The French Senate, the upper house of the French Parliament. | Credit: Jacques Paquier (CC BY 2.0)

, Jan 16, 2026 / 11:00 am (CNA).

The bill criminalizes “obstructing aid-in-dying” — mirroring abortion penalties — with up to two years in prison and a 30,000-euro ($35,000) fine for anyone who dissuades patients from euthanasia.

Monsignor Anthony J. Figueiredo and Bishop Mylo Vergara of Pasig, Philippines, bless the facility of the 2022 “Economy of Fraternity” prize recipient, the Ecocharcoal Briquettes Project in the Diocese of Pasig, on Dec. 3, 2025. | Courtesy of Monsignor Anthony J. Figueiredo

, Jan 16, 2026 / 09:26 am (CNA).

The former archbishop of Assisi, Domenico Sorrentino, instituted the award in 2020 on the day of St. Carlo Acutis’ Oct. 10 beatification.

Bishop Raimo Goyarrola with a family in Helsinki | Credit: Courtesy of Bishop Raimo Goyarrola

, Jan 13, 2026 / 17:16 pm (CNA).

Bishop Raimo Goyarrola of Helsinki, Finland’s only Catholic bishop, hopes to open the first Catholic school in the country in August with 12 students.

Bishop Stanislav Přibyl of Litoměřice celebrates Mass with Bishop Wolfgang Ipolt of Görlitz, Germany, and other clergy at the Basilica of Mary, Help of Christians in Filipov, Czech Republic, on Jan. 13, 2025, during the annual pilgrimage commemorating the 1866 healing of Magdalena Kade. | Credit: Lubomír Holý/Člověk a víra

, Jan 13, 2026 / 12:11 pm (CNA).

Bishop Stanislav Přibyl of Litoměřice has declared a Year of Reconciliation marking 80 years since the expulsion of millions of ethnic Germans from Czechoslovakia.

Archbishop Georg Gänswein speaks at an event hosted by the Catholic magazine Kelionė at the Lithuanian National Library in Vilnius, Lithuania, on Jan. 7, 2026. | Credit: L. Macevicienes/Zurnalaskelione.lt

, Jan 11, 2026 / 10:32 am (CNA).

The apostolic nuncio to the Baltic states offered personal reflections on his new diplomatic mission, Christmas in Lithuania, and his decades-long collaboration with Joseph Ratzinger.

Northampton Episcopal Vicar for Mission Canon Simon Penhalagan alongside members of the new community at the St. Elena House of Mission and Prayer. | Credit: Maria Heath

, Jan 10, 2026 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Northampton, England, welcomes St. Elena House, a new community focused on prayer and mission inspired by the call to a new evangelization.

Pope Leo XIV with the Spanish flag in the foreground on Dec. 8, 2025. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

, Jan 9, 2026 / 17:06 pm (CNA).

Madrid, Barcelona, ​​and the Canary Islands are likely destinations in 2026 for Pope Leo XIV to visit.

Archbishop Luis Argüello, president of the Spanish Bishops’ Conference; Félix Bolaños, minister of the Presidency, Justice, and Relations with the Parliament; and Father Jesús Díaz Sariego, OP, president of CONFER. | Credit: Ministry of the Presidency

, Jan 9, 2026 / 16:28 pm (CNA).

The Church and the Spanish government have signed an agreement to provide a channel for compensating victims of sexual abuse.

Participants gather for worship at the MEHR conference in Augsburg, Germany, Jan. 3–6, 2026. | Credit: Andreas Thonhauser/EWTN

, Jan 8, 2026 / 15:06 pm (CNA).

The four-day MEHR conference drew participants from across the European continent to hear from international speakers, including American presenters.

Vienna Skyline with St. Stephen’s Cathedral, Vienna, Austria. | Credit: mrgb/shutterstock

, Jan 8, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The Catholic Church in Austria has launched a new program for late vocations that allows the priest to also maintain his current career.