The statue of Jesus on St. Peter’s Basilica and the Vatican Christmas tree are seen from St. Peter’s Square following a lighting ceremony Dec. 13, 2013. CNS photo/Paul Haring ...read more

Men salute as Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio of the U.S. Archdiocese for the Military Services arrives on the flight deck of the Nimitz-class aircraft carrier USS John C. Stennis to visit troops around Christmas in 2011. The archdiocese provides priest chaplains, with the permission of their home dioceses, to minister to the military. The chaplain’s ...read more

The late Cardinal Francis George of Chicago gives communion to detainees during Mass at Cook County Department of Corrections, Division 6, a medium-security facility in Chicago on Christmas Day. The cardinal also made a stop at Children’s Memorial Hospital to visit with families and their children who are hospitalized and could not be home for Christmas. ...read more

Call it an early Christmas Gift, call it a message about the kind of mercy Pope Francis wants us to show to the world. Whatever you want to call, the end result is the same: Mother Teresa is going to be canonized. A second miracle attributed to her intercession has been approved by Pope Francis. The ...read more

In this Dec. 24, 2013 CNS file photo, Polish miners and their families gather for Christmas Eve Mass at the Wieliczka Salt Mine. CNS photo/Jacek Bednarczyk, EPA ...read more

A woman prays during Christmas Eve Mass at Lai Yen Catholic Church in Hanoi, Vietnam, Dec. 24, 2013 CNS photo/Kham, Reuters ...read more

Children dressed as angels carry candles as they attend Christmas Mass at a Catholic church in Beijing Dec. 24. CNS photo/Kim Kyung-Hoon, Reuters ...read more

This morning the Vatican promoted the cause of American Hospitaller Brother William Gagnon, who died ministering in Vietnam during war: The heroic virtue of the Servant of God William Gagnon, professed Religious of the Hospitaller Order of St John; born in Dover, USA, 16 May 1905 and died in Hô Chi Minh City (formerly Saigon), ...read more

The St. Peter’s Square Christmas tree is reflected in a puddle of slush after a five-minute hail storm hit the Vatican. The storm briefly whitened Rome’s streets, bringing cheer to locals, who rarely see snow. CNS photo/Paul Haring ...read more

A girl sits near Christmas decorations in a basement used as a bomb shelter in Donetsk, Ukraine. CNS photo/Igor Tkachenko, Reuters ...read more