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Gospel of 12 December 2025 Matthew 11:16-19 At that time: Jesus said to the crowd: 'To what shall I compare this generation? It is like children sitting in the market-places and calling to their playmates, "We played the flute for you, and you did not dance; we sang a dirge, and you did not mourn." 'For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they say, "He has a demon." The Son of Man came eati... Read More

At the General Audience on Wednesday, Pope Leo XIV highlighted the importance of reflecting on death - especially in today's world that tends to avoid doing so - to discover the power of Christ's Resurrection and thus find a new meaning for our life. To know that death exists, "and above all to reflect on it, teaches us to choose what we really want to make of our existence," the Pope told pilgrim... Read More

CAFOD's Christmas Fun Runs are back with Frank Cottrell-Boyce and FCJ religious sisters Lynne and MaryAnne leading the charge! CAFOD's popular Christmas Fun Runs are back on Saturday 27 December 2025, bringing together communities in Liverpool and Bollington for a morning filled with joy, fresh air and festive cheer, all in support of families around the world facing poverty and injustice. After a... Read More

Members of the Irish Catholic Bishops' Conference gathered this week for their Winter 2025 General Meeting. The President of the Conference is Archbishop Eamon Martin of Armagh, and the Vice-President is Archbishop Dermot Farrell of Dublin. Bishops reflected that, earlier this week on 8 December, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, the Universal Catholic Church marked the 60th anniversary of t... Read More

Sarah Teather, the former director of Jesuit Refugee Services, is one of 34 new political peers appointed to the House of Lords. Before serving at JRS, Sarah Teather was a LibDem MP for Brent East and Brent Central and Minister of State at the Department for Education. A spokeswoman for the Jesuit Refugee Service UK said: "Congratulations to our former director, Sarah Teather, upon her appointment... Read More

Gospel of 11 December 2025 Matthew 11:11-15 At that time: Jesus said to the crowd: 'Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he. From the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven has suffered violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the Prophets ... Read More

Last week a parish in Massachusetts, St Susanna Parish in Dedham, changed their outdoor Nativity scene - replacing the figures of Mary and Joseph with a sign saying 'ICE was here' in protest at the 'Immigration and Customs Enforcement' raids often targeting churchgoers. Many thousands of people have been arrested across the USA, separated from their families and often taken to unknown locations. B... Read More

On International Human Rights Day - commemorated each year on 10 December - the UN's children agency launched a new appeal for humanitarian action next year to provide aid to 73 million children across 133 countries. 75 years ago the world observed Human Rights Day for the first time on 10 December. It commemorates the anniversary of the global pledge - the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, a... Read More

The Theology of John Henry Newman & Its Relevance for Today's Church - A Six-Part Online Course - Starts in January 2026, hosted by the Margaret Beaufort Institute, Cambridge. 2026 begins with a remarkable opportunity to engage in deep learning rooted in the profound insights of one of Britain's most influential saints. Saint John Henry Newman-renowned theologian, educator, and spiritual guide... Read More

Pope Leo XIV met today with a delegation of the European Conservatives and Reformists Group (ECR) of the European Parliament, a centre-right political group within the European Union's legislative body. He thanked the democratically elected politicians for their service to their constituents and the wider European community and urged them never to forget their duty to include people on the margins... Read More

Swedish singer songwriter Björn Ulvaeus - from the supergroup Abba, features in the Christmas edition of Faith Matters, just published by student reporters at St John Bosco College in Battersea, south London, under the guidance of editor-in-chief Fr Andrew. They succeeded in contacting Björn through Abba's manager, Görel Hanser - an achievement in itself. Instead of just focussing on the band, ... Read More

St Mary's University, London, welcomed students, staff, alumni, and members of the local community yesterday for the annual Patronal Feast Day, the Feast of the Immaculate Conception. This year's Feast Day had special significance as it formally concluded the University's 175th Anniversary celebrations. To mark the occasion, St Mary's Chancellor HE Cardinal Vincent Nichols celebrated Mass in the U... Read More

Gospel of 10 December 2025 Matthew 11:28-30 At that time: Jesus declared, 'Come to me, all who labour and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls. For my yoke is easy, and my burden is light.' Reflection on the Linocut We often think that advancing age naturally brings declining e... Read More

Pope Leo XIV welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo on Tuesday morning, 9 December. The Holy See Press Office issued a statement describing the cordial meeting, saying discussions centred mainly on the war in Ukraine. During their talks, the Pope reiterated the importance of ongoing dialogue and once again stressed his "urgent hope that ongoing d... Read More