U.S. & World News

Before giving his Christmas blessing to the city of Rome and to the world, Pope Francis drew attention to the many places around the globe and within human hearts in need of Jesus, the prince of peace.

The Vatican has reaffirmed its support of COVID-19 vaccines with both the head of the Pontifical Academy for Life and a Holy See communique reiterating Pope Francis' insistence that getting inoculated is "an act of love."

Trevor Alcorn comes from a storied line of brewers. His great-great-grandmother brewed beer in her bathtub in Chicago during Prohibition in the 1920s.

The birth of the son of God in a humble stable, in the presence of both lowly shepherds and majestic Magi, is a "universal event that concerns all of humanity," Pope Francis said.

Although Italy no longer has a 10 p.m. curfew in force as part of its measures to stem the spread of COVID-19, Pope Francis will celebrate the "Christmas Mass at Night" at 7:30 p.m., as he did in 2020.

Pope Francis asked people to celebrate a "real Christmas" by recognizing Jesus in their lives and cultivating peace in their hearts.

On Dec. 31, nearly half a million people will complete a yearlong journey of reading the entire Catholic Bible with "The Bible in a Year" podcast.

Responding to 11 questions it said had been raised about Pope Francis' document restricting celebrations of the pre-Vatican II Mass, the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Sacraments offered a few concessions to bishops but insisted the entire Latin-rite Catholic Church must move toward celebrating only one form of the Mass and sacraments.