Archive for December 25, 2023

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By Jonah McKeown

Jesuit astronomer remembers the first Christmas in space

In the midst of the chaos of 1968, three men left the earth behind, trading the strife of the world... Read more

Standing 100 feet tall, the Christmas Star overlooks the little town of Bethlehem, Pennsylvania (aka “Christmas City, USA”).?w=200&h=150

By Jonah McKeown

O Little Town of Bethlehem… Pennsylvania? The story of ‘Christmas City USA’

Perhaps the most famous town called Bethlehem in the U.S. is Bethlehem, Pennsylvania, a town of 75,000, just a short... Read more

The Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, presides over the Christmas Midnight Mass in the Church of St. Catherine in Bethlehem. With him, Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, papal envoy, H. E. Adolfo Tito Yllana, Apostolic Delegate in Jerusalem and Palestine, and the bishops of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem concelebrated. Dec. 25, 2023.?w=200&h=150

By Marinella Bandini

Midnight Mass in Bethlehem: Patriarch addresses Gazan Christians, calls for end to war

“It is not enough to talk about a cease-fire; we don’t want a cease-fire, we want the hostilities to end,”... Read more

Pope Francis delivers his annual “urbi et orbi” address on Christmas from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 25, 2023.?w=200&h=150

By Jonathan Liedl

Pope Francis on Christmas: Saying ‘yes’ to the Prince of Peace means saying ‘no’ to war

In his annual “urbi et orbi” address, Pope Francis called for an end to war in the Holy Land and... Read more