Father Manuel Chouciño. / Credit: ACI Prensa

Madrid, Spain, Dec 23, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Father Manuel Chouciño is convinced that Catholics “are in vogue” because people “are tired of feeling so empty.”

Pope Leo XIV addresses employees of the Vatican on Dec. 22, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 22, 2025 / 12:37 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV told Vatican and Holy See employees to see their daily work as part of the Church’s mission, saying that doing one’s job well “gives glory to the Lord.”

Meeting the workers for a Christmas greeting on Dec. 22, the pope said he is still getting to know the Vatican and experiences it as “a great mosaic” made up of many offices and services. He said he hopes, with God’s help, to meet employees as he visits different workplaces.

Reflecting on the Nativity scene, Pope Leo pointed to the many figures shown at work — each carrying out a task — as a reminder that everyday activities find their full meaning in God’s plan centered on Jesus Christ. He said it is as if the Christ Child blesses everyone from the manger, giving purpose and unity to the work of each person.

Even when some figures in the Nativity seem distant from the central event, he said, they participate precisely by being themselves, staying in their place and doing what they are called to do. The pope applied that image to Vatican life, saying each person can praise God by carrying out his or her responsibilities with commitment and care.

The pope also linked professional dedication to family life, telling lay employees that striving to do one’s best at work — and loving one’s family and children — honors God.

He urged Vatican workers to make that spirit a hallmark of the Church “in every expression,” and he asked them to convey his greetings to their relatives at home, telling them that the pope is praying for them.

After giving his blessing, Pope Leo greeted some of those present individually.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

null / Credit: Zyabich/Shutterstock

London, England, Dec 21, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

On Dec. 9 the Guardian U.K. reported that 40% of 13- to 17-year-olds in England and Wales affected by violence are turning to AI companions for support.

Giotto’s Nativity fresco projected on the Basilica of St. Francis of Assisi. / Credit: Buffy1982/Shutterstock

Rome Newsroom, Dec 21, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

One of the world’s most beloved saints, St. Francis of Assisi, loved Christmas so much that he created the first Nativity scene to make the birth of Jesus more real.

The pope with boys and girls from Italian Catholic Action on Dec. 18, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 20, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV told the young people of Italian Catholic Action that they can perform a simple gesture that would be the best gift this Christmas: make peace.

Servant of God Enrique Shaw. / Credit: Acdeano, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 19, 2025 / 10:35 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has approved a miracle attributed to the intercession of Venerable Enrique Shaw, an Argentine layman, husband, father, and businessman.

Bishop Richard Moth, a former bishop of Britain’s military ordinariate, was appointed as the 12th archbishop of Westminster on Dec. 19, 2025. / Credit: Mazur/catholicnews.org.uk (CC BY-NC-SA 2.0)

London, England, Dec 19, 2025 / 09:26 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Richard Moth, a former bishop of Britain’s military ordinariate, as the 12th archbishop of Westminster. 

Pope Leo XIV holds up a tennis racket given to him by children of the Pope Paul VI Pontifical School in Castel Gandolfo on Dec. 16, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 18, 2025 / 18:08 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV enjoyed a special Christmas concert this week dedicated to him by students of the Paul VI Pontifical School in Castel Gandolfo.

The European Parliament in Strasbourg, France. / Credit: fotogoocom via Wikimedia (CC BY 3.0)

Vilnius, Lithuania, Dec 18, 2025 / 14:04 pm (CNA).

The European Parliament voted Dec. 17 in favor of a resolution supporting the creation of a new fund intended to expand access to abortion services across EU member states.

Catholic faithful gather on Friday, Nov. 14, 2025, in St. Mary’s Pro Cathedral in Dublin to celebrate two milestones: a decree from Pope Leo XIV formally designating St. Mary’s Pro Cathedral as the cathedral of the Archdiocese of Dublin and the cathedral’s bicentenary. / Credit: John McElroy/Dublin Archdiocese

Dublin, Ireland, Dec 18, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Following a report in one of Ireland’s mainstream media publications, the Archdiocese of Dublin has moved to clarify questions raised about its financial security.