Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary

Feast date: Dec 08

"The most Blessed Virgin Mary was, from the first moment of her conception, by a singular grace and privilege of almighty God and by virtue of the merits of Jesus Christ, Savior of the human race, preserved immune from all stain of original sin."

In 1854, Pope Pius IX's solemn declaration, "Ineffabilis Deus," clarified with finality the long-held belief of the Church that Mary was conceived free from original sin. Mary was granted this extraordinary privilege because of Her unique role in history as the Mother of God. That is, she received the gift of salvation in Christ from the very moment of her conception.

Even though Mary is unique in all humanity for being born without sin, she is held up by the Church as a model for all humanity in Her holiness and Her purity in her willingness to accept the Plan of God for her.

Every person is called to recognize and respond to God’s call to their own vocation in order to carry out God’s plan for their life and fulfill the mission prepared for them since before the beginning of time. Mary’s “Let it be done to me according to Thy Word,” in response of the Angel Gabriel’s greeting, is the response required of all Christians to God’s Plan.

The Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception is a time to celebrate the great joy of God’s gift to humanity in Mary, and to recognize with greater clarity, the truth that each and every human being has been created by God to fulfill a particular mission that he and only he can fulfill.

“The word of the Lord came to me thus: "Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, before you were born I dedicated you, a prophet to the nations I appointed you." (Jeremiah 1:5-6)

The offices of CWN are closed on Monday, December 8, so that our staff can celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception of the Blessed Virgin Mary.

The report, posted on the US bishops’ website on December 3, identifies ten “issues within the national Catholic Church” and ten “issues within the black community.”

The first three national Catholic issues listed in the report are “no representation,” “too much focus on charity, not enough on social justice,” and “not talking about racism and white supremacy.” The first three issues within the black community are “gerontocracy,” “LGBTQ+ issues,” and “cliques / bullying / ostracizing.”

After discussing international financial debt, “the concept of ‘ecological debt,’” and the digital divide, the Holy See mission stated:

In pursuit of diversified economies that contribute to integral development, my Delegation would like to emphasize the need to rethink trade.

It is necessary to adopt a development-driven approach to trade that prioritizes using trade rules and market access to build productive capacities, reduce poverty, and foster inclusive economic diversification in developing countries.

In his remarks, made yesterday in Vienna, Archbishop Gallagher “welcomed OSCE guidance on combating hate crimes against Christians and called for even-handed approaches to all forms of intolerance,” Vatican News reported. “He also noted that freedom of religion or belief is the only fundamental freedom explicitly affirmed in the Helsinki Final Act, adding that tolerance alone does not constitute genuine freedom.”

Archbishop Gallagher also called for respect for the dignity of migrants and refugee, praised the OSCE for its efforts against human trafficking, and called for a ban on surrogate motherhood.

Together, they watched excerpts of Peter: A Man in the Wind, a monologue on St. Peter the Apostle produced in collaboration with Vatican media. The monologue will air on Italian state TV.

Before the screening, Pope Leo and Benigni discussed movies, St. Augustine, and Dante.

“In 2024, the Institute continued to focus its activities on optimizing returns in full compliance with Catholic ethical principles, excluding any investment in companies involved in activities harmful to human life, the environment, or society,” the Institute stated, adding:

With net profit amounting to €31 million [$36.1M], the IOR generated a total economic value of €50 million [$58.3M], distributed among the Holy Father (27%), employees (30%), and suppliers (18%), retaining the remainder to ensure long-term sustainability.

Through the management of its clients’ assets, the Institute also created €157 million [$183M] in value, thereby reinforcing its dual social and financial vocation: supporting the Universal Church and increasing the value of entrusted assets.

Father Roberto Pasolini, OFM Cap, will preach the sermons on the three Fridays of Advent in Paul VI Audience Hall, in the presence of Pope Leo, the Roman Curia, employees of the Vatican City State and the Vicariate of Rome. The papal preacher customarily preaches his sermons on the Fridays of Advent and Lent.

President Khürelsükh subsequently met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, and Msgr. Mihăiță Blaj, the recently appointed Undersecretary for Relations with States. The parties discussed Church-state relations and their “shared desire to further develop cooperation, including in the cultural sphere,” according to a Vatican statement.

Mongolia, an East Asian nation of 3.3 million (map), is 59% Buddhist, 18% ethnic religionist, 5% Muslim, and 2% Christian. Pope Francis made an apostolic journey there in 2023.

“Chaos ‘governs’ Haiti,” began the article, in which staff journalist Roberto Paglialonga interviewed Gabriele Regio, regional manager of the charitable organization AVSI.