intelligent that it even leaves room for a prudent fear that, in God's hands, becomes a means of fulfilling the Scriptures.

If we want holy families today, we need fathers—and mothers—who are willing to listen to God's voice and respond with prompt obedience. It is God's desire that every family be holy, and that Christ dwell at its center.

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Cinema

A banker in the Cold War 

This five-episode miniseries frantically recounts the events that made Herrhausen a key figure in European history throughout 1989.

Pablo Úrbez-December 25, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

Alfred Herrhausen, chairman of the board of Deutsche Bank, was assassinated in November 1989. The perpetrators of the crime were never identified, although it was attributed to the Red Army FactionHerrhausen, a far-left organization that, in the previous years, had assassinated other German businessmen. Herrhausen proved to be a key figure in the thawing of the Iron Curtain and the fall of the Berlin Wall. His economic policy was to write off the debts of developing countries and to promote greater social responsibility in banking, which was severely criticized by the capitalist sector. However, these measures attracted the attention of Gorbachev, who saw in Herrhausen a trustworthy person to alleviate the bankruptcy of the Soviet Union.

This five-episode miniseries frantically recounts the events that made Herrhausen a key figure in European history throughout 1989. In contrast to the well-known events that led to the fall of the Berlin Wall, the viewer witnesses the intra-history, the numerous apparently innocuous acts that gradually generated a climate conducive to Gorbachev and the West reaching an agreement that overcame the division. Herrhausen is portrayed as a charismatic character, a visionary, at odds with his board of directors and the Western political opposition. 

Highly recognizable supporting characters such as German President Helmut Kohl, former CIA Secretary Henry Kissinger and Deutsche Bank executives continually parade across the screen. In addition, the Cold War atmosphere of espionage and mistrust is captured very well. It also reflects the motives behind Herrhausen's assassination. Although the bomb was detonated by a very small group, there are many who encouraged and celebrated this event. Thus, given the impossibility of knowing exactly who caused the explosion, the miniseries elaborates its answers, satisfactory and plausible. The characters are not meticulously developed, and there is hardly any respite for their dramatic evolution, as it seems that the accumulation of events is more important. However, the frenetic pace of 1989 is plausibly recreated.

The authorPablo Úrbez

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Books

Mary's time

Discover how the Virgin Mary guides, comforts, and warns humanity through historical apparitions and spiritual messages.

Javier García Herrería-December 25, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

Although Spain is known for its deep devotion to the Virgin Mary, many of the faithful are still unaware of the true extent of her role in the history of salvation. 

The book by Jorge Fernández Díaz, former Spanish Minister of the Interior, seriously delves into this issue, approaching it from the perspective of the theology of history, that is, attempting to analyze how the plans of providence are intertwined with human endeavors. 

The author offers the reader a spiritual and historical journey that sheds light on the meaning of Marian apparitions throughout the last few centuries.

The work, which is remarkably dense both physically and conceptually, is structured in three main parts. In the first, the author places the beginning of an intense Marian period starting in 1830, with the appearance of the Virgin of the Miraculous Medal in Paris. Since then, Fernández Díaz points out, there have been more than 80% recognized apparitions, which he does not consider a coincidence: in a world increasingly distant from God due to the process of modern secularization, Mary appears with greater force to console, warn, and guide humanity. This is the key to understanding the entire book: the messages of the Virgin Mary as a loving response to the suffering of contemporary man.

The second part of the book focuses on the Spanish case, analyzing in depth lesser-known but significant apparitions such as Chauchina, Ezquioga, Umbe, Chandavila, Garabandal, Can Cerdà, and El Escorial. 

The third section, which is longer—about 150 pages—is devoted entirely to the message of Fatima, which the author considers central to understanding the 20th century in the light of Marian spirituality.

The volume concludes with two appendices on appearances in Belgium and Amsterdam. 

It is striking, however, that the author does not devote any space to other phenomena of great significance such as Medjugorje or Akita, trusting that the reader is already familiar with them. This omission may come as a surprise, especially in the case of Medjugorje, given the enormous influence it continues to have today on thousands of pilgrims.

In short, this book is a solid and well-documented proposal that helps rediscover the active role of the Virgin Mary in modern history. It is essential reading for those who seek to better understand the mystery of Mary's spiritual motherhood.

Mary's time

AuthorJorge Fernández Díaz
Editorial: New Eve
Number of pages: 576
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The Vatican

Full house at Christmas Eve Mass in San Pedro

More than 5,000 people were unable to enter and watched the ceremony on screens in St. Peter's Square.

Editorial Staff Omnes-December 25, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

Johan Pacheco, Vatican News.

“Behold the star that surprises the world, a newly lit spark, resplendent with life: «Today, in the city of David, a Savior has been born to you, who is Christ the Lord» (Lk 2:11),” said Pope Leo XIV in his homily during Christmas Eve Mass at St. Peter's Basilica.  He urged everyone to admire the wisdom of Christmas: “In the child Jesus, God gives the world new life.”.

At the beginning of the ceremony, in preparation for the Eucharist, some biblical passages announcing the birth of the Savior were read, followed by the proclamation of the Kalenda—the announcement of Christmas and the expectation of salvation. The Holy Father then unveiled the image of the Child Jesus to incense him, accompanied by a group of children from various countries: South Korea, India, Mozambique, Paraguay, Poland, and Ukraine. He then continued with the initial rites of the Mass.

The unveiling of the image of the Infant Jesus in St. Peter's Basilica
The unveiling of the image of the Infant Jesus in St. Peter's Basilica (@Vatican Media)

In his homily, the Pope reflected on the eloquence of the cry of the fragile child born in Bethlehem who brings salvation, whom we can find by looking close to us, since God became man to free us from the slavery of sin.   

“He who gives his life for us lives among us, illuminating our night with salvation. There is no darkness that this star does not illuminate, because in its light all humanity sees the dawn of a new and eternal existence,” said Leo XIV.

The Holy Father said that “it is the birth of Jesus, the Emmanuel. In the Son made man, God does not give us something, but himself, «to save us from all iniquity, to purify us and to create for himself a chosen people» (Titus 2:14).” And to find the Savior, the Pontiff specified with the Gospel: «a newborn child wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger» (Lk 2:12).

Look down

“To find the Savior, we must not look up, but look down: God's omnipotence shines forth in the helplessness of a newborn baby; the eloquence of the eternal Word resounds in the first cry of an infant; the holiness of the Spirit shines forth in that little body, clean and wrapped in swaddling clothes,” said the Pope.

Recalling a homily by Benedict XVI: «There is no room for others, for children, the poor, foreigners,» he pointed out that these words are “so relevant today, reminding us that there is no room for God on earth if there is no room for man: not welcoming one means rejecting the other. On the other hand, where there is room for man, there is room for God; and then a stable can become more sacred than a temple and the womb of the Virgin Mary, the ark of the new covenant.”.

The Pope invited us to admire the wisdom of Christmas: “In the child Jesus, God gives the world a new life—his own—for everyone. It is not an idea that solves all problems, but a story of love that involves us all.”.

“As St. Augustine pointed out, «Human pride oppressed you so much that only divine humility could lift you up» (Sermo in Natale Domini, 188, III, 3).

Infinite dignity

And he warns that “yes, while a distorted economy leads us to treat men as commodities, God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of each person. While man wants to become God in order to dominate his neighbor, God wants to become man in order to free us from all slavery.”.

“Will this love be enough to change our history?” asks Pope Leo XIV. He indicates that “the answer comes as soon as we wake up, like the shepherds, from a deadly night, in the light of new life, contemplating the baby Jesus.”.

He also recalled Pope Francis“ words on Christmas Eve 2024: «The birth of Jesus rekindles in us »the gift and task of bringing hope where it has been lost.”".

St. Peter's Basilica at Christmas Eve Mass
St. Peter's Basilica during Christmas Eve Mass (@Vatican Media).

Gratitude and mission

And with the imminent end of the Jubilee Year, he urges that Christmas be a time of “Gratitude for the gift received” and “mission to bear witness to this gift to the world.”.

The Pope concluded by proclaiming that Christmas is a celebration of faith, charity, and hope: «It is a celebration of faith, because God becomes man, born of the Virgin. It is a celebration of charity, because the gift of the Redeemer Son is realized in fraternal self-giving. It is a celebration of hope, because the child Jesus kindles it in us, making us messengers of peace.”.

Jesus Christ brings us peace

Around 6,000 people attended Christmas Eve Mass in St. Peter's Basilica at the Vatican, while nearly 5,000 people gathered in the square in the rain. The Pope greeted them before the ceremony began: “Thank you very much for being here tonight, even in this weather. We want to celebrate Christmas together. Jesus Christ, who was born for us, brings us peace, brings us God's love.”.    

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  • The 10 most-read interviews on Omnes in 2025
Newsroom

The 10 most-read interviews on Omnes in 2025

2025 has been a year of growth for Omnes, and we want to welcome 2026 by looking back at the best interviews of the year that is coming to a close.

Editorial Staff Omnes-December 24, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute

Throughout this year, Omnes has published numerous interviews on current affairs from a Catholic perspective. Here is a selection of the most read articles on our website over the last twelve months.

Interview with Pep Borrell, writer and educator on dating and marriage relationships

Pep Borrell: "The 100 % of education is for children to see that their father and mother love each other".

The conversion of the famous Spanish television presenter Christian Gálvez

Christian Gálvez: “My conversion began with the way my wife loved me.”

Elisa Lisiero, expert at the Dicastery for Laity, Family, and Life

Elisa Lisiero: “The spiritual companion must have a fair understanding of their role as mediator.”

Interview with Seville businessman Álvaro Moreno

Álvaro Moreno: "If not for the glory of God, what are we here for?"

Interview with the actor who plays Jesus in «The Chosen»: Jonathan Roumie

Jonathan Roumie: "Playing Jesus in The Chosen I have discovered his intimacy with the apostles".

Fabio Rosini on young people, fatherhood, and spiritual maturity

Fabio Rosini: "We do not need good Christians, but Christians in love".

Pedro Ballester and his fight against cancer

Pedro Ballester. God smiles from a hospital bed

Interview with Raimo Goyarrola, Bishop of Helsinki

Raimo Goyarrola: "Finland has a special mission in the Church".

Interview with the CEO and co-founder of Hallow, the most popular prayer app

Alex Jones: "We are looking for new ways to help people to pray".

Interview with Esteban Aranaz, an Aragonese priest in China

Spanish priest in China: "Christianity in China is silent, but has deep roots".
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Cinema

The King of Kings, the best family film for Christmas, exceeds 100,000 viewers

The film tells the story of the origin of Christmas through the voice and imagination of Charles Dickens.

Editorial Staff Omnes-December 24, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

The King of Kings (El Rey de Reyes) continues its unstoppable run at the Spanish box office and has already surpassed 100,000 viewers in theaters across the country, a milestone that confirms its excellent reception by the public and consolidates it as one of the films with the greatest potential to become one of the favorite choices for families during this Christmas season.

The film, which tells the story of the origins of Christmas through the voice and imagination of Charles Dickens, became the highest-grossing new release in its opening weekend on December 12, reaching number 4 in the national rankings. This strong debut positioned it as one of the most notable films of the moment from the moment it hit theaters.

The success of The King of Kings in Spain adds to its remarkable international success, especially in the United States, where the film has grossed over $60 million, confirming its universal appeal and its ability to connect with audiences from different cultures and generations.

Currently, The King of Kings It is being screened in more than 300 movie theaters throughout Spain, available in both the original version and dubbed in Spanish and Catalan, which reinforces its family-friendly nature and wide accessibility.

Synopsis

On Christmas Eve, Charles Dickens tells his son the greatest story ever told. What begins as a bedtime story turns into a journey that will change their lives forever. Through imagination, the boy walks alongside Jesus in a story full of adventures, angels, evil kings, and miracles.

In its English version, The King of Kings features a first-rate voice cast that brings the story and its characters to life. Oscar Isaac voices Jesus Christ, Kenneth Branagh plays Charles Dickens, and Uma Thurman lends her voice to Catherine Dickens. The cast is rounded out by Pierce Brosnan, Mark Hamill, Forest Whitaker, Ben Kingsley, and Roman Griffin.

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ColumnistsÁlvaro Gil Ruiz

Survival guide for Christmas dinners

In a society marked by polarization, rushing, and stress, Christmas dinners can be a real test of endurance for some people.

December 24, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

At Christmas, blood relatives or politics can become the enemy to be defeated. The battlefield: the dinner table. The weapon is words. How is this possible, when Christmas is supposed to be a time to celebrate the birth of the Savior, to open our hearts to our neighbors, to give ourselves to others and offer the best of ourselves, to show solidarity and charity to those far away? The answer is not easy, but the truth is that there is a great contrast between reality and what should happen at this time of year.

How has this social investment been cooked up? What social engineering has been carried out by those who encourage us to consume, influence us culturally, lead us socially, and run our country? The answer is broad. Part of the problem stems from polarization, politicization, and fragmentation, which have transformed society. As a result, life has become more than just living; it has become surviving.

It seems like we are in a daily race to pay the bills, get our children to school and their doctors« appointments on time, find parking, or submit the latest requirement to receive assistance or avoid a fine. There's no time to think, only to feel overwhelmed. And if we add to that »the devastating advance of the four modern horsemen of the apocalypse (overpopulation, resource depletion, pollution, and climate change),« as Luri says in his book »On the Art of Reading," then we might as well give up. 

How can you flip a tortilla without it falling apart?

On the one hand, recognizing that there are many things that do not depend on us, since we are fragile, limited, and vulnerable, because we are human. And we do not have control over humanity in our hands. That is why Christmas is a good time to pray the beginning of the well-known “Serenity Prayer,” a prayer attributed to the Lutheran theologian Reinhold Niebuhr, which says:

“Lord, grant me serenity to accept the things I cannot change, courage to change the things I can, and wisdom to know the difference.”.

It is a good way to approach the “dreaded” Christmas meals with a different attitude, not one of imposing, attacking, or returning an affront. Instead, it is the attitude of someone who knows that changing others is not in their power. The attitude of someone who does not impose their ideas but proposes them, because they are not necessarily better and because they respect the freedom and conscience of others. Without neglecting the serenity of someone who is at peace with themselves and therefore transmits it (can you think of a better way to avoid conflict?). And the attitude of someone who distances themselves from “brother-in-lawism,” because my answers are not necessarily your answers to the same problems.

That said, without rest for our bodies and minds, we will not succeed. Sleep, sport, inner and outer silence, reading, sharing cultural outings or excursions with the family... all these things allow us to put the pieces of our lives in place.

It is also time to reinterpret past words and actions to place them in a context of empathy. Do you remember the famous Coca-Cola commercial from 2003 that moved half of Spain? A teenager acted as an intermediary between his father and mother, relaying mutual reproaches, going from the kitchen to the living room, and from the living room to the kitchen, through the hallways of the house. Until he opens a bottle of the famous soft drink, and a spark is lit, reinterpreting the words the two say to each other, transforming them into compliments that awaken the appreciation and attraction they enjoyed in the past, loving each other again as they had before.  And why can't the same thing happen with a family member we don't talk to? What can we do to restore relationships that used to flow? 

The survival guide for this Christmas may end up being, to a large extent, what we work on and pray for. It is up to us to build bridges, to forget what is not worth remembering, and to welcome the gestures of others with respect and sensitivity. But above all, we must remember that Jesus Christ came to earth precisely for this reason: to redeem us with his love. Merry Christmas!

The authorÁlvaro Gil Ruiz

Professor and regular contributor to Vozpópuli.

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Cinema

Alauda and her Sundays

Sundays It is a film that transcends its own author, as demonstrated, among other things, by the remarkable public conversation it has generated, not only in the country's main media outlets, but also within families and work environments.

Gema Pérez Herrera-December 23, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

There has been a lot of commotion surrounding Alauda Ruiz de Azúa's recent remarks at the Forqué Awards. Meanwhile, her film Sundays continues to spark interesting debates and has surpassed 500,000 viewers. Not bad for a Spanish film that tackles religious themes.

We all knew that it wasn't a film that pandered to anyone, that it was respectful and honest towards both sides of the story—believers and non-believers—just as we knew that Alauda belongs to the group of non-believers and that he set out to overcome his biases and prejudices when making this film, which makes his achievement even more valuable.

I believe that Sundays It is a film that transcends its own author, as demonstrated, among other things, by the remarkable public conversation it has generated, not only in the country's mainstream media, but also within families and work environments. Alauda has her own personal opinions about what she narrates, and she is fully entitled to them, but she has been able to set them aside and engage in an admirable exercise of listening to others. Something we should all do more often.

In my opinion, what those somewhat clumsy and hasty words from the other day speak of is a regrettable reality: the lack of freedom in the prevailing culture, in which faith is viewed with suspicion and rejection, and in which many do not forgive Alauda for her refusal to take a clear stand against religion and the Church. One only had to follow that public conversation to notice it. Thus, it seems that the director has felt compelled to declare that, of course, she considers religion to be “indoctrination,” which has baffled and disappointed many of her viewers.

Ah, but is Aunt Maite—who opposes Ainara's decision—a person free of beliefs or doctrines? “She believes in God like you believe in climate change,” her husband retorts in one of the scenes in the film. We all have beliefs, even those who are staunch atheists based on a firm “non-belief.” The key is the nature of each faith and who we choose to believe in. And, of course, everyone's freedom to do so.

No one forces Ainara to end up in the convent, contrary to what her aunt Maite wants the girl's father to do: not let her go. The disbelief of our prevailing culture prevents him from opening up to the possibility of the transcendent: he closes himself off to the supernatural, to that which is invisible to the eyes of the body but essential to the spirit. This is one of the great hits of our present. I found the film to be a dialogue between these two worlds that coexist today, and it revolves around a question that is latent in every frame: Does God exist?

If it doesn't exist, Ainara and those “four old women” are crazy. If it does exist, it will be Aunt Maite and the materialistic atheist world who are crazy, for closing themselves off hermetically to a reality that seems to give meaning and fulfillment to human life.

My brother pointed this out to me when we watched the film together. There is a moment of great cinematic beauty and symbolism in which there is a final “look” between the two protagonists, each in their own space: one dressed in white, joyful, surrounded by her blood family and her chosen family, secure in the certainty of an “incomparable” love, a word used by Alauda herself., in an interview on ABC, to describe the love that these young women with a vocation claim to find. The other, Aunt Maite, descends the dark staircase of a notary's office, overcome by a certain resentment, to meet her family (broken?) on the street. Something seems to stir her in the midst of “uncertainty,” a word also used by Alauda in the program. Movies on SER, to describe the world in which Aunt Maite and she herself live; “in which most of us live,” she concludes. 

The two protagonists look back in the final seconds, a very significant detail, which another great film-loving friend of mine pointed out to me, and which complements Alauda's words. Aunt Maite seems to encounter these uncertainties, and perhaps some certainties, within her own family, which is the other major theme of this film and one that we have not discussed here. Ainara looks at Sister Isabel, who closes the door. The fact is that we all have moments of uncertainty, even believers in the realm of faith. In his book Introduction to Christianity, Ratzinger compared us to shipwrecked sailors clinging to a plank in the middle of a stormy sea, where each person chooses whether or not to hold on to the wood that can help them reach Life, but we are all traveling across the same sea. 

Alauda, honest as she has been in listening to that other side, and clever—very clever—as she is, has faithfully portrayed, with greater or lesser awareness, the life that each of them chooses; and it is there, in seeing them, that the audience also chooses what to believe, with all its consequences. That is why the film speaks so differently to each of its viewers; it is like life itself, and the achievement of reflecting this is what we call Art.

This is one of the great things about Alauda and her film, something that not everyone achieves, and which has been viewed with suspicion by certain sectors. That is perhaps why she has had to “qualify” it now. And perhaps also because of a Goya award that we all hope she will win and which could be jeopardized if she doesn't? Anyway, I don't want to think badly of her, I admire her too much for the honesty she shows in all her work. 

It seems that Alauda has been able to be freer in his art than in his words. This tells us a lot about the world we live in, where there seem to be more dogmas than those defended by the Catholic Church. 

In the meantime... Long live Alauda and its cinema! It not only amazes us, but also makes us think and talk.

The authorGema Pérez Herrera

Professor at the University of Valladolid and film critic.

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Evangelization

A poem from the Virgin Mary to the baby Jesus

A moving prayer in verse that explores the mystery of a God who, being infinite, chooses the fragility of a newborn to save the world. José Miguel Granados Temes immerses us in the wonder of a Mother who, between lullabies and caresses, tries to understand the unfathomable love of her Son.

José Miguel Granados-December 23, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

I don't understand, my child. I don't understand, my love.

I don't understand, my child.

I don't understand, my love.

Why, if the world hangs on your arms

I'll hold you in my lap.

Why do you cling to my blossoming chest?

if you are the Bread of Life,

food and drink,

God's good wheat.

Why the smallest one?

asked permission from the eternal Father

to be the Gate of Heaven,

to be the Mother of God,

the ladder to paradise,

the caresser of the greatest treasure.

I don't understand why

if you don't fit in the universe

you have wanted to enter my womb,

make yourself small,

small, mischievous,

and be the most beautiful,

and be as tender as possible.

I can't understand

Why does Wisdom remain silent?,

Why does Purity allow herself to be cleansed?,

Why Joy is whining.

Why do you close your eyes?

if you love everything and look at everything.

Why do you hide your little hands?

if with them you will heal so many wounds.

Why do you breathe so softly?

when you doze off in the doorway.

Why do little feet stretch?

as if to go quickly to deliver a letter.

Why does your heart beat so fast?

if you will be in a hurry to love

if you will be in a hurry to give up your life.

Tell me, if you know.

Please tell me.

Why do you like my nanny so much?,

Why does your crying break my heart?,

Why looking at you makes me fall in love,

Why do I dream about you?,

Why are you my owner?,

Why do I think about you all the time?.

Say if your lullaby is the breeze,

if your crying is singing,

if beauty is your smile.

Tell me if there can be anyone so depraved,

so inhumane and heartless,

that when I see you completely vulnerable,

still beautiful and kind,

be able to hurt you,

to hate you,

or even to step aside,

and leave you forgotten, abandoned.

Tell me that everyone will love you as much as I do,

Tell me you're going to change the whole world.

Tell me that men will go mad with love,

Tell me that better times are coming.

Tell me that the new world begins in your crib,

Tell me you're going to save souls one by one.

If it's about understanding

if it will be about love.

If my heart tells me 

that I never stop looking at you.

I don't understand, my child.

I don't understand, my love.

I can't understand it.

You tell me, tell me. 

José Miguel Granados Temes

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Mission, communion, and holiness: the vision of the Church in canon law

During his first Christmas address to the Roman Curia on December 22, 2025, Pope Leo XIV presented two inseparable realities that guide ecclesial life: mission and communion.

Gonzalo Meza-December 23, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

Mission and communion seem like abstract concepts, but they are deeply rooted in theology and canon law. Understanding this connection is crucial to living as missionary disciples of Christ in today's world.

Mission and communion, two inseparable realities

In his address to the Curia, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that the Church exists for mission: to go out to meet the world, to proclaim the good news, and to invite everyone to the banquet of the Kingdom of God. This «new evangelizing outreach» is not accidental; it emerges from the very heart of God, who in an act of radical love sends his Son to reconcile humanity with himself. The Pope expressed it this way: God makes a true «exodus» toward us, he goes out to seek us.

The mission is linked to communion. As the Holy Father emphasized, communion is a reality that springs from the heart of the Trinity and unfolds in a concrete way throughout the Church. Communion is not a feeling; it is the bond that constitutes us as the body of Christ, making each of us a member of the same Body and calling us to be builders of communion. Pope Leo XIV specifies that this communion constitutes today «a task more urgent than ever,» both ad intra (within the ecclesial community) as ad extra (in testimony before the world). 

Communion: the primary duty and compass of all the rights and duties of the Christian faithful

The second book of canon law «of the people of God» begins in its first part with a section dedicated to the obligations and rights of all Christian faithful (ChristifidelesAll those who are baptized and incorporated into the Church through baptism possess a fundamental equality that is nuanced by a functional differentiation (hierarchical principle), which determines both the manner of participating in Christ's mission and the particular path of sanctification for each believer.

Here is a notable aspect of the 1983 Code of Canon Law: communion is a primary duty and a right of all the baptized, and more decisively, it becomes the criterion and limit for the exercise of all other rights. This marks a radical difference from individual rights in civil constitutions. In the secular world, rights are often exercised in an individualistic manner: each citizen exercises his or her rights on a personal basis within the civil regulatory framework.

In the Church, however, no individual right can be exercised against ecclesial communion. If it does, it loses its meaning and legitimacy. What are the concrete bonds of this communion? Canon 205 lists them:

(1) profession of faith—adherence to the deposit revealed in Scripture and Tradition, interpreted by the Magisterium;

(2) unity in the sacraments;

and (3) hierarchical communion. The Church is a hierarchically organized society (C. 207). Only when we all maintain these bonds do our rights and obligations take on true meaning and contribute to the common good of the Church.

The universal call to holiness: a «revolutionary» call»

Canon 210, on the duty and right of the faithful to holiness, precedes—and this is significant—the canons referring to the duties and rights of all Christian faithful (canons 208-223) and therefore constitutes a criterion of interpretation: «All the faithful should strive, according to their own condition, to lead a holy life, as well as to increase the Church and promote its continual sanctification.» The rights and duties of the faithful to worship (C. 214), to association (C. 215), to Christian formation and education (C. 217), to private life (C. 220), etc., only make sense if they are read under the paradigm of communion and the common good. 

Herein lies one of the most profound contributions of the Second Vatican Council, expressed in Lumen Gentium: the universal call to holiness. This notion leaves behind an old ecclesial conception that saw different levels of holiness according to the state of life of each believer and according to which there was a «state of perfection,» for example, religious who, through their evangelical profession with vows, were called to the fullness of Christian life. As if some believers had a duty to holiness and others did not.

This exhortation to holiness by the Second Vatican Council, expressed in the Code of Canon Law, was the result, among other things, of the re-reading of many spiritual authors (from St. Augustine to St. Thérèse of Lisieux) but decisively by St. Josemaría Escrivá de Balaguer, who concretized this concept in the prelature of Opus Dei and in its mission: to spread the universal call to holiness in the midst of the world, especially through the sanctification of ordinary work and the common circumstances of life.

As the Magisterium emphasizes, and as Pope Leo XIV has now underscored, holiness and communion are not lived in the abstract. The pursuit of Christian perfection does not consist in escaping the world or denying earthly responsibilities. On the contrary, each believer pursues holiness according to the demands of his or her state of life and personal vocation. The pursuit of personal holiness and the growth of the Church's sanctification are linked, for the Church bears fruit and grows when the faithful strive in their daily lives to attain the fullness of Christian life. 

Pope Leo XIV reminded the Church that mission, communion, and holiness are not abstract aspirations, but realities that must be embodied in daily life, and that these realities are protected by canon law. «We are not little gardeners dedicated to tending our own gardens, but we are disciples and witnesses of the Kingdom of God, called to be in Christ the leaven of universal brotherhood among different peoples, different religions, among women and men of every language and culture. And this happens if we are the first to live as brothers and sisters and make the light of communion shine in the world» (Leo XIV, Address to the Roman Curia, December 22, 2025).

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The World

Nigeria: the 130 missing kidnapped students released at Christmas

Catholics in northwestern Nigeria are celebrating the release of the last group of students (130) kidnapped from St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri, Nigeria. All of the kidnapping victims will celebrate Christmas at home.

OSV / Omnes-December 23, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

– Frederick Nzwili, Kontagora, Nigeria, OSV News

Church authorities have confirmed that the 130 students who remained to be released from the kidnapping of more than 300 students from the diocesan school in Niger State (Nigeria) were freed on December 21. This brings an end to a month-long ordeal. The news was announced yesterday. 

“We thank God for the release of the children and staff kidnapped from St. Mary's Catholic School in Papiri. Thank you for your prayers, support, and efforts. May God grant lasting peace and security to our country and the whole world,” said the sisters in Nigeria in a Facebook post. The school is owned by the Diocese of Kontagora and run by the Sisters of Our Lady of the Apostles.

It is unclear who kidnapped the children from the Catholic school or whether a ransom was paid to secure their release.

Release confirmed

Two days ago, on December 21, Father Jatau Luka Joseph, secretary of the diocese, confirmed the release. At the same time, he thanked all those who contributed to the safe return of the victims, including the Nigerian government, the Niger state government, and the security services.

“We also extend our sincere gratitude to parents, guardians, clergy, religious communities, humanitarian organizations, and the general public for their prayers, support, and solidarity during this difficult period,” the priest said in a statement.

The Catholic Diocese of Kontagora remains committed to the protection, welfare, and safety of all pupils, students, and staff, and will continue to collaborate with all relevant authorities to ensure a safe and conducive learning environment.

The Nigerian federal government celebrated the release of the children and said it was a fitting end to the year and that no students remained in captivity.

Public shelter in Nigeria, following the murder of the deputy headmistress and kidnapping of 25 students. Days later, 300 students and 12 teachers from a Catholic school were kidnapped and have been released in stages. (OSV News/Africa Independent Television via Reuters).

Gradual release

On December 14, the captors released to the first large group (100) of students, including 14 high school students, one staff member, 80 elementary school students, and five kindergarteners. At least 50 of the children had escaped from their captors in November, shortly after the kidnapping.

However, there were still those who have now been released. “It is not known for certain whether there are any missing persons: the police claim that all those kidnapped are free, including the staff, while investigations continue.”, informs the official Vatican agency.

Federal government

“The federal government stands in solidarity with the parents and guardians of the students for the agony caused by the kidnapping, and wishes them a happy family reunion, a good healing process, happy holidays, and a Merry Christmas,” said Mohammed Idris, Nigeria's Minister of Information and National Orientation.

Appeal from the Pope

Pope Leo XIV expressed his “immense sadness at the news of the kidnapping of priests and students in Nigeria and Cameroon” during the Angelus on November 23, the Solemnity of Christ the King. And he made a appeal urgent for the kidnapped hostages to be released.

The Pontiff urged “the competent authorities to take the necessary measures to achieve this. Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours, and that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope.”.

Since then, various Church institutions have launched prayer campaigns for this intention. For example, ACN, together with the Church in Nigeria, denounced the brutal escalation of violence, which is not only anti-Christian. Indeed, the Nigerian bishops stated that “we are deeply concerned because Muslims and many other innocent citizens have also been victims.”.

Trump denounced the situation.

On the other hand, in early November, US President Donald Trump, had reported the situation of Christians in Nigeria, and threatened the country with suspending US aid, and even military intervention, if the Nigerian government did not act quickly to stop the attacks on Christian communities. 

Bishop: “the best gift”

In his Christmas message on December 20, Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora, who is also president of the Christian Association of Nigeria in Niger State, said that this year's Christmas served as a poignant reminder of shared hope.

“Like the 2025 theme, ‘The Greatest Gifts from Heaven,’ the best gift the Church can hope for this year is to welcome back our children and teachers who are still in captivity before Christmas Day,” Bishop Yohanna had said.

“In these difficult times, when most parents can no longer sleep or eat, let us extend our love through our prayers, because more than four weeks have passed since the incident occurred,” he added just two days before all the children were released.

Diocese territory, epicenter of violence

His diocese is part of the ecclesiastical province of Kaduna, a region that has recently become the epicenter of ethnic, religious, and political violence. In the state of the same name, gangs kidnap and murder for ransom, rivaling the state of Borno, the birthplace of the infamous terrorist group Boko Haram.

November saw a wave of kidnappings in the African country, with more than 400 people abducted in just 15 days. At the end of the month, President Bola Ahmed Tinubu declared a national state of emergency and ordered the immediate recruitment of new forces to combat the armed groups.

——————–

– Fredrick Nzwili writes for OSV News from Nairobi, Kenya.

——————–

The authorOSV / Omnes

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The Vatican

The Pope thanks priests and encourages them to share responsibilities with the laity

Most of the letter focused on fidelity, missionary commitment, and the recognition that a priest's vocation arises from his baptism, a sacrament he shares with all Catholics.

OSV / Omnes-December 22, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

Cindy Wooden, OSV

At a time when so much pressure and so many demands are placed on priests, they must find support, freedom, and relief in recognizing the gifts of the laity and collaborating with them, said Pope Leo XIV.

«The ministry of the priest must overcome the model of exclusive leadership, which leads to the centralization of pastoral activities and the weight of all responsibilities entrusted solely to him,» wrote the Pope in an apostolic letter entitled «A fidelity that generates future.».

The letter, published on December 22, marks the 60th anniversary of the Second Vatican Council's decrees on priestly formation and on the life and ministry of priests. Optatam totius y Presbyterorum ordinis.

Pope Leo XIV used the letter to express his «gratitude for the witness and dedication of all priests throughout the world who offer their lives by celebrating the sacrifice of Our Lord in the Eucharist, proclaiming the Word, and absolving sins, as well as generously devoting themselves each day to their brothers and sisters, fostering communion and unity among them, and taking special care of those who suffer most and are in need.».

Training in seminars

He also said that the Church must «look carefully and compassionately» at the backgrounds of priests who have left active ministry and ensure that seminary programs engage «the whole person, the heart, the mind, and the freedom» to help men make a lifelong commitment.

Pope Leo XIV did not ignore the crisis of clerical sexual abuse and said that it also showed the importance of thorough preparation for ministry.

«In recent decades, the crisis of confidence in the Church caused by abuses committed by members of the clergy has filled us with shame and called us to humility,» he wrote. «It has made us even more aware of the urgent need for comprehensive training that ensures the personal growth and maturity of candidates for the priesthood, along with a rich and solid spiritual life.».

Celibacy

The letter did not mention that in several Eastern Catholic churches, married men can be ordained as priests. But it insisted that «only priests and consecrated persons who are humanly mature and spiritually solid, that is, those in whom the human and spiritual dimensions are well integrated and who are therefore capable of authentic relationships with everyone, can take on the commitment of celibacy and credibly proclaim the Gospel of the Risen One.».

Most of the letter focused on fidelity, missionary commitment, and the recognition that a priest's vocation arises from his baptism, a sacrament he shares with all Catholics.

«Our contemporary world, characterized by its fast pace and the anxious need to be hyperconnected, often makes us feel rushed and inclines us toward activism,» wrote the Pope.

Priestly temptations

Two very negative consequences that can tempt priests, he said, are «an efficiency-oriented mindset, whereby each person's value is measured by performance» or simply withdrawing, «adopting a lazy and defeatist approach.».

Pope Leo XIV told priests that nothing can replace time devoted to personal prayer and the celebration of the sacraments and the cultivation of a special bond of brotherhood with fellow priests, but that this should never lead to a feeling of superiority over the laity.

«Even before dedicating himself to guiding the flock,» wrote the Pope, «every priest must constantly remember that he himself is a disciple of the Master, like his brothers and sisters.».

Synodality

In the letter, the Pope emphasized the importance of involving priests in efforts to create a more synodal Church, characterized by mutual listening, joint discernment of God's will, and recognition that every baptized Catholic has something to contribute to the mission of the Church.

«Communion, synodality, and mission cannot be realized if, in the hearts of priests, the temptation of self-referentiality does not give way to a mentality of listening and service,» wrote Pope Leo XIV. In encouraging a more synodal Church, he said, «there is still much to be done.».

A priest is called to let Christ's love and mercy shine through him, the Pope said, so he must avoid «all forms of selfishness and self-celebration.».

For this reason, Pope Leo XIV encouraged priests to carefully evaluate their presence in the media and on social networks, “placing service to evangelization as the basis for discernment,” because, as 1 Corinthians says, “everything is lawful for me, but not everything is beneficial.”.

The authorOSV / Omnes

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The Vatican

Christ's mission and communion, central themes of Leo XIV's greeting to the Curia

The double appeal to carry out Christ's mission and a missionary Church, and to be “builders of Christ's communion,” marked the Pope's Christmas greeting to the cardinals and superiors of the Roman Curia. Referring to communion, he warned that there is “the risk of falling victim to rigidity and ideology.”.

Francisco Otamendi-December 22, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

This Monday, on the eve of the solemnity of the Nativity of Jesus, Pope Leo XIV and the cardinals and superiors of the Roman Curia exchanged Christmas greetings. 

One might consider sending brief Christmas greetings, replying to the Cardinal Dean, as a way of getting through this busy time of year. 

However, the Pope has taken advantage of his Speech to delve into fundamental concepts such as mission and communion in the Church, and a call to personal conversion, with explicit references to two Councils: Nicaea and Vatican II. Here are some of his words.

In the light of Christmas

The Pontiff began by reminding us that “the light of Christmas comes to meet us, inviting us to rediscover the newness that, from the humble cave in Bethlehem, runs through human history (...). God became flesh, became our brother, and remains forever as God-with-us.”.

Promoting evangelization

His first reference was to Pope Francis, who passed away this year. “His prophetic voice, his pastoral style, and his rich teaching,” he said, “have marked the path of the Church in recent years, encouraging us above all to put God's mercy back at the center, to give greater impetus to evangelization, to be a joyful and cheerful Church, welcoming to all, attentive to the poorest.”.

Pope Francis drew inspiration from his Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii gaudium to speak about “two fundamental aspects of the life of the Church: mission and communion.”. 

“The Church is, by nature, extroverted, open to the world, missionary,” he emphasized. “It has received from Christ the gift of the Spirit to bring the good news of God's love to all.”. 

Evangelizing mission of the Church

Evangelii gaudium encourages us to move forward in the missionary transformation of the Church, which finds its inexhaustible strength in the mandate of the Risen Christ. 

‘In this “going forth” of Jesus, the ever-new scenarios and challenges of the Church’s evangelizing mission are present, and we are all called to this new missionary “going forth” (EG, 20).’. 

And “the first great “exodus”, therefore, is that of God, who comes out of himself to meet us. The mystery of Christmas announces precisely this: the mission of the Son consists in his coming into the world (cf. St. Augustine, The Trinity, IV, 20.28).”.

“Structures should not hinder, stop the spread of the Gospel, or impede the dynamism of evangelization; on the contrary, we must ‘ensure that all of them become more missionary’ (Evangelii gaudium, 27).”

And of the Roman Curia

Therefore, in the spirit of baptismal co-responsibility, we are all called to participate in Christ's mission, said the Pope. “We need a Roman Curia that is increasingly missionary, where institutions, offices, and tasks are designed to address today's great ecclesial, pastoral, and social challenges, and not just to ensure ordinary administration.». 

Communion: “In Illo uno unum”

At the same time, the mission in the life of the Church is closely linked to communion, the Pope pointed out. “Christmas reminds us that Jesus came to reveal to us the true face of God as Father, so that we could all be his children and, therefore, brothers and sisters among ourselves. 

This task is more urgent than ever, both internally and externally. Internally, “because communion in the Church always remains a challenge that calls us to conversion. Sometimes, behind an apparent tranquility, the ghosts of division stir.”. 

“Risk of falling victim to rigidity and ideology”

"In interpersonal relationships, in the internal dynamics of offices and roles, or when dealing with issues related to faith, liturgy, morality, and others, there is a risk of falling victim to rigidity and ideology, with the contradictions that this implies,” he said.

But “we are the Church of Christ, we are its members, its body. We are brothers and sisters in Him. And in Christ, even though we are many and different, we are one: “In Illo uno unum,”” he reiterated, returning to his papal motto.

We are also called, especially here in the Curia, he said, “to be builders of Christ's communion, which asks to be configured as a synodal Church, where everyone collaborates and cooperates in the same mission, each according to their own charism and the role they have received.”.

Personal conversion: “Christ at the center.”.

There is a personal conversion that we must desire and pursue, so that in our relationships the love of Christ that makes us brothers and sisters may shine through. (...) Dear brothers and sisters, mission and communion are possible if we put Christ at the center. 

Finally, the Successor of Peter recalled “that fifty years ago, on the feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Apostolic Exhortation Evangelii nuntiandi was promulgated by Saint Paul VI.”.

Christian witness

This Exhortation highlights, among other things, two realities that the Pope has emphasized: the mission of evangelization and witness: “the primary means of evangelization is an authentically Christian life, dedicated to God in a communion that nothing should interrupt and at the same time consecrated equally to one's neighbor with boundless zeal” (n. 41). 

The papal petition concluded: “May the Lord give us his own condescension, his own compassion, his love, so that every day we may be his disciples and witnesses. I sincerely wish you all a Holy Christmas. May the Lord bring us his light and grant peace to the world.”.

With the workers of the Curia, before the Nativity scene

Shortly afterwards, the Pope met with workers from the Roman Curia, the Vatican Governorate, and the Vicariate of Rome. In a family atmosphere, Leo XIV spoke about the Belen, “which is also present here, in this nativity scene donated by Costa Rica.”.

In the nativity scene, “popular imagination has often included numerous figures from everyday life who populate the space surrounding the cave,” he said. “Thus, in addition to the inevitable shepherds, protagonists of the event according to the Gospel, we find figures representing various trades: the blacksmith, the innkeeper, the washerwoman, the knife sharpener, etc.”.

The figures: our occupations, full meaning in God's plan

These are trades from times gone by: some have disappeared or been completely transformed, he commented. “However, they retain their significance within the nativity scene. They remind us that all our activities, our daily occupations, take on their full meaning in God's plan, centered on Jesus Christ.”.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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Evangelization

Christmas: wisdom that takes on a human face

Christmas is the point where philosophical wisdom is transformed into the concrete truth of the Incarnation, demonstrating that the Light sought by man descends and becomes a baby to be adored.

Fernando Armas-December 22, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

Two caves have marked a turning point in human history: Plato's cave and the cave of Bethlehem. The first is a myth narrated by a Greek philosopher in the fourth century BC; the second is a historical event recorded by Luke in his Gospel.

The Platonic myth tells the story of prisoners chained inside a cave since birth, where they only see shadows projected on the wall and mistake them for reality. One is freed, first discovers fire and then, upon leaving, the true world and the sun, the cause of all that is visible. Upon returning to help the others and free them, he is rejected and ridiculed. This allegory describes the transition from ignorance to knowledge and the philosopher's mission to guide others toward the truth, even in the face of resistance (Republic, VII, 514a–517a).

The scene in Bethlehem is very different: a silent night, a humble cave used as a shelter for animals, dark and unadorned. There, Mary gave birth to her firstborn son, wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn (Luke 2:6-7).

Four hundred years apart, both stories begin in a cave: a narrow entrance, a wider interior, dim light that soon turns to darkness; cold, damp, and thick air. The floor, uneven and slippery from leaks, is accompanied by echoes that amplify any sound, in a silence that invites contemplation, creating an atmosphere of mystery and sacredness.

In both stories, darkness is the starting point, but both end in light: in Plato, an external light that reveals the truth; in Bethlehem, an internal light that comes from God made man. For Plato, man must go out to encounter reality; in Christianity, it is necessary to go in to encounter the One who is “the Way, the Truth, and the Life” (Jn 14:6). Plato's cave requires human effort and philosophical education to reach the good; the cave of Bethlehem shows a God who freely offers himself as our only Good.

In Plato, man emerges from darkness into light to display his most divine faculty: intelligence; in Jesus, on the other hand, Light descends into darkness to manifest the most human dimension of God: a newborn baby.

In the Gospel, the shepherds were sleeping in the open when “the angel of the Lord appeared to them, and the glory of the Lord enveloped them in light” (Luke 2:8-9); in Plato, the prisoners must be awakened by someone they consider to be mad. The transition from sleep to wakefulness, from chains to freedom, from ignorance to knowledge, the grace of conversion... always involves an awakening to reality. 

The cave in Bethlehem, a place of shadows, was filled with a light that came not from fire or the sun, but from Eternity made flesh. It was as if the sun of Truth, of which the philosophers spoke, had entered the cave of men, not to call them from outside, but to illuminate them from within.

Both accounts agree that light radically transforms our vision of reality, but they differ in the origin and manner of achieving it: in Plato, it is the result of man's ascension; in Christianity, it is the result of God's descent in the Incarnation. For Plato, it is the encounter with reality; for God, it is the encounter with man. As St. Augustine wrote in the Confessions (X, 27): “Late have I loved you, O Beauty ever ancient, ever new, late have I loved you. And you were within me, and I was outside... You were with me, but I was not with you.”.

Christmas reminds us that the Incarnation of the Son of God accomplishes the highest synthesis that the human mind, on its own, could never have imagined: truth is not only a matter of scholarship, but, in Jesus Christ, it is above all a matter of worship. The eternal Logos requires study, but a study that must be done on one's knees.

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The Dawn of God's Tenderness. Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord

Vitus Ntube comments on the readings for the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord on December 25, 2025.

Vitus Ntube-December 22, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

The Christmas liturgy offers us the opportunity to celebrate four Masses at different times: the Vigil Mass, Midnight Mass, Dawn Mass, and Day Mass. Each has its own beauty, but I am particularly drawn to the Dawn Mass. Dawn is a particularly beautiful and luminous time of day, and its symbolism captures the mystery of Christmas in a deeply expressive way.

In the Benedictus Zechariah proclaims that “Through the tender mercy of our God, the sun rising from on high will visit us, to shine on those who live in darkness and in the shadow of death.”At Christmas, this sun that rises from on high truly dawns upon us. Jesus Christ is the true Dawn that has come. The antiphon of the Vigil Mass echoes this: “And tomorrow you will see the glory of the Lord." (Exodus 16, 7).

Another reason why I like the Dawn Mass is because of the choice of readings. In St. Paul's letter to Titus, we read: “When the kindness of God our Savior and His love for mankind was revealed”(Titus 3:4). This is the true Dawn: the tenderness and goodness of God revealed in the person of the Child Jesus. This tenderness is not sentimental; it draws us in. It is a force.

Christmas is the rediscovery of God's revelation in the Child Jesus, in a way that allows us to draw closer to Him. As a child, He comes to us helpless, poor, and vulnerable, so that we can draw closer to Him in the same way. Joseph Ratzinger comments: “In the Child Jesus, the defenselessness of God's love is manifested in the most obvious way: God comes unarmed because he does not want to conquer from the outside, but to win from the inside, to transform from within. If there is anything that can overcome man, his arrogance, his violence, and his greed, it is the defenselessness of a child. God took it upon himself in order to overcome us and thus lead us to ourselves.".

God comes to us with radical tenderness, and this is the love that changes the world. From the beginning of his pontificate, Pope Francis has encouraged us not to be afraid of tenderness. It is not a virtue of the weak, but a sign of inner strength and capacity for attention, compassion, and love. He affirms: “We must not be afraid of kindness, of tenderness!”.

This is precisely what the shepherds set out to see in the Gospel of the Dawn Mass. “Let's go to Bethlehem!” These words from the shepherds express the true meaning and spirit of Christmas celebrations. They remain valid for all Christians, especially during this Christmas season. Let us go and see what the Lord has revealed to us. This should be our attitude at Christmas. We have received the news of the birth of a child; let us go forward to see that Child, to confirm the sign of God's tenderness that has been revealed to us in a baby. The invitation to set out on the road to Bethlehem is an invitation to encounter God's joy, goodness, and tenderness, and then to share them.

We want to start afresh at this Christmas time because we know that contact with the loving kindness of our God will always give us the strength and impetus to continue on our path. It is the strength of humble love, as Dostoyevsky so beautifully expresses it in The Brothers Karamazov, where the starets Zosima says to Alexei: “Always choose humble love, always. Once you have chosen it, you will always have what you need to conquer the whole world. Loving humility is a powerful force, the most powerful, and there is nothing in the world that can compare to it.."

We want to start again from this powerful force. A few weeks ago, we began the new liturgical year, and as Ratzinger pointed out, the liturgical calendar did not initially develop from the perspective of Christ's birth, but from faith in his resurrection. It was Easter, not Christmas, that gave the first impetus to the Christian faith and the existence of the Church. Today, this impetus can be rediscovered in the power of a child's tenderness. Let us go to Bethlehem, because there “the goodness of God our Savior and his love for mankind was revealed". 

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The Vatican

The Pope blesses a sea of figures of the Baby Jesus, held by Saint Joseph

During the Angelus on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, on the eve of the Nativity of the Savior, Pope Leo IV blessed hundreds of figures of the Child Jesus carried by children and adults in Rome. He also highlighted the faith of Saint Joseph., who “leaves the last shore of their security and sails out to sea in the hands of God.”.

Editorial Staff Omnes-December 21, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

Once again, as Christmas approaches, the Nativity scene has taken center stage in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican during the Angelus prayer. Pope Leo XIV blessed numerous figures of the Baby Jesus, carried mainly by children, but also by older catechists and their families, “who will place them in the manger from their homes, schools, and oratories.”.

Pray that the children of the world may live in peace.

“Dear children, before the manger, pray to Jesus also for the Pope’s intentions. In particular, let us pray together that all children in the world may live in peace. Thank you!, has stated The Pope, who today invited in the Angelus to dwell on the figure of Saint Joseph.

The initiative corresponds to the Roman Oratory Center, launched in 1969 by Saint Paul VI, and this is the first time that the Pope has asked children to pray for his intentions.

A man holds a figure of the Baby Jesus to be blessed by Pope Leo XIV in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on December 21, 2025. (Photo CNS/Vatican Media).

Saint Joseph: “fragile like us, but courageous and strong in faith”

“Today, the fourth Sunday of Advent, the liturgy invites us to meditate on the figure of St. Joseph. It presents him to us, in particular, at the moment when God reveals his mission to him in a dream (cf. Mt 1:18-24), the Pope began his Speech before the Angelus prayer. 

In this way, he said, “he offers us a beautiful page in the history of salvation, whose protagonist is a fragile and fallible man—like us—and, at the same time, courageous and strong in faith.

We see this when, even before the Angel reveals to him the mystery that is being fulfilled in Mary, faced with a situation that is difficult to understand and accept, “he does not choose the path of scandal and public condemnation of his future wife, but the discreet and benevolent path of secret repudiation (cf. ibid.),” added the Successor of Peter.

In this way, “he shows that he has grasped the deepest meaning of his own religious observance: that of mercy.”.

Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims accompanying him in praying the Angelus in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican on December 21, 2025. (Photo CNS/Vatican Media).

Leave your comforts behind and sail out to sea

The Pontiff emphasized that “the purity and nobility of his feelings become even more evident when the Lord, in dreams, reveals his plan of salvation to him, indicating the unexpected role he must assume: to be the husband of the Virgin Mother of the Messiah.”. 

He particularly emphasized the faith of the holy Patriarch. “Here, in fact, Joseph, with a great act of faith, also leaves the last shore of his securities and sails out to sea toward a future that is now entirely in God's hands. St. Augustine describes his consent in this way: «Through Joseph's piety and charity, a son was born to the Virgin Mary, a Son who was also the Son of God» (Sermon 51, 30).

Compassion, charity, mercy, abandonment to the Lord 

“Compassion and charity, mercy and abandonment; these are the virtues of the man from Nazareth that the liturgy proposes to us today, to accompany us in these last days of Advent, towards Holy Christmas.”.

The Pope has encouraged us to practice these virtues, “forgiving, encouraging, giving a little hope to those we live with and those we meet; and renewing in prayer our filial abandonment to the Lord and his Providence, entrusting everything to him with confidence.”.

May the Virgin Mary and Saint Joseph, who were the first to welcome Jesus, the Savior of the world, with great faith and love, help us in this, the Pope concluded.

The authorEditorial Staff Omnes

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Spain

Soccer and collateral damage: how LaLiga takes down the Omnes website

The blocks are activated on days and at times when the likelihood of illegal broadcasts is highest, i.e., Saturdays and Sundays and, above all, when the big teams are playing.

Editorial Staff Omnes-December 21, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

Every weekend—especially when Real Madrid or FC Barcelona are playing—access to our website is unavailable in Spain through the main Internet providers. This is not a coincidence or simply a spike in traffic: since late 2024, techniques have been activated to cut off illegal broadcasts of matches, which, in practice, are causing “collateral damage” to thousands of legitimate sites. LaLiga, protected by court rulings issued by several commercial courts, has obtained authorization to carry out massive blockages. 

Blocking is activated on days and at times when illegal retransmissions are most likely to occur, i.e., Saturdays and Sundays and, above all, when the big teams are playing. When anti-piracy teams identify IPs that are pirating matches, they order operators to block them. Since many websites (media outlets, stores, services) use the same CDNs or IP addresses, the outages spread and are perceived as widespread “crashes.”.

Criticism

Internet user organizations, digital associations, and some media outlets have denounced the practice for its lack of proportionality and for the risk it poses to rights such as freedom of information. Complaints have been filed with the Ombudsman, and the National Commission on Markets and Competition (CNMC) has expressed concerns about the impact of these measures. For its part, LaLiga argues that its interventions are legally justified and seek to protect the audiovisual market. 

A platform has been created for affected pages and every week there is dozens of news items reporting the matter.

The substantive debate

The debate is not just technical: it raises questions about proportionality, who decides and with what guarantees when global infrastructure can be shut down for private and judicial reasons, and about the need for mechanisms that allow piracy to be tackled without jeopardizing public services, businesses, and freedom of information. 

Internet user associations warn of the danger of normalizing mass blocking at the request of private interests; LaLiga, on the other hand, calls for effective tools to defend rights for which hundreds of millions are paid.

Humorous note 

Faced with this ordeal of Sunday blackouts, at Omnes we have decided that if LaLiga wants to play at being the Grand Inquisitor of the internet, we will start our own digital reconquest. We have officially launched a crowdfunding campaign of biblical proportions with a clear objective: to achieve the miracle of multiplying euros to exceed Tebas‘ income statement, acquire exclusive rights, and replace soccer with a spiritual fast, where the Golden Boot goes to the one who journeys with the most faith through the desert of ’Error 404“ and IP blocks while waiting for the connection to return. 

Among our proposals to restore the natural order, we plan to replace VAR with the Last Judgment (where there will be no replays, only divine justice), exchange red cards for mandatory acts of contrition in the center circle, and, of course, launch our own satellite network christened «Broadband Cherubs.». 

If they persist in turning Sunday into a desert of connection, we will turn their empire into a humble sacristy: because man does not live by soccer alone, especially when they cut off the signal in the middle of the informative liturgy.

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Evangelization

Saint John Paul II and the media

Twenty years after the death of Saint John Paul II, this article revisits his teachings on the media, understood as a service—an authentic diaconate—to truth, the common good, and the dignity of the person.

Alejandro Pardo-December 21, 2025-Reading time: 9 minutes
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In its desire to be present in the world and carry out its mission of evangelizing all peoples, the Church has paid particular attention to the media, especially since the mid-20th century. Within this vast body of teaching, the pontificate of St. John Paul II was especially prolific and intense, not only in terms of the number of texts or references, but also in terms of media attention, a phenomenon unparalleled until that moment in the history of the Church. This is demonstrated by the regular meetings he held with media and entertainment professionals from the beginning of his mission at the head of the See of Peter until the end, as evidenced by the gathering in Rome of journalists from around the world on the occasion of the Jubilee of 2000.

Similarly, his decision to appoint a renowned journalist as spokesperson and entrust him with the professionalization of the Vatican's institutional communications was surprising. On the other hand, his messages on the occasion of World Communications Day and his speeches to the members of the Pontifical Council for Social Communications stand out. All this vast corpus magisterial has also been the subject of various studies and compilations. In this article, we aim to highlight the most fundamental ideas.

A media-savvy Pope

It is clear to everyone that Saint John Paul II possessed exceptional qualities as a “media personality,” thanks to his theatrical background, his broad culture, his interest in contemporary world affairs, and his constant attention—a true pastoral concern—to ordinary people (young people, workers, fathers, and mothers). All of this facilitated his “connection” with media professionals, which translated into mutual closeness, respect, and admiration. As one of them put it:

“An athlete and actor, his body is a means of expression and communication. A valuable instrument at the service of his mission (...). This is one of the secrets of Wojtyła's media phenomenon. His charisma lies in his transparency. He has a personal charm that is expressed in the way he looks, smiles, and moves. An attitude so warm that it is irresistibly seductive.” Even some of his less favorable biographers, such as Berstein and Politi, acknowledge that “John Paul II was the first pope to understand the television age, the first to master the medium, to handle a microphone, the first pope who was accustomed to improvising, who was not afraid to perform in public.”.

Behind this closeness and familiarity lies a deep conviction about the role that the Church must play in contemporary society, where Christians are called to be protagonists in the battle for the soul of the world, which is being fought above all in the “new Areopagus,” among which the media stands out. This is what this holy Pope specifically pointed out: “The first Areopagus of modern times is the world of communication, which is unifying humanity and transforming it—as they say—into a ‘global village’.

Social media has become so important that for many it is the main source of information and education, guidance and inspiration for individual, family, and social behavior. The younger generations, in particular, are growing up in a world conditioned by these media. Perhaps this forum has been somewhat neglected: other instruments for evangelization and Christian formation are generally given priority, while social media are left to the initiative of individuals or small groups, and are included in pastoral planning only at a secondary level. It seems clear that St. John Paul II was well aware of this deficit and of the need to address it from the very beginning of his time at the helm of Peter's Barque. Hence his initiative to professionalize the Sala Stampa and create a new culture of institutional relations with the media.

Gifts from God

In line with what the Church has been saying for the last half-century, Pope Wojtyła emphasizes the positive nature of the media, seeing them as gifts from God that should be used for good: “The media,” he says, "are the ticket of admission for every man and woman to the modern marketplace, where opinions are publicly expressed, ideas are exchanged, news circulates, and information of all kinds is transmitted and received. For all these gifts, we give thanks to God..." The confirmation of this reality does not respond solely to the desire to reaffirm previous teaching; rather, it is the fruit of his own personal conviction and pastoral experience.

At the same time, in line with the Magisterium, he emphasizes the instrumental nature of these gifts, which as such can be used in the service of man and society or against them. “The Church's relationship with the media is complex and requires constant reflection,” he explains. "On the one hand, the Church sees the media as having endless potential, not only for the dissemination of information, the creation and communication of art and culture, recreation and the improvement of the human spirit, but also for the growth and strengthening of the kingdom of God. At the same time, it is painfully aware of the damage that can be inflicted on individuals and society by the misuse of these instruments." These words summarize the other main aspects that he develops in his teaching and which we will discuss below.

Agents of socialization and acculturation

It is significant that in one of his first messages on the occasion of World Communications Day (1980), Saint John Paul II referred to the influential power of the media “in the process of socialization of young people, facilitating a vision of man, the world, and relationships with others that often differs profoundly from that which the family tries to transmit.”.

That same year, speaking before UNESCO, he stated: “Since these media are ‘social’ media, they cannot be used to dominate others, either by political powers or by financial powers that impose their agenda and their model. They must become the means of expression of the society that uses them and that also ensures their existence. They must take into account the real needs of this society. (...) They must take into account the good of humanity and its dignity. They cannot be subject to the criteria of interest, sensationalism, or immediate success, but rather, taking into account ethical requirements, they must serve to build a ‘more humane’ life.”.

In fact, not only does “communication generate culture,” but “culture is transmitted through communication,” as he also points out. This is the basis for the crucial issue underlying the case of the media, which is their power of social and cultural influence; or, in other words, their role as agents of socialization and acculturation. “This is a phenomenon of vast proportions,” he continues, "sustained by powerful social media campaigns that tend to propose lifestyles, social and economic projects and, ultimately, a general vision of reality that internally erodes distinct cultural organizations and noble civilizations. Due to their outstanding scientific and technical nature, Western cultural models are fascinating and attractive, but unfortunately, and with increasing evidence, they show a progressive humanistic, spiritual, and moral impoverishment.".

Thus, the content transmitted by the media—whether informative or purely entertaining—is never innocuous. It reflects a particular anthropological and sociological vision. The communicative process itself is the basis for the creation of culture, of a way of seeing and understanding what surrounds us, and very particularly, man himself. The Holy Father emphasizes this in the following way:

“The human person and the human community are the end and measure of the use of social communication media; communication should be carried out from person to person, with a view to their integral development.” “Because the mass media always respond to a certain conception of man, whether they deal with current events, address cultural issues, or are used for artistic expression or entertainment; and they are evaluated according to how accurate and complete this conception is.

Undoubtedly, this influential power carries with it a serious moral responsibility, as Pope Wojtyła himself emphasizes: “We know that the media exert a great influence on the formation of consciences and, consequently, on the moral sphere. Therefore, we must first pay attention to the fact that the media help people to form their consciences and moral attitudes in a way that not only respects God's law, but also defends human nature, which is the bearer of an innate and inalienable dignity that must be respected in all circumstances.” “Thus, with regard to content, we must always appeal to the sense of responsibility of communicators and to the critical sense of those who receive the communication.”.

Service to truth and the common good

From what has been said so far, it is clear that there is a close and necessary link between communication and truth and, therefore, between communication and the common good. This is an aspect that St. John Paul II wanted to emphasize from the beginning of his pontificate: communication as a service to truth and the common good. Already in a meeting with media professionals in Mexico (1979), just a few months after being elected Pope, he called them “seekers of truth” and exhorted them: “Serve above all the truth, that which builds, that which improves and dignifies man.”.

And that same year, speaking to communications professionals at the UN, he confided: “You are true servants of the truth; you are its tireless transmitters, disseminators, defenders. You are dedicated transmitters, promoting unity among all nations by enabling all peoples to share the truth. (...) Be faithful to the truth and its transmission, because the truth endures; the truth will not disappear. The truth will not pass away or change. And I say to you (...) that service to the truth, service to humanity through the truth, is one of the most valuable things of your best years, of your subtle talents and of your most strenuous dedication. As transmitters of the truth, you are instruments of understanding among people and of peace among nations.”.

Seekers, transmitters, disseminators, defenders, servants... It is difficult to find a longer string of adjectives to describe the duty of communication professionals to the truth. In this regard, another speech given in 1982 to representatives of the media in Madrid is equally relevant. In it, he emphasized: “I have uttered a well-considered word: service. Because, in effect, with your work you serve and must serve the cause of man in his integrity: in his body, in his spirit, in his need for honest recreation, for cultural and religious nourishment, for correct moral criteria for his individual and social life.” And with strong emphasis, he asserted: “The search for the unyielding truth requires constant effort, it requires placing oneself at the appropriate level of knowledge and critical selection. It is not easy, we know that well. (...) If complete and total objectivity is difficult, the struggle to find the truth, the decision to propose the truth, the practice of not manipulating the truth, the attitude of being incorruptible in the face of the truth, are not difficult.”.

It is, in essence, a diaconia, as St. John Paul II himself explains in the encyclical Faith and ReasonAmong the various services that the Church must offer humanity, there is one for which it is responsible in a very particular way: the diaconate of truth. This is a diaconate in which the media and other cultural agents also participate. Thus, we can affirm that “if the media are used well, they can help us to know the truth and free us from ignorance, prejudice, isolation, and the violation of human dignity that occurs when the media are manipulated for the purpose of controlling and limiting human thought.”.

This insistence on defending the truth remained unchanged until the end of his pontificate. It is revealing that he referred to it again during the Jubilee for Journalists in 2000: “In this great journey of humanity, the truth of the human person, created in the image of God and destined for eternal communion with him, is also manifested; and the truth is revealed, which is the foundation of all ethics and which you are also called to observe in your profession (...): you are called to consecrate your professionalism to the service of the moral and spiritual good of individuals and the human community.”.

A profession with a vocational background

In light of the above, it is easy to understand the high esteem in which St. John Paul II held communication professionals. That is why he described this profession as a “vocation that is so relevant and beautiful,” benefiting from the “nobility of the task” they undertake; “a service of incalculable importance,” “a task that is in a certain sense ‘sacred.’” For this very reason, he refers to them not only as “servants of the truth” but even as “dispensers and administrators of immense spiritual power.” He concludes: “There is no doubt that mass media Today, they are one of the great forces shaping the world, and in this field a growing number of well-gifted and highly trained people are called to find their own work and the possibility of exercising their own vocation. The Church thinks of them with attentive and respectful affection, and prays for them. Few professions require as much energy, dedication, integrity, and responsibility as this one, and at the same time, few professions have such an impact on the destiny of humanity.

The world of media has undergone exponential growth in recent decades. However, these words can continue to inspire new generations of professionals in this sector. After all, technology evolves, the world changes, but human nature remains the same.

The authorAlejandro Pardo

Priest. Doctor in Audiovisual Communication and Moral Theology. Professor of the Core Curriculum Institute of the University of Navarra.

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RelatedRelated NewsRadiating Humanity in the World: John Paul II and CultureRelated NewsSt. John Paul II and the search for truth, goodness and beautyRelated NewsBeauty as revelation of the mystery: St. John Paul II and Art
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ColumnistsAntonio Barnés

Back to human dignity

"But we do not resign ourselves—whether many or few, I do not know—to losing or ceasing to think about the conception of man as the image of God.".

December 21, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

Fulton J. Sheen wrote in 1948 in Communism and Western Consciousness that the conscience of the Western world is at stake, “since it has lost the concept of man as a being made in the image and likeness of God and has reduced him to an integral part of the universe, an economic animal or a physiological bag full of psychological libido. 

He added: “When man became materialized and atomized in Western thought, it was only natural that a form of totalitarianism should emerge that would bring the fragments together into a new whole and replace the individual man, isolated from all social responsibilities, with the collective.”.

It does not seem that the situation has changed 77 years later. But we are not resigned—whether there are many or few of us, I do not know—to the loss or abandonment of the concept of man as the image of God. Indeed, the ontological degradation of the human being leads to collectivism, because en masse things and people seem to have greater consistency. That is why statistics is the queen of sciences, and quantitative evaluation reigns supreme over qualitative evaluation.

We refuse to be subsumed by this collectivism or to be considered machines, cockroaches, poorly finished chimpanzees, or specks of dust. With Renaissance humanism, a successful synthesis of Judeo-Christianity and Greco-Latin culture, we maintain that we are of divine lineage, the image of God, and even the image of Christ. And we do not say this because we are Eurocentric or vain, but because we seek the truth about man.

So-called artificial intelligence renews this debate, reminding us that the man who created it is more intelligent, and that man himself is not just computational: he is intelligent, rational, free, sensitive, passionate... and capable of God, a being in search of meaning, a homo sapiens before a homo habilis.

From a humanistic perspective, we review a culture focused on doing, subservient to technology and dominated by an omnipresent, bureaucratic state, a manufacturer of collective emotions (to paraphrase Simone Weil) and pontiff of substitute religions such as environmentalism and feminism. The question is to leave the media cave—reductionist, fragmentary, and mediated—and settle into the culture of the book rather than that of the tweet.

Ecology and feminism must be integrated into a unified, non-fragmentary anthropology that does not absolutize or messianize fragments. Nature and man; male and female. A comprehensive, humanistic vision that does not bow down before the calculator and the test tube: one that trusts in speculative and poetic reason, not geometric reason. A spirit of Pascalian finesse. 

Humanism. The state for the people (not the other way around). Technology for the people (and not the other way around).

Antonio Barnés has just published Image of God, a dialogue on human dignity.

Image of God. Dialogue on the dignity of man.

AuthorAntonio Barnés
Editorial: Ideas and Books
Year: 2025
The authorAntonio Barnés

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The Vatican

Leo XIV convenes his first extraordinary consistory

The Holy See has announced this first extraordinary Consistory of Pope Leo XIV's pontificate, which will be held on January 7 and 8, 2026.

Maria José Atienza-December 20, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute

The date has been set for the first extraordinary Consistory presided over by Leo XIV. It will take place on January 7 and 8, and according to the brief statement issued by the Holy See announcing the meeting, it “will be characterized by moments of communion and fraternity, as well as times dedicated to reflection, exchange, and prayer.”.

There are currently 245 cardinals from around the world who make up the College of Cardinals. Those summoned will experience moments of “common discernment” and will offer “support and advice to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and serious responsibility in the government of the universal Church.”.

Pope Francis' last extraordinary Consistory was on August 29 and 30, 2022, where he summoned all the cardinals to discuss and present the reform of the Roman Curia with the new Apostolic Constitution., Praedicate Evangelium. Although there were ordinary consistories and the creation of new cardinals afterwards, that meeting in 2022

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Culture

The invisible creation, Asiel Timor Dei, Archangel musketeer

The Cuzco school broke with traditional conventions by depicting an archangel carrying an arquebus. Angels are messengers of God and protectors in the divine plan of salvation. Through the figure of the arquebusier archangel, their role as spiritual warriors defending the faithful is emphasized.

Eva Sierra and Antonio de la Torre-December 20, 2025-Reading time: 6 minutes

ARTISTIC COMMENTARY

Angels were created by God before man. They are spirits without physical form, which has not prevented them from being depicted in Christian art for centuries. This painting, created in the 17th century by an anonymous Bolivian painter (circle of the Master of Calamarca), certainly does not fit in with the traditional idea we have of them: the title reveals the name of the angel, which appears inscribed in the upper left corner: Asiel Timor Dei, a name unfamiliar to us when compared, for example, to the archangels Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael. This particular angel appears alone, occupying the entire pictorial plane; his legs cast their shadow against a neutral background, which helps to create a simple perspective, subtly dividing the space behind him. The clothing is period, very sophisticated, inspired by that of Creole and Andean nobles and aristocrats, with protruding sleeves and a luxurious jacket decorated with lace. The angel has no wings, but has prominent feathers hanging from his hat and is depicted in the act of pointing an arquebus. The palette used is quite limited, based on primary colors with few tonal variations, although there is an interest in detail and the use of gold to emphasize the importance of the character.

A celestial, military, and aristocratic representation

Looking at the painting without any knowledge of its context, it would be easy to think that we are looking at a period figure of someone of noble birth, perhaps a wealthy landowner or a soldier. Nothing, except the inscription with the name (for those viewers versed in Latin and the Bible), indicates that we are looking at an angel.

The Christian theologian Pseudo-Dionysius wrote, “From Coelesti Hierarchia” on angelology and the hierarchies of angels, which influenced medieval theologians. He divided angels into three hierarchies, each containing three orders based on their proximity to God. “The Assumption of the Virgin” Botticini's (1475-76) painting in the National Gallery in London shows a large number of them. The subject was well known in South America; in the former Viceroyalty of Peru, local artists such as Diego Quispe Tito and Basilio de Santa Cruz, or the Bolivians Melchor Pérez Holguín and Leonardo Flores, painted series of military angels carrying different types of weapons: these were custom commissions for distant locations. Our painting is an oil on canvas, which makes the work easily foldable, lightweight, and ready to be shipped to customers in faraway locations, although some are made of wood or copper.

Among these soldier angels are Saint Michael with a spear, with whom we are most familiar, Alamiel Dei with a trumpet and a crown, and the angels Zabriel, Hadriel, Leitiel, and Laeiel carrying arquebuses in different positions, among many others. The angels appear wielding all kinds of weapons of the period, but they are not depicted in battle. Their size varies between 120 cm and 2 meters in height.

Angels with arquebuses

 All these characteristics give the paintings a unique style and original appearance. The prolific use of the arquebus and the distinctive features of these paintings explain the name “Arquebusier Angels.”.

This type of angel could have a connection with the ancient winged warriors of the pre-Hispanic pantheon. They may also have been inspired by Dutch and Spanish engravings of the time and by the widespread devotion to guardian angels. This shows that Western art was known in these lands, but local artists chose to mix it with their own representations inspired by the indigenous art that was more familiar to them. This is one of the great characteristics of art: the ability to adapt well-established models to new contexts and to the mentality of different peoples, conveying similar messages in a different visual form. These representations were widely disseminated because they resembled regional tastes.

CATECHETICAL COMMENTARY

The angelic figure, so splendidly dressed and armed, that we see in this painting expresses the Church's enduring belief in the existence of angels and their mission. Indeed, the Creed professes faith in the Creator of the earth and all that is visible (so well represented in Bosch's triptych, which we are already familiar with) and, at the same time, of heaven and all that is invisible. Both creations, although bearing different fruit, are simultaneous, but theology normally explains first the heavenly, or invisible, or spiritual, or angelic creation (which can be called by all these names), and then the earthly (or visible, or corporeal) creation. The reason for this is the excellence that Christian tradition has attributed to the spiritual over the sensible, as expressed, for example, by St. Thomas Aquinas in question 50 of the first part of the Summa Theologiae.

A transcendent savior figure

However, in the field of catechetical expression of faith, which is the focus of this series on Christian art, it is usually more pedagogical to begin with the visible creation, which is our first experience through the senses, and then move on to the invisible. Having explained the second place occupied in this series by Asiel's fascinating canvas, we can begin our explanation by considering the dark background that makes it stand out. In addition to being a suggestive pictorial device, it expresses that angels move in an invisible sphere, closer to the transcendent presence of God than the human sphere can reach with its mere natural forces. The darkness evokes, as in Bosch's triptych, that world which transcends human representation, just as the floral and luminous backgrounds that appear in other canvases of archangels remind us of their closeness to the visible world.

In fact, spiritual creatures, created like visible creatures by the Word of God, are at the service of the saving plan with which God, in Christ, has redeemed the entire creation. As St. Paul reminds us (Col 1:16), the invisible world was also created for Christ, and therefore they enter into his saving work as servants belonging to the invisible world destined for the good of the material world. This relationship of angels with material creation, especially with human beings, who are both spiritual and corporeal, is concretized in their mission as messengers and protectors.

In Sacred Scripture we find numerous examples of the first mission, such as the frequent appearances of the Angel of the Lord in the Old Testament or the presence of angels as the first heralds of the Resurrection in the New Testament. The mission of protection, which also appears in numerous passages in both testaments, is expressed in this painting with the original figure of the soldier. A soldier, incidentally, who is not in the lower ranks of the army but, as his sophisticated attire, as luxurious as that of the great colonial nobles, shows, belongs to the excellent corps of the invisible army. It recalls one of the appearances of the Angel of the Lord to Joshua (Joshua 5:13-14): “Joshua looked up and saw a man standing in front of him with a drawn sword in his hand. Joshua went up to him and asked, ”Are you one of us or one of our enemies? ' He replied, 'No, I am the commander of the army of the Lord, and I have just arrived. Joshua fell face down to the ground and worshiped him.".

Protectors against evil

In Jewish tradition, inherited by the early Christians, angels protect God's people as powerful and noble warriors, as we can see in this quote from the Old Testament, and also in the Qumran writings, the apocryphal writings of Judaism, and the Book of Revelation itself. St. Paul himself reminds us that we need a very special strength and military equipment, “for our struggle is not against flesh and blood, but against the principalities, against the powers, against the rulers of this world of darkness, against the evil spirits in the air. Therefore, take up the weapons of God so that you may be able to resist” (Eph 6:12-13).

This archangel musketeer conveys with great forcefulness how well protected we are by the invisible world against the aggressions we encounter in life itself, especially those suffered at the hands of evil spiritual beings opposed to God (demons). But this archangel not only carries a powerful weapon, he also has a mysterious name: Asiel, which means fear of God. That the name of the Archangel expresses his mission is known thanks to the popularity of the three major Archangels: Saint Michael (Who is like God?), Saint Gabriel (Messenger of God) and Saint Raphael (Medicine of God). The name and mission of this archangel, however, are not easy to trace.

This is due, once again, to borrowings that Christian tradition took from Jewish tradition since its origins. In Judaism, speculation about the names of angels and their missions reached a very high level of development. Given the pressure of the evil presence in the world, there was a perceived need to know who the protectors of the faithful were and what each one's role was. Knowing the name of the archangel served to invoke him with the certainty of being heard. Knowing his mission was a guarantee of turning to the right intercessor on each occasion. On the other hand, knowing the name of a demon gave the ability to conjure him and neutralize his evil power, while it was very useful to know which demon was behind each evil suffered in order to identify the enemy.

From the long lists of angelic names in Judaism, Christian tradition took many names in a somewhat chaotic manner, so that the repertoire of angels to be painted presents a variety as wide as it is disordered, with the exception of the three Archangels already known. The presence of the angelic name and its meaning in this canvas, in short, reminds us how, since time immemorial, Christian tradition, including that present in Latin America, has recognized angels as the powerful invisible servants of Christ, who, in addition to carrying divine messages to the faithful, protect them with the excellence of their spiritual power expressed in their names.

Work

Title of the workAsiel Timor Dei, Archangel musketeer
Author: Teacher from Calamarca
Century: XVII
MaterialOil on canvas
Size: 160x110cm
The authorEva Sierra and Antonio de la Torre

Art historian and Doctor of Theology

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ColumnistsAlmudena Rivadulla Durán

Poverty and Christmas

The poor, for me, tend to be too abstract a figure, and I wonder if I misunderstand the Popes or if I simply lack compassion.

December 20, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsThe subtle eugenics proposed by our societyRelated News“Children don’t disturb Mass”: a look from the heart of a motherRelated NewsThe forgotten vocation: being a parent is a total surrender

In his first encyclical, Pope Leo XIV speaks to us about the poor and God's predilection for those who suffer most. Throughout his pontificate, Francis has also insisted on this theme: Christ's love for them.

Now, as I prepare for Christmas and look for a good butcher shop where I can buy a nice turkey, I think about all this and find it hard to understand completely. The poor, for me, tend to be too abstract a concept, and I wonder if I don't understand the Popes well or if I simply lack compassion. I get caught up thinking about how to fulfill my family obligations and, at the same time, take care of those most in need, as so many saints did.

I know that Christ became the poorest of the poor and that he remains the most dependent of all: a simple piece of bread in a small box. But what can I do for the poor if I am surrounded by thousands of family emergencies and loved ones who also require attention? After giving it a lot of thought, I have come to a conclusion that I believe the Pope would agree with.

Every time a text by the Pope is published, I can't help but take it very seriously. When reading I loved you and meditate on Christ's predilection for the poorest, I ask myself: what about my own predilection? What does my heart lean toward?

The poor and the sick are protagonists in the Gospel. What is it about them that merits this divine predilection? It is pure necessity. And that predilection teaches me something decisive: life and dependence are equivalent; they are the same reality. Life does not begin when dependence is resolved. Life does not begin when the sick person is cured, when the baby grows up and becomes independent, when work problems disappear, when I get a new and better job, when I find a good girlfriend, when I have my first child or another one, when I manage to buy a house... 

I often live my life thinking that way: waiting for the perfect situation, instead of enjoying the situation I find myself in.

Life is just that: the endless hassle of changing diapers, accompanying every step of my children's growth, caring for my sick ones, spending sleepless nights due to my little ones' coughs and fevers, taking my youngest son to his therapies every day. Life is listening to my husband when he talks to me about his work or what worries him. Sometimes it's more intense and other times it's lighter, but it's still the same life.

When unemployment, illness, pain, or difficulties arise, life becomes more alive, more intense. And when everything flows smoothly—the children are healthy, school is going well, work is steady, dinner is ready, and there are no tantrums—we say we've had a good day. And it's true: on those days, life weighs less heavily. But both forms are life. Never perfect, but always lived with fondness.

Living all this with predilection—as Christ loves the poor—is what the Pope teaches me in this encyclical.

From a modern perspective, all this seems absurd. In The age of emptiness, Lipovetsky describes how citizens of contemporary societies live and interact: individualism has infiltrated our most basic form of connection, even with those we love most. Without meaning to, we live together as individuals who feel it is their duty to improve their personal situation as much as possible. In this mindset, dependence appears to be a threat to a good life.

But, from Christ's perspective, that logic does not hold up. And Christmas makes that clear. The sick and the poor represent extreme forms of dependence, and now, at Christmas, so does God himself, who will live that way until the end.

The question for me, when reading this encyclical and understanding the privileged place of the poor in Christ's heart, is not to feel guilty for living well or to romanticize poverty. It is to understand that when the Pope speaks of poverty, he is speaking of something more than a social group; he is speaking of the bonds of the heart. And this proposal—to live with predilection what we have been given—frees us from the individualism that traps us all: that which makes us live wishing for a life different from the one we already have.

The authorAlmudena Rivadulla Durán

Married, mother of three children and Doctor of Philosophy.

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RelatedRelated NewsThe subtle eugenics proposed by our societyRelated News“Children don’t disturb Mass”: a look from the heart of a motherRelated NewsThe forgotten vocation: being a parent is a total surrender
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Cinema

20 movies (and a few series) to watch at Christmas

Christmas is coming, and Christmas movies, or movies with a Christmas theme and atmosphere, never go out of style. Here are a few, 20 to be exact, some family-friendly, animated or not, and some for adults or teenagers. Everyone has their favorites. These or others.  

Francisco Otamendi-December 20, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

Here are a few movies that are often watched at Christmas. This is not an exhaustive list, but it will jog your memory and give you some clues. Here they are. 

1. It's a Wonderful Life. Christmas classic by Frank Capra about a good man on the brink of ruin, about hope and the value of life. 

2. Miracle on 34th Street. A heartwarming story about faith, kindness, and the Christmas spirit.

3. A Christmas Story. Classic family comedy with heartwarming humor about Christmas in the 1940s.

4. Home Alone (1 and 2). An iconic Christmas comedy with lots of laughs and mischief, especially from the child protagonist.

Image taken during a screening of El Rey de Reyes (The King of Kings) at the Hospital del Niño Jesús in early December in Madrid (@A Contracorriente Films).

5. The King of Kings, a successful animated film in the United States and also in Spain. On Christmas Eve, Charles Dickens tells his son the greatest story ever told.

6. Mickey's Christmas Carol. Short animated adaptation of Dickens' classic featuring Disney characters.

7. The Muppet Christmas Carol. A fun adaptation of Dickens' story featuring the Muppets, ideal for all ages.

8. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. Although it is not a Christmas movie, many consider it to be winter/Christmas-themed because of its scenes at Hogwarts with snow and a magical atmosphere. Not all Harry Potter movies are “Christmas movies,” but the first one has iconic scenes for the season.

9. Star Wars. The Star Wars saga encompasses the eternal struggle between good and evil. Good: light, sacrifice, compassion, hope, loyalty. Evil: power, fear, pride, violence, corruption. Related to biblical stories, classical myths, etc. 

The Lord of the Rings (10) and The Chronicles of Narnia (11), like the previous one, are often recommended at Christmas, in the same moral and epic vein as Star Wars, each with its own tone. 

12. The Polar Express. A magical family adventure during Christmas.

13. Elf. A Christmas comedy beloved for its humor and heart. 

14. ‘Life is beautiful’ (1998). Oscar-winning bittersweet comic fable in which a bookseller (Roberto Benigni) uses his imagination to convince his young son that their existence in a Nazi concentration camp is just a game and that they will win the grand prize.

15. Jesus of Nazareth, by Franco Zeffirelli. It depicts the birth of Christ in Bethlehem, narrating in detail the Annunciation, the journey to Bethlehem for the census, and the birth of Jesus in the manger, following the accounts in the Gospels of Luke and Matthew.

16. Love Actually. –Romantic with intertwined stories. A film for adults, not for children, according to critics. An alternative could be Serendipity (17) for example. Or the almost classic Sense and Sensibility (18)u Pride and Prejudice (19), which are not childish.

 20. On Sundays. Highly topical. A brilliant, idealistic 17-year-old girl has to decide what to study at university. Or at least, that's what her family expects her to do. However, the girl feels increasingly closer to God, pray and considers his religious vocation.

Obviously, there are many films missing for lovers of history or other genres. For example, we can mention Of gods and men, about the eight Cistercian monks who lived in the Maghreb in harmony with their Muslim brothers, until a wave of violence arrived... Or the Oscar-winning Mary Poppins y Smiles and Tears, the emotional Up and the series of Tadeo Jones, animation, and many others. 

Series and specials

Some series and specials for Christmas are ‘Christmas with The Chosen: The Messengers’, a special from the popular series. The Chosen which narrates the birth of Christ from the perspective of Mary and Joseph. And also The Nativity (BBC): a four-episode miniseries about the story of Mary and Joseph's faith, and a nine-episode animated biblical series from the production company. Amen Kids.

On the other hand, these days are perfect for watching episodes of the series The Chosen at a more leisurely pace. You can find extensive information at against, Movistar+ and Amazon Prime Video Spain.

Resurrection, in 2027

It may be recalled that Mel Gibson's film ‘The Passion of the Christ: Resurrection, 2027’ is scheduled for release in 2027, with some details already confirmed. It will be in two parts, and Finnish actor Jaakko Ohtonen will play Jesus to offer a fresh take on the character, Gibson has reported.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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The World

Kristina Zamarytė-Sakavičienė, mother of six children and Minister of Justice of Lithuania

Kristina Zamarytė-Sakavičienė places family values at the heart of public policy. Her appointment is praised by Catholic leaders but generates controversy by challenging cultural individualism with her defense of motherhood as “the best school of life.”.

Bryan Lawrence Gonsalves-December 20, 2025-Reading time: 5 minutes

When Kristina Zamaryte-Sakaviciene gave birth to her fifth child, the nurse who weighed the newborn asked her how many children she had. “Five”, "Yes," Kristina replied, smiling. The nurse frowned., “Well, I hope he doesn't come back here then,” he said.. However, Kristina returned to give birth to her sixth child. For Zamaryte-Sakaviciene, that moment became a quiet act of defiance, a symbol of joy in embracing family life, in the midst of a modern culture that too often greets large families with, if not surprise, then open skepticism.

Today, this mother of six has taken on one of the most visible legal positions in her country: Deputy Minister of Justice of Lithuania. Her appointment has drawn praise from both civic leaders and the Catholic community for her clear moral compass and commitment to placing family values at the center of public policy.

Faith in public life

Zamaryte-Sakaviciene joined the Ministry of Justice in early October 2025, working under Minister Rita Tamašuniene. Her portfolio is broad: civil, procedural, and administrative law; mediation and forensic policy; and the development of Lithuania's national legal system.

He accepted the offer to serve, he says, with “serene joy”, recognizing it as “a professional milestone and a personal calling”. Although he never sought high office, his lifelong motivation has been “contribute effectively to the common good and the protection of fundamental human rights”.

A lawyer and ethicist by training, she began her career in 2006 as an advisor to the Lithuanian Parliament's Health Affairs Committee and later became an inspector of good clinical practices at the State Medicines Control Agency. She then went on to head the Institute of Biomedical Ethics and Law and was director of the Free Society Institute, an advocacy group that promotes values rooted in Catholic social doctrine.

For Zamaryte-Sakaviciene, law and faith are not opposing forces, but complementary paths to truth. “Justice is not tied to any faith; its content and obligations do not depend on religious beliefs.”he says. “Human rights, in their essence, are nothing more than demands for justice, that a person be given what is due to them according to their human nature.”.

Praise and controversy

His rise to national leadership has not gone unnoticed. Cardinal Sigitas Tamkevicius, a former political prisoner under the Soviet regime, praised his “clear Christian stance on life, family, and sexuality”, and described it as “an inspiring example for secular Catholics and all people of good will that we need not be passive observers of what is happening in Lithuania today, but rather clearly defend eternal values.”.

Archbishop Kestutis Kevalas of Kaunas also defended his appointment, stating that in a democracy, no one should be “humiliated or declared unfit for public service simply because of their moral or religious position”. Discrimination against believers, he warned, weakens the very fabric of democracy.

However, her worldview, particularly her outspoken advocacy for life and family, puts her at odds with a culture increasingly defined by individualism. In public forums, she often challenges assumptions about modern feminism and what it means to be an empowered woman.

“Feminism promised empowerment and liberation for women.”he says, “but it led many to seek happiness in the wrong ways”. The modern emphasis on careerism and status, he argues, has “has subtly belittled motherhood and diminished the sense of true femininity.”.

For Zamaryte-Sakaviciene, this distortion has created an emotional burden on women. “Many women feel guilty if they pause their careers after having a baby and equally guilty if they wait too long to become mothers.”, observe. She believes that restoring respect for motherhood means recognizing its irreplaceable value, nurturing life within the family and in society at large.

A child-centered approach

At the heart of her philosophy lies what she calls a child-centered vision of justice. “I evaluate the decisions made by the State according to the principle that the interests of the child come first.”, he explains, especially in debates on family policy, assisted reproduction, and abortion.

He insists that life begins at conception, that “Children should never be treated as objects of adult desire or convenience.”. With regard to fertilization in vitro, he is concerned about a culture that “expects children to adapt to adults” decisions”. The increasing manipulation of embryos, he says, “is driven by cultural shifts that elevate the convenience, desires, and interests of adults above the right of a conceived child to be born and to live.”.

His position, he insists, is not about religion, but about justice: “Human embryos should not be treated as objects,” he explains. “Governments should value the natural family, not because of religious mandates but out of respect for natural law.”.

Motherhood as a school of life

Omnes spoke with Virginija Krasauskiene, a teacher from Panevežys, who understands this cultural tension firsthand. Dismissed from her job after giving birth to her third daughter, she stated that, in Lithuania, employees like her “are seen as unnecessary and inconvenient”, and that large families are often considered “uneducated and fanatical”. His story highlights the need for greater social acceptance of families with many children.

When asked how being a mother of six shapes her work, she responds without hesitation: “Motherhood is undoubtedly the best school of life.”.

Motherhood, she said, has revealed both her strengths and weaknesses and has taught her “to truly grow in virtue.”. Speaking with quiet confidence, he added: “Mothers don't need to search for the meaning of life; it grows in their arms every day.”.

That, he believes, is a truth that modern culture forgets in its relentless pursuit of satisfaction through professional success or social achievement. “No invention, law, or discovery compares to the wonder of nurturing a new human life, a person with an infinite life of their own.”, he reflects. “After all, isn't it ultimately for the sake of people that all business, science, and politics exist?.

Serving the truth in a secular age

Zamaryte-Sakaviciene is quick to acknowledge the role of her husband, a practicing lawyer, in supporting their large family. “I have a wonderful husband, a super dad.”he says. “We take care of each other and our children together.”. Their shared commitment, he explains, allows him to continue his civic and political work while pursuing his legal career. Proof that harmony between vocation and family is possible when built on mutual respect and shared purpose.

Navigating politics as a woman of faith can be challenging, but Zamaryte-Sakaviciene believes that moral truth does not need to be imposed to be effective. “The truth will defend itself.”he says. “You just have to be its bearer.”.

He offers young Catholics who aspire to public service a simple piece of advice: “Do not be afraid to hold on to your moral convictions, even at the expense of your career. Even if one door closes, new and unexpected paths will open up. Life becomes simpler when you do not hide your beliefs.”.

The roots of conviction

Zamaryte-Sakaviciene credits her parents with instilling in her a love of learning and moral independence. “My father introduced me to the mysteries of science; my mother showed me the treasures of history, art, and literature.”, Remember. From them, he inherited curiosity, confidence, and the courage to think freely. “It is a current of love, meaning, and adventure that flows from generation to generation.”, he says, a legacy he now seeks to pass on to his own children.

As she begins her term at the Department of Justice, she remains convinced that Europe's moral renewal depends on rediscovering human dignity as something discovered, not merely granted by the state. “Building a just society requires constant effort.”, emphasizes, “both the State and its citizens, to ensure that everyone receives what they are entitled to”.

In a political landscape where faith can seem like a disadvantage, Zamaryte-Sakaviciene stands as a reminder that conviction and compassion can coexist, and that a mother's heart can help guide a nation's laws. “The truth sets us free.”, he states directly. “Our task is simply to recognize it and serve it faithfully.”. 

The authorBryan Lawrence Gonsalves

Founder of "Catholicism Coffee".

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Culture

Did you know that Eve is a saint? And have you heard of the enigmatic shadow of Lilith?

According to Jewish tradition, Lilith was Adam's first wife, created before Eve, and expelled from paradise for refusing to obey her husband. In Christian iconography, this figure is associated with the female-faced serpent to represent temptation based on pride and rejection of the divine order.

Javier García Herrería-December 19, 2025-Reading time: 5 minutes

On December 19, the Catholic Church commemorates Saint Eve, the first woman according to Genesis. For many believers, this fact is surprising: Eve, usually associated with the story of original sin, is venerated as a saint. 

Christian tradition views her in the light of redemption: Eve is not defined by the Fall, but by God's plan of salvation, culminating in Christ, the new Adam. Her memory appears in ancient martyrologies and in Eastern and Western liturgical traditions from the early centuries of Christianity.

The figure of Eva has developed around, outside the biblical canon and outside Catholic doctrine, a parallel tradition that has exerted a notable cultural and artistic influence: that of Lilith. 

Origins of Lilith

Its roots lie in myths from the ancient Near East (Mesopotamia) and in later Jewish interpretations that attempted to harmonize the two accounts of creation in Genesis. This tradition took shape especially in medieval texts, where Lilith is presented as the first woman, created before Eve and separated from Adam after refusing to submit to him. 

Over time, her figure became associated with the demonic, but also with rebellion and female autonomy, which explains her persistence in literature, art, and symbolic thought.

It should be emphasized, however, that this interpretation is not part of the tradition, teaching, or theology of the Catholic Church, and therefore does not in any way constitute a matter of faith.. Catholic doctrine recognizes only the biblical account of Eve's creation as presented in Genesis. 

Even so, the tradition of Lilith is culturally relevant, as it has had a significant influence on numerous artistic, literary, and symbolic representations over the centuries, and allows for a better understanding of certain imaginaries that dialogue—albeit from the outside—with the great biblical narratives. 

Lilith as the “first Eve”

The idea that Lilith was the first woman emerged later, when Jewish interpreters noticed the apparent contradiction between the two accounts of creation in Genesis: one where man and woman appear to be created simultaneously, and another where Eve is created from Adam's rib.

According to this tradition, Lilith did not have a harmonious relationship with Adam. After the conflict, God granted her the freedom to leave him, and she went to live with demons in desert regions, traditionally located near the Dead Sea. From then on, later Jewish literature describes her as an evil female spirit, associated with the night, seduction, and destruction.

In this context, some accounts identify Lilith as Eve's tempter, the figure who, driven by jealousy, incites the new woman to eat the forbidden fruit. In this way, the serpent of Paradise acquires feminine and demonic traits.

In modern times, however, writers, artists, and feminist movements have reinterpreted the myth, presenting Lilith as a symbol of female independence and resistance to the patriarchal order.

Outside the religious sphere, Lilith has been adopted by various contemporary cultural movements. Some hard rock and metal bands have used her name as a symbol of rebellion, power, and transgression, interpreting her as a figure who embodies strength in the face of the established order.

A character absent from the Bible

The Catholic Bible does not mention Lilith as a character in the story of Paradise.. However, in some ancient translations and Hebrew commentaries, it appears associated with terms such as owl, symbols linked to night, darkness, concealment, and sinister things. In the Semitic world, these names evoke nocturnal, twisted beings linked to evil deeds.

Rabbis and Talmud scholars developed the figure of Lilith based on a detailed reading of Genesis. In Genesis 1:27, it appears that God created man and woman simultaneously (“So God created man in his own image, in the image of God he created him; male and female he created them.”). 

In Genesis 2:22, Adam appears alone and Eve is created from his rib (“And the Lord God formed a woman from the rib he had taken from Adam, and presented her to Adam.”). To explain this difference, some Jewish commentators argued that the woman created alongside Adam was Lilith, while Eve was a later creation.

Lilith in art: from the Prado to the Sistine Chapel

This tradition has left a particularly visible mark on art history. Several artists of the Renaissance and late Middle Ages depicted the temptation in Paradise with a serpent with feminine features, reflecting these Hebrew interpretations. It is usually depicted in the form of an owl, or as a woman or a serpent with female breasts.

At the Prado Museum, some of Bosch's works are particularly eloquent. In The Garden of Earthly Delights, An owl appears watching from the tree of knowledge of good and evil, like a dark and watchful presence. 

In the Triptych of the Hay Wagon, also by Bosch, the demon tempting from the tree takes on a form clearly associated with this female figure.

Something similar occurs in the Sistine Chapel, where Michelangelo painted the scene of the original sin with a serpent with a female torso, an iconography that does not come from the biblical text, but from extra-biblical traditions known in humanist and Hebrew circles during the Renaissance.

In the Vienna Diptych Hugo van der Goes did not paint a conventional serpent, but rather a hybrid creature that fits perfectly with the figure of Lilith.

In the relief of the The Temptation of Adam and Eve, Located in Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris, the serpent also appears with the torso and face of a woman, coiled around the Tree of Knowledge.

Adam and Eve, by Raphael in the Vatican Museums, follows Michelangelo's tradition: it shows the serpent-woman with a face almost identical to that of Eve. 

The exact reason why so many Catholic artists adopted the figure of Lilith—a character from Jewish tradition—to represent the fall in Eden is unknown. The answer seems to lie in the humanist circles of the time, where painters such as Raphael or Michelangelo may have included these features under the direct influence of a rabbi friend. 

During a time of searching for original sources, the myth of ‘Adam's first wife’ filtered down to Christian painters, transforming the serpent into that reptilian woman we see today in the Vatican or Notre Dame.

If you are interested in these interpretations of Lilith, rabbis, and snakes with women's faces, you will surely enjoy reading the two volumes of the Bible for Dummies published by María Vallejo-Nágera by Palabra. They are full of interesting and very entertaining stories. 

Bible for Dummies. Volume I

Author: María Vallejo-Nágera
Editorial: Word
Year: 2024
Number of pages: 336
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The Vatican

Pope Leo urges protection and cultivation of even small signs of peace

The “logic of opposition” that dominates both global and national politics is “the most current factor in a planetary destabilization that is becoming increasingly dramatic and unpredictable,” wrote the Pope in his message for World Peace Day. Military spending already accounts for 2.5% of global GDP, and Leo XIV has urged that small signs of peace be protected.

CNS / Omnes-December 19, 2025-Reading time: 5 minutes

- Cindy Wooden, Vatican City, CNS

The “logic of opposition” that dominates both global and national politics is “the most current factor in a planetary destabilization that is becoming increasingly dramatic and unpredictable.” So wrote Pope Leo XIV in his message for World Peace Day.

“It is no coincidence that repeated calls to increase military spending and the decisions that this entails are presented by many leaders as justification for the danger posed by others,” he said in his message for the January 1 celebration.

But peace must be protected and cultivated, said Pope Leo. “Even if it is fought against inside and outside of us, like a small flame threatened by the storm, let us take care of it,” he writes.

The logic of war, the logic of armaments

Over the next year, Pope Leo will give visiting heads of state signed copies of his message, which was published by the Vatican on December 18. And Vatican ambassadors will distribute it to government leaders in the countries where they serve.

Cardinal Michael Czerny, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, presented the message at a press conference at the Vatican. “In a way, we have been forced to accept the logic of war, the logic of armaments, the logic of enemies,» said the cardinal. 

Their first victory: giving up our hope for peace

Pope Leo's message acknowledges that “the first triumph of the logic of war is that we give up our hope for peace.”.

“I am not a soldier, I never have been,” said the cardinal. But “even a soldier can feel comforted” by Pope Leo's call to cultivate “peace in his heart, in his relationships, in his prayer, and in his aspirations.”.

Although the message “does not in any way minimize the horrors that surround us,” he said, “it makes us largely responsible.”.

Pope Leo XIV, between Cardinal Bechara Rai, Patriarch of the Maronite Catholic Church, left, and Sheikh Abdul Latif Derian, Grand Mufti of Lebanon, in Martyrs' Square in Beirut on December 1, 2025 (Photo CNS/Lola Gomez).

A duty for all religious leaders

The theme of the Pope's message, ‘Peace be with you all: towards an ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace," begins with the first words he addressed to the crowd in St. Peter's Square on May 8. It was the night of his election.

Pope Leo added in his message that he and all religious leaders have an obligation to teach and preach against “the growing attempt to turn even thoughts and words into weapons.” And to condemn the use of religion to justify violence and exaggerated forms of nationalism.

They drag words of faith into political combat

“Unfortunately, it is increasingly part of the contemporary landscape to drag the words of faith into political combat, to bless nationalism, and to religiously justify violence and armed struggle,” writes the Pope.

“Believers must actively refute, above all with their lives, those forms of blasphemy that tarnish the Holy Name of God,» says Pope Leo. What is needed, instead, he said, is prayer, spirituality, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue “as paths of peace and languages of encounter between traditions and cultures.”.

Promote unity, understanding, and respect 

The message echoed what Pope Leo had told reporters on December 2, after meeting with Christian, Muslim, and Druze leaders in Turkey and Lebanon during his first trip abroad.

“The more we promote genuine unity and understanding, respect, and human relationships of friendship and dialogue in the world, the greater the possibility that we will put aside the weapons of war. And that we will put aside the mistrust, hatred, and animosity that has so often built up, and find ways to unite and be able to promote genuine peace and justice throughout the world.”.

First, believe that peace is possible.  

The first step in sowing peace, says the Holy Father, is to believe that peace is possible and that all people desire it.

“When we treat peace as a distant ideal,” he said in his message for World Peace Day, “we end up not considering it scandalous that it is denied, and even that war is waged to achieve it.”.

“If peace is not a reality that is experienced, safeguarded, and cultivated, aggression spreads in domestic and public life,» he said. When that happens, “we come to consider it a fault that we are not sufficiently prepared for war, to react to attacks, to respond to aggression.”.

Statistics show that this is already happening, the Pope pointed out.

Gravediggers work during a funeral in Ternopil, Ukraine, on November 21, 2025, for those killed during a Russian missile attack on an apartment building (Photo by OSV News: Andriy Perun, Reuters).

Defense spending in 2024, 9.4% more than in 2023

Global military spending in 2024 “increased by 9.4% compared to the previous year, confirming the uninterrupted trend of the last ten years and reaching $2.718 trillion, or 2.51% of global GDP,” he said, citing studies by the Stockholm International Peace Research Institute.

Threats are spreading

Pope Leo has also denounced a shift in education and the media. Instead of focusing on the achievements in peacemaking and diplomacy since World War II and remembering with horror how many people died in that war, threats are being spread.

In other words, the Pontiff has denounced that “communication campaigns and educational programs are promoted in schools and universities, as well as in the media, which spread the perception of threats and convey a purely armed notion of defense and security.”.

AI-controlled lethal automated weapons

This change is particularly frightening given advances in weapons technology, particularly the development of drones, robots, and other lethal automated weapons systems that can be controlled by artificial intelligence.

«A process of political and military leaders relinquishing responsibility is even taking shape, as decisions that affect the life and death of human beings are increasingly being ‘delegated’ to machines,” he wrote.

“Kindness is disarming.”

Pope Leo has asked Christians and all people of good will to join forces “to contribute reciprocally to a disarming peace, a peace that springs from openness and evangelical humility.”.

“Kindness is disarming,” he added. “Perhaps that is why God became a child.”.

Pope Leo prays that, as the Jubilee Year draws to a close, its legacy will be a “disarmament of the heart, mind, and life.”.

The authorCNS / Omnes

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TribuneRafael Ramis

Harmonizing ecclesiastical knowledge

The Church must regain its intellectual leadership by harmonizing ecclesiastical knowledge, so that it can seek the truth and transmit it to the world.

December 19, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

In these first months of his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV has shown a growing concern for education. It is a central issue, as an important cultural and spiritual battle is being fought there, one that will define the future. While there have been various reflections on education in general and on Catholic universities, there has been a lack of in-depth debate on “ecclesiastical knowledge” (essentially, philosophy, theology, history, philology, and canon law), which helps the Church to explain itself and, above all, to proclaim its message.

Concerned about the configuration of higher education, I have just published the book The harmonization of ecclesiastical knowledge. Keys to Rethinking Catholic Higher Education, (Dykinson), published free of charge so that it can reach everyone, which aims to be a reflection on the subject based on Veritatis Gaudium.

It can be seen that, throughout the first centuries, the Church absorbed secular knowledge, synthesized it with the kerigma and tradition, offering a comprehensive encyclopedia of knowledge, which gradually became fragmented. With the triumph of liberalism, states separated themselves clearly from the Church, and ecclesiastical knowledge remained, in most Catholic countries, in seminaries and pontifical universities, in a state of decline. The Second Vatican Council decided to open the doors to dialogue with the secular world, and the Church, to this day, has followed the global guidelines of civil education without excessive hindrance. 

Much of the current problem stems from the fact that the Church has lost its intellectual leadership and has become complacent with global trends, which are characterized by fads that stray from Christian thinking, as well as by the reduction of basic training and the fragmentation into countless master's degrees, diplomas, and elective courses.

In order for each branch of knowledge not to go its own way, as has been the case in the civil world for two centuries, it is necessary for all ecclesiastical knowledge to have a clear understanding of the spiritual purpose that nourishes it and, above all, the unity that exists between them. From the internal tension between the different branches of knowledge, which cooperate with each other, a firm unity of knowledge must emerge, which can then engage in fruitful dialogue with civil knowledge. However, the lack of well-integrated ecclesiastical knowledge leads to abuses and misunderstandings and, above all, prevents the attainment of a harmonious truth that integrates and unifies them. What is needed is a harmonization that, without renouncing the irreducible character of each branch of knowledge, seeks to the utmost its connections with the others. 

A paradigm shift is proposed: a model for articulating ecclesiastical knowledge that starts with the Word of God, in its historical and philological context, continues on to philosophy, then rises to theological speculation, and finally translates into canon law. Finally, the joint re-reading of the Word of God and the canonical provisions should give way to new reflections and adjustments, and to restarting the process as many times as necessary.

All of this implies the need to organize new, more ambitious, and better-integrated ecclesiastical curricula that seek, above all, the unity of knowledge and the supernatural goal they pursue. This unity must be reflected in the arrangement of subjects and must fill the minds of students.

To this end, it is proposed to rethink the current curricula and structure the institutional cycle into a dual seven-year degree in Ecclesiastical Philosophy and Theology. This would broaden the scope of education and counteract the secular trend toward reducing basic education and increasing postgraduate studies. To achieve unity of knowledge, this double degree in Ecclesiastical Philosophy and Theology is necessary, which would then lead to various Bachelor's or Master's degrees of specialization. The lack of prior training in secondary education, almost across all five continents, the current (slower) maturation processes, and increasing life expectancy invite us to rethink Catholic higher education from a global understanding of the unity of ecclesiastical knowledge to specialization, and from a thorough discernment of all ecclesial charisms to their realization in the state of life. In short, it is necessary for the Church to rethink the harmonization of ecclesiastical knowledge: that it may offer believers and non-believers, for the good of all humanity, an intellectually well-assembled project that is courageous in its search for truth.

The authorRafael Ramis

Professor of History of Law and Institutions at the University of the Balearic Islands

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The Vatican

New blesseds: 11 Spanish martyrs and an exemplary Argentine businessman, Enrique Shaw

The Pope authorizes the promulgation of decrees relating to the upcoming beatification of nine seminarians, a priest, and a layman, martyred during the Spanish Civil War of the last century, and of an Argentine family man, Enrique Ernesto Shaw, a businessman committed to various ecclesial works.

Vatican News / Omnes-December 18, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsSilvia Bulla: "Enrique Shaw left a legacy of living the Social Doctrine of the Church".

On December 18, Pope Leo XIV authorized the promulgation of decrees concerning 12 new blesseds, 11 of whom were martyrs during the Spanish Civil War of the 1930s—9 seminarians, a diocesan priest, and a layman—and a father, Enrique Ernesto Shaw, an Argentine businessman who died in 1962, and three new venerables—two Italians, Friar Berardo Atonna and Sister Domenica Caterina dello Spirito Santo, and the priest Joseph Panjikaran, from India—whose heroic virtues have been recognized.

The Spanish martyrs

Eleven Spanish martyrs were killed between 1936 and 1937 during the violent anti-Christian persecution of that period in Spain, in the territory of the current dioceses of Madrid, Getafe, and Alcalá de Henares.

Seminarian Ignacio Aláez Vaquero, arrested for refusing to enlist in the army and choosing instead to study to become a priest, was murdered along with his father on November 9, 1936. Along with him, the following were recognized as martyrs Pablo Chomón Pardo, seminarian, and his uncle, Julio Pardo Pernía, chaplain of the Sisters Hospitallers of the Sacred Heart in Ciempozuelos, murdered on August 8, 1936; Antonio Moralejo Fernández-Shaw, a seminarian, and his father Liberato Moralejo Juan, who allowed himself to be arrested in order to defend his son and was murdered alongside him; and also the seminarians Jesús Sánchez Fernández-Yáñez, Miguel Talavera Sevilla, Ángel Trapero Sánchez-Real, Cástor Zarco García—who had to enlist as a reservist and was denounced by some of his comrades for his behavior, considered too peaceful, and was murdered after suffering several humiliations and being forced to dig his own grave—Mariano Arrizabalaga Español, and Ramón Ruiz Pérez, who was tortured along with some twenty lay people and imprisoned and murdered with them.

All of them were killed because of hatred for their faith: their martyrdom is part of the anti-Catholic climate of those years in Spain. Extensive documentation shows the clear willingness of the seminarians to give their lives for God, aware of the anti-Christian hatred unleashed against members of the Church. By remaining close to their families and friends without hiding, despite the danger, their reputation for martyrdom spread rapidly and continues to this day.

Enrique Ernesto Shaw

Enrique Ernesto Shaw, born in Paris on February 26, 1921, and later moved to Buenos Aires, Argentina, his family's homeland, will also be beatified. A young man of strong Catholic faith, he joined the Navy and during long periods at sea he taught catechism to the sailors.

Called to work in the family business, he committed himself to applying the principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church in the business world, establishing a fraternal relationship of collaboration with all his workers. He married Cecilia Bunge, with whom he had nine children; he joined Catholic Action and the Christian Family Movement, promoting several other associations related to the world of work and publishing lectures, articles, and essays.

In 1961, he was appointed president of Catholic Action Men. He died of cancer on August 27, 1961. His intercession led to the miraculous healing of a five-year-old boy who was kicked in the back of the head by a horse on a farm near Buenos Aires on June 21, 2015. The child suffered severe skull and brain damage and underwent several surgical procedures. On July 15, to the surprise of the doctors, it was found that the ventricular system had returned to its normal size. In 2019, the child was examined by two experts who found him to be in good health, with no significant neurological sequelae. Today he leads a normal life.

The Venerables

The heroic virtues of Friar Berardo Atonna and Sister Domenica Caterina dello Spirito Santo, both Italian, and Joseph Panjikaran, an Indian priest, were also recognized. For this reason, as of today, they are Venerable. 

Giuseppe Panjikaran, diocesan priest, founder of the Congregation of the «Medical Sisters of St. Joseph,» born on September 10, 1888, in Uzhuva (India) and died on November 4, 1949, in Kothamangalam (India);

Berardo Atonna (born Giuseppe), professed priest of the Order of Friars Minor, born on July 1, 1843, in Episcopio di Sarno (Italy) and died on March 4, 1917, in Naples (Italy);

Domenica Caterina dello Spirito Santo (born Teresa Solari), founder of the Congregation of the Dominican Sisters of the Little House of Divine Providence, probably born on December 8, 1822, in Ne (Italy) and died on May 7, 1908, in Genoa (Italy).

The authorVatican News / Omnes

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RelatedRelated NewsSilvia Bulla: "Enrique Shaw left a legacy of living the Social Doctrine of the Church".
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The World

Pope appoints Ronald Hicks as Archbishop of New York

He was born in Chicago. He holds a bachelor's degree in philosophy and a master's degree in theology from Loyola University. He earned his doctorate from the University of Mary in Mundelein, Illinois.

OSV / Omnes-December 18, 2025-Reading time: 5 minutes

By OSV News

In one of the most anticipated U.S. episcopal appointments of his pontificate to date, Pope Leo XIV accepted the resignation of Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York and named Bishop Ronald A. Hicks of Joliet, Illinois, as his successor.

The resignation and appointment were announced by the Vatican on December 18.

Resignation of Cardinal Dolan

Cardinal Dolan was appointed Archbishop of New York by Pope Benedict XVI on February 23, 2009, and three years later Pope Benedict elevated him to the College of Cardinals.

On February 6, he turned 75, the age at which canon law requires bishops to submit their resignation to the Pope.

Cardinal Dolan was president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops and has held various leadership positions at the national level, including chairing the USCCB's pro-life and religious freedom committees. He was president of Catholic Relief Services and is currently a member of the Dicastery for the Oriental Churches and the Dicastery for Evangelization.

Hicks, from Joliet to New York

Since September 29, 2020, Archbishop Hicks, 58, has led the Diocese of Joliet, which covers the western and southern suburbs of Chicago and extends into central Illinois. He will lead the second-largest archdiocese in the United States, with 2.5 million Catholics, five times more than Joliet's 520,000.

Among other tasks, the new archbishop will manage a large-scale settlement for clergy abuse once he assumes his new position. Cardinal Dolan announced in a December 9 letter to his parishioners that the archdiocese would begin mediation with 1,300 plaintiffs over allegations of sexual abuse by clergy. He added that the archdiocese would need to raise $300 million for the settlements.

According to the Illinois Attorney General's 2023 report on clergy sexual abuse in Illinois dioceses, Joliet had reported 100 credible cases of abuse that took place between 1949 and 2004. It has paid more than $7 million in settlements in three cases, most recently in 2019, a year before Archbishop Hicks took office.

The diocese underwent restructuring in 2023, with plans to merge and close 16 parishes. Authorities cited aging buildings, declining numbers of priests, and declining Mass attendance, but did not mention abuse settlements as reasons for the consolidation.

Spiritual profile

According to Deacon Dominic Cerrato, the new Archbishop of New York is up to the task of leading a significantly larger (arch)diocese because «all of his skills» as a bishop are «transferable and scalable.».

In particular, Deacon Cerrato, who recently retired as director of the diaconate in the Diocese of Joliet, said Archbishop Hicks is a «very devout man» whose spirituality guides his leadership.

«He was a humble man, in the sense that he always asked for prayers. He would pray for any audience and say, ‘Please pray for him,'» Deacon Cerrato told OSV News. «He certainly sought God's will in shepherding the diocese. We always began with a prayer, but his attitude denoted a deep spirituality.».

In a 20-page pastoral letter on discipleship to the faithful of the Diocese of Joliet, entitled «Do!», the current Archbishop Hicks outlined plans to carry out the vision he brought with him when he took office five years ago: «to put catechesis, evangelization, and faith into practice.».

With a heartfelt admission that «vulnerably reflects (his) heart» in the blog on his diocesan website, dated September 30, about the letter he wrote, «I love Jesus and I want you to love him too.».

«The letter offers a clear path: conversion, confession, communion, and commission, all united by prayer. These are not abstract concepts, but real and concrete steps that anyone can begin today,» he said. A website is dedicated to the plan with sections on these five areas on the path to making disciples among the faithful.

Leadership style

Deacon Cerrato described the bishop's leadership style as one that «builds communion, strengthens mission, and reflects gentle authority.».

He recalled that Archbishop Hicks once asked him what he thought the diocese should do during a meeting. «I was really surprised because I discovered that he was very open to finding solutions if presented with a challenge. He was willing to listen to whatever might happen. So his leadership was not only high-level, but he also reached out to the people. You could say, my goodness, he got in touch with people to listen,» Deacon Cerrato said.

He said that the newly appointed archbishop also spent a lot of time with the faithful at various events. Deacon Cerrato said, «When you saw him, his smile, his availability. I mean, he was able to spend hours taking pictures with people. He didn't just go to an event and then leave. In that sense, there was a feeling of shepherding. There was a feeling of affection. There was a sense of listening. That said, he was certainly a decisive leader, in the sense that if a decision had to be made, he made it.».

Past in Chicago

Previously, he was appointed vicar general of the Archdiocese of Chicago by Cardinal Blase J. Cupich in 2015, and in September 2018, he was ordained auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese at Holy Name Cathedral in Chicago.

Archbishop Hicks was ordained a priest for the Archdiocese of Chicago on May 21, 1994. He served as associate pastor at Our Lady of Mercy Parish in Chicago from 1994 to 1996 and at St. Elizabeth Seton Parish in Orland Hills, Illinois, from 1996 to 1999. From 1999 to 2005, he lived and ministered at St. Joseph University Seminary in Chicago as dean of formation.

In July 2005, with the authorization of Cardinal Francis E. George, then Archbishop of Chicago, Archbishop Hicks moved from Chicago to El Salvador to begin a five-year term as regional director of Nuestros Pequeños Hermanos (NPH) in Central America. NPH is a home dedicated to caring for more than 3,400 orphaned and abandoned children in nine countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

From 2010 to 2014, Archbishop Hicks served as dean of formation at Mundelein Seminary.

Like Pope Leo XIV, he was born in Chicago. He graduated from Quigley South Preparatory Seminary in 1985. He earned his bachelor's degree in philosophy from Niles College at Loyola University Chicago in 1989, his master's degree in theology in 1994, and his doctorate in ministry in 2003 from the University of Mary Lake in Mundelein, Illinois. A Doctorate in Ministry (DMin) is a professional graduate degree for Christian leaders who seek to perfect their practical skills in areas such as leadership, preaching, counseling, or education.

Archbishop Hicks serves on the USCCB Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life, and Vocations and is the conference liaison to the Association for the Continuing Education of Priests and the National Association of Directors of Diaconate Formation. He has also been appointed to the USCCB Charter Review Task Force. He also serves on the board of directors of the Catholic Outreach Society and the Advisory Board of Mundelein Seminary.

The authorOSV / Omnes

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The CARF Foundation invites you on a journey this Christmas

Christmas is also celebrated far from home and in difficult circumstances. This year, the CARF Foundation proposes to bring us closer to the reality of priests and seminarians who celebrate their vocation in vulnerable countries such as Nigeria, Angola, Venezuela, and China, where faith is lived in hope.

Editorial Staff Omnes-December 18, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsCARF Foundation: 35 years collaborating with 1,256 dioceses and 300 religious orders Related NewsCARF Foundation's Social Action Board, all for priests

The CARF Foundation, which helps seminarians, priests, and religious from 130 countries, organizes pilgrimages to Rome, Pamplona, and the Holy Land. But on this occasion, it wanted to prepare something more special: spending Christmas learning about the reality of priests and seminarians who live their vocation in some of the most vulnerable countries in the world: Nigeria (with Father Emmanuel), Angola (with seminarian Gonçalves), Venezuela (with Father Humberto), and China (with seminarian Xudong).  

A trip to Nigeria

If we travel to Ikot Ekpene (Nigeria), we will meet Father Emmanuel Enwenwen. Thanks to the financial aid provided by the benefactors of the CARF Foundation, he is currently studying Institutional Communication in Rome.

Emmanuel highlights the contrast between the severe religious persecution suffered by the Catholic Church and the growth of vocations in his country. “A few years ago, we were beneficiaries of missionaries who came to evangelize us. Today, many Nigerians have become missionaries in different parts of the world,” he says. 

The Church in Nigeria faces numerous challenges in fulfilling its spiritual and social mission. The main one is insecurity. Insurgent groups, bandits, and kidnappers attack clergy, laypeople, and even places of worship. They use violence to disrupt pastoral activities and sow fear. “In some parts of the country, the Church has become an easy path to martyrdom,” Emmanuel laments.

Despite this context, Emmanuel emphasizes that there is hope: “Thanks to a young and dynamic population, the Church has the capacity to reshape the moral landscape of the nation. Furthermore, with so many young people in seminaries and convents, there is great hope for continuity in the future.”.

The CARF Foundation, which supports the training of seminarians, priests, and religious from 130 countries, encourages us not to forget the most vulnerable during this Christmas season. Its invitation is clear: think of them, pray for them, and contribute to their needs so that, “after receiving a good education, they can celebrate Christmas this year and in the years to come, together with their people, to whom they will explain that God became man to bring light, warmth, and hope to homes around the world.”. 

RelatedRelated NewsCARF Foundation: 35 years collaborating with 1,256 dioceses and 300 religious orders Related NewsCARF Foundation's Social Action Board, all for priests
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Culture

32 quotes from saints about Christmas

The birth of the Lord is fast approaching. It may be a good opportunity to recall some thoughts and quotes from saints about the mystery of Christmas. Here are 32 of them, though this list is by no means exhaustive.  

Francisco Otamendi-December 18, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

If we were to mention some saints who have written most extensively about the Birth of the Lord, about Christmas, and quote some of their phrases, here are 32, plus some reflections from recent Popes.

This is not a scientific study, as is obvious. But it can serve to give us a sense of the coming of the Child God, of his incarnation. The sources are diverse and, in general terms, point to St. Ephrem the Syrian, St. Leo the Great, St. Augustine of Hippo, and St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, not to mention St. Francis of Assisi, as some of those who have written most about the mystery of Christmas.

Apostles

Some well-known phrases and writings of the Apostles have not been included here. These include, for example, St. Peter, St. John the Evangelist (“And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory”), and St. Paul the Apostle to the Philippians (“Christ Jesus, being in the form of God, did not greedily retain his equality with God, but emptied himself, taking the form of a servant...”).

Some saints and reflections

Here is a list of saints, with some of their thoughts on the incarnation of the Lord and, where applicable, a brief commentary. 

1. Saint Ephrem the Syrian (+373), known as the poet of Christmas (East), composed dozens of hymns dedicated to the Birth of the Lord. “Blessed be the Child who today has made us, the elderly, children again.”.

2. Saint Leo the Great, Christmas theologian (Western tradition). He is possibly the Pope who has left us the most sermons on the Nativity. “The birth of Christ is the birth of the Christian people.”.

3. Saint Augustine of Hippo, contemplative theologian (Western), has many Christmas sermons and constant references to the Incarnation. “The Creator of man became man, so that man could recognize his Creator.”.

4. Saint Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, with Meditations on the Incarnation, Christmas Novena, etc. “A God who became a child to be loved.”.

Church Fathers, from the East and West

5. Saint Athanasius of Alexandria
“The Son of God became man so that we might become children of God.”.

6. Saint Gregory of Nazianzus
“The rich man becomes poor; he takes what is mine to give me what is his.”.

7. Saint Basil the Great
“God accepts being wrapped in swaddling clothes to free us from the bonds of sin.”.

8. St. John Chrysostom
 “Today heaven and earth are united, because God has come to earth.”.

9. Saint Ambrose of Milan
 “Christ was wrapped in swaddling clothes to untie the bonds of our death.”

10. St. Jerome
 “He who feeds everyone lies in a manger.”

Other saints

11. St. Francis of Assisi
 “I want to celebrate the memory of the Child who was born in Bethlehem and see with my own eyes the hardships he endured due to a lack of basic necessities.”.

12. Saint Teresa of Jesus
 “Look at the Child in the manger and you will see how great his love is.

13. Saint John of the Cross. “Because in giving us, as he gave us, his Son, who is his Word—and he has no other—he spoke to us everything together and at once in this one Word.”.

14. Saint Ignatius of Loyola. “The three divine Persons looked upon the whole plain or roundness of the world filled with men... and determined that the second Person should become man to save the human race.”.

15. Saint John Mary Vianney (Curé d'Ars)
 “The manger teaches us God’s humility and invites us to approach Him with a simple heart.”.

16. Saint Bernadette Soubirous (Lourdes)
 “Jesus makes himself small so that we are not afraid to approach him.

17. Saint Francisco Marto (Fatima)
 “I love to console Jesus, who was born so poor.

18 Saint Jacinta Marto (Fatima)
 “The Child Jesus suffers for the sins of the world; we must love him very much.”

19. Venerable Lucia dos Santos (Fatima)
“The Son of God became man to bring peace to the world.”.

20. Saint Gianna Beretta Molla
“The Child Jesus reminds us that life is a sacred gift from its very beginning.

21. St. Catherine of Siena
 “God became a child so that man would trust in his love again.”.

22. St. John Henry Newman
 “God became man so that man could live for God.”.

23. Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus (Lisieux)
 “At Christmas, God became small to teach us the way of trust.”.

24. St. Maximilian Kolbe
 “In the manger begins the victory of love over sin.”.

25. Saint Teresa of Calcutta
 “Do not look for Jesus in distant lands: he is in the manger and in the poor.”.

26. Saint Josemaría Escrivá. “He has become so small—you see, a Child!—so that you may approach him with confidence!”

27. Saint Pio of Pietrelcina (Padre Pio)
 “In the Child Jesus we find the strength to bear every cross.”.

28. Saint Faustina Kowalska
“God’s love shines most brightly in the silence of the manger.”.

29. Saint Joseph Gabriel del Rosario Brochero
“Christ was born poor to enrich us with his grace.”.

30. Saint Laura Montoya
“The Child Jesus was born to teach us to love without measure.”.

31. Saint Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross)
 “The Child in the manger points the way to the cross and to glory.”.

32. Saint Óscar Romero
“Christ is born in poverty to identify with the poor and give them hope.”.

Some Popes 

St. John XXIII
“Christmas renews the certainty that God loves the world just as it is.”.

St. Paul VI
 “Christmas is the celebration of God’s closeness to man.”

Saint John Paul II
 “God has entered human history as a child.”.

Benedict XVI
 “In the Child of Bethlehem, God responds to the tragedy of evil with the power of love.”.

Francisco
 “God is not born powerful, but fragile, to teach us to love.”.

Great saints and founders have been left out of the list, such as Saint Benedict, Saint Dominic de Guzmán, Saint Vincent de Paul, Saint Joseph Calasanz, Saint Francis de Sales, etc. Don't be angry with me, Merry Christmas to all. 

During the Angelus on December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, Pope Leo XIV explicitly recalled the Virgin Mary's “yes” at the Annunciation and presented it as a model for all the faithful.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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Evangelization

Herencia, the place where people pray the most in Spain?

In Spain, there are currently 56 parishes with perpetual adoration, but possibly only one has 5% of the population registered as weekly adorer of the Blessed Sacrament.

Javier García Herrería-December 18, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

In the vast plains of La Mancha, a land of boundless horizons and birthplace of the most universal of noblemen, Herencia stands like a living postcard taken from the pages of Miguel de Cervantes.

This municipality in Ciudad Real, famous for its iconic windmills, inevitably reminds us of the passage where Don Quixote, in his noble madness, mistook these gigantic blades for rampaging giants. However, in this small town, the real epic is not fought against fictional windmills, but in a silent and constant battle in favor of faith: Herencia could surely be one of the towns where God is most worshipped in Spain.

Herencia has just 8,000 inhabitants, 385 of whom are registered as worshippers of the Blessed Sacrament, committed to dedicating one hour a week to accompany Jesus in the Eucharist. This represents 5% of the total population, an exceptional proportion for an initiative of this kind.

Origins

There are currently 56 parishes in Spain with perpetual adoration. The parish of the Immaculate Conception in Herencia is one of them. In February 2023, it began permanent Eucharistic adoration, 24 hours a day, a practice that consists of the continuous exposition of the Blessed Sacrament in the church for the personal prayer of the faithful. Day and night, there is always at least one person praying before the Eucharist, in a silence that contrasts with the usual rhythm of daily life.

The parish priest, Alberto Domínguez, acknowledges that the initiative did not initially come from him. «This was born out of the determination of some lay people in the village,» he explains. The priest admits that he was initially skeptical about the viability of the project, especially because of the consistency required to cover all the hours of the week. However, he decided to support it after making the decision during a trip to Medjugorje.

Effects of worship

According to the parish priest himself, the effects have been visible in the Christian life of the community. «Many people have increased their practice of confession, attendance at Sunday and weekday Mass, and above all, their relationship with the Eucharist has helped them to understand and appreciate the other sacraments more,» he says.

It is also very noticeable that people who attend Emmaus, Effetá, and Bartimeo retreats follow through on their resolutions by committing to worship shifts.

The heart and soul of the team

An initiative like this is quite complex, especially when it comes to dealing with unforeseen circumstances such as illness, vacations, etc. For this reason, there is a coordination team that is responsible for organizing schedules, ensuring constant presence before the Tabernacle, and attending to various logistical needs.

It is led by Loli, who has the invaluable help of a committed team made up of Charo, Berna, José Carlos, Lola, Jesús, and Petri, whose active collaboration is key to sustaining this spiritual practice and fostering devotion in the parish community. Thanks to their work, Herencia has become an important center of prayer.

The bishop of Ciudad Real on the day of the inauguration of the adoration chapel.
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ColumnistsMaria Candela Temes

Decision and prudence of Leo XIV

December 18 marks seven months since the election of Pope Leo XIV, who has developed his own style.

December 18, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

On January 6, Pope Leo will close the holy door of St. Peter's Basilica, bringing the Jubilee Year of Hope to an end. It is the same door that Francis opened twelve months ago, summoning what little strength he had left, and which—in a gesture very characteristic of him—he left open. 

So much has happened since the night of December 24, 2024! Millions of people have made pilgrimages to Rome to gain indulgences in the major basilicas. We accompanied Pope Francis during his illness and bid him farewell, witnessed a conclave in real time, enthusiastically welcomed a new pontiff with Augustinian charisma and passports from the north and south, and returned to Tor Vergata another August, 25 years later.

We experienced the first steps of Leo XIV with intensity, and now it has been the pope himself who has ushered us into a serene period, without big headlines, of small, well-thought-out steps and a calm that is as unremarkable as it is longed for.

Accompanied by the half-smile that characterizes his expression, Leo XIV has been steering the ship of the Church in recent months with deliberate calm. He does so with the certainty of having plenty of time ahead of him and in a seemingly paradoxical way: on the one hand, emphasizing his fundamental continuity with the Argentine pontiff, and on the other, distancing himself from him in form and style.

Prevost has made important decisions: he has appointed his successor as head of the Dicastery for Bishops, he has written the apostolic exhortation “Dilexi Te” on love for the poor, and he has made his first trip as Peter's successor to Turkey and Lebanon, on the occasion of the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.

That half-smile warns us that 2026 will surely not bring any big news, but rather continued progress with equal parts determination and caution. The choice of the name León takes on its full meaning here. 

The authorMaria Candela Temes

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Gospel

Through the eyes of Joseph. Fourth Sunday of Advent (A)

Vitus Ntube comments on the readings for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (A) corresponding to December 21, 2025.

Vitus Ntube-December 18, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

We are on the threshold of Christmas, just three days away. Advent is slowly coming to an end, and today's Gospel tells us the story of Jesus' birth from Joseph's perspective.

When we look at today's liturgical readings, we are struck by the number of names we find: David, Paul, Mary, Joseph, Emmanuel, Jesus Christ. David is the name that appears in all the readings. Christ's genealogy is linked to David, and yet the prophecy insists that his birth is unique: “The virgin is with child and will give birth to a son, and she will name him Emmanuel.”.

Here is the mystery: what does a virgin birth have to do with David? Was Mary a descendant of David? The bridge between David and Christ is Joseph, “son of David.” Joseph does not contribute physical descent, but by welcoming Mary and giving the Child a name, he gives Jesus a legal and messianic lineage. Joseph is one of the great figures of Advent. He teaches us the proper disposition to prepare for the coming of Christ. Pope Benedict XVI would say that Joseph is a person who embodies Advent itself. In Joseph, Advent almost becomes a person.

Today we focus on Joseph. In today's Gospel, he receives his annunciation, and he also gives his fiat. ”Joseph, son of David, do not be afraid to take Mary as your wife, for the child she carries comes from the Holy Spirit.”. His answer is simple but comprehensive, similar to that of his wife: “When Joseph woke up, he did what the angel of the Lord had commanded him and took his wife into his home.

With his annunciation, he welcomes Mary as his wife, but he also welcomes Christ as his son. By accepting Mary, he accepted Christ. The Incarnation took place in him, so to speak, by welcoming Christ. He thus becomes a model for Marian devotion, showing us what it means to welcome Mary into our lives. Joseph already did what John would do at the foot of the Cross, but in a different way. His act anticipates what the apostle John would later do: “Behold to your mother.”. John took her as his mother; Joseph took her as his wife and accepted Christ, the Child in Mary's womb, the hidden Christ. This is our task during Advent and beyond: to learn to welcome Christ, the hidden Christ who is all around us, the Christ who comes to us in unexpected ways. Let us be open to the different forms of the annunciation and the incarnation.

It is well known that the Bible does not record any words spoken by Joseph. Today we are reminded that he did what the angel of the Lord commanded him, and one of the instructions he received was: “She will give birth to a son, and you shall name him Jesus.”. Joseph named his son, the son of Mary, the Son of God: Jesus. That was perhaps the most important word he ever uttered in his life: Jesus..

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Newsroom

Erik Varden will speak on suffering and transcendent vision at the Omnes Forum

Monsignor Erik Varden is the guest speaker at the Omnes Forum, which will take place on January 9, 2026, at 7:00 p.m. in the Aula Magna of the San Pablo CEU University.

Maria José Atienza-December 17, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute
RelatedRelated NewsErik Varden: "No truly edifying word has ever been uttered with contempt."Related NewsErik Varden: "Human history, despite its absurdities, has a meaning".

On January 9, 2026, the Aula Magna at CEU San Pablo University in Madrid will host the first Omnes Forum of the year.

The Forum, organized by Omnes in partnership with the Ángel Herrera Oria Cultural Foundation  y Ediciones Encuentro will feature the participation of the bishop and writer Erik Varden, head of the Norwegian diocese of Trondheim and author of books such as Chastity, On Christian conversion o Wounds that heal, his latest publication with Ediciones Encuentro and the focus of this event.

In conversation with the journalist Ana Zarzalejos, At this meeting, Varden will address the transcendent view of human suffering through a journey through the wounds of Christ himself. A bold and necessary proposal in a society marked by these inner wounds and their need for healing.

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The Omnes Forum, sponsored byCARF Foundation y Banco Sabadell and the collaboration of the CEU San Pablo University, will take place in a manner on-sitethe next January 9, 2026at 7:00 p.m.. in the Aula Magna of the CEU San Pablo University in Madrid (C/ Julián Romea, 23, Madrid 28003).

The presentation will be in English. Those who require translation are advised to bring their cell phones and headphones to connect to the room's translation system.



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RelatedRelated NewsErik Varden: "No truly edifying word has ever been uttered with contempt."Related NewsErik Varden: "Human history, despite its absurdities, has a meaning".
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The Vatican

Pope warns against activism in the run-up to Christmas: “We are not machines”

At today's Audience, Pope Leo XIV warned against frantic activism in preparation for Christmas and reflected on the restlessness of the heart described by St. Augustine. “We are not machines, but men and women with hearts,” he said.  

Francisco Otamendi-December 17, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

A temptation in these days leading up to the birth of Jesus at Christmas, and then during the holidays, is frenetic activism, the Pope told French-speaking pilgrims, the first to whom the Pontiff's words are summarized in the Audiences.

That is why he invited them, and the fifteen thousand Romans and pilgrims present in St. Peter's, to consider that this “frantic activism in preparing for the festivities would end up being superficial and leading to disappointment.”.

Instead, he continued, “let us devote time to keeping our hearts attentive and vigilant as we wait for Jesus, so that his loving presence may forever become the treasure of our lives and our hearts.”.

Fast-paced society, pursuit of results

Next, continuing with the same line of argument, he addressed English speakers, talking to them about our “fast-paced society.”. 

In this society, “we often feel overwhelmed by the pressures and expectations of greater efficiency and optimal results,” he emphasized, perhaps also thinking about the quarterly reporting obligations of companies listed on the world's largest financial market, New York's Wall Street.

When we feel this way, “let us remember the words we have just heard from the Gospel of St. Matthew: ‘For where your treasure is, there your heart will be also’ (Mt 6:21).”.

Pope Leo XIV listens to students at a Christmas concert in the gym of the Pontifical Paul VI College in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on December 16, 2025. (Photo CNS/Vatican Media).

The treasure of our heart

The treasure of our hearts “is not the goods of this world, nor prosperity, nor success, nor admirable achievements,” said the Pontiff.

St. Augustine described our hearts as restless. “That restlessness is neither arbitrary nor disordered; it is oriented toward heaven, whose gates are opened to us thanks to the incarnation, passion, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ. If we enter into the dynamism of his love and grace, he will triumph in us, not only at the hour of our death, but also today, right now, and every day from now on,” he invited everyone.

His words to Spanish speakers have gone even further, if one can say so, by emphasizing that “we are not machines.”.

Back to basics: “We are not machines”

“Jesus, crucified and risen, makes us a promise: the heart that seeks him will not be disappointed.” And “he helps us understand that amid our daily commitments, with their high risk of distraction, despair, or meaninglessness, we are invited to return to the essence of our existence.”.

“The Lord reminds us that we are not machines but men and women with a heart, which is the synthesis of our thoughts, feelings, and affections. It is the center of our person.

The treasure is in the heart, not in large financial investments. 

In its catechesis At the beginning, concluding the Jubilee Year cycle, on ‘Jesus Christ our hope,” the Pope had said: 

“It is, then, in the heart that the true treasure is preserved, not in the safes of the earth, not in large financial investments, today more than ever insane and unjustly concentrated, idolized at the bloody price of millions of human lives and the devastation of God's creation.”. 

Pope Leo XIV shows off the tennis racket he received as a gift from students and staff at the Pontifical Paul VI College in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, after attending the Christmas concert in the school gym on December 16, 2025. (Photo CNS/Vatican Media).

The concern of Saint Augustine

The restlessness of St. Augustine's heart has hovered over the Pope's meditation. “With this adjective, ‘restless,’ St. Augustine makes us understand the impulse of human beings who tend toward their full realization. The complete phrase refers to the beginning of the Confessions, where Augustine writes: ‘Lord, you made us for yourself, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you’ (I, 1,1).”.

Finally, the Pope concluded by speaking of the dynamism of God's love. “Jesus Christ, through his Incarnation, Passion, Death, and Resurrection, has given a solid foundation to this hope. The restless heart will not be disappointed if it enters into the dynamism of love for which it was created.”.

Sacrament of Penance and spiritual retreats

Minutes earlier, Leo XIV did not forget a traditional Christian element in the run-up to Christmas, in this case when addressing the Polish people: “Prepare yourselves for the coming of Jesus, especially through the sacrament of Penance and spiritual retreats, where you will experience true peace, joy, and meaning in life.”.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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ColumnistsÁlvaro Gil Ruiz

List of conscientious objectors or list of those conscientiously singled out?

The creation of a registry of doctors who object to performing abortions reopens the debate on the limits of the state and raises the question of whether this measure violates freedom of conscience and professional autonomy.

December 17, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

Those of us who received the letter calling us up for compulsory military service (the Mili) know perfectly well what conscientious objection is. It was a way of defending our deepest principles and not being forced to shoot a CETME rifle at a potential enemy whom you did not know and who had done nothing to you. It was a concrete way of exercising your personal ethics, shaped by your own experiences and beliefs. This “legitimate pacifism,» in a way, ended up being a way to avoid military service through alternative social service, which meant fulfilling the civic duty of every citizen by performing any necessary service to society.

In 2016, the Oscar-winning film Hacksaw Ridge, directed by Mel Gibson, was released, giving us a better understanding of what it meant to be a conscientious objector in war. Based on real events, it tells the true story of soldier Desmond Doss, who, due to his religious beliefs, refused to use violence or shoot at the enemy. This groundbreaking stance, highly unusual in American society, took time to be understood. But this soldier was awarded the Medal of Honor by President Harry S. Truman in real life, after suffering ridicule and humiliation for defending his principles. However, conscientious objection is not limited to the military sector; it extends to any place where we can act on a moral decision that arises from our conscience.

This right has become a hot topic in the healthcare sector, given that many doctors in the public health system do not want to perform abortions. Recently, the Ministry of Health approved the “protocol for the creation of a register of conscientious objectors to voluntary termination of pregnancy,” with the intention of recruiting doctors to perform this procedure in the public system, through a mandatory list of conscientious objectors. Ayuso has decided not to draw up this list in Madrid and not to send it, which has led to the launch of an administrative dispute that the ministry will initiate, as announced by Mónica García, against the Community of Madrid. Leaving aside the regulation and the controversy, getting to the heart of the matter raises several questions: Why is it necessary to register objectors if abortion is free and real in Spain, and 106,172 abortions were performed in 2024? Why is there a desire to force doctors who object to register, but not those who do want to perform abortions, as is the case with doctors who do want to practice euthanasia? Can't these doctors be incentivized, if there is so much interest? 

78.74% of voluntary terminations of pregnancy (VTP) in Spain were performed in private centers (with public funds), because there are not enough doctors in the public system who are willing to perform them. And that is not well regarded; they want doctors to come from the public system. But that does not mean that the freedom of conscientious objectors should be restricted. On the contrary, isn't pointing out doctors who do not want to perform this violent obstetric procedure, by means of a list, like pointing out the “traitors” to the system that the ministry wants to impose, as if they were Jews marked in the Nazi persecution, when the neighbors in a neighborhood marked the homes of Semites they wanted to denounce with a Star of David? Although it is not public information, politically within the ministry the data can be used.

Abortion is not a “pleasant” experience, certainly not for the woman who finds herself in this difficult situation, but neither is it for the doctor who has to perform it. Just as the patient is free to make her own decision, the doctor must have the same freedom. Perhaps even more so in their case, due to the Hippocratic Oath, as it is the specific way to act conscientiously and professionally, without being coerced, exercising the right not to be violated in such a delicate situation.

The authorÁlvaro Gil Ruiz

Professor and regular contributor to Vozpópuli.

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Family

FASE Foundation: pioneers in restorative family mediation

Alberto San Juan explains the work of a foundation that has been working for half a century on family support programs, as well as political action.

Jose Maria Navalpotro-December 17, 2025-Reading time: 8 minutes

Family breakdowns do not have to be irreversible, and efforts can be made, including by institutions, to restore what has been broken. This is one of the lines of work of the FASE Foundation, which next year will celebrate half a century of operation with a focus on the family. Its general director, Alberto San Juan, welcomes Omnes at its central headquarters in Madrid, which usually hosts the foundation's sessions and conferences and, since January, its new family mediation course. 

San Juan, who has extensive political experience, has held, among other positions, the post of Director General for Minors in the Community of Madrid. A sensible politician, he knows what he is talking about, as he has extensive experience in social services.

What does the foundation do?

—Our goal is to support families. And that support takes the form of conflict resolution and helping families overcome the difficulties they face. In reality, many times the difficulties families face arise because they don't know how to do things. They don't know how to deal with conflict resolution, vulnerability... FASE is there to help. Often, with some training or support, the family is able to move forward. We have a lot of experience in family issues. Next year we will celebrate our 50th anniversary.

With this milestone anniversary, fifty years, in mind, what are your plans?

—We have three specific projects. Perhaps the most innovative is to launch a course on restorative family mediation. Then there is the book we have just published, Leadership in family policies. Thirdly, a specific mental health program, I Need Therapy. One of the biggest problems that exist in families is therapy and mental health.

What does that consist of? I need therapy.?

—It is a program run by psychology and psychiatry professionals trained by Dr. Carlos Chiclana, which aims to help families through mental health therapy. We have found that, given this enormous mental health problem, there are tremendous difficulties with waiting lists. But mental health and waiting lists are a very dangerous combination because people need therapy when they need it. They need to be treated now. 

What are you doing?

—On the one hand, we manage to shorten waiting times as much as possible and offer therapy that anyone can receive. Why everyone? Because it is therapy for vulnerable people.

Vulnerability does not only refer to economic reasons; it can arise from a thousand circumstances. For example, a large family with eight children, or however many, that is not poor (does not have economic vulnerability). But if that therapy cost €100, for example, they would probably give it up. It is therapy at a reduced price and applied immediately, when needed. 

What are the most common problems in this area? 

—It depends on age. We face very worrying challenges with young people, but above all, the problems of suicide are staggering. The data is horrifying. Approximately 10 to 15 people commit suicide every day, including many young people. It is a very preventable and very painful death due to the circumstances.

There are also problems such as anorexia, bulimia, abuse, bullying at school, and addictions (pornography, cell phones, alcoholism, gaming, etc.). There are many difficulties among young people that need to be addressed, and they are solvable.

The restorative family mediation project: what does it mean?

—We attach fundamental importance to this course. Mediation is a means of resolving conflicts within the family, and this mediation helps to bring any existing conflict to a satisfactory conclusion. For example, when a couple decides to separate, mediation helps them to bring the circle to a satisfactory close: we are going to separate amicably, in the most friendly way possible, and in the best way possible.

Specifically, restorative family mediation adds that it attempts to heal what was broken. It gets to the root of the conflict, and if there is a solution, it attempts to fix it. We believe that if it can be solved, it should be attempted.

There must be a commitment on both sides to want to resolve the issue. There will be times when it is impossible to resolve the case and the recommendation will be separation, annulment, or whatever. I am convinced that in many cases, the family can try again a second time.

This course begins on January 13.

Is there any official recognition for this course?

—Of course. We are a recognized foundation for teaching these courses. People who complete the course leave with a qualification that enables them to practice. They are professional mediators and can open a practice to provide mediation services.

What kind of people can use this family mediation service?

—Anyone who has difficulties within their family, or a problem they don't know how to solve. It's not just for divorce cases, it's for all kinds of family conflicts, from two siblings who disagree about an inheritance to a family's difficulties in caring for their elders. When a problem in a family starts to cause more trouble than necessary, that's when you can ask for mediation. An argument between husband and wife, between siblings, conflicts with the extended family, or between parents and children. It's mediation or support.

The fundamental difference is that restorative family mediation seeks to resolve the problem at its source. To restore what is broken. Mediation, on the other hand, is simply reaching an agreement to bring something to a close. 

In this family mediation, with an emphasis on restoration, I believe that FASE is unique.

—We are not aware of any others, although there may be other institutions. But yes, at least we are very innovative. Since we believe that the family is the foundation of society, we fight to keep families together. Although that will not always be possible, of course.

Self-esteem often comes into play. Sometimes, when there is a conflict, you refuse to give in to a sibling or whoever it may be, but if there is mediation, someone from outside, you give in. However, that clash between two family members often festers. 

Training trainers is, I believe, a unique opportunity to defend the family.

There are public institutions that also have mediators, but they do not seem to have any influence in fighting to prevent the marriage from breaking up.

—It is true that the autonomous communities have family support centers where mediation is provided. But there, they seek to settle something that the families have already agreed upon: an inheritance, for example. In this mediation, the aim is to reach an agreement to resolve a problem, but not to restore relations between family members. 

Or a married couple who have already decided to separate, to finalize the divorce agreement in the best possible way. Not to try to give that marriage a second chance if both want to.

We, of course, respect people's freedom to the utmost, but we also point out that what can be saved in a marriage can be saved and that a second chance can be given. 

How is a mediator trained? Psychology and law subjects? 

—A little bit of everything. It's a hundred hours, with practical training in mediation. Nacho Tornel, who is a renowned mediator and one of the most authoritative figures in Spain on the subject of mediation, is our academic director. 

This first course will start with a group of 25 places for mediators. 

We haven't even launched it publicly yet, and we're already receiving calls from people who want to receive mediation and others who want to be trained. We're extremely excited.

It is a very interesting course for anyone who interacts with other people, because conflict resolution is part of everyday life. How can you resolve conflicts with other people? Mediation, support, and guidance in conflicts are fundamental skills that everyone should know. 

Alberto San Juan with José María Navalpotro. ©Carlos Martínez

Is the course in person?

—Yes, at our headquarters. It is 100% in-person, to maintain that connection and closeness with the students. 

How many people can benefit from restorative mediation? 

—The divorce statistics are not good. Currently, 50% of marriages in Spain end in divorce. Others say the figure is 70%. The reality is that there are approximately 100,000 marriages per year in Spain and 70,000 divorces. 

It is one of the main challenges facing society. There is a lot of talk about housing, corruption, unemployment, but I think family breakdown is one of the most serious problems. In the end, what makes you happy is family life. Where you give the most love, where you receive the most love, where you are loved for who you are, where you truly feel happy, where you truly fulfill yourself is in the family. If you don't have a family, you are missing something.

If we want to build a stable society where values can be passed on and individuals can develop, we are convinced that this must start with the family. 

How does FASE relate to other family counseling centers (diocesan centers, COFs, for example) throughout Spain? Are they competitors?

—They do fantastic work and accomplish a great deal of good. However, ours is a different role. It is a title recognized by the Department of Justice.

It is now mandatory to go through mediation before going to trial. So, if you go to court and say you don't want to separate, they force you to go through mediation first. This is a very positive thing. 

Those who practice mediation in COFs should take courses to become certified so that they can practice in all areas of law. In fact, many lawyers are signing up for this course in order to be recognized as family mediators, because it is a prerequisite for going to a lawyer.

The family policy leadership book is another project that stems from the regular sessions organized by FASE, aimed at local politicians. What is the aim? 

—We are convinced that politicians have a direct influence on society and can change things. In fact, they are the ones who make the laws, and from the town halls they can change many things, from property tax to a whole host of programs for families. 

We have thoroughly diagnosed the problems facing families, and we also know that politicians are often unaware of these problems because day-to-day life is complex and because they may not be experts in social services.

Our goal is to educate politicians so that they understand the reality of families' situations. Once they are aware of the problems, we give them the tools to solve them. 

What tools?

—From two perspectives. We choose a topic: Family and disability, for example. An academic gives a presentation on disability in the family, and a politician who has had good practices in disability explains it to the others.

Are the results noticeable? 

—It is unusual for a politician to want to do things badly. When politicians become aware of a problem, they want to solve it. Often, however, they are either unaware of the problem or do not know how to solve it. That is why the courses we offer show politicians how these problems have been solved in different places. Good municipal practices in other municipalities.

That gives a fantastic result. Politicians have the opportunity to consult other assistants, academics, and teachers about how they do things. In politics, especially in city councils, when the mayor makes his lists of councilors, he assigns responsibilities to certain people. When you are appointed councilor for social services, in this case, it may be that you have had no experience of social services in your life and know absolutely nothing about them. 

This program of politicians is to give that support to councilors or deputies in resolving the conflicts they have to study. 

How many politicians, councilors, deputies, etc. have attended over the years? 

—It's a well-known course, held once a month. Between 50 and 60 participants attend. It's like a light rain that gradually soaks in and shapes things. Then they ask us for information and documents. The book we've just published is a very useful tool for them.

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Books

‘Bariona’: Jean-Paul Sartre raised the banner of Christmas hope in the face of the Nazis

‘Bariona, Son of Thunder, an exceptional work by Jean-Paul Sartre, helps us understand his thinking in an extreme context. It was written and performed at Christmas 1940 in a Nazi prison camp near Trier, where Sartre was one of 15,000 prisoners. In Bariona, Sartre raised the banner of hope.  

Francisco Otamendi-December 17, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

The first play by French philosopher and writer Jean Paul Sartre, Bariona, Son of Thunder, was conceived and performed in a Nazi camp, with Sartre as a prisoner there. The central theme was the mystery of Christmas, and the message was one of hope. The existentialist philosopher reserved the role of Balthazar, one of the main characters, for himself.

The story went as follows. In November 1940, some priests from Stalag 12D, a Nazi camp near Trier (Germany), obtained permission to celebrate Midnight Mass in one of the barracks, according to Javier Marrodán, a priest and professor from Navarre, in a review to the 2012 edition of Voz de Papel.

Genesis of the play ‘Barioná’

Among the 15,000 prisoners was Jean-Paul Sartre, already a well-known writer at the time. He had joined the French Army as a meteorologist and was arrested when the Germans occupied France.

Jean-Paul Sartre wanted to contribute to the celebration and offered to write and perform a play about Christmas. He was 35 years old, had already published Nausea, was writing Being and Nothingness, was an ‘official’ atheist, and organized courses on Heidegger and existentialism for his fellow camp inmates.

Act of spiritual and collective resistance 

In just six weeks, Sarte not only wrote the script, but also distributed roles, organized rehearsals, supervised props and music, and played one of the main characters, Baltasar, himself. 

The stage became an act of spiritual and collective resistance: an affirmation of meaning, hope, and coexistence in the face of oppression.

Barioná, a man without hope

The protagonist, Barioná, is the leader of the Jews of Bethsur, a village near Bethlehem. He hates the Romans and is skeptical of the shepherds' story. They claim that an angel has announced the birth of the Messiah in a nearby stable.

Barionah is a man without hope, defeated, with no illusions about the future. Not even the pregnancy of his wife Sarah alleviates his gloomy and pessimistic thoughts. He too had longed for the coming of the Messiah, but not that of a helpless child.

Balthazar highlights Jesus as a sign of hope 

From this point on, the drama introduces the birth of Jesus as a sign of hope for the world. The shepherds bring the news of the arrival of the Messiah, and characters such as Balthazar (played by Sartre) talk with Barioná about the importance of hope, human dignity, and freedom.

Baltasar explains to him with theological depth—and patience, Marrodán notes—that God has come down to Earth for him, that he has chosen to carry out this madness even though it is hard to believe. And that is why every man is now much more than he ever aspired to be, that the birth of Jesus is a cause for hope and gives suffering its true meaning. 

Profound impact among prisoners

The work had a profound impact on the prisoners. According to testimonies, many remember Sartre's words about the meaning of suffering and hope years later, even though the text was not widely circulated for decades. 

Several authors highlight that Barioná combines history and life context, Christmas as a narrative of human hope, and existentialist philosophy applied to action: freedom, responsibility, and human commitment in the face of suffering. 

The mystery of Christmas, and mystery in Sartre's life

Some prisoners converted, and others “clearly” remembered Sartre-Baltasar's words about suffering and the greatness of redemption years later. This has been documented, for example, by Charles Moeller, author of the famous volumes on ‘20th Century Literature and Christianity,’ and Professor José Ángel Agejas, philosopher and professor at the Francisco de Vitoria University (Madrid). 

On that Christmas Eve in 1940, “Sartre added to the great mystery of Christmas the not insignificant mystery of his own life,” he concludes. Javier Marrodán, PhD in Communication from the University of Navarra. “With Baltasar's help, of course.” Incidentally, Marrodán wrote his doctoral thesis on Albert Camus. But that's another story.

Barioná, son of thunder

AuthorJean-Paul Sartre
Editorial: Voz de Papel
Year: 2004
Number of pages: 152
The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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