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International media call for transparency from AI companies
“Facts In, Facts Out”: An international campaign urges major AI companies to prioritize the credibility of information in their decision-making. Increasingly, people are using AI tools to access news, but these often come distorted or decontextualized compared to their original sources. Therefore, the media are calling for AI giants to take responsibility for their role in the digital revolution.
Praying at the Jordan River for peace in the Holy Land
On Friday, 9 January, Catholics from across Jordan made their annual pilgrimage to Bethany Beyond the Jordan (Al-Maghtas) to celebrate Holy Mass for the Baptism of the Lord.
News from the Orient - January 9, 2026
In this week’s news from the Eastern Churches, produced in collaboration with L’Œuvre d’Orient, we go to Syria, where violence struck Aleppo on the night of 6–7 January.
Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka appointed Archbishop of Cape Town
Pope Leo XIV has appointed Bishop Sithembele Anton Sipuka as the new Archbishop of Cape Town, marking a significant moment for the Catholic Church in Southern Africa. The appointment was announced in a communiqué issued by the Vatican Press Office on Friday, 9 January 2026.
Vatican releases calendar of upcoming papal liturgies
The Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff has released Pope Leo’s calendar for January and February, with the Pope scheduled to preside at liturgies for the Conversion of St Paul, the Presentation of the Lord, and Ash Wednesday.
Syria: 'May no more war and displacement occur in Aleppo'
Bishop Hanna Jallouf, Vicar Apostolic of Aleppo, laments escalating clashes between the Syrian army and the Syrian Democratic Forces in Kurdish-majority areas.
Pope raises alarm over human rights and a spreading “zeal for war”
Meeting members of the Diplomatic Corps, Pope Leo XIV warns that human rights and freedoms are under strain as diplomacy gives way to the logic of power and war.
A new pastoral staff for Pope Leo
Beginning on 6 January, Pope Leo XIV has made use of a new pastoral staff which, as explained by the Office for the Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff, “stands in continuity” with those used by his predecessors, uniting the mission of proclaiming the mystery of Christ on the Cross with the glorious manifestation of the Resurrection.
Pope Leo: Another Consistory in June; We will hold one every year
At the end of the second day of the Extraordinary Consistory, Pope Leo XIV expressed his desire to continue along this path, “in continuity” with what was requested in the pre-Conclave general congregations, and confirmed the Ecclesial Assembly of October 2028. Cardinal Brislin of South Africa, Cardinal David of the Philippines, and Cardinal Rueda Aparicio of Colombia describe the morning and afternoon proceedings, noting there was a sense of unity, even if not uniformity.
Custos of the Holy Land: “Return as pilgrims to the Holy Land”
Father Francesco Ielpo, Custos of the Holy Land invites the faithful to resume pilgrimages to the Holy Land, as they are a source of economic support and of hope to the local communities.
Pope Leo: 'Cardinals, I am counting on you'
Pope Leo XIV concluded the first session of the meeting with the cardinals yesterday with an off-the-cuff address, following work in linguistic groups in the Paul VI Hall. He thanked them for choosing two themes—synodality and mission in the light of Evangelii gaudium—from among four proposals, saying: “Thank you for this choice; the other themes are not lost. There are very concrete, specific issues that we still need to address.”
St. Brigitta Learning Centre empowering young people in Indonesia
The Church-run St. Brigitta Learning Centre is working to empower the young people on Indonesia’s remote Kei Besar Island in Southeast Maluku, combining medicine and pastoral care.
Pope at Mass: Consistory a time for Cardinals to reflect on Church’s path
Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass with the Cardinals gathered for his first Extraordinary Consistory, and invites them to share their burden of pastoral care with each other as they seek to help the Pope guide the Church.
Consistory: Cardinals choose synodality and mission as themes for reflection
At the end of the first day of the Extraordinary Consistory, the Director of the Holy See Press Office tells reporters that the roughly 170 Cardinals participating voted to reflect on the themes of synodality and mission, noting that Pope Leo XIV told the Cardinals that he needs “to be able to count on you.”
Pope at Consistory: It's not the Church that attracts but Christ
Pope Leo XIV opens the Extraordinary Consistory of Cardinals and recalls that Christ draws us to follow Him, warning that division in the Church scatters the faithful.
“Pray with the Pope”: a real network of communion in a divided world
“Pray with the Pope” is a new initiative of the Dicastery for Communication and the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network that invites people around the world to share in a real communion of prayer with Pope Leo XIV, offering prayer as a path to unity in a divided world.
Thousands flee renewed violence in eastern DR Congo as crisis spills into Burundi
Tens of thousands of Congolese have fled renewed fighting in eastern DR Congo, with more than 80,000 people crossing into Burundi in recent weeks.
We are not politicians and cannot afford to be partisan, say Cameroon’s Bishops
The Catholic Bishops of Cameroon are holding their 49th annual seminar in Kumba, in the Southwest Region, from 3 January to 10 January 2026. Under the theme “Communion and Collegiality,” this gathering brings together the entire Cameroonian episcopate for spiritual and pastoral exchanges in a context marked by socio-economic challenges in the country and the Crisis in the Anglophone regions.
More lives lost as Sudan prepares to mark 1,000 days of war
As Sudan nears 1,000 days of conflict, the situation in the country remains dire: attacks are frequent, children are malnourished, and tens of thousands have been displaced from their homes due to the violence.
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