As part of its “Saudi Vision 2030” programme, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia launches the second edition of the Islamic Arts Biennale, which this year will see the participation of the Vatican Apostolic Library. The event will also highlight new Saudi artists, showcasing the transformations of the Islamic nation.

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On the World Day of Social Communications, Pope Francis releases his annual Message, in which he calls for a transformation in the way we communicate.

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During the Jubilee conference with religious sisters, the Prefect of the Dicastery for Communication highlights the significance of interaction, saying our identity and impact on the world are shaped by the stories we share.

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WASHINGTON – The following statement was issued in response to action taken by the Trump Administration rescinding guidance related to "protected areas" in immigration enforcement. 

“Catholic health care, Catholic Charities agencies, and the Church’s other social service ministries work daily to feed, house, heal, educate, and meet people’s needs in communities across our nation. Through these ministries—together with the Church’s responsibility to proclaim the Gospel and celebrate the sacraments—we uphold the belief that all people are conceived with inherent dignity, reflecting the image of God. Through our parishes, shelters, hospitals, schools, and other Church institutions, we recognize that this dignity is not dependent on a person's citizenship or immigration status. Moreover, the charitable services we provide are fundamental to who we are as Christians. ‘For the Church, charity is not a kind of welfare activity which could equally well be left to others, but is a part of her nature, an indispensable expression of her very being’ (Deus caritas est, no. 25).

“We recognize the need for just immigration enforcement and affirm the government’s obligation to carry it out in a targeted, proportional, and humane way. However, non-emergency immigration enforcement in schools, places of worship, social service agencies, healthcare facilities, or other sensitive settings where people receive essential services would be contrary to the common good. With the mere rescission of the protected areas guidance, we are already witnessing reticence among immigrants to engage in daily life, including sending children to school and attending religious services. All people have a right to fulfill their duty to God without fear. Turning places of care, healing, and solace into places of fear and uncertainty for those in need, while endangering the trust between pastors, providers, educators and the people they serve, will not make our communities safer. 

“Our organizations stand ready to work on a better path forward that protects the dignity of all those we serve, upholds the sacred duty of our providers, and ensures our borders and immigration system are governed with mercy and justice.”

This statement was offered by Bishop Mark J. Seitz, chairman, U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on Migration, Sr. Mary Haddad, RSM, president and CEO, Catholic Health Association of the United States, and Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO, Catholic Charities USA.

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WASHINGTON – Today, the U.S. House of Representatives voted to pass the Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act (H.R.21), while the Senate failed to overcome the 60-vote procedural threshold for its version (S.6). “The House of Representatives took decisive action to protect innocent babies from infanticide,” said Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee for Pro-Life Activities. “Babies are being left to die after failed abortions – denied care and basic human compassion. It is a stunning failure of the Senate to reject this necessary, common-sense legislation – which, in reality, does not even limit abortion but protects infants who are born alive,” he added.

The Born-Alive Abortion Survivors Protection Act would require health care providers to give children born alive after an attempted abortion the same medical care that they would for any child born at that same gestational age and to transport them to a hospital. Currently, denying these infants care and leaving them alone to die – unlike a direct action of killing – is often not adequately covered by state laws, leaving a critical gap in needed protection. On Tuesday, Bishop Thomas sent a letter to Congress, urging members to vote for the bill. His letter may be read here.

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ROME (CNS) -- Before the millions of pilgrims expected to come to Rome during the Holy Year 2025 cross through the Holy Door of St. Peter's Basilica, they will be met by smiling faces and lime green jackets.

Jubilee volunteers of all ages and nationalities have become a mainstay along the boulevard leading up to St. Peter's Square since the start of the Holy Year.

Wearing uniforms emblazoned with "volontario" across their backs and the Jubilee and Vatican logos on their chests, the volunteers line the pilgrims' path, offering guidance and companionship on their spiritual journey.

They escort pilgrims along the final leg of their pilgrimage to the Holy Door, checking passes, providing directions and accompanying groups in prayer.

For Craig and Laura Schlattmann -- a married couple of Jubilee volunteers from Tacoma, Washington -- participating in the current Holy Year has been 25 years in the making.

Craig was stationed in Italy for military service, and the couple lived in Rome during the Holy Year 2000. Back then they "vowed, God willing, to come back for the next ordinary Jubilee year in 2025," Laura told Catholic News Service.

After Craig's recent retirement, the couple decided to fulfill that promise. "We returned not just for ourselves and our own experience but also to help our family, friends and everyone who comes to Rome to experience this special year," Craig said Jan. 23. "It's been a real blessing."

Though volunteer positions are open to all Catholics over 18 who can volunteer at least one week of their time at the Vatican, the Schlattmanns committed to moving to Rome for the duration of the Jubilee Year to host friends and family making pilgrimages to the Eternal City and assist other pilgrims.

Volunteers arrange their own travel to Rome, but once they arrive, the Dicastery for Evangelization provides meals and accommodations at the "Domus Spei," a former convent in central Rome equipped with dozens of rooms and 100 beds. Applicants must submit a letter of introduction from their parish priest or another representative of a church organization.

The dicastery said it had received more than 7,000 volunteer applications before the start of the Jubilee.

In their day-to-day activities, the volunteers "are here to smooth the pilgrim's path so that they can focus on their spiritual journey along the pilgrim way," Laura told CNS.

Accompanying pilgrim groups is "a truly holy experience," she said, particularly when guiding them toward the altar over St. Peter's tomb.

"You can feel their love, you can feel their faith, and to realized that I am blessed enough to accompany them, it's just amazing," she said.

While participating as a pilgrim is powerful, Craig emphasized that volunteering offers a unique perspective. "To be a volunteer is to serve, and we're serving our brothers and sisters in Christ, many of whom have come many, many miles at great expense to have a special, probably a once in a lifetime, experience."

Although volunteers often accompany large groups of pilgrims through the Holy Door, the Schlattmanns said even smaller encounters with pilgrims leave a lasting impression.

Craig recalled witnessing a young priest and a layperson assist an elderly person to walk across the threshold of the Holy Door. "You could see their reverence and the excitement that they had," he said, expressing gratitude for the blessing that is helping others reach the culmination of their long pilgrimage.

And obtaining that blessing beats out any other trip one could plan for 2025, Laura said.

"Put the ski vacation on hold for a year, put the cruise on hold for a year," she said. "Come to Rome, do it for you, do it for your children, do it for your grandchildren, do it for your soul."

As dozens of religious sisters meet in Rome as part of the Jubilee for Communications, Linda Hilton, Chair of the Conrad N. Hilton Foundation, describes her charitable organization’s efforts to provide financial support for Catholic sisters in their missions to serve the causes of peace, justice, and education.

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Pope Francis thanks Italy’s Inspectorate for Public Security for Vatican City – charged with maintaining security in and around St Peter’s Square—and invites them to take advantage of the Holy Doors at St Peter’s and the other papal basilicas.

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The President of the US Bishops’ Conference says that President Trump’s new measures on migration, the death penalty, and the environment are "deeply troubling", while praising his initiatives on gender issues. In a separate statement, the chairman of the bishops' Committee on Migration says that “national self-interest does not justify policies with consequences that are contrary to the moral law”.

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Pope Francis receives presidents and directors of Italy's Automobile Club, in which he thanks them for their service to citizens and efforts to promote safety on the road, but also calls for renewed efforts in education in schools and to embrace sustainability.

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