Religion News

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis on Tuesday formally inaugurates the 2025 Holy Year , reviving an ancient church tradition encouraging the faithful to make pilgrimages to Rome, amid new security fears following a Christmas market attack in Germany.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — It was during the pandemic when the Rev. Kira Austin-Young and her puppet-maker husband, Michael Schupbach, were going a little stir-crazy that they came up with the idea.

MADRID (AP) — For weeks, Spaniards had anticipated the arrival of “El Gordo” or "The Fat One." But unlike Santa Claus, El Gordo arrived three days before Christmas, before noon on Sunday.

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) — It was during the pandemic when the Rev. Kira Austin-Young and her puppet-maker husband, Michael Schupbach, were going a little stir-crazy that they came up with the idea.

VATICAN CITY (AP) — Pope Francis called for a ceasefire on all war fronts in his Sunday Angelus prayer ahead of Christmas, condemning the “cruelty” of bombing schools and hospitals in Ukraine and Gaza.

For Christians around the world, Christmas is the joyful celebration of the birth of Jesus.

ABUJA, Nigeria (AP) — At least 13 people, including four children, were killed in two separate stampedes in Nigeria as large crowds gathered to collect food and clothing items distributed at annual Christmas events, the police said Saturday.

Hanukkah, Judaism’s eight-day Festival of Lights , begins this year on Christmas Day, which has only happened four times since 1900.

Hanukkah — also spelled Chanukah or other transliterations from Hebrew — is Judaism’s “festival of lights.

ROME (AP) — Pope Francis is suffering from a cold and will deliver his Sunday blessing from indoors, the Vatican said, announcing the precautions ahead of a busy Christmas period and launch of the Holy Year that will sorely test Francis' stamina and