Posted on 12/28/2025 13:00 PM (Catholic News Agency)
Monsignor Maurizio Gronchi. Credit: EWTN Noticias
, Dec 28, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
Vatican expert explains that the titles “Co-Redemptrix” and “Mediatrix” will no longer be used in the liturgy or official documents but can be used in popular piety.
Posted on 12/28/2025 12:00 PM (CNA Daily News)
Empty wheelchairs were used during a Nov. 4, 2025, anti-assisted suicide event in Rome. | Credit: Photo courtesy of ProVita & Famiglia
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 28, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Despite opposition from advocacy groups and Catholic leaders, multiple states and countries advanced legislation in 2025 to expand access to physician-assisted suicide.
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed a bill in May legalizing physician-assisted suicidefor terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live. The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, allowing patients to self-administer lethal medication.
After the bill was signed, several disability and patient advocacy groups filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Delaware on Dec. 8 alleging that the law discriminates against people with disabilities.
The House passed a bill in May to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Illinois, and it stalled in the Senate during the regular session. After it was taken up during the fall veto session, senators passed it on Oct. 31.
The bill, which allows doctors to give terminally ill patients life-ending drugs if they request them, was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on Dec. 12. The law “ignores the very real failures in access to quality care that drive vulnerable people to despair,” according to the Catholic Conference of Illinois.
Illinois joined states that permit the practice including California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia.
The New York State Assembly advanced an assisted suicide measure in May, which Cardinal Timothy Dolan called “a disaster waiting to happen.” Despite calls from Catholic bishops, the New York Legislature passed the “ Medical Aid in Dying Act” in June.
The legislation is expected to be signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Assisted suicide has been legal in Colorado since 2016. In June 2025, a coalition of advocacy groups sued the state over its assisted suicide law, claiming the statute is unconstitutional for allegedly discriminating against those who suffer from disabilities.
The suit was filed on June 30 in U.S. district court by organizations including Not Dead Yet and the Institute for Patients’ Rights. It calls Colorado’s assisted suicide regime “a deadly and discriminatory system that steers people with life-threatening disabilities away from necessary lifesaving and preserving mental health care.”
The National Assembly approved a bill in May that would allow certain terminally ill adults to receive lethal medication. The bill passed with 305 votes in favor and 199 against.
In a statement released after the vote, the French Bishops’ Conference expressed its “deep concern” over the so-called “right to assistance in dying.”
British lawmakers in the House of Commons passed a bill in June to legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients in England and Wales.
In order to become law, the bill must pass the second chamber of Parliament, the unelected House of Lords. The Lords can amend legislation, but because the bill has the support of the Commons, it is likely to pass.
Legislators in Uruguay passed a bill in August to legalize euthanasia in the country. In October, Uruguay’s Parliament approved the “Dignified Death Bill,” making the bill law and allowing adults in the terminal stage of a disease to request euthanasia.
A Cardus Health report released in September found the legalization of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada led to disproportionately high rates of premature deaths among vulnerable groups.
MAID passed in 2012 with safeguards and provisions that the report said Canada has not upheld. It said: “Those who died from MAID were more likely to have been living with a disability than those who did not die from MAID, even though both groups had similar medical conditions and experienced diminished capability.”
People suffering from mental illness are also dying by assisted suicide at disproportionate rates, the report said.
Posted on 12/28/2025 12:00 PM (CNA Daily News - US)
Empty wheelchairs were used during a Nov. 4, 2025, anti-assisted suicide event in Rome. | Credit: Photo courtesy of ProVita & Famiglia
Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Dec 28, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Despite opposition from advocacy groups and Catholic leaders, multiple states and countries advanced legislation in 2025 to expand access to physician-assisted suicide.
Delaware Gov. Matt Meyer signed a bill in May legalizing physician-assisted suicidefor terminally ill adults with a prognosis of six months or less to live. The law will go into effect on Jan. 1, 2026, allowing patients to self-administer lethal medication.
After the bill was signed, several disability and patient advocacy groups filed a lawsuit in the U.S. District Court in Delaware on Dec. 8 alleging that the law discriminates against people with disabilities.
The House passed a bill in May to legalize physician-assisted suicide in Illinois, and it stalled in the Senate during the regular session. After it was taken up during the fall veto session, senators passed it on Oct. 31.
The bill, which allows doctors to give terminally ill patients life-ending drugs if they request them, was signed into law by Gov. JB Pritzker on Dec. 12. The law “ignores the very real failures in access to quality care that drive vulnerable people to despair,” according to the Catholic Conference of Illinois.
Illinois joined states that permit the practice including California, Colorado, Delaware, Hawaii, Maine, Montana, New Jersey, New Mexico, Oregon, Vermont, and Washington, as well as the District of Columbia.
The New York State Assembly advanced an assisted suicide measure in May, which Cardinal Timothy Dolan called “a disaster waiting to happen.” Despite calls from Catholic bishops, the New York Legislature passed the “ Medical Aid in Dying Act” in June.
The legislation is expected to be signed by New York Gov. Kathy Hochul.
Assisted suicide has been legal in Colorado since 2016. In June 2025, a coalition of advocacy groups sued the state over its assisted suicide law, claiming the statute is unconstitutional for allegedly discriminating against those who suffer from disabilities.
The suit was filed on June 30 in U.S. district court by organizations including Not Dead Yet and the Institute for Patients’ Rights. It calls Colorado’s assisted suicide regime “a deadly and discriminatory system that steers people with life-threatening disabilities away from necessary lifesaving and preserving mental health care.”
The National Assembly approved a bill in May that would allow certain terminally ill adults to receive lethal medication. The bill passed with 305 votes in favor and 199 against.
In a statement released after the vote, the French Bishops’ Conference expressed its “deep concern” over the so-called “right to assistance in dying.”
British lawmakers in the House of Commons passed a bill in June to legalize assisted suicide for terminally ill patients in England and Wales.
In order to become law, the bill must pass the second chamber of Parliament, the unelected House of Lords. The Lords can amend legislation, but because the bill has the support of the Commons, it is likely to pass.
Legislators in Uruguay passed a bill in August to legalize euthanasia in the country. In October, Uruguay’s Parliament approved the “Dignified Death Bill,” making the bill law and allowing adults in the terminal stage of a disease to request euthanasia.
A Cardus Health report released in September found the legalization of medical assistance in dying (MAID) in Canada led to disproportionately high rates of premature deaths among vulnerable groups.
MAID passed in 2012 with safeguards and provisions that the report said Canada has not upheld. It said: “Those who died from MAID were more likely to have been living with a disability than those who did not die from MAID, even though both groups had similar medical conditions and experienced diminished capability.”
People suffering from mental illness are also dying by assisted suicide at disproportionate rates, the report said.
Posted on 12/28/2025 11:00 AM (CNA Daily News)
Bottega Ferrigno is located in the iconic “Christmas Alley,” part of the southern Italian city of Naples’ historic San Gregorio Armeno neighborhood. | Credit: Gianpiero Passalia/EWTN News
Rome Newsroom, Dec 28, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
On a small street in the center of Naples, Italy, artisans like Giovanni Giudice work to preserve the custom of handcrafted Neapolitan Nativity scenes, a tradition dating back more than 300 years.
“The story of the Neapolitan Nativity scene begins with the Bourbon domination, the Kingdom of the Two Sicilies, and between them … a competition of who made the most beautiful and unique Nativity scene,” Giudice, a third-generation artisan, told Valentina Di Donato of EWTN News. “So from there, the whole story began here in Naples.”
Giudice’s Nativity workshop, Bottega Ferrigno, located in the iconic “Christmas Alley,” part of the southern Italian city’s historic San Gregorio Armeno neighborhood, has been around for more than 120 years.
“Here, just walking these streets you return to being a child,” the craftsman said. “You live the warmth of the birth of Jesus Christ. The Nativity scenes that were made when you were little, we try to transmit this tradition to our children, even if the youth of today are really focused on innovation, and maybe it’s getting a little out of hand.”
“But we have to do everything possible to help them learn these skills too and honor these things,” he said.
Neapolitan Nativity scenes reflect the style and dress of the 1700s in Naples, the century in which they became popularized by the nobles of the era, who would commission well-known artists of the time to create the elaborate scenes for display in their homes.
Another unique aspect of a Neapolitan Nativity, Giudice pointed out, is that “it brings everyday life into the Nativity scene.”
Beyond the typical figures of Mary, Joseph, baby Jesus, and shepherds, in a Neapolitan Nativity scene, one can also find statuettes of ordinary people going about their daily lives.
The pieces are made from hand-molded terracotta that is then hand-painted before fabric clothing is attached.
“This is very particular work. It’s born totally out of passion,” Giudice said. He explained that on one side of the scene is the birth of Jesus, the most important part, and then around it are characters such as a fish vendor or a person selling cheese: “Everyday people living everyday life.”
The “Gobbo Scio Scio” is a characteristic figure found in the Neapolitan Nativity — the beggar is considered a good luck charm in Naples.
Another distinctive piece is Pulcinella, a masked character from comedic theater and a universal symbol of Naples. Craftsmen began to include Pulcinella in their Nativity scenes in the 18th century as a sign of joy and lightheartedness.
Situated between the “profane” characters and the Holy Family, there is the “purification,” the artisan Giudice said. “It’s represented through a fountain or a waterfall — there must be water, because water purifies from the profane to the sacred.”
“The faces here [in Naples] are particular, grotesque even!” Giudice said. “And sometimes we use them and transform them into our shepherds, turning those faces into our Nativity scene characters. Of course, the older people here give us so much inspiration. Those faces have so much history.”
“Naples is a fantastic city. A city full of inspiration, full of culture. The stones here are hundreds of years old — they speak.”
Posted on 12/28/2025 11:00 AM (Catholic News Agency)
Bottega Ferrigno is located in the iconic “Christmas Alley,” part of the southern Italian city of Naples’ historic San Gregorio Armeno neighborhood. | Credit: Gianpiero Passalia/EWTN News
Rome Newsroom, Dec 28, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Neapolitan Nativity scenes reflect the style and dress of the 1700s in Naples, the century in which they became popularized by the nobles of the era.
Posted on 12/27/2025 13:00 PM (CNA Daily News)
José Antonio Kast | Credit: Photo courtesy of Goya Productions
Dec 27, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
In an exclusive 2024 interview with Goya Producciones for the documentary “ Valientes” (Brave Ones), the now president-elect of Chile, José Antonio Kast, addressed topics such as defending life, his family history, and the problem of leftist ideological imposition on society.
Discussing both his personal background and political career, Kast asserted that young people “have the power to bring about change” and put an end to individualistic societies that lead to loneliness.
A staunch defender of life from conception, Kast — the youngest of 10 siblings — shared a “very important” personal story that shaped his family’s future: “When my mother had her second child, she suffered from eclampsia [a serious pregnancy complication], and they raised the possibility that she wouldn’t be able to have any more children,” he recounted.
His father believed that wasn’t right, and despite the risk to his wife’s life, he told her: “I believe God doesn’t want that for us.” That determination allowed them to have eight more children, including Kast. Without that decision, “I wouldn’t have been born,” he noted.
“My parents are German immigrants, and we have an extended family of almost 200 people. My mother’s first two children passed away. Therefore, none of this would have been possible, and that leaves a lasting impression on you from a young age,” he emphasized.
“Thanks to that decision, I’m here; thanks to that decision, I met my wife. Thanks to that decision, we were able to have nine children. Thanks to that, today we are expecting our third grandchild,” he commented.
“It’s amazing how one decision can affect the lives of so many,” he reflected.
With his wife, María Pía Adriasola, he has nine children, born from the conviction of “being open to life.”
“God accompanied us in that decision, and today we are happy parents of nine children,” he said, “and we couldn’t imagine life without any of them.”
In his early days in politics, he recalled, he wasn’t “a great communicator,” but through hard work he became a congressman, a party leader, and a presidential candidate, “always being very clear about things, never deceiving people, never falsifying my position,” and with the purpose of “winning people’s hearts, whatever the result may be.”
His continued involvement in politics was a family decision that he discussed with his wife and children, based on the premise that “he who has a mission must fulfill it.”
Analyzing Chile’s sociopolitical landscape at the time (prior to the 2025 elections) Kast pointed out that “leftist ideology has been gaining increasing influence in governments, promoting laws that go against life and against the family as constituted by a man and a woman.”
He warned about the imposition of an agenda that, in the case of Chile, legalized abortion on three grounds and “seeks to change the constitution” by decriminalizing abortion up to the ninth month, based on a misinterpretation of the concept of a woman’s autonomy over her own body. “She is not the owner of the body of another being that is inside her,” Kast explained.
“Generally, I don’t use religious arguments to defend the pro-life stance, because there is ample evidence from the nature of human beings, from science, and from the fact that life begins at conception,” he stated, expressing hope that “the future depends on us” because “the nature of human beings is on our side.”
In this context, Kast has faced violence, intolerance, and the cancellation by those who think differently. “As a politician in my early years, it was mostly verbal violence from those who thought differently,” he recalled.
“Some people mixed things up because they would say, ‘No, you’re speaking from a religious perspective.’ And I would tell them, ‘I’m not speaking from a religious perspective; I’m speaking from a scientific perspective, from the nature of the human being, because the moment you were conceived, at that very moment, the characteristics you exhibit to society today were already present.’” That, he recalled, “was met with verbal violence in Parliament.”
“Later, they began influencing other environments. And on some occasions, I have experienced severe physical violence,” he recounted, detailing situations in which he suffered fractures and needed police protection. “You always feel fear, but I have never had the intention of backing down.”
Kast lamented that the young people who commit these acts of aggression “are instruments in the hands of an ideologue.” Therefore, he said, “I don’t feel resentment, I don’t feel hatred; I sometimes feel frustration at not being able to be with these people individually to explain to them the joy one feels when giving of oneself to save another, and they would feel the same way if they had the opportunity to experience the richness that exists in human nature.“
Kast then proceeded to speak out against “a kind of empire that is beginning to dominate the actions of society,” coordinated with vast financial resources, so that “violence is being used to create a new kind of human being.”
Although he has seen “an ideological totalitarianism” that aims at canceling the individual, Kast noted that ideology “will never be able to overcome the nature of the human being, which seeks freedom, transcendence, the preservation of life, and love between people.”
“We don’t have the resources, but we do have a voice, we do have heart ... and that strength is more powerful than money,” he emphasized, really wishing that people would wake up and “realize that we must occupy all the spaces we have to act in, that with the power of the Spirit one can defeat the spirit of evil, because ultimately this is a struggle between good and evil.”
“There is no good value that seeks the death of another. There is no good value that seeks the disintegration of the family, which is the fundamental nucleus of society,” Kast emphasized. “Two women can love each other. Two women can live together. Two women can work together. But two women by themselves cannot procreate. The same is true for two men,” he explained.
“What I always propose and try to promote is that people consider the evidence. And that evidence is much stronger than ideology,” he indicated.
Kast acknowledged that the left has been “very clever” because it has appropriated causes such as the environment, women’s rights, and health, and used them to its advantage. However, he asked: “Who cares more about the environment? The leftist ideology or those of us who believe in life? We do.”
“Who defends people with disabilities more? Who truly cares about them? Those of us who believe in life. The others use their suffering to say, ‘They are discriminated against,’” he stated.
“The Indigenous cause is used by the ideological left to claim that they have been oppressed and repressed, which may have been true 100, 200, or 300 years ago, but today we are all part of the same nation. We have equal value. Today, there are more slaves in the world than when slavery was legal. Who is fighting against this slavery of children whose rights are violated? Who is fighting against the slavery of women who are victims of human trafficking? We are, because we believe in life and in freedom.”
To those who from the comfort of their homes declare “Someone has to do something,” the Chilean leader responded: “Don’t wait for someone else to do what you can do. What are you doing with your children? Do you dedicate time to them, or are you always busy? Because the root of this problem lies in the family,” he pointed out, urging people to set aside time exclusively for their spouses and children.
In this context, he highlighted a Chilean tradition called “dating Tuesdays,” which he himself practices with his wife every week, and which consists of “two hours a week of direct, face-to-face conversation, looking each other in the eyes, with no one else around.”
In this way, “a solid foundation is built for what is the core of the family, the union of the couple. If the couple is doing well, it’s more likely that the children and their environment will also be doing well,” he summarized. “And then it’s easier to go out and motivate others, because I can’t give what I don’t have,” he added.
“You can see in Chile that what I was saying 20 years ago was the same as today,” Kast said. “I still say the same thing. And that’s why I'm closer to convincing people today.”
“In the coming years, how many people will realize that abortion is murdering an innocent person? How many people in 20 years will say, ‘What did we do to these children, giving them up for adoption to same-sex couples?’ Those children have the right to know their identity.”
“Just as the radical left, through its ideology, often captures the hearts and minds of young people, we, without trying to control them, but appealing to their freedom, are certain that they will be the force for change. Because these individualistic societies lead to loneliness. And man is a social being who seeks connection, who seeks joy,” Kast pointed out.
“It is young people who are the first to rebel against state totalitarianism. It is young people who are the first to realize that modern welfare systems, those governments that are gradually seizing complete power, turn their citizens into slaves of the welfare state,” he maintained. Therefore, he expressed his hope “that it will be young people who reverse the situation we are experiencing today.”
This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.
Posted on 12/27/2025 11:00 AM (CNA Daily News)
Sister Carla Venditti of the Sacred Heart of Jesus helps women and girls who are victims of human trafficking. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Giulio Gargiullo
CNA Staff, Dec 27, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Some women, forced into prostitution by violence, desperation, or false promises, line the streets of Rome and Abruzzo at night — until they see a nun, dressed in a habit, offering them a way out.
“Ten years ago, I felt a calling within a calling,” Sister Carla Venditti told CNA. “I felt that God was calling me to something beautiful. I had to go out onto the streets because he was waiting for me there in the faces of the least among us.”
Venditti, of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, lives in Avezzano, Italy, and is known as the “anti-trafficking nun.” She goes out into the streets, ministering to women and girls who are being trafficked. Along with her fellow sisters and other volunteers, Venditti helps victims rebuild their lives.
“I look forward to Friday evenings so I can enter the world of nightlife,” said Sister Lucia Soccio, another Italian nun from the same order who has worked with Venditti on the streets for about 10 years.
“Bringing light, love, and hope to places where it is difficult to talk about these things is a very profound mission that changes you from within,” Soccio said.
Together, along with other nuns and volunteers, Venditti and Soccio offer a home for women in need.
Wearing a habit helps, they said, but it takes time to build trust — and escaping human trafficking is difficult as exploiters manipulate, threaten, blackmail, and harm victims, even taking away their passports and documents.
The women who are ready to accept support are brought to a shelter in Abruzzo, the “Oasi Madre Clelia,” or the Oasis of Mother Clelia.
“The invitation to change one’s life comes only after many encounters where friendship and trust are formed,” Soccio said.
The sisters commit to taking care of victims throughout their day-to-day lives as they heal and rehabilitate.
“We have chosen to be a family to the people who come to us, and so everything is more demanding,” Venditti said. “Let’s start anew with love — this is the driving force behind our mission.”
“What drives me to do everything is the awareness that human beings need to feel God’s mercy in their lives through our humanity and sensitivity and, above all, the need to not be judged,” Venditti said.
By night Venditti reaches out to trafficked women; by day, she helps those in the oasis readjust. Somehow, she still finds the time to sell handmade items at marketplaces to help fund their work.
“We have formed an association: Friends of the Oasis of Mother Clelia. We have a bank account where we receive donations,” Venditti said. “We entrust ourselves to providence and, with our work — markets, linens, and calendars — we strive to make a living out of it.”
Venditti has even written a book — “The Rebellious Narcissus” (“ Il narciso ribelle” in Italian) — for young people.
“What gives meaning to our mission is knowing that we do it for God,” Venditti said. “Every day we give our simple lives to give strength to those who do not have it.”
Since her calling 10 years ago, Venditti’s work has grown. The sisters have expanded their reach, working with many different kinds of people in need.
“Ten years have passed, and today we welcome anyone who wants to be welcomed and accompanied: from abused young women to trans people to the poor,” Venditti said.
“On the street we have met several people who are transgender and have become friends with them,” Soccio added.
The sisters help people in a variety of ways.
“Often they have asked me for practical help, such as taking them to the hospital, the police station, etc., because they have no one else to help them,” Soccio said.
“We help them in whatever way we can, but above all we have formed a relationship of friendship and trust that brings us joy and inspiration every time we meet,” Soccio continued.
The violence, humiliation, and suffering that the people they work with have experienced “breaks my heart,” Soccio said.
“It is very painful to hear about these experiences and realize how we human beings can become evil and malicious if we have not experienced God’s mercy,” Soccio said.
To women who are suffering, Venditti says: “God does not forsake his children.”
“We must have the strength and courage to trust and to know that the sky is not always cloudy, but that there is sunshine for everyone,” Venditti said. “Life is wonderful, and we must embrace the new possibilities that God gives us.”
“There are many stories that accompany our mission, but what strikes me most about these girls is the transformation of their faces, of their lives: from despair to serenity,” Venditti continued.
Working with the women has helped strengthen Venditti’s faith.
“My faith has grown stronger ever since I have been close to them,” Venditti said. “They help me to live it because, after all, how can we live the Gospel if we do not confront ourselves with others — with the weaknesses and fragility of our brothers and sisters?”
Posted on 12/27/2025 11:00 AM (Catholic News Agency)
Sister Carla Venditti of the Sacred Heart of Jesus helps women and girls who are victims of human trafficking. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Giulio Gargiullo
CNA Staff, Dec 27, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
Sister Carla Venditti of the Apostles of the Sacred Heart of Jesus lives in Avezzano, Italy, and is known as the “anti-trafficking nun.”
Posted on 12/27/2025 09:00 AM (CNA Daily News - US)
Vladimir Borovikovsky (1757–1825), “St. John the Evangelist,” ca. 1804-1809. | Credit: Public domain
National Catholic Register, Dec 27, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
St. John, both an apostle and an evangelist, played a very prominent role in many of the New Testament narratives. He was part of an inner-circle trio with his brother James (the Greater) and Peter, partaking in privileged incidents with Jesus: the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the Transfiguration, and the agony at Gethsemane.
John and his brother James were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus. Exactly why they were given this title is not explained. However, the two brothers did exhibit at least two instances of audacious behavior: wanting to bring fire from heaven down upon some Samaritans who refused to listen to the message of Christ and asking Jesus for special places of honor in heaven.
Within the Gospel of John, there are five different references to “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20). Over the centuries, the vast majority of biblical scholars have deemed this beloved disciple to be John himself. These mysterious references actually point to a less thunderous personality; for example, the beloved disciple resting his head on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper and Jesus requesting the beloved disciple to take care of his mother, Mary.
Tradition places John in Ephesus (in modern Turkey) after Pentecost, where he cared for Mary and perhaps wrote the fourth Gospel. John’s Gospel stands out from the other three, offering a unique portrayal of Christ and his message. This Gospel is symbolized with an eagle; its opening words urge the thoughts of readers to soar upward — sort of like an eagle — toward God (John 1:1).
It is probable that either John himself or a disciple of his wrote the three Epistles of John. Many claim that he also wrote the Book of Revelation, a work chock full of mystical imagery, during an exile on the island of Patmos (Greece).
John is believed to have lived to an old age and died of natural causes. A basilica in Ephesus reportedly held his remains for a time, but that church is now in ruins.
The feast of St. John the Evangelist is Dec. 27. He is the patron of many things including writers, booksellers, and friendships.
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.
Posted on 12/27/2025 09:00 AM (CNA Daily News)
Vladimir Borovikovsky (1757–1825), “St. John the Evangelist,” ca. 1804-1809. | Credit: Public domain
National Catholic Register, Dec 27, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).
St. John, both an apostle and an evangelist, played a very prominent role in many of the New Testament narratives. He was part of an inner-circle trio with his brother James (the Greater) and Peter, partaking in privileged incidents with Jesus: the raising of Jairus’ daughter, the Transfiguration, and the agony at Gethsemane.
John and his brother James were nicknamed “Sons of Thunder” by Jesus. Exactly why they were given this title is not explained. However, the two brothers did exhibit at least two instances of audacious behavior: wanting to bring fire from heaven down upon some Samaritans who refused to listen to the message of Christ and asking Jesus for special places of honor in heaven.
Within the Gospel of John, there are five different references to “the disciple whom Jesus loved” (13:23, 19:26, 20:2, 21:7, 21:20). Over the centuries, the vast majority of biblical scholars have deemed this beloved disciple to be John himself. These mysterious references actually point to a less thunderous personality; for example, the beloved disciple resting his head on Jesus’ chest at the Last Supper and Jesus requesting the beloved disciple to take care of his mother, Mary.
Tradition places John in Ephesus (in modern Turkey) after Pentecost, where he cared for Mary and perhaps wrote the fourth Gospel. John’s Gospel stands out from the other three, offering a unique portrayal of Christ and his message. This Gospel is symbolized with an eagle; its opening words urge the thoughts of readers to soar upward — sort of like an eagle — toward God (John 1:1).
It is probable that either John himself or a disciple of his wrote the three Epistles of John. Many claim that he also wrote the Book of Revelation, a work chock full of mystical imagery, during an exile on the island of Patmos (Greece).
John is believed to have lived to an old age and died of natural causes. A basilica in Ephesus reportedly held his remains for a time, but that church is now in ruins.
The feast of St. John the Evangelist is Dec. 27. He is the patron of many things including writers, booksellers, and friendships.
This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, CNA’s sister news partner, and has been adapted by CNA.