January 10, 2026 // National

New Briefs: January 11, 2026

OSV NEWS

People mourn outside Le Constellation bar in the upscale ski resort of Crans-Montana in southwestern Switzerland Jan. 1, 2026, after a fire and explosion during a New Year’s Eve party. Around 40 people were killed and 115 others injured, most of them seriously, after a fire ripped through the bar at the Swiss Alpine resort less than two hours after midnight, police said. (OSV News photo/Stephanie Lecocq, Reuters)

Vatican Sees Record Crowds During Jubilee year

VATICAN CITY (CNS) – An estimated 33 million visitors and pilgrims came to the Vatican to celebrate the Jubilee Year of Hope, officials said at a news conference at the Vatican on Monday, January 5. Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization’s section for New Evangelization and chief organizer of the 2025 Holy Year, said the figure is based on estimates from a study by Roma Tre University, online registrations for the Holy Year, and the number of people who passed through the Holy Doors of Rome’s major basilicas and attended papal events. By the time the Holy Year ended, he said, at least 33 million took part, which breaks down to more than 90,000 people a day. The period with the most pilgrims in Rome was during the Jubilee of Young People from July 21 to Aug. 10, which registered more than 13 million people. Early estimates had expected that the Jubilee Year would bring 30 million to 35 million visitors to the Vatican. The city saw about 22 million people come to Rome in 2024, Roberto Gualtieri, mayor of Rome, said during the news conference. Based on data collected solely from registered pilgrims, visitors from the United States ranked second only to Italy, accounting for nearly 13 percent of the total number of registered visitors, Archbishop Fisichella said. Pilgrims from more than 185 countries participated in the Jubilee Year.

Columbus Bishop Gives Mass Dispensation Amid Immigration Crackdowns

COLUMBUS, Ohio (OSV News) – Bishop Earl K. Fernandes of Columbus has granted a dispensation from Mass on Sundays and holy days of obligation to Catholics without authorization to stay in the United States, as well as those who “reasonably fear” being pursued in the ongoing immigration crackdown across the country. The decree, dated December 23, noted the increase in immigration enforcement activities in the Diocese of Columbus has created “a rise in fear and anxiety” in its immigrant community. The bishop said the decree would be in effect through the Christmas season, ending on the feast of the Baptism of the Lord, January 11. The Trump administration’s measures in pursuing migrants without legal documents have discouraged the faithful in several U.S. cities from attending Mass or other church activities, or even working, grocery shopping, or attending school. The administration’s measures include rescinding long-standing restrictions on arrests at sensitive locations, including houses of worship, schools, and hospitals. The decree follows similar dispensations around the country.

Kentucky, Wisconsin Bishops Issue Statements Affirming Dignity of Migrants

LOUISVILLE, Kentucky (OSV News) – The bishops of Kentucky and Wisconsin have joined similar efforts by bishops in a growing list of states to affirm the human dignity of migrants amid debates over immigration policy. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops voted overwhelmingly on November 12 to issue a rare group statement voicing “our concern here for immigrants” at their annual fall plenary assembly in Baltimore. It came as a growing number of bishops have acknowledged that some of the Trump administration’s immigration policies risk presenting the church with both practical challenges in administering pastoral support and charitable endeavors, as well as religious liberty challenges. Marking the feast of the Epiphany, celebrated this year on January 4, the Catholic bishops of Kentucky released their statement “in continuity” with the USCCB statement. They acknowledged the right of nations to “control their borders and to enforce laws meant to protect the population” but said all laws must be enforced in a “just” manner that respects the God-given dignity of each human person. They also expressed concern over “proposals at the state level targeting the ability of immigrants to live and pursue their dreams in Kentucky.” In a December 18 statement, Wisconsin’s bishops said, “There is no inherent contradiction in upholding human dignity, the common good, and the rule of law.”

Israel Bans Dozens of Aid Groups from Gaza

JERUSALEM (OSV News) – Israel has revoked the licenses of 37 international aid organizations operating in Gaza, including Caritas Internationalis and Caritas Jerusalem, ordering them to halt operations by March 1. The Ministry of Diaspora Affairs said the groups failed to meet new security and transparency rules requiring full disclosure of staff, funding, and operations. The regulations were announced last March, with a 10-month compliance deadline that expired on December 31. Israeli officials said the measures are needed to prevent links to terrorism and note the affected groups represent about 15 percent of nongovernmental organizations in Gaza. The European Union, United Nations, and 10 foreign ministers have condemned the move, warning it could worsen Gaza’s already dire humanitarian crisis after two years of war. Church leaders said Caritas Jerusalem operates under recognized legal agreements with Israel and will continue its humanitarian mission. George Anton, administrative director of Caritas Medical Center in Gaza, told OSV News that Caritas is a Church charity organization whose work in Gaza is “very important and essential in Gaza” and he hopes they will be able to continue their work. Several major NGOs, including Doctors Without Borders and Oxfam, are also affected, though they may continue limited work using local supplies.

New Orleans Archbishop Apologizes to Abuse Survivors

NEW ORLEANS (OSV News) – Archbishop Gregory M. Aymond of New Orleans has issued a formal apology to abuse survivors in that archdiocese following last month’s court approval of a $230 million settlement in the five-year-long bankruptcy case. “With this letter, I express on behalf of the clergy, religious, and laity of the Archdiocese of New Orleans, my predecessors, and myself, profound regret over the tragic and inexcusable harm you have suffered at the hands of your abusers,” said Archbishop Aymond in a widely distributed December 26 letter addressed “to all child abuse claimants” in the archdiocese. The seventh amended plan for the archdiocese’s Chapter 11 filing – dating to 2020 and prompted by some 500 abuse claims – was approved by Judge Meredith S. Grabill on December 8. The archbishop said the archdiocese “takes responsibility for the abuse you have suffered and pledges to keep children and all vulnerable people safe in our ministry,” adding, “It is my fervent hope that as we bring these Chapter 11 proceedings to a close, you will achieve some sense of peace, justice, and healing.” The closing hearings of the case in early December included testimony from 23 survivors, with Grabill addressing them through tears ahead of her final ruling. One survivor filed a handwritten letter to Grabill saying her decision “will give children a voice … who have been silenced for so long,” emphasizing the decision to come forward “was very powerful for my own healing and to help move the Catholic Church to a safer environment.”

Catholic Governor Signs Law Protecting the Unborn in Puerto Rico

SAN JUAN, Puerto Rico (OSV News) – On Sunday, December 21, Puerto Rico’s Governor Jenniffer González-Colón approved Law 183-2025, which amends the Civil Code of Puerto Rico and recognizes the unborn child or “nasciturus” – a Latin legal term referring to “conceived but not born” – as a natural person from conception. Father Carlos Pérez Toro, pastor of Santa Rosa de Lima Church in San Juan, Puerto Rico, and civil lawyer graduate of Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law, explained to OSV News that the law recognizes “that the human being in gestation is a natural person from the first moment of conception.” He explained that every pregnant woman in Puerto Rico can now designate her unborn child as an heir, and in tax matters, can now claim a child in her womb as a new dependent when it comes to paying taxes in Puerto Rico.