Bishop John Sherrington, the lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has expressed his shock that the Health Secretary plans to introduce temporary measures to allow early DIY abortions at home without any medical...
Tue, 31st March
OTHER NEWS
As Covid-19 cases increase, Kenyans flee cities, seeking safety
As the coronavirus cases rise in Kenya, many city residents are fleeing to their rural homes, despite a warning from clerics and government officials. Weeks after Covid-19 was first reported, panicking Kenyans - including Catholics - left cities and towns and...
Stranded migrants, lack of food: in Indian lockdown, poor suffer
The three-week Covid-19 lockdown of India's 1.37 billion people has stranded millions of domestic migrant workers and left people scrambling for food and other basics amid the ensuing harsh and often violent crackdown by police. "Especially when I look at my poor...
Pope joins UN call for immediate global cease-fire
Saying conflicts can never be resolved with war, Pope Francis added his support to a UN appeal for a global cease-fire amid the worldwide threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. "May our joint effort against the pandemic lead everyone to recognise our need to strengthen our...
Priority on economy over people may lead to ‘viral genocide,’ pope warns
Countries fighting the coronavirus pandemic could face deadly consequences if they focus on protecting their economies more than their own people, Pope Francis said. In a handwritten letter sent on 28th March to Argentine Judge Roberto Andres Gallardo, president of...
Christmas tree set up in St Peter’s Square
A 4.5 tonne Christmas tree was put up in St Peter’s Square on Thursday morning. The 23 metre high tree travelled from the northern Italian region of Friuli Venezia Giulia, more specifically, from Pordenone.
The Christmas tree, along with a life-sized nativity scene (which this year is being sculpted from sand) have been tradition since 1982, when John Paul II was Pope. The tradition of erecting a Christmas Tree was celebrated in northern Europe and it was celebrated in Poland, Pope John Paul II’s country of origin, but until then, there had been no Christmas trees in the Vatican.
That year, Pope John Paul II received a Christmas tree as a gift, from a Polish farmer, who had brought it all the way to Rome. Since then, the offering of the Christmas Tree to th Pope has become an honour, and each year the Vatican accepts a tree donated by a different European country or region.
Last year’s tree came from Poland, and the decorations were made and gifted to Pope Francis by children from several departments of oncology around Italy as well as from areas that had been hit by earthquakes.
This year’s tree will be inaugurated on the 7th of December, and its lights will stay on until January 13th of the new year.
SUBSCRIPTION OFFER: GET THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSE DIGITAL EDITION FREE FOR TWO MONTHS. TO SIGN UP VISIT www.thecatholicuniverse.com
Christmas spirit in the air as Vatican…
Advent is time of vigilance and prayer,…
Nativity scene, Christmas tree are visible signs…OTHER NEWS
Emergency measures changing access to abortion will ‘further endanger women’, warns bishop
Bishop John Sherrington, the lead Bishop for Life Issues for the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, has expressed his shock that the Health Secretary plans to introduce temporary measures to allow early DIY abortions at home without any medical...
As Covid-19 cases increase, Kenyans flee cities, seeking safety
As the coronavirus cases rise in Kenya, many city residents are fleeing to their rural homes, despite a warning from clerics and government officials. Weeks after Covid-19 was first reported, panicking Kenyans - including Catholics - left cities and towns and...
Stranded migrants, lack of food: in Indian lockdown, poor suffer
The three-week Covid-19 lockdown of India's 1.37 billion people has stranded millions of domestic migrant workers and left people scrambling for food and other basics amid the ensuing harsh and often violent crackdown by police. "Especially when I look at my poor...
Pope joins UN call for immediate global cease-fire
Saying conflicts can never be resolved with war, Pope Francis added his support to a UN appeal for a global cease-fire amid the worldwide threat of the Covid-19 pandemic. "May our joint effort against the pandemic lead everyone to recognise our need to strengthen our...
Priority on economy over people may lead to ‘viral genocide,’ pope warns
Countries fighting the coronavirus pandemic could face deadly consequences if they focus on protecting their economies more than their own people, Pope Francis said. In a handwritten letter sent on 28th March to Argentine Judge Roberto Andres Gallardo, president of...