Saint John of the Cross was born Juan de Yepes y Alvarez, in Fontiveros, Avila, Spain in 1542. His father was employed by wealthy family members as an accountant, but they disowned him when he married a poor woman from the lower class. As a result of his family�s poverty, John�s family suffered greatly. His father died when he was three, and his older brother, Luis died two years after that, likely because of malnutrition. John�s mother eventually found work weaving which helped her to ...

Officials believe two men were involved in a shooting at a Hanukkah celebration in Sydney, Australia.

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After celebrating Mass for the Jubilee of Prisoners, Pope Leo delivers his Angelus address for the third Sunday of Advent, saying that Christian joy endures "when life seems to lose its meaning and everything appears darker.”

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During the Sunday Angelus Pope Leo appeals for those fighting in the Democratic Republic of Congo to stop the violence which has broken out and return to constructive dialogue. He also remembers the newly beatified martyrs in two separate beatifications in Spain and in France on Saturday 13 December.

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During his homily on the Sunday of the Jubilee of Prisoners, Pope Leo XIV challenges both inmates and those responsible for the prisons to hold on to hope and he reminds everyone “that no human being is defined only by his or her actions and that justice is always a process of reparation and reconciliation.”

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After conflict reignited between Cambodia and Thailand earlier this month, the Apostolic Prefect of Battambang, Cambodia highlights how the local community is using the Advent season to place their uncertain situation in God’s hands whilst the young people join in Pope Leo's call for peace.

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Three different groups of martyrs, nearly 200 in total, are beatified in celebrations in the Cathedrals of Jaen, Spain, and Notre Dame in Paris.

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Lucy's history has been lost and all we really know for certain is that this brave woman who lived in Syracuse lost her life during the persecution of Christians in the early fourth century. Her veneration spread to Rome so that by the sixth century the whole Church recognized her courage in defense of the faith. Because people wanted to shed light on Lucy's bravery, legends began to crop up. The one that has passed the test of time tells the story of a young Christian woman who vowed to live ...

Speaking at the Jubilee for Italian Diplomacy, Pope Leo repeats the appeal of Paul VI for an end to war, and calls on diplomats to be men and women of dialogue.

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Pope Leo meets with artists and organisers involved in the Vatican’s Christmas Concert, saying that the festive period reminds us that God comes to meet us “at the very heart of our small human stories.”

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