VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While many people around the world seek a blessing for their animals around the Oct. 4 feast of St. Francis of Assisi, in Italy the traditional date to pray for the protection of one's pets and livestock is Jan. 17 -- the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot.

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica and a member of the Franciscan order, celebrated Mass for farmers on the feast day and then went outside to bless their livestock.

The Italian association of livestock raisers brought donkeys, cows, horses, rabbits, chickens, geese and goats, who munched on feed in wooden pens set up just outside St. Peter's Square.

But before they could be blessed, the calvary came. To the delight of pilgrims, tourists and residents, 80 horses and riders, representing a variety of Italian mounted units -- including a mounted band -- road up the long boulevard leading to St. Peter's.

Dozens of Rome residents also brought their dogs, all of whom received the cardinal's blessing, even if not all of them were doused by the holy water he sprinkled.

Mounted members of the Italian military ride line up outside St. Peter's Square at the Vatican for a blessing from Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, Jan. 17, 2025, the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, speaks to a young person involved in equine-assisted therapy as he blesses horses outside St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Jan. 17, 2025, the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Geese and rabbits sit in a pen outside St. Peter's Square at the Vatican before Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, blesses them Jan. 17, 2025, the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

A woman raises her hand as she prays the Lord's Prayer before having her dog blessed by Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, outside St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Jan. 17, 2025, the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Mounted members of the Italian military wait for Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, to bless their horses outside St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Jan. 17, 2025, the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, greets a farmer and his cow, who was in a stall outside St. Peter's Square at the Vatican, for the annual blessing of livestock and pets Jan. 17, 2025, the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica, uses holy water to bless livestock and pets outside St. Peter's Square at the Vatican Jan. 17, 2025, the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot. (CNS photo/Pablo Esparza)

Farm animals blessed at the Vatican

Every January 17, the Vatican celebrates the feast of St. Anthony the Abbot, the patron saint of livestock.

WASHINGTON – The negotiations of a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, and the ongoing release of hostages were commended as an “encouraging sign of peace” by Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of the Maronite Eparchy of Our Lady of Lebanon, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace.

“At the beginning of this Jubilee Year, it is with great hope that I receive the news of a negotiated ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the ongoing release of hostages and prisoners. This is an encouraging sign of peace for a region that has seen far too much bloodshed and destruction. I pray that this peace can take firm and lasting root in the Middle East, and I renew my gratitude for the crucial, peacebuilding role that the United States has played in this ceasefire and hostage release.”

“May we continue forward with what Pope Francis calls a ‘diplomacy of hope’ based on truth, forgiveness, freedom, and justice, ‘so that the dense clouds of war may be swept away by renewed winds of peace.’ This signal of peace can be a beacon of real hope for the Middle East and all regions of the world suffering from war.”

“Since the start of the crisis, the Church, through Catholic Relief Services and its local partners, has played a key role in providing food, cash assistance, shelter, sanitation, and emotional and social support to displaced communities. We pray that the ceasefire will allow the Church to reach even more vulnerable people. Let us continue to pray for a sustainable and lasting peace in the region and the world.”

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WASHINGTON - “It is precisely through a greater commitment to bilateral collaboration and cooperation that positive change will come for the Cuban people,” said Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on International Justice and Peace. In response to the announcement that President Biden was removing Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list, Bishop Zaidan stated:

“I commend the Administration for its decision to remove Cuba from the state sponsors of terrorism list. For decades, in conjunction with the Holy See, the Cuban bishops, and the majority of the international community, the USCCB has urged collaboration and mutually beneficial relations between the United States and Cuba, as well as the full lifting of the economic embargo against the island nation. It is my hope that this policy shift renews our country’s bilateral engagement on Cuba, and that it prompts both the United States and Cuba to explore a greater degree of collaboration, including bilateral trade and greater access to travel between our nations. Cuba needs more engagement from the United States, not less, and it is precisely through a greater commitment to bilateral collaboration and cooperation that positive change will come for the Cuban people, including cultural exchange and a stronger economy.”

Bishop Zaidan’s letter from July 2024 to Secretary of State Antony Blinken in support of such an action is available here.

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WASHINGTON – Catholics across the country are invited to observe a nationwide prayer vigil from Thursday, January 23 to Friday, January 24, 2025, to pray for an end to abortion and a greater respect for all human life.

The National Prayer Vigil for Life is hosted each January by the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Pro-Life Secretariat, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C., and The Catholic University of America’s Office of Campus Ministry. The vigil has always taken place on the eve of the March for Life, which marks the date of the historic 1973 Roe v. Wade decision by the Supreme Court of the United States.

The Opening Mass will take place in the Great Upper Church at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C. from 5:00-7:00 PM on Thursday, January 23. The principal celebrant and homilist for the Opening Mass will be Bishop Daniel E. Thomas of Toledo, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Pro-Life Activities. 

Immediately following the Opening Mass, a National Holy Hour for Life will take place with a Eucharistic Procession, Eucharistic Adoration, Recitation of the Rosary, and Benediction. The Opening Mass and Holy Hour of the National Prayer Vigil for Life will be broadcast on various Catholic networks and will be livestreamed on the Basilica’s website at www.nationalshrine.org/mass.

The vigil concludes at 8:00 AM on Friday, January 24 with the Closing Mass celebrated by Bishop Robert J. Brennan of Brooklyn.

The full schedule of the 2025 National Prayer Vigil for Life is listed below. (All times are in Eastern Time.)

Thursday, January 23:
4:45 PM          Chaplet of Divine Mercy
5:00 PM          Opening Mass with Bishop Thomas
7:00 PM          Holy Hour for Life

Friday, January 24:
8:00 AM          Closing Mass with Bishop Brennan

The live television broadcasts on January 23 from 5:00-8:00 PM and on January 24 from 8:00-9:00 AM will be provided by the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN) and will be available via live-stream on the Basilica’s website. For more information about on-site attendance at the Basilica for the National Prayer Vigil for Life, please visit the information page on the Basilica’s website.

A plenary indulgence is available this year for those participating in the Opening or Closing Mass and/or the Prayer Vigil (the other usual conditions for a plenary indulgence apply).

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WASHINGTON - As the United States commemorates Religious Freedom Day on January 16, the Committee for Religious Liberty of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops issued its annual report on the state of religious freedom in the United States. The report identifies and offers ways that Catholics can respond to five areas of critical concern—both threats and opportunities: the targeting of faith-based immigration services, antisemitism, IVF mandates, the scaling back of gender ideology in law, and parental choice in education. 

“This Jubilee Year offers us a chance to reflect on the necessity of patience and long-suffering in our work to bear witness to the truth,” said Bishop Kevin C. Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee for Religious Liberty. 

“Pope Francis refers to the biblical image of the anchor as a symbol of hope: ‘The image of the anchor is eloquent; it helps us to recognize the stability and security that is ours amid the troubled waters of this life, provided we entrust ourselves to the Lord Jesus.’ . . . In the years since the U.S. bishops established a committee to promote religious liberty, we have indeed seen troubled waters. Trends have come and gone, and political winds have shifted back and forth. The ministry of the bishops to promote our first, most precious liberty has sought to remain anchored to the truth of the gospel, and we ask for the grace of this Jubilee to continue to remain steadfast in our principles.

“As we look to 2025, we anticipate that long-standing concerns will continue to require our vigilance, while new concerns, and perhaps opportunities, will also present themselves. Political leaders of countries may change, and public policy priorities may shift amidst various contemporary circumstances, but our patient and steadfast commitment to Jesus Christ and the gospel must not change. I pray that this report will serve as a resource to Christians, and all people of goodwill, who seek to promote and defend religious freedom.”

Read the full report: https://www.usccb.org/religious-liberty/2025-annual-report.

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ATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Francis was wearing his arm in a sling during his meetings and audiences Jan. 16 after hurting his right arm in a fall.

"This morning, due to a fall at the Casa Santa Marta, Pope Francis suffered a contusion to his right forearm, without a fracture. The arm was immobilized as a precautionary measure," the Vatican press office said. 

The note was published after Vatican Media had distributed photographs of the 88-year-old pontiff's morning meetings in which he was wearing a sling that appeared to be made from an elastic bandage tied at his neck. While the photos showed shaking hands with his left hand, other photos showed him using his right hand to sign a document. 

He also had fallen in early December, hitting his chin on his bedside table and sporting a significant bruise on the right side of his face when he created 21 new cardinals Dec. 7.

Pope Francis' voice also has sounded hoarse for weeks. When he met Jan. 9 with ambassadors serving at the Vatican, Pope Francis read only the first paragraph of his prepared text. Explaining that he was "still suffering from a bit of a cold," he asked an aide, Msgr. Filippo Ciampanelli, to read the rest of his text.

While his voice continued to sound rough, he had read his prepared texts himself since that audience.
 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- To ensure artificial intelligence is developed and used in an ethical, transparent and responsible manner in Vatican City State, the city-state governor's office has released a set of guidelines on AI, which will be followed by new laws and regulations.

"The guidelines highlight the importance of a balanced and mindful approach in regulating artificial intelligence and will act as a 'compass'" and a framework for "future regulatory actions" regarding AI technology, the city-state said in a Dec. 23 press release on vaticanstate.va. The guidelines went into effect Jan. 1.

The president of the governor's office will also set up a five-person AI commission, presided over by the secretary-general of the governing office, to oversee the implementation and regulation of AI within Vatican City State.

Specifically, the commission will: prepare the proposed laws and regulations; provide input and opinions about the use of AI systems and models; and monitor the activities of AI systems and models and their impact on individuals, employment and the environment. 

"The key principle is that technological innovation cannot and should never overtake or replace human beings," the press release said. "On the contrary, it should serve humanity, and support and respect human dignity," individual rights and freedom.

"The aim is to make artificial intelligence a resource that, if properly regulated, will be able to foster well-being and progress, without compromising ethical and social principles," it added.

The 13-page policy, released as a decree by the pontifical commission governing Vatican City State, covers a series of general ethical principles, specific guidelines for certain offices and prohibitions.

The bans include prohibitions against AI technology and practices that: cause discrimination; harm individuals physically or psychologically through subliminal manipulation; exclude people with disabilities; create social inequalities; demean human dignity; violate fundamental human rights; compromise Vatican City State security and public order; encourage criminal conduct; and conflict with "the mission of the pope, the integrity of the Catholic Church and the proper operation" of the Vatican entities overseen by the governor's office.

The office oversees those who work in administration and human resources, the Vatican Museums, the gardeners, trash collectors, firefighters, police, post office employees as well as those who work for the Vatican health service, pharmacy and Vatican court system. The guidelines and future regulations also cover third-party suppliers, operators and professionals who are hired temporarily.

Some offices were given specific guidelines pertaining to their field, such as offices dealing with: personal data and data processing; scientific research and healthcare; copyright protection; cultural heritage; maintenance and services; administrative procedures; human resources and labor practices; judicial activities; and security. 

Some examples included: mandating that all texts, music, photos, audiovisual and radio content that have used AI systems and models in their creation or reproduction be labeled with the acronym AI; and insisting that patients being treated by the Vatican's health care service must be informed about the use and application of AI in their care.

While most offices have been given the green light to adopt AI in ways that streamline and facilitate human labor, the guidelines specified that the Vatican's judicial offices may only use AI "for the organization and simplification" of its research and work. Interpretation of the law, analysis of the facts and evidence of a case, and deciding on sentencing or other measures must never be handled by AI as these tasks are "reserved exclusively for the magistrate."

Laws and regulations applying the guideline's principles were to be adopted within the current calendar year, the press release said.
 

WASHINGTON – The Catholic Social Ministry Gathering (CSMG) draws nearly 500 leaders working in social ministry and advocacy to the nation’s capital. Organized by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) in collaboration with 20 other organizations, the conference equips these leaders in Catholic social ministry and advocacy to cultivate justice and peace as they engage in communities at home and around the world.

The theme of this year’s gathering is “Missionaries of Hope, Advocates for Justice.” CSMG participants will explore the Catholic Church’s call to respond to pressing domestic and global challenges by encouraging them to think creatively and boldly in their efforts to promote hope, justice, and peace. As the global Catholic Church marks the Jubilee Year 2025, attendees of the conference will be encouraged to reflect and discuss how to protect human dignity and bring a message of hope to communities in a variety of ways. Participants will engage in sessions related to ecology and care for creation, the impact of climate change, migration, refugee resettlement, global conflicts, peacebuilding, poverty, healthcare access, and much more. The final day of the gathering includes visits to Capitol Hill where participants will meet with their elected lawmakers and staff to advocate on related issues. 

When: January 25-28, 2025 

Where: Hyatt Regency Washington, 400 New Jersey Avenue, NW, Washington D.C. 20001

Program and speaker highlights include:

• Cardinal Christophe Pierre, apostolic nuncio to the United States, will speak about cultivating hope through our Catholic social mission in the opening plenary session of CSMG 2025. His message will encourage participants to be steadfast in prayer, learning and advocacy to promote hope and justice in our communities at home and abroad. Paula Gwynn Grant, secretary for communications for the Archdiocese of Washington, will moderate a conversation following Cardinal Pierre’s keynote address.
• Dr. Emilce Cuda, secretary of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America at the Holy See, will reflect on Pope Francis’ vision of “organizing hope” as an effective expression of the principle of subsidiarity in the “Salt and Light Plenary Session: Building Bridges by Organizing Hope.” This plenary session will highlight some of the tools, strategies, and resources from groups supported by the Catholic Campaign for Human Development and popular movements in Latin America to create systemic change and bring hope to our communities. Dr. Cuda will also lead a separate discussion on this topic in Spanish. Cecilia Flores, executive director of Catholic Volunteer Network, will moderate a conversation following Dr. Cuda’s keynote address. 
• Bishop Joseph J. Tyson, of the Diocese of Yakima, will lead the policy plenary titled, “Pope Francis’ Vision for Ecology, Dialogue, and the Common Good” in which he will share a message of inspiration and hope based on his experience leading a diverse diocese to work together towards the common good. Marilyn Richardson, senior policy and legislative specialist with Catholic Relief Services (CRS), will moderate a conversation following Bishop Tyson’s keynote address. 
• Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, will offer remarks at the Catholic Charities USA Capitol Hill Reception. This reception will follow the advocacy visits by conference attendees to the lawmakers on Capitol Hill.  
• John Berry, president of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, will discuss his organization’s efforts in homelessness prevention and the unique way they bring the hope and promise of Christ to those in need at the welcome reception hosted by The Society of St. Vincent de Paul. 
• Kerry Alys Robinson, president and CEO of Catholic Charities USA (CCUSA), will speak at the Capitol Hill Reception and the Catholic Charities USA Breakfast on CCUSA’s promotion of integral human development through disaster response, immigration, refugee services, affordable housing development, and much more. 
• The Catholic Health Association and Catholic Relief Services are also essential collaborators for CSMG and will share their work and ministry throughout the Gathering, especially through featured addresses. 

Most workshops and presentations at the Catholic Social Ministry Gathering are open to media coverage – for details, please review the full agenda. Journalists who are interested in covering this event should contact Joe Jordan at @email for more information on the media accreditation process. 

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- People and institutions can protect children by changing what they buy and what they invest in, Pope Francis said.

"Fighting exploitation, particularly child exploitation, is the high road to building a better future for all of society," the pope said Jan. 15, speaking about child exploitation during his audience for the second consecutive week.

Hundreds of thousands of children are subjected to dangerous working conditions, sex trafficking, pornography or forced marriages, the pope said, but "child abuse, in whatever form it may be, is a despicable and heinous act. It is a most serious violation of God's commandments."

Pope Francis urged all people to consider what they can do as individuals to respond to the societal problem of child exploitation.

"First of all, we must recognize that, if we want to eradicate child labor, we cannot be complicit in it," he said, explaining that people support child labor "when we buy products that employ child labor."

"How can I eat and dress myself knowing that behind that food or those clothes, there are exploited children who work instead of going to school?" he said. "The knowledge about what we buy is the first act in not being complicit. Look at where those products come from."

Likewise, institutions, including church bodies, have a "responsibility" to act against the exploitation of children "by shifting their investments to companies that do not use and do not allow child labor," he said.

After his main talk, a circus performed tricks for the entertainment of the pilgrims gathered in the St. Paul VI Audience Hall. Pope Francis joined the act by tossing a ball for a show dog to catch.

In his speech, the pope spoke about the many factors that lead to the exploitation of children, such as widespread poverty, lack of social support for families and rising unemployment and job insecurity.

As a result, children in cities, where social divides and moral degradation are most present, become active in dealing drugs and other illicit activities, he said, to the point of becoming "executioners of their peers."

Putting aside his prepared remarks, the pope recalled the case of a 5-year-old boy, Loan Danilo Peña, who disappeared in Argentina in June 2024. Police suspect that he was kidnapped for human trafficking purposes, possibly related to the harvesting of organs.

Pope Francis, returning to his text, said it is difficult for most people to recognize the social injustices that drive two children toward different paths, creating an "unacceptable human and social divide between those who can dream and those who must succumb."

"But Jesus wants us all free and happy; and if he loves every man and woman as his son and daughter, he loves the little ones with all the tenderness of his heart," he said. "Therefore, he asks us to stop and listen to the suffering of the voiceless."

After greeting the visitors in the audience hall, the pope prayed for peace in Ukraine, Myanmar, Palestine, Israel and all nations at war.

"And also, let us pray for the conversion of the hearts of arms manufacturers," he said, "because with their product they help to kill."

Pope: How to stop child labor

Pope Francis discusses the role of institutions and individuals in protecting children during his general audience.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While calling himself an "old man" and saying he never expected to be pope this long, Pope Francis said he still has dreams for the future.

"We must not stumble upon tomorrow, we must build it, and we all have the responsibility to do so in a way that responds to the project of God, which is none other than the happiness of mankind, the centrality of mankind, without excluding anyone," the 88-year-old pope wrote in his autobiography. 

"Hope: The Autobiography" was written with the Italian editor Carlo Musso beginning in 2019. The book was released Jan. 14 in its original Italian and in 17 other languages in about 100 countries. Random House published the book in the United States, and Penguin Random House Canada released it in Canada.

The original plan, Musso said, was for the book to be released after Pope Francis' death. But Mondadori, the Italian publisher coordinating the release, said the pope decided in August that it should be published at the beginning of the Holy Year 2025, which has hope as its central theme.

In several chapters of the book, Pope Francis directly addresses readers, including when he quotes St. John Paul II's words during the Jubilee 2000: "Do not be afraid. Open wide the doors for Christ!"

"If one day you are overcome by fears and worries," he told readers, "think of that episode in the Gospel of John, at the marriage at Cana (John 2:1– 12), and say to yourselves: The best wine has yet to be served."

"Be sure of it: The deepest, happiest, most beautiful reality for us, for those we love, has yet to come," he continued. "Even if some statistic tells you the opposite, even if tiredness weakens your powers, never lose this hope that cannot be beaten." 

Much of the book contains familiar stories of Pope Francis' past, his childhood and relationship with his grandmother Rosa, his vocation and ministry as a Jesuit, his service as archbishop of Buenos Aires, Argentina, and his election as pope in 2013.

Pope Francis acknowledged that he has made mistakes during his pontificate, usually because of his impatience, but he defends some of his most controversial decisions, including expanding the possibilities for divorced and civilly remarried Catholics to return to the sacraments and, more recently, to authorize the blessing of same-sex or cohabiting couples.

He wrote about both of those decisions in the larger context of how the church should reach out to and welcome everyone.

"All are invited. Everyone," he wrote. "And so: Everyone inside. Good and bad, young and old, healthy and sick. For this is the Lord's plan."

"It is our task as pastors to take others by the hand, to accompany them, to help them to discern, and not to exclude them," the pope wrote. "And to pardon: to treat others with the same mercy that the Lord reserves for us."

In late 2023, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published, with the pope's approval, "Fiducia Supplicans" ("Supplicating Trust"), on "the pastoral meaning of blessings."

The declaration said that priests can give brief, spontaneous, non-sacramental, non-liturgical blessings to individuals who are in irregular situations or part of a same-sex couple "without officially validating their status" or blessing their union.

In "Hope," Pope Francis again said: "It is the people who are blessed, not the relationships." 

The blessing, he wrote, is a sign that the church wants to accompany everyone and that it does not exclude anyone because of "one situation or one condition."

"Everyone in the Church is invited, including people who are divorced, including people who are homosexual, including people who are transgender," the pope wrote.

As for his decision in the 2016 exhortation, "Amoris Laetitia" ("The Joy of Love") to open a possibility for some divorced and civilly remarried people to have access to the sacraments, Pope Francis said that decision "made some people throw their arms up in horror."

"Sexual sins tend to cause more of an outcry from some people," he wrote. "But they are really not the most serious (sins). They are human sins, of the flesh. The most serious, on the contrary, are the sins that have more 'angelicity,' that dress themselves in another guise: pride, hatred, falsehood, fraud, abuse of power."

"Homosexuality is not a crime, it is a human fact," the pope wrote. LGBTQ+ people "are not 'children of a lesser god.' God the Father loves them with the same unconditional love, He loves them as they are, and He accompanies them in the same way that He does with all of us: being close by, merciful, and tender."

Pope Francis also discusses his health and asserts again that he has never thought of resigning, although like his predecessors he had prepared a letter early in his pontificate offering his resignation "in the event of impediment for medical reasons."

"At the beginning of my papacy I had the feeling that it would be brief: no more than three or four years," he wrote. "I never imagined that I would write four encyclicals, and all those letters, documents, apostolic exhortations, nor that I would have made all those journeys to more than sixty countries."

But, he said, "the reality is, quite simply, that I am old." 

Pope Francis wrote that he will be pope as "long as God wishes," and repeated his plan to be buried in Rome's Basilica of St. Mary Major and not in St. Peter's Basilica as most modern popes are.

"The Vatican is the home of my last service, not my eternal home," he wrote. His burial site is "in the room where they now keep the candelabra, close to the Regina della Pace (Mary, Queen of Peace) from whom I have always sought help, and whose embrace I have felt more than a hundred times during the course of my papacy. They have confirmed that all is ready."

"Though I know that He has already given me many blessings," Pope Francis wrote, "I ask the Lord for just one more: Look after me, let it happen whenever You wish, but, as You know, I'm not very brave when it comes to physical pain -- so, please, don't make me suffer too much."