Parish closures: new data shows the decline of the Catholic Church in Germany, the most progressive… and “synodal”

Dec 30, 2025 17:19

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Mass at the Basilica of St. Mary in Kevelaer in Germany. Photo: CNS ;Theo Barth, KNA

Analysis Opinion•Local Church

Polonia: Sunday Mass Attendance Rises as Sacramental Life Continues to Thin

According to the 2024 edition of the Annuarium Statisticum Ecclesiae in Polonia, 29.6 percent of Polish Catholics eligible to attend Mass were present on an average Sunday last year

Dec 22, 2025 15:29

Joachin Meisner Hertz

Cardinals and Bishops•Local Church•Pope Leo XIV

This is the new Catholic bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV for London: he is from Africa, enjoys horse riding, and was a soldier

Born in 1958 in Chingola, in what was then Northern Rhodesia and is now Zambia, Richard Moth grew up in Kent after his family returned to England. His vocation emerged early, influenced by parish life and a priest whose personal holiness left a lasting impression

Dec 22, 2025 15:12

Elizabeth Owens

Good News•Local Church

From 1991 to date, 70% of clinics that perform abortions in the US have closed, according to research

Planned Parenthood, the nation’s largest abortion provider, accounted for a striking 36 of the 54 closures. When factoring in an additional 28 referral centers that have shuttered, the organization experienced a record total of 64 closures in just one year

Dec 21, 2025 17:06

Tim Daniels

Good News•Local Church

Restoring the Chaplain’s Call: U.S. Military Moves to Reclaim Spiritual Leadership

Hegseth argued that in recent decades, chaplains have been increasingly cast not as spiritual leaders but as emotional support officers

Dec 21, 2025 17:02

Tim Daniels

Causes of Saints•Local Church

From Boardroom to Beatification: How an Argentine Businessman Is Redefining Holiness

The date and place of Shaw’s beatification are expected to be announced shortly. When that moment arrives, it will mark not just the recognition of a miracle, but the elevation of a vision

Dec 21, 2025 16:54

Enrique Villegas

A «Box Office» Pope: Vatican Reveals Number of People That Attended Events with Leo XIV in 2025

Between Pope Francis and Pope Leo, the total number of people received was 3,176,620.

Pope Leo XIV Named Treccani’s Person of the Year: A Pontificate of Subtle Strength and Measured Influence

By exercising quiet leadership, prioritizing pastoral care, and resisting the pressures to adopt extremes, he has positioned the Catholic Church as a thoughtful actor in global discussions on justice, peace, and human dignity

Parish closures: new data shows the decline of the Catholic Church in Germany, the most progressive… and “synodal”

Church containing relic of the crown of thorns desecrated and Eucharist stolen. What will the Church do?

US Bishops Exempt from Sunday Mass Immigrants Fearing Arrest: Which Dioceses Are Included and Until What Date?

American missiles, persecuted Christians, and a country that cannot protect them: why did Trump bomb part of Nigeria?

Priestly vocations in England and Wales: data pointing to either stabilization or decline

The world’s oldest church has been found: where is it, what is it like, and how can you visit it?

Cardinal Damasceno confers ministries on 69 Heralds of the Gospel and hints at upcoming ordinations (end of Vatican intervention?)

Polonia: Sunday Mass Attendance Rises as Sacramental Life Continues to Thin

This is the new Catholic bishop appointed by Pope Leo XIV for London: he is from Africa, enjoys horse riding, and was a soldier

From 1991 to date, 70% of clinics that perform abortions in the US have closed, according to research

Restoring the Chaplain’s Call: U.S. Military Moves to Reclaim Spiritual Leadership

From Boardroom to Beatification: How an Argentine Businessman Is Redefining Holiness