A “dream” that could soon become a reality is how the bishop of Helsinki, Raimo Goyarrola, described the founding of the first Catholic school in Finland, where the Catholic Church practically disappeared after the state adopted Lutheranism in the 16th century as a consequence of the Protestant Reformation.

Placing his trust in God’s hands and in providence, Goyarrola plans to open the school in August on the second floor of a Lutheran church dedicated to St. James the Apostle and located on the island of Lauttasaari, just three miles from the Finnish capital. His intention, “if the finances allow,” is to acquire the building within three years.

The school will initially offer grades 1 through 3 and will begin as a home schooling model, a form of education recognized by the state. The Catholic character of the school will be reflected in its educational approach, in holistic formation based on Christian values, and in the celebrations of the main feasts of the liturgical calendar.

Although it will be open to children of any faith, the main challenge — as the bishop explained to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner — is to gather a sufficient number of students from Catholic families. “I am praying to start out with 12 children, like the apostles,” he explained.

“I’m excited, even though it’s a bit of a marathon, because in Finland you have to obtain many permits; it’s a country that operates on a lot of bureaucracy,” said Goyarrola, a Spaniard who is the pastor of a small Catholic community in a nation deeply marked by Lutheranism.

There are approximately 20,000 Catholics in Finland, which has a population of about 5.5 million. However, the Catholic Church in the country is growing year after year, not only due to the arrival of immigrants and refugees but also because of the increase in baptisms of children and the growing number of adults converting from other Christian denominations.

The Central African Bishops’ Conference made a forceful appeal for peace founded on justice, for political responsibility, and for the rejection of every form of violence, in a message released on January 11, at the end of their Plenary Assembly. This message follows the December 28 elections, which brought President Faustin-Archange Touadéra to power for a third consecutive term. President Touadéra’s reconfirmation came after a constitutional amendment approved through a controversial referendum in 2023, which removed the limit of two consecutive terms and extended their duration from five to seven years, strengthening the presidential character of the political and institutional system. For the first time in many years, the presidential vote was held together with local administrative elections—a historic development, considering that for nearly 40 years local authorities had not been elected.

Opposition groups have denounced electoral fraud and repression of dissent, while the government is negotiating with some armed groups for their disarmament in an effort to pacify the country. In this fragile and unstable context, further aggravated by a persistent humanitarian crisis and hundreds of thousands of internally displaced persons and refugees, the country’s Bishops addressed the “Church—family of God” and all men and women of good will in their message.

They stated that “the glory of God is peace” and that peace cannot be reduced to the mere absence of war and conflict. They acknowledged “the maturity of the Central African people,” who participated peacefully in the vote and monitored the electoral process, also bringing to light irregularities in some polling stations.

They stressed that this is a sign of a growing civic sense that must be preserved, strengthened, and passed on to future generations. At the same time, the Bishops recalled that peace remains a “deep aspiration” of the country marked by years of violence, displacement, poverty, and identity-based divisions.

“Peace is not a luxury,” the Bishops wrote, “but an inalienable right of every citizen and a duty for those who govern.” They clearly denounce abuse of power, corruption, nepotism, and impunity as “enemies of peace.”

Without strong, credible, and transparent institutions, they warned, “no true progress can be achieved.” In the delicate post-electoral period, the Central African Bishops’ Conference urges everyone to respect the political choices of others. “A political opponent is not an enemy,” they added.

The future of the Central African Republic, conclude the country’s Bishops, cannot be built on hatred and violence, but only on dialogue, fraternity, and the common good.

Lastly, they also call on religious denominations to intensify prayer and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue as authentic paths to reconciliation and peace.

The President of the Venezuelan Bishops’ Conference Commission for Education, Bishop Carlos Enrique Curiel Herrera, urges all children, adolescents, young people, and other members of educational communities to use the tools of study and learning to build harmony for the country.

“As we return to our schools in this new calendar year, our Commission wishes to send a greeting filled with hope to every teacher, every student, every family, and every member who makes up the entire national educational community,” said the Bishop.

The Venezulan Bishops, he added, want education to be a “space where peace and justice are strengthened, recognizing that, despite difficulties, the educational setting continues to be the most sacred place to sow the seed of faith, commitment to the values of justice, and the freedom that guide our existence.”

Bishop Curiel Herrera expressed his hopes that the Lord may accompany students and teachers “in every step that you will take; that His light, revealed in the Epiphany just celebrated, may shine in your hearts; and that the joy of this encounter may renew your strength to serve with evangelical faithfulness.”

The Venezuelan Bishops invited children and teachers to approach study and learning as “tools for building peace in the country.” “May the start of the school year,” concluded Bishop Curiel Herrera, “be an opportunity to listen to one another, discern God’s will, ask for concord and peace for Venezuela, and renew our commitment to keep our schools as safe spaces for building citizenship, democracy, justice, and peace.”

Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a “Special Year of St. Francis” to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death. During this time of grace, which will extend until January 2027, the faithful are granted the opportunity to obtain a plenary indulgence.

This Franciscan Jubilee Year, considered a gift for the entire Church and an occasion for authentic spiritual renewal, was inaugurated on Jan. 10 with a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See.

Until Jan. 10 of next year, the faithful can obtain this grace under the usual conditions — sacramental confession, Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope — by making a pilgrimage to any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship dedicated to St. Francis anywhere in the world.

Furthermore, the elderly, the sick, and those who, for serious reasons, cannot leave their homes can obtain the plenary indulgence by spiritually joining in the jubilee celebrations and offering their prayers, pains, or sufferings to God.

In a world where “the virtual takes over the real, disagreements and social violence are part of everyday life, and peace becomes more insecure and distant every day, this Year of St. Francis spurs all of us, each according to our possibilities, to imitate the poor man of Assisi, to form ourselves as far as possible on the model of Christ,” the decree states.

The Pope highlighted that St. Francis reminds us that “peace with God, peace among people, and peace with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation.”

Although it was not a specific topic of the Extraordinary Consistory held on January 7–8, Pope Leo XIV took the opportunity to speak to the roughly 170 cardinals—both electors and non-electors—about a problem that “remains a real wound in the life of the Church in many places”: the sexual abuse crisis. This is a topic Pope Leo, like his predecessors, has repeatedly highlighted in recent months. Even in the Consistory—focused on the themes of synodality and mission, chosen by majority vote of the cardinals—he did not fail to mention this issue. He addressed it in his concluding speech after the two day meeting, the full text of which was published on January 10.

In his address, the Pope stressed that “abuse itself causes a deep wound, which may last a lifetime; but often the scandal in the Church is that the door was closed and victims were not welcomed or accompanied with the closeness of authentic pastors.”

The Holy Father shared the testimony of a victim he had spoken with recently: “She told me that the most painful part for her was that no bishop wanted to listen”. There, Pope Leo said, “listening is profoundly important.”

Listening is also a necessary practice between the Pope and the College of Cardinals. For this reason, the Holy Father asked the cardinals to continue the work begun at the Consistory, to deepen mutual understanding, strengthen dialogue, and implement synodality. Pope Leo announced plans to “continue the meetings” in the future, possibly extending them to three or four days once a year. As some groups suggested, the meetings could consist of a day of reflection, prayer, and encounter, followed by two or three days of work. For this year, he scheduled a second Consistory at the end of June, near the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul.

With the closing of the Holy Door of St. Mary Major Basilica in Rome, the Vatican began on Dec. 25 the gradual conclusion of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope convened by the Church. The rite was presided over by Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, archpriest of the Marian basilica, who emphasized that “it is not divine grace that is being closed but a special time for the Church, and what remains open forever is the merciful heart of God.”

St. Mary Major is the first of the four papal basilicas in Rome to close its Holy Door. On Dec. 27, the Holy Door of St. John Lateran was closed by Cardinal Baldassare Reina; on Sunday, Dec. 28, that of St. Paul Outside the Walls by Cardinal James Michael Harvey; and finally, on Tuesday, Jan. 6, the solemnity of the Epiphany, Pope Leo XIV will close the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, officially concluding the jubilee.

During his homily, Makrickas noted that the 2025 Jubilee has been a unique event in the recent history of the Church, having unfolded under two pontificates. “Today we have seen the Holy Door close, but the door that truly matters is the door of the heart,” Makrickas pointed out, encouraging the faithful to open it by listening to the word of God, welcoming their neighbor, and offering forgiveness. “Having crossed the Holy Door was a gift; now becoming doors open to others is our mission,” he added.

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa met with the press the day after he visited the Gaza Strip, where he went to offer his support—and through him, that of the entire Church—to the people of Gaza, exhausted by more than two years of war. It was also the first visit by the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem to the autonomous territory since the ceasefire. 

His assessment is sobering: 80 percent of infrastructure has been destroyed; what remains standing risks collapse or is practically uninhabitable. The severe deterioration of some buildings has not, however, prevented a few families from returning to their homes. Four hundred people are still being sheltered on the grounds of the Holy Family parish, led by Father Gabriel Romanelli. But most residents continue to live in tents. “It is cold—I felt cold—so think of the children,” the Cardinal said.

Despite everything, “I saw a desire to return to life,” he noted. Shops remain closed, and the challenges are immense, yet some rudimentary stalls have appeared in tents, where fruit and vegetables are available.

“The situation of famine is behind us,” Cardinal Pizzaballa affirmed. Nevertheless, few Gazans can afford to purchase food. With no work and no income, the majority have no option but to rely on humanitarian assistance, which, thanks to international aid agencies, is finally arriving.

Pope Leo XIV’s Apostolic Letter “A fidelity that generates the future” emphasizes that the priesthood is “an indispensable ministry within the mission of the Church,” according to Cardinal Lazarus You Heung-sik, Prefect of the Dicastery of the Clery.

In an interview with Vatican Media, the Prefect says that, in his Letter, the Holy Father indicates the path to “preserve, proclaim, and foster the beauty of a priesthood faithful to Christ, His Word, and the Church,” and calls for “pastoral ‘styles’ that do not seek to diminish or water down the radical proposal of the Gospel, but that proclaim it without fear.” Cardinal Lazarus expressed his deepest gratitude for the Holy Father’s decision to celebrate the sixtieth anniversary of the conciliar decrees Optatam totius and Presbyterorum ordinis, which, albeit from different perspectives, deal with the life of priests, their formation, and ordained ministry. According to the Cardinal the Holy Father’s choice is particularly important, especially at a time when the priesthood can be seen as a legacy of an ancient world destined to disappear or – perhaps because of the many painful scandals – as a vocation that has lost its appeal, its beauty and its relevance. He said that this Apostolic Letter reminds all God’s holy people that the priesthood is a wonderful gift, a very high responsibility, but above all an essential ministry in the mission of the Church as willed by the Lord Jesus.

Pope Leo XIV on December 26 urged Christians to resist the temptation to treat others as enemies, saying the mystery of Christmas calls believers to recognize the God-given dignity of every person, even in their adversaries.

“Christians, however, have no enemies, but brothers and sisters, who remain so even when they do not understand each other,” the pope said on Dec. 26 during his Angelus address from the Apostolic Palace on the feast of St. Stephen, the Church’s first martyr.

Leo acknowledged that “those who believe in peace and have chosen the unarmed path of Jesus and the martyrs are often ridiculed, excluded from public discourse,” and sometimes even “accused of favouring adversaries and enemies.” Yet, he said Christian joy is sustained by “the tenacity of those who already live in fraternity.”

Reflecting on St. Stephen’s martyrdom, the pope noted that early Christians spoke of the saint’s “birthday,” convinced “that we are not born just once” and that “martyrdom is a birth into heaven.” Citing the Acts of the Apostles, Leo recalled that those who witnessed Stephen’s trial and death “saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15), calling it “the face of one who does not leave history indifferently but responds to it with love.”

Between 2015 and 2025, at least 212 Catholic priests were kidnapped in Nigeria, in a wave of violence that affects the whole country. This is revealed by an ongoing study carried out by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Nigeria shared with the pontifical foundation Aid to the Church in Need (ACN).

The research documents kidnappings in at least 41 of the country’s 59 Catholic dioceses and archdioceses. The data is consistent with the findings of ACN’s Religious Freedom Report 2025, which identifies Nigeria as one of the most dangerous countries in the world for clergy and religious leaders.

According to the document sent to ACN, of the 212 kidnapped, 183 were released or escaped, 12 were murdered and 3 later died as a result of trauma and injuries suffered during their captivity. Currently, at least 4 kidnapped priests remain in captivity: Father John Bako Shekwolo, Father Pascal Bobbo, Father Emmanuel Ezema, and Father Joseph Igweagu. The report also confirms that at least six priests were kidnapped more than once, highlighting the persistent vulnerability of Catholic clergy. However, the real number of cases is certainly higher. Data from 18 dioceses has not yet been submitted, and ACN has independently recorded isolated kidnapping cases during the last years in at least five other dioceses not covered in the study so far. In addition, the report does not include incidents involving religious orders and congregations.