Mt 11: 2-11

The first fruit of the coming of the Kingdom is the arising of a question in those who await it.

Not an answer, not a certainty, but open questions, which are paths to be traveled.

The question arises in those who go down to the Jordan to be baptized, and who, faced with John's preaching, wonder what they should do (Lk 3:10). The question arises in the heart of John himself, who marvels at seeing how the Messiah presents himself in history, radically upsetting his expectations.

We hear John's first question at the moment of Jesus’s Baptism, when with perplexity, he addresses Jesus saying: “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you are coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14).

A second question is found in today's Gospel (Mt 11:2-11), when the Baptist, imprisoned, sends his disciples to Jesus to ask him if he is truly the One they were expecting, or if they should wait for another (Mt 3:3)…

On the final day of his three-day Pontifical visit to Cyprus, on Monday evening, 8 December 2025, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), and his delegation visited Sourp Sdepanos Church in Larnaca. He was warmly welcomed by the Church’s Pastor, Rev. Fr. Mashdots Ashkarian, Members of the Board of Trustees, Deacons, and Parishioners.

Following the Canonical Prayer, His Eminence Archbishop Gomidas Ohanyan, Pontifical Vicar of the Cyprus, addressed the faithful on behalf of the community. He noted that this visit marked the final stop of the Catholicos’ pontifical visit.

In a new Apostolic Letter commemorating the centenary of the foundation of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV highlights the importance of archaeology, noting that this academic discipline bears witness to the fact that God became flesh.

Excavation, physically handling the ruins, rediscovering the vitality of time—the work of the Christian archaeologist involves not only material things “but extends to what is truly human”: the hands that forged the artifacts discovered, “the minds that conceived them, and the hearts that loved them.”

This is one of the characteristics of Christian archaeology that the Pope highlights in his Apostolic Letter on the importance of archaeology on the occasion of the centenary of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology, published Thursday, 11 December 2025.

On December 10, 2025, His Holiness Patriarch Mor Ignatius Aphrem II, Patriarch of Antioch and All the East, Supreme Head of the Syriac Orthodox Church of the World, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), prays at the tomb of Mor Ignatius Elias III Dayro in Manjinikara during his private visit and spiritual Retreat at the Dayro.

He prayed for the peace of the Church in India and throughout the world.

On December 8, 2025, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), visited the Nareg School in Limassol. School administration, board of trustees, and students warmly welcomed His Holiness Catholicos Aram I with the traditional blessing of salt and bread. In the school hall, Principal Vera Tahmazian delivered welcoming remarks and outlined the school’s mission. Ms. Tahmazian and the Chair of the board presented His Holiness with the symbolic key of the school, after which students offered a cultural program in his honor.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), accompanied by his Pontifical delegation, arrived in Limassol on the evening of December 7, 2025. At the entrance of Sourp Kevork Church, he was warmly welcomed by the Clergy, Church bodies, and faithful, led by the Pastor of Limassol, V. Rev. Fr. Hovhanness Saghdejian. Following the traditional offering of salt and bread, the Catholicos entered the Church to the hymn “Ourakh Ler,” after which the Canonical Prayer was offered.

On the second day of his Pontifical visit to Cyprus, Sunday morning, December 7, 2025, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), presided over the Divine Liturgy at the Holy Mother of God Cathedral in Nicosia. The Service was celebrated by His Grace Bishop Dajad Ashekian.

Officials in attendance included the Ambassador of Armenia to Cyprus and Embassy staff, the Honorary Consul in Limassol, the Cypriot Armenian MP, and representatives of Diocesan and community bodies.

A Thanksgiving Prayer marking the 30th Anniversary of the His Holiness Catholicos Aram I’s Enthronement was offered by His Eminence Archbishop Gomidas Ohanian, who welcomed His Holiness and highlighted the community’s deep reverence.

During the visit of His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), to Cyprus, He met with His Beatitude Archbishop Georgios III of Cyprus at the Archbishop’s Palace in Nicosia on December 8, 2025.

His Beatitude Archbishop Georgios III warmly welcomed His Holiness Catholicos Aram I. The primary focus of their discussions was the situation of the Churches in occupied Cyprus. Both Leaders stressed the importance of reaffirming the Churches’ legal ownership and explored the possibility of restoration where needed.

During his Wednesday General Audience, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV meditates on existential questions of how human beings view death, and he invites us to ponder on the end of life so as to discover the power of Christ's Resurrection.

At the Wednesday General Audience on December 10, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV highlighted the importance of reflecting on death—especially in today’s world that tends to avoid doing so—to discover the power of Christ’s Resurrection and thus find a new meaning for our life.

To know that death exists, “and above all to reflect on it, teaches us to choose what we really want to make of our existence,” the Pope said to the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square.

From December 4–7, 2025, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, embarked on a Pastoral visit to southeast Michigan, bringing with him the stories, struggles, and hopes of the Christian community in the Holy Land. Over four days, the Archdiocese of Detroit and the Chaldean Eparchy of St. Thomas the Apostle welcomed him with Prayer, generosity, and deep solidarity, seeking to stand with the Church of the Holy Land during one of its most challenging periods in recent memory.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV joins the audience at the Vatican’s “Concert with the Poor” in the Paul VI Hall and expresses his pleasure to be able to partake in the joy of listening to music, which is “not a luxury for the few, but a divine gift accessible to everyone.”

Saturday evening was special in the Vatican as His Holiness Pope Leo XIV welcomed artists, volunteers, and more than 3,000 guests of honor - vulnerable and marginalized men and women in need of different nationalities, languages, and religions - who filled the Paul VI Hall for the sixth “Concert with the Poor.”

Greeting participants and guests at the conclusion of the event organized by the Dicastery for the Service of Charity and in collaboration with the Diocese of Rome and a host of associations and groups that care for the poor, this 2025 edition featured international artist Michael Bublè, together with his band, the Choir of the Diocese of Rome, conducted by Monsignor Marco Frisina, and the Nova Opera Orchestra.

The Holy See’s official Pontifical Yearbook is now available online, providing up-to-date information on the Catholic Church’s institutions across the globe.

From December 8, the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, the Annuarium Pontificium—the Holy See’s official Pontifical Yearbook—is available in a fully digital version, accessible via web browser and mobile app.

The new platform offers data on the Dicasteries of the Roman Curia, Dioceses, Religious Institutes, and Apostolic Nunciatures.

The project was jointly developed by the Secretariat of State and the Dicastery for Communication, and was presented recently to His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.

Accompanied by Archbishop Edgar Peña Parra, Substitute of the Secretariat of State, and Msgr. Lucio Adrián Ruiz, Secretary of the Dicastery for Communication, together with other representatives of the two Dicasteries, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV effectuated the first login and navigated the platform himself.

His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), has concluded his three-day Pontifical visit to the Armenian Diocese of Cyprus, returning late last night to the Catholicosate of Cilicia in Antelias.

The visit, initiated by the Cypriot Armenian community, marked the 30th anniversary of His Holiness’ Pontificate and honored his three decades of devoted service. It was a meaningful occasion that fostered spiritual revival within the community. During his time in Cyprus, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I inspired local Armenians with his addresses, strengthened historic Armenian-Cypriot relations through meetings with Senior State and Church Officials, and, in discussions with community bodies, provided renewed motivation for ongoing service to the diaspora.

Your Majesty King Abdullah II ibn Al-Hussein,

may God protect him,

King of the Hashemite Kingdom of Jordan,

Your Excellency, the Honorable Edi Rama, Prime Minister of Albania,

Beloved friends,

It gives me great joy, in this season of the Child of Bethlehem and from the sacred site of His Baptism, to reflect with you on the event of the Nativity—a birth we shall celebrate in just a few days here in noble Jordan—expressed in the words of the angels: “Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, and goodwill toward men.” The peace of the earth and the goodwill of its peoples in their peaceful coexistence are a glory to the Most High, the Holy Lord, who willed that we, upon this earth, be brothers and sisters despite the diversity of our religions and affiliations. The peace of the earth and the joy of humankind in their fraternity are a glory to the Most High, who desired to dwell among us and made His birth a window, an opening through which He looked from the eternity of His being into the temporality of our world. From here I begin: with the words of the Gospel, with the glad tidings through which the Evangelists introduced the life of Christ…

Mt 3: 1-12

Both the season of Advent and Lent carry with them an urgent call to conversion. 

However, these two invitations, have a different nuance: the charachter of Lent is more penitential, referring to the inner struggle, and it points to practices such as fasting, almsgiving, and prayer. It is the conversion of the heart, which needs to allow itself to be transformed by the Paschal love, a love that conquers sin and death.

The conversion proposed to us in the time of Advent concerns, above all, our gaze: it wants to help us pay attention, to learn how to recognize the Lord who comes. It is an “eschatological” conversion, a joyful learning of how to live starting from now as citizens of the Kingdom that is to come.

Repentance is also the central theme of the Gospel passage of this Second Sunday of Advent (Mt 3:1–12). This passage helps us to deepen our understanding of the relationship between Advent and conversion…

On Saturday, 29 November 2025, His Beatitude Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, presided over the annual Mass honoring the commitment and charitable work of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul in Jerusalem. Concelebrating with him were Monsignor William Shomali, Vicar General, Monsignor Boulos Marcuzzo, and Fr. Rami Assakrieh, Parish Priest of Jerusalem.

Among those in attendance were His Eminence Archbishop Atallah Hanna, Greek Orthodox Archbishop of Sebastia, Mr. Elias Tams, President of the Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, the Society’s members, Mr. Joseph Hazboun, Director of the Pontifical Mission in Jerusalem, as well as many faithful and the Arab Catholic Scouts group.

On Monday, 8 December 2025, His Holiness Catholicos Aram I, Catholicos of the Armenian Church, Holy See of Cilicia, and Honorary President of the Middle East Council of Churches (MECC), met with His Excellency Mr. Nikos Christodoulides, the President of the Republic of Cyprus. During their meeting, they discussed various issues concerning the Armenian communities in Cyprus, Lebanon, Syria, and the broader Middle East region. President Christodoulides shared his perspectives and concerns, expressing deep respect for the Armenian community in Cyprus and reaffirming his government’s ongoing support, especially in education.

On the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV prays the Angelus and invites the faithful to believe as Mary did, and to welcome Christ into their lives.

On Monday, December 8, Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV encouraged the faithful to believe in God as the Blessed Virgin Mary did and thus give “our generous assent to the mission to which the Lord calls us”.

He spoke to the crowds gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the recitation of the Angelus Prayer on this feast day, where the Church celebrates how Mary, at the moment of her conception, was preserved from original sin by a unique grace from God, given in view of the future merits of Christ’s redemption.

Continuing a decades-old tradition of paying homage to the statue of the Immaculate Conception in Rome, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV prays at the foot of the 12-meter column on top of which the figure of the Virgin Mary is placed, and lays a wreath at the base.

Within 100 years of the proclamation of the dogma of the Immaculate Conception, the tradition of sending flowers to the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary in the Piazza di Spagna in Rome had begun with Pope Pius XII. A few years later in 1958, Pope Saint John XXIII went to Piazza di Spagna and placed a basket of white roses at the foot of the statue.

Continuing this decades-old practice started by his predecessors, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV marked 8 December—the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception—with a visit to the Piazza di Spagna.

At the Angelus Prayer, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV reflects on the urgency of preparing for the coming of the Kingdom of God and our encounter with Jesus, the just Judge.

His Holiness Pope Leo XIV prayed the noon-day Angelus with the faithful gathered on Sunday in St. Peter’s Square, as the Church celebrated the Second Sunday of Advent.

In his address, the Pope recalled John the Baptist’s preaching in the desert of Judea: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”

Each day, we pray the Our Father, in which we ask “Thy kingdom come.”

With those words, he said, we invite God’s kingdom to enter our world and recognize that the course of history is not controlled by the powerful of this world.