***

There Is Faith in Humor

By Pope Francis

Life inevitably has its sadnesses, which are part of every path of hope and every path toward conversion. But it is important to avoid wallowing in melancholy at all costs, not to let it embitter the heart.

These are temptations from which not even clerics are immune. And sometimes we unfortunately come across as bitter, sad priests who are more authoritarian than authoritative, more like old bachelors than wedded to the church, more like officials than pastors, more supercilious than joyful, and this, too, is certainly not good. But generally, we priests tend to enjoy humor and even have a fair stock of jokes and amusing stories, which we are often quite good at telling, as well as being the object of them.

Popes, too. John XXIII, who was well known for his humor, during one discourse said, more or less: “It often happens at night that I start thinking about a number of serious problems. I then make a brave and determined decision to go in the morning to speak with the pope. Then I wake up all in a sweat … and remember that the pope is me.”

How well I understand him. And John Paul II was much the same. In the preliminary sessions of a conclave, when he was still Cardinal Wojtyła, an older and rather severe cardinal went to rebuke him because he skied, climbed mountains, and went cycling and swimming. The story goes something like this: “I don’t think these are activities fitting to your role,” the cardinal said. To which the future pope replied, “But do you know that in Poland these are activities practiced by at least 50 percent of cardinals?” In Poland at the time, there were only two cardinals.

Irony is a medicine, not only to lift and brighten others, but also ourselves, because self-mockery is a powerful instrument in overcoming the temptation toward narcissism. Narcissists are continually looking into the mirror, painting themselves, gazing at themselves, but the best advice in front of a mirror is to laugh at ourselves. It is good for us. It will prove the truth of the proverb that there are only two kinds of perfect people: the dead, and those yet to be born.

Jokes about and told by Jesuits are in a class of their own, comparable maybe only to those about the carabinieri in Italy, or about Jewish mothers in Yiddish humor.

As for the danger of narcissism, to be avoided with appropriate doses of self-irony, I remember the one about the rather vain Jesuit who had a heart problem and had to be treated in a hospital. Before going into the operating room, he asks God, “Lord, has my hour come?”

“No, you will live at least another 40 years,” God says. After the operation, he decides to make the most of it and has a hair transplant, a face-lift, liposuction, eyebrows, teeth … in short, he comes out a changed man. Right outside the hospital, he is knocked down by a car and dies. As soon as he appears in the presence of God, he protests, “Lord, but you told me I would live for another 40 years!” “Oops, sorry!” God replies. “I didn’t recognize you.”

And I’ve been told one that concerns me directly, the one about Pope Francis in America. It goes something like this: As soon as he arrives at the airport in New York for his apostolic journey in the United States, Pope Francis finds an enormous limousine waiting for him. He is rather embarrassed by that magnificent splendor, but then thinks that it has been ages since he last drove, and never a vehicle of that kind, and he thinks to himself: OK, when will I get another chance? He looks at the limousine and says to the driver, “You couldn’t let me try it out, could you?” “Look, I’m really sorry, Your Holiness,” replies the driver, “but I really can’t, you know, there are rules and regulations.”

But you know what they say, how the pope is when he gets something into his head — in short, he insists and insists, until the driver gives in. So Pope Francis gets behind the steering wheel, on one of those enormous highways, and he begins to enjoy it, presses down on the accelerator, going 50 miles per hour, 80, 120 … until he hears a siren, and a police car pulls up beside him and stops him. A young policeman comes up to the darkened window. The pope rather nervously lowers it and the policeman turns white. “Excuse me a moment,” he says, and goes back to his vehicle to call headquarters. “Boss, I think I have a problem.”

“What problem?” asks the chief.

“Well, I’ve stopped a car for speeding, but there’s a guy in there who’s really important.”

“How important? Is he the mayor?”

“No, no, boss … more than the mayor.”

“And more than the mayor, who is there? The governor?”

“No, no, more.”

“But he can’t be the president?”

“More, I reckon.”

“And who can be more important than the president?”

“Look, boss, I don’t know exactly who he is, all I can tell you is that it’s the pope who is driving him!”

The Gospel, which urges us to become like little children for our own salvation (Matthew 18:3), reminds us to regain their ability to smile.

Today, nothing cheers me as much as meeting children. When I was a child, I had those who taught me to smile, but now that I am old, children are often my mentors. The meetings with them are the ones that thrill me the most, that make me feel best.

And then those meetings with old people: Those elderly who bless life, who put aside all resentment, who take pleasure in the wine that has turned out well over the years, are irresistible. They have the gift of laughter and tears, like children. When I take children in my arms during the audiences in St. Peter’s Square, they mostly smile; but others, when they see me dressed all in white, think I’m the doctor who has come to give them a shot, and then they cry.

They are examples of spontaneity, of humanity, and they remind us that those who give up their own humanity give up everything, and that when it becomes hard to cry seriously or to laugh passionately, then we really are on the downhill slope. We become anesthetized, and anesthetized adults do nothing good for themselves, nor for society, nor for the church.

***

This essay is adapted from his forthcoming book “Hope: The Autobiography,” written with Carlo Musso.

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King Baudouin’s decision to temporarily step aside remains one of the most striking moments in Belgian history. His refusal to compromise his deeply held Catholic beliefs earned him both admiration and controversy: abdicated in order not to pass the abortion law in the country. While political leaders sought to pass the controversial legislation, Baudouin chose a path that prioritized his moral convictions over political expediency—a stance that has become a cornerstone of his legacy.

Pope Francis, during his apostolic visit to Belgium in September 2024, described the late king as a beacon of courage in an era increasingly marked by moral ambiguity. “King Baudouin’s unwavering commitment to his faith and to the sanctity of life shines as a light for our times,” the pope declared, calling on the Belgian bishops to champion his cause for sainthood.

In a statement released by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, it was confirmed that the process officially began on December 17, 2024, with the establishment of a historical commission. This panel, comprising leading experts in Belgian history and archival research, is tasked with gathering and evaluating documentation related to King Baudouin’s life and deeds.

The commission’s work will delve into the extensive archives, seeking evidence of Baudouin’s virtues and spiritual impact. The aim is to demonstrate that his life embodied the qualities of heroism in faith, hope, and charity required for beatification.

During his visit to Belgium, Pope Francis made a poignant stop at King Baudouin’s tomb in the Royal Crypt beneath the Church of Our Lady of Laeken. Joined by King Philippe and Queen Mathilde, the pope reflected on the late king’s example of leadership grounded in integrity. “In a world where laws increasingly stray from the sanctity of life, Baudouin’s choice was a prophetic act,” the pope remarked.

The culmination of the papal visit came during a Mass at a stadium named in Baudouin’s honor, where Pope Francis formally announced the opening of the cause. “May his life inspire current leaders to govern with a conscience rooted in truth and compassion,” he implored.

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***

Dear sisters, dear brothers, good morning and welcome!

I am happy we can exchange Christmas wishes. I express first of all my gratitude to each one of you for the work you do, both for the benefit of Vatican City and for the Universal Church. As you do every year, you have come with your families, and for this I would like to reflect a moment, briefly, with you precisely on these two values: work and the family.

First: work.

What you do is certainly a lot. Passing through the streets and courtyards of Vatican City, in the corridors and offices of the various Dicasteries and in the different places of service, the sensation is that of finding oneself in a large hive. And even now, there are those who are working to make this meeting possible, who were unable to come: let us say thank you to them!

Today you are here in a festive atmosphere, with the liveliness of the celebration in your heart, the liveliness of smiles. Instead, for the rest of the year life is more ordinary, it is not a feast; it is continual work, but always with the smile of the heart. After all, they are two different faces of the same beauty: that of those who build, with others and for others, something good for everyone. Jesus Himself showed this to us: He, the Son of God, who out of love for us humbly made Himself an apprentice carpenter, schooled by Joseph (cf. Lk 2:51-52; Saint Paul VI Homily in Nazareth, 5 January 1964). In Nazareth, few people knew it, but in the carpenter’s workshop, alongside and through many other things, craftsmen were building the salvation of the world! Have you thought about this: that salvation was built by craftsmen? And the same, in a similar sense, applies to you who, with your daily work, in the hidden Nazareths of your particular tasks, contribute to bringing the whole of humanity to Christ and to spreading His Kingdom throughout the world (cf. Vatican Ecumenical Council II, Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 34-36).

And then we come to the second point: the family.

It brings joy to see you together, also with children: how beautiful, how beautiful they are! Saint John Paul II used to say that, for the Church, the family is like its “cradle” (Apostolic Exhortation Familiaris consortio, 22 November 1981, 15). Love the family, please. And it is true: indeed, founded and rooted in Marriage, the family is the place where life is generated – and how important it is today to welcome life! Then, it is the first community where, ever since childhood, one encounters faith, the Word of God and the Sacraments, where one learns how to take care of each other and to grow together in love, at all ages. Faith must be transmitted in the family, and Saint Paul said to Timothy, “Your mother, your grandmother…” – in the family there was faith. I therefore encourage you – parents, children, grandparents and grandchildren, grandparents have great importance – I encourage you always to stay united, close to one another and around the Lord: in respect, in listening, in reciprocal care.

Something I would like to emphasize about the family. A question I ask parents with small children: did you manage to play with your children? Do you play with your children? It is important to lie on the ground with your little boy, your little girl… Play with your children! And then, another thing: do you visit your grandparents? Are your grandparents in the family, or do they live in a nursing home with no-one to go and visit them? Perhaps your grandparents have to stay in a nursing home, but go and visit them! Let them hear from you all the time.

And please, also in prayer together, because without prayer you do not go forward, even in the family. Teach your children to pray. And in this regard, in these days, I suggest that you find some moments in which to gather beside one another, around the Nativity scene, to give thanks to God for His gifts, to ask for help for a future, and to renew your affection for one another before the Infant Jesus.

Dear friends, thank you for this meeting, and for everything you do. I wish you all the best for Holy Christmas and for the year that is about to begin: the Holy Year of Hope. Hope grows in the family too! I bless you and I ask you, do not forget to pray for me. And if someone has some special difficulty, please talk about it, tell the heads, because we want to solve all difficulties, and this is done through dialogue, it is done with dialogue, not with shouting and not with keeping quiet. There must be dialogue, always! “Mr. Manager, Cardinal, Pope, Father… I have these difficulties. Can you help me resolve them?”. And we will try to resolve the difficulties together. Thank you, thank you very much, and merry Christmas.

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***

Dear brothers and sisters!

My deep thanks go to Cardinal Re for his greeting and good wishes. How good to see that he does not age! Thank you, Your Eminence, for your example of readiness to serve and your love for the Church.

Cardinal Re spoke about the war. Yesterday the [Latin] Patriarch [of Jerusalem] was not allowed into Gaza, as had been promised; and yesterday children were bombed. This is cruelty. This is not war. I wanted to tell you this because it touches my heart. Thank you for having referred to this, Your Eminence, thank you!

The title of this address is “Bless and do not curse”.

The Roman Curia is made up of many working communities, more or less complex or numerous. This year, in thinking about a reflection that could benefit community life in the Curia and its various offices, I chose an aspect that fits in well with the mystery of the Incarnation, and you will immediately see why.

I thought about speaking well of others and not speaking ill of them. This is something that concerns all of us, including the Pope – bishops, priests, consecrated persons and the laity. In this regard, we are all equal. Why? Because it is part of our being human.

Speaking well and not speaking ill is an expression of humility, and humility is the hallmark of the Incarnation and particularly the mystery of the Lord’s Birth which we are about to celebrate. An ecclesial community lives in joyful and fraternal harmony to the extent that its members walk in the way of humility, refusing to think and speak ill of one another.

Saint Paul, writing to the community in Rome, says, “Bless and do not curse” (Rom 12:14). We can also understand his words as meaning: “Speak well and do not speak ill” of others, in our case, our co-workers, our superiors and colleagues, everyone. Speak well and do not speak ill.

The path to humility: self-accusation

I would suggest today, as I did some twenty years ago at a diocesan assembly in Buenos Aires, that all of us, as a way of exercising humility, learn the practice of self-accusation, as taught by the ancient spiritual masters, particularly Dorotheus of Gaza. Yes, Gaza, the very place that is presently synonymous with death and destruction, is a quite ancient city, where monasteries and outstanding saints and teachers flourished in the first centuries of Christianity. Dorotheus was one of them. In the footsteps of great Fathers like Basil and Evagrius, he built up the Church by his writings and his letters, which abound in evangelical wisdom. Today too, by reflecting on his teachings, we can learn humility through self-accusation, so as not to speak ill of our neighbour. Sometimes, in everyday speech, when someone makes a critical comment, another will think: “Look who’s talking!”. That is in everyday speech.

In one of his “Instructions”, Dorotheus says, “When some evil befalls a humble man, he immediately looks inward and judges that he has deserved it. Nor does he allow himself to reproach or blame others. He simply puts up with this hardship, without making a fuss, without anguish, and in all tranquility. Humility troubles neither him nor anyone else” (Dorotheus of Gaza, Oeuvres spirituelles, Paris 1963, No. 30). And again: “Do not try to know the faults of your neighbour or harbour suspicions against him. If our own malice gives rise to such suspicions, try to turn them into good thoughts” (ibid., No. 187).

Self-accusation is only a means, yet one that is essential. It is the basis for our being able to say “no”’ to individualism and “yes” to the ecclesial spirit of community. Those who practise the virtue of self-accusation and do so consistently are gradually liberated from suspicion and distrust, and make room for God, who alone can bond hearts. If everyone makes progress along this path, a community can be born and grow, one in which all are guardians of one another and walk together in humility and charity. When we see a defect in someone, we should only talk about it with three others: with God, with the person in question, or, if that is not possible, with the person in the community who can take care of the situation. No one else.

What is the basis of this spiritual “style” of self-accusation? It is inner abasement, in imitation of the synkatábasis or “condescension” of the Word of God. A humble heart abases itself, like the heart of Jesus, whom in these days we contemplate lying in a manger.

Faced with the tragedy of a world so often in the grip of evil, what does God do? Does he rise up in all his righteousness and hurl condemnations from on high? In some sense, that is what the prophets expected, even to the time of John the Baptist. Yet God is God; his thoughts are not our thoughts, and his ways are not our ways (cf. Is 55:8). God’s holiness, as divine, is paradoxical in our eyes. The Most High chooses to abase himself, to become little, like a mustard seed, like a man’s seed in a woman’s womb. Invisible. In this way, he begins to take upon himself the enormous, unbearable burden of the world’s sin.

God’s condescension is mirrored by our practice of self-accusation, which is not primarily a moral act of our own, but a theological reality – as is always the case in the Christian life. It is a gift from God, the work of the Holy Spirit, which it is up to us to accept, to “condescend” and be willing to welcome this gift into our hearts. That is what the Virgin Mary did. She had no cause for self-accusation, yet she freely chose to cooperate fully in God’s condescension, in the abasement of the Son and in the descent of the Holy Spirit. In this sense, humility could well be called a theological virtue.

To help us abase ourselves, we can to go to the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This will help us. Each of us can ask: when was the last time I went to confession?

En passant, I would like to mention something further. A few times I have spoken about gossip. This is an evil that destroys social life, makes people’s hearts sick and leads to nothing. People say it very well: “Gossip is pointless”. Be careful about this.

Blessed ourselves, let us bless others in turn

Dear brothers and sisters, the Incarnation of the Word shows us that God has not condemned us but blessed us. What is more, it reveals to us that in God there is no condemnation, but only and always blessing.

Here we can think of certain passages of the Letters of Saint Catherine of Siena, such as this: “It seems that [God] desires not to remember our offences, or to condemn us to eternal damnation, but to show us constant mercy” (Letters, No. 15). And we need to talk about mercy!

Yet above all we can think of Saint Paul and the magnificent first words of the hymn found at the beginning of the Letter to the Ephesians: “Blessed be God, the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places” (1:3).

Here we find the origin of our ability to “bless” others: precisely because we ourselves have been blessed, we can bless others in turn. We have been blessed, so we can bless others.

All of us need to plunge into the depths of this mystery; otherwise we risk drying up and becoming like those empty, desiccated canals that no longer contain even a drop of water. Here in the Curia, office work is itself often arid and, in the long run, can make us dry unless we refresh ourselves through pastoral work, moments of encounter, friendships, in a spirit of openness and generosity. With regard to pastoral experiences, I ask young people especially if they have any pastoral experience, this is very important. For this to happen, we need, more than anything else, to make the Spiritual Exercises each year: to immerse ourselves in God’s grace, to be totally immersed in and drenched by the Holy Spirit in those floods of life-giving water whereby each of us has been willed and loved “from the beginning”. If our hearts are embraced by that primordial blessing, then we will be able to bless everyone, even those for whom we do not care or those who have treated us badly. This is the case: we are to bless even those who are unfriendly.

The model to which we should look is, as always, the Virgin Mary, our Mother. Mary is, par excellence, the one who is Blessed. That is how Elizabeth greets her at the Visitation: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!” (Lk 1:42). That is how we too address her in the “Hail Mary”. Our Lady brought us the “spiritual blessing in Christ” (cf. Eph 1:3) that was certainly present “in the heavens” before all time, but also, “in the fullness of time”, present on earth, in human history, when the Incarnate Word became man (cf. Gal 4:4). Christ is that blessing. He is the fruit that blesses the womb; the Son who blesses the Mother. The Virgin Mary can rightly be addressed, in Dante’s words, as “the daughter of your Son… humble and lofty more than a creature”. Mary, as Blessed, brought to the world the Blessing that is Jesus. There is a painting, which I have in my study, of the synkatábasis. There is Our Lady with her hands like a small ladder, and the Child is descending the ladder. The Child has the Law in one hand and with the other he is holding onto his mother so as not to fall. That is Our Lady’s role: to carry the Child. And this is what she does in our hearts.

Artisans of blessing

Sisters and brothers, as we look to Mary, image and model of the Church, we are led to reflect on the ecclesial dimension of this bless-ing. Here I would summarize it in this way: in the Church, sign and instrument of God’s blessing for humanity, all of us are called to become artisans of blessing. Not just those who give blessings, but artisans who teach, living as artisans to bless others.

We can think of the Church as a great river that branches off into a thousand and one streams, torrents, rivulets – a bit like the Amazon basin – to water the entire earth with God’s blessing, flowing from the Paschal Mystery of Christ.

The Church thus appears to us as the fulfilment of the plan that God revealed to Abraham from the moment he first called him to leave the land of his fathers. The Lord said to him, “I will make of you a great nation, and I will bless you… and in you shall all the families of the earth shall be blessed” (Gen 12:2-3). This plan dominates the entire economy of God’s covenant with his people, a people “chosen” not in an exclusive sense, but in the sense that we, as Catholics, would call “sacramental”. In a word, by bringing the gift of that blessing to everyone through our example, our witness, our generosity and our forbearance.

In the mystery of the Incarnation, then, God has blessed every man and woman who comes into this world, not with a decree that rains down from heaven, but through the flesh of Jesus, the blessed Lamb born of blessed Mary (cf. Saint Anselm, Or. 52).

I like to think of the Roman Curia as a great workshop in which there are any number of different jobs, but where everyone works for the same purpose: to bless others, and to spread the blessing of God and Mother Church in the world.

Here I think in particular of the hidden work carried out by the office staff – the minutanti, some of whom I see here, they are very good, thank you! – who prepare letters assuring someone who is ill or imprisoned, a mother, father or child, an elderly person, and so many others, that the Pope is praying for them and that he sends his blessing. Thank you for this, because I sign these letters. Is that not to serve as an artisan of blessing? Minutanti are real artisans of blessing. They tell me that a saintly priest who worked years ago in the Secretariat of State had attached to the back of the door of his office a piece of paper that read: “My work is humble, humbled and humiliating”. Perhaps this was a negative way of seeing things, but not without a grain of truth and healthy realism. To me, it can be read in a positive way, as conveying the typical style of the “artisans” of the Curia: humility as a means of spreading “blessings”. It is the way of God himself, who in Jesus condescends to share in our human condition, and thus gives us his blessing. And I can testify to this: on my recent Encyclical, on the Sacred Heart, which Cardinal Re mentioned, how many people worked! Very many! The drafts went back and forth… Many of them, with small things.

Dear friends, it is reassuring to think that through our daily work, especially that which is hidden, each of us can help bring God’s blessing into the world. Yet in this, we must be consistent: we cannot write blessings and then go on to ruin them by speaking ill of our brother or sister. So this is my wish: may the Lord, born for us in humility, help us always to be women and men of blessing.

A happy Christmas to all!

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Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition features Catholic commentary on various entries of AJC’s renowned Translate Hate glossary of antisemitic terms, themes, and memes. It comes as Catholic and Jewish communities prepare to mark six decades of trust-building and mutual learning beginning when the Catholic Church reached out to the Jewish people and the world with Nostra Aetate, the historic Second Vatican Council document disseminated on October 28, 1965, which dramatically and publicly decried antisemitism and transformed the Church’s approach to the Jewish people for the better.

“For sixty years, dialogue has helped to establish lasting friendship among leaders in the Catholic and Jewish communities,” said Bishop Joseph C. Bambera of Scranton, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs. “As we prepare to mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, it is more important than ever to renew our commitment to stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters against all forms of antisemitism. Sadly, we are currently witnessing a tragic rise in antisemitic incidents both globally and here in the United States, a painful reminder that our work is not done. This project is but one example of the fruits of our collaboration that we hope will have wide-ranging impact as Catholics and Jews continue building bridges and combat antisemitism together.”

Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition is the product of investment in Catholic and Jewish leadership dialogue. It is the latest, but not the last, installment in deepening and extending the infrastructure, educational tools, and reach of Catholic-Jewish relations.

“This Catholic edition of Translate Hate is a groundbreaking project for Catholic-Jewish relations and could not come at a more needed time, as we are experiencing the most dramatic rise in antisemitism since the Holocaust, including notably in the United States,” said Rabbi Noam Marans, AJC Director of Interreligious Affairs. “USCCB’s allyship and leadership in confronting antisemitism as a threat not only to the Jewish people but also to civilized society more broadly is a key part of the national whole-of-society approach we need to combat anti-Jewish hate. We are proud to partner with USCCB and support its ‘The Fruit of Dialogue: Catholics Confronting Antisemitism’ initiative. The path inaugurated by Nostra Aetate must continuously be renewed and this USCCB partnership with AJC is a reaffirmation of that commitment.”

As with the original Translate Hate, the Catholic edition will be flexible and updated with more Catholic commentaries, even as the glossary list of antisemitic terms expands.

“Like the versions that came before it, we hope that Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition will help equip Catholics, Jews, and others with the tools needed to recognize antisemitism,” said Holly Huffnagle, AJC U.S. Director for Combating Antisemitism. “The first step in combating antisemitism is being able to understand and identify it. Translate Hate: The Catholic Edition presents this information in a way that can be used at all levels of Catholic and Jewish formal and informal education and empower our partners to stand up to anti-Jewish hate.”

—

AJC is the global advocacy organization for the Jewish people. With headquarters in New York, 25 regional offices across the United States, 15 overseas posts, as well as partnerships with 38 Jewish community organizations worldwide, AJC’s mission is to enhance the well-being of the Jewish people and Israel and to advance human rights and democratic values in the United States and around the world. For more, please visit www.ajc.org.

The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) is an assembly of the hierarchy of bishops who jointly exercise pastoral functions on behalf of the Christian faithful of the United States and the U.S. Virgin Islands. The USCCB’s Committee on Ecumenical and Interreligious Affairs works to build fruitful relationships with other religious faiths in the United States through fostering bonds of friendship, mutual understanding, and constructive collaboration. www.usccb.org

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A Mission of Hope Amid the Ruins

For Pope Francis, prayer for peace in Ukraine has been a daily act of devotion. Yet, his desire to act goes beyond spiritual intercession. This Christmas, the Vatican’s envoy will deliver essential medical equipment, including a state-of-the-art mobile health clinic—a fully equipped camper capable of performing surgeries—and six ultrasound machines for hospitals devastated by conflict.

The mission embodies the pope’s vision of being a “Church that goes forth,” offering more than words to communities facing hardship. “We celebrate the birth of Jesus by bringing hope and healing to those in need,” Vatican officials said, underscoring the practical and spiritual significance of this initiative.

Walking with the Suffering

Cardinal Krajewski’s journey across Ukraine will not simply be about delivering equipment. It will be a pilgrimage of presence, as he visits communities ravaged by violence to listen, pray, and share in their struggles. His goal is to help open “the door of hope” in hearts burdened by despair and to stand as a symbol of global solidarity.

The cardinal’s itinerary will include stops in cities and villages that have borne the brunt of the ongoing conflict. In each place, he will meet with survivors, healthcare workers, and clergy, seeking to uplift their spirits and remind them that they are not forgotten.

A Gift Rooted in Compassion 

“The Vatican’s gift is not just a response to immediate needs but also a message of enduring care,” said a Vatican spokesperson. “It reflects the pope’s conviction that mercy and solidarity can transcend even the darkest circumstances.”

A Call to the Global Community

While the pope’s Christmas mission focuses on Ukraine, it carries a universal appeal. By choosing to act in such a visible and meaningful way, Pope Francis is urging the international community to prioritize peace and humanitarian efforts over division and neglect.

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(ZENIT News – Center for Family and Human Rights / Washington, 12.20.2024).- Amnesty International and a group of other pro-abortion organizations say abortionists deserve special protection as “human rights defenders,” despite the fact that there is no international human right to abortion.

The report was written by the leading global abortion providers MSI Reproductive Choices and the International Planned Parenthood Federation, the International Confederation of Midwives, and a handful of other groups whose sole focus is promoting and providing abortion internationally.

Amnesty defines “human rights defenders” as “all those who, individually or in association with others, act to defend human rights.”  They say, according to the “UN Declaration on Human Rights Defenders,” such people have the right to support, protection, and an enabling environment to go about their “legitimate activities defending human rights.”

The full title of that declaration is the “UN Declaration on the Right and Responsibility of Individuals, Groups and Organs of Society to Promote and Protect Universally Recognized Human Rights and Fundamental Freedoms.”  The full title clearly states that it pertains to rights that are “universally recognized.”  Issues like abortion, which are highly contested and have been repeatedly rejected as rights that would not meet that standard.

Nevertheless, abortion advocates insist they are human rights defenders. This circular logic has been taken up by some entities within the human rights system.  The UN Office of the High Commissioner for Human Rights released a video series in 2015 highlighting a notorious U.S. abortionists as a “human rights defender.”

To support its claim that abortion is a human right, Amnesty relies on the work of UN treaty monitoring bodies and independent experts who issue nonbinding opinions. They frequently cite each other in interpreting a right to abortion in the text of treaties that make no mention of abortion and would never have been adopted if they did.

Amnesty and its coauthoring groups go on to issue a series of demands to national governments to protect and support abortionists and abortion activists.  These include “safe access zones” around abortion clinics and providing “safe spaces” and psycho-social support for abortion providers to help them “process stigma, and to help prevent burn-out.”  They also call on social media platforms to defend abortion providers from “online harassment,” opening the door to censorship of pro-life opinions and speech.

The report calls on governments to ensure compliance with the World Health Organization’s radical abortion guideline and ensure mandatory abortion training within healthcare and clinical training, including “values clarification” designed to break down employees’ moral and ethical objections to complicity in abortion.  Conscientious objection should be strictly regulated, they argue, so that it does not interfere with the provision of abortion.

Governments are also ordered to “promote and affirm the legitimacy of abortion rights defenders” through public awareness-raising campaigns.  They add that “values clarification” should also be considered as part of professional development for law enforcement and legal justice workers.

The report also includes a nod to transgender ideology: “while these human rights defenders remain under threat, the abortion rights of women, girls and everyone who can become pregnant are adversely impacted.”

Like the human rights experts whose work Amnesty relies on for support, the opinions of Amnesty and its allies are entirely nonbinding and have no power to create new human rights.

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(ZENIT News / Vatican City, 12.20.2024).- Answered by Legionary of Christ Father Edward McNamara, professor of liturgy and sacramental theology and director of the Sacerdos Institute at the Pontifical Regina Apostolorum university.

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Q: Could you please clarify whether water must touch the skin of the head or face for a baptism to be valid? At the Easter Vigil and more lately, I have witnessed baptisms conferred by my diocesan bishops and priests on candidates whose head are bowed, and their hair is flipped directly forward so that the baptismal water clearly flows only down the back of the hair and does not touch the scalp or face. In researching this issue, I came across a website which cites moral theologians, among others, who state that it is necessary for the water to flow over the skin. Could you please explain what is the difference between a doubtful and valid sacrament? How can a sacrament be doubtful but valid? Wouldn’t the doubt call into question the validity? Also, concerning the sacrament of baptism, my sibling and her husband, who are baptized Catholics but who do not practice the faith or uphold the faith’s teachings on important issues like marriage, abortion, in vitro, etc., intend to have their children baptized in the Church. They have chosen godparents who, likewise, are baptized Catholic but not practicing. I am doubtful about attending the baptism because it would entail witnessing the parents and the godparents lie before God about their intention to raise the child in the faith. Also, I am unsure if I should inform the pastor of the parish where the baptism will take place about the truth about the parents’ and godparents’ lack of intention to practice the faith, since this is being withheld from him and the individual who is vetting the candidates to ensure that the baptism can proceed. Would you have any advice regarding how to proceed? — E.R., San Clemente, California

A: Here we have two very different, and difficult, questions.

With respect to the second question regarding the non-practicing parents and godparents, it is very hard to make a judgment. The very fact that the parents are seeking baptism for their child is at least a sign that some seed of faith remains, and there is hope that it will germinate once more.

Likewise, while the parents may not be practicing nor firm in their faith, unless they have expressly declared that they do not intend to raise the child in the faith, one cannot deduce their inner intention from these external factors. They may well intend to raise the child in the faith as they see it. It may not be an ideal situation but would probably be sufficient to not deprive the child of the gift of baptism.

The pastor, in vetting the situation, should have some assurance that there will be somebody who can take an interest in the child’s Christian upbringing; this could be a relative if the parents and godparents are unable to. Therefore, our reader could confide in the pastor, while stiving to be as objective as possible and leave the final decision to him.

Attending the baptism is a personal decision weighing all the possible consequences, including the danger of creating a family rift that might limit one’s possibility to influence the child’s upbringing, at least, by good example.

Let’s turn now to the first, more technical, part of the question on the validity of a baptism if only the hair is touched without skin contact.

The opinions of the venerable authors cited on the website should be interpreted in the light of the laws of the time. The 1917 Code of Canon Law organized disparate codes and legal opinions from earlier times. The one closest to our topic, and that was expressly cited by some of the sources on the website, was Canon 746, especially §2. To wit:

“Canon 746

“§ 1. No one should be baptized in the mother’s womb so long as there is a hope that he can be baptized correctly outside of it.

Ҥ 2. If the head of an infant is exposed and there is imminent danger of death, let him be baptized on the head; later, if he is delivered alive, he should be baptized again under condition.

Ҥ 3. If another part of the body is exposed, and if danger [of death] is imminent, let him be baptized under condition thereupon, and then, if he survives birth, he should be once again baptized under condition.

Ҥ 4. If a pregnant mother dies, and if the fetus is delivered by those who do such things, and if he is certainly alive, he should be baptized absolutely; if there is doubt, [he should be baptized] under condition.

“§ 5. A fetus baptized in the womb should be baptized again under condition after [being born].”

It should be noted that the above canons are not dogma but prudential practices that respond to concrete pastoral situations of imminent danger of death. Likewise, it should also be noted that they do not directly say that water should touch the skin.

Some of the theological manuals cited on the website were: A Manual of Moral Theology for English-speaking Countries, Volume II, 1925; Moral Theology, The Newman Press 1962; The Administration of the Sacraments, Alba House, 1964; and Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described, Burns and Oates Ltd London, 1919.

These manuals were mostly concerned to form and inform priests as to the correct procedure for celebrating the sacraments and insure the validity of baptisms.

This legitimate concern may have led some authors to be overly strict in interpreting the rites, and they may have extended too much to ordinary circumstances the application of rites reserved for emergency measures.

Current canon law is far briefer and completely omits 1917 Canon 746 along with several other similar canons that give specific instructions on emergency situations. Thus, Canon 854 in the 1983 Code says:

“Baptism is to be conferred either by immersion or by pouring; the prescripts of the conference of bishops are to be observed.”

This canon makes no mention of the possibility of sprinkling as a means of baptism and would seem to give preference to some form of immersion.

Since current law prefers some form of immersion or pouring, it would presuppose that the water would touch the skin as well as the hair. Nevertheless, there would not seem to be anything in the text of current law that would expressly require the water to touch the skin for a valid baptism if water is poured on the head. Nor was there in the former law even though this was the opinion of several respected theologians.

A well-known priest-canonist mentioned in a blog that he had made a private consultation with an official of the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith, who responded that “water must flow on or touch the head, at least the hair of the head.”

While not an official response, I think that it reflects current thinking and that there is no doubt that a baptism in which water flows on the hair and not on the head is a valid baptism.

That said, the practical recommendations offered by these authors remain sound pastoral guidance for celebrating the sacrament.

Finally, a doubtful baptism is one in which there is some defect about the circumstances of the baptism that makes it unsure if a valid baptism took place.

Some of the situations given above in Canon 746 in the 1917 Code would be examples. This is why the canons mandate that if the child lives, he or she should be baptized conditionally using a formula such as “If you are not baptized, I baptize you ….”

Such conditional baptism is also occasionally applied to converts from some Christian denominations when there is doubt as to whether the rites used were sufficient to obtain a valid baptism in the Catholic sense.

* * *

Readers may send questions to zenit.liturgy@gmail.com. Please put the word «Liturgy» in the subject field. The text should include your initials, your city and your state, province or country. Father McNamara can only answer a small selection of the questions that arrive.

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A Return to Disputed Traditions

Cardinal Ranjith justifies his decision arguing that service at the altar is one of the main sources of vocations to the priesthood, a vocation reserved strictly for men in the Catholic Church. According to Cardinal Ranjith, to allow girls to serve at the altar could “affect the number of candidates that enter the Seminaries, a risk we cannot run.”

With this position, the Cardinal reinforces a historical tradition that, until the end of the 20th century, had excluded women from liturgical service. This exclusion, supported for centuries by Popes such as Benedict XIV and other ecclesiastical leaders, was modified in the decade of the 1990s under the pontificate of Saint John Paul II who allowed the inclusion of women as Ministers of the Altar.

Vocations and Exclusion: Necessity or Setback?

The Cardinal’s measure has unleashed questions on the relationship between masculine exclusivity in certain liturgical roles and the fostering of vocations. Although the Cardinal’s argument emphasizes the importance of protecting a source of candidates to the priesthood, it also poses questions about inclusion and women’s role in the Church.

For some sectors, limiting liturgical service to young men reinforces a hierarchical and excluding vision that could alienate women from a more active participation in the life of the Church. For others, it’s about a pragmatic decision in a context where priestly vocations are in decline, particularly in countries such as Sri Lanka.

Weight of The Historical Precedent

Although the tradition of excluding women from the altar has deep roots, its opening during Saint John Paul II’s pontificate was seen as a significant step to greater inclusion. The Pontifical Council for the Interpretation of Legislative Texts also interpreted canon 230 paragraph 2 of the Code of Canon Law to allow this practice, marking an important change in liturgical norms.

However, Cardinal Ranjith’s decision seems to go in the opposite sense, prioritizing the local need of vocations over a global vision of equality of participation.

Implications for the Church and the Laity

Beyond the immediate impact on Colombo’s parishes, this measure highlights the persistent tensions in the Catholic Church regarding women’s role in its structures. The exclusion of girls as altar servers not only affects their participation in the liturgy, but also transmits a message on their place in ecclesial life.

At a time when Pope Francis and others leaders have advocated for a greater inclusion of women in leadership roles and consultation inside the Church, this decision poses a striking contrast.

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A Fusion of Science and Faith 

Cícero Moraes, renowned for his digital reconstructions of religious figures, collaborated with experts to bring Saint Nicholas to life through advanced forensic facial reconstruction techniques. The project, which combines science with the rich traditions of the Catholic Church, sought to humanize the relics of the revered saint and offer a glimpse into the past.

Moraes worked alongside Dr. José Luis Lira, a scholar of Catholic saints, and Dr. Thiago Beaini, a dentist specializing in forensic analysis. Using cranial data collected during the 1950s restoration of the crypt in the Basilica of Saint Nicholas in Bari, Italy, where the saint’s remains are housed, the team meticulously recreated his visage.  

The Process Behind the Portrait

The reconstruction process relied on facial approximation techniques that use skeletal remains to infer physical features. This method, widely employed in forensic science, bridges the gap between archaeology and modern visualization.

“We bring the saints’ faces closer to reality, offering a tangible connection to their historical existence,” explains Moraes. “This isn’t just about visualizing the past; it’s about fostering empathy and understanding. While faith transcends appearance, a face can spark a personal connection.”

The research was documented in a scientific article published by Ortog Online, detailing the intricate steps of the reconstruction.

Beyond the Bearded Icon

The result? A strikingly human image of Saint Nicholas, with features that align with the time and region he lived in—far removed from the jovial Santa Claus of modern folklore. This new depiction portrays a solemn, weathered face, reflecting the life of a man who was known for his humility, piety, and acts of generosity.

The reconstruction offers more than a historical portrait; it also serves as a tool for examining the saint’s life and legacy. “By studying his remains, we not only honor his memory but also uncover details about his physical health, diet, and even the conditions of his time,” notes Moraes.

A Face to Remember, Not to Worship

While the project has been met with fascination, Moraes is quick to emphasize that the image is not meant to alter faith. “The veneration of saints isn’t rooted in their physical appearance but in their virtues and deeds,” he says. “This is a bridge to understanding, not a pillar of devotion.”

Reconnecting with History

This isn’t Moraes’s first foray into religious reconstructions. He has previously recreated the faces of figures like Saint Anthony of Padua and Saint Catherine of Genoa. Each project serves as a reminder of the enduring intersection between history, faith, and science.

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