(ANS - Vatican City) - On 16 December 2020, the Congregation for the Causes of Saints communicated to the Archbishop of Lima (Peru), Mons Carlo Castillo Mattasoglio, the authorization from the Holy See for the opening of the Cause for Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Luigi Bolla (1932-2013), Professed Priest of the Society of St. Francis de Sales, missionary among the Shuar and Achuar of Ecuador and Peru. Similarly, dated January 13, 2021, the authorization was granted by the Holy See for the opening of the Cause of Beatification and Canonization of the Servant of God Mother Rosetta Marchese (1922-1984), Professed Sister of the Institute of the Daughters of Mary Help of Christians and superior general. The communication was made to his eminence by Cardinal Angelo De Donatis, Vicar General of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome.

(ANS - Vatican City) - On January 1, at the beginning of each new year, the Church celebrates Mary Most Holy Mother of God and it is to her that the prayers and hopes of peace for the world have been entrusted in this 2021 which has just begun. In fact, January 1st is also the day on which World Day of Peace is celebrated.

(ANS - Vatican City) - The Congregation for the Causes of Saints, in the Ordinary Congress of 16 December 2020, after examining the Acts of the diocesan inquiry carried out, from 2018 to 2020, in the Diocese of Barra do Garças (Brazil) on the life and martyrdom, on the reputation of martyrdom and signs of the Servants of God Rodolfo Lunkenbein, professed priest of the Society of St. Francis de Sales, and of Simone Cristiano Koge Kudugodu, known as "Simão Bororo", replied in the "affirmative" as regards the legal validity of that investigation. The document, signed by the Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, confirms that the testification and documentary proofs have been collected according to the established norms.

Vatican City, Vatican - December 2020 - On December 24, Pope Francis celebrated Christmas Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.

(ANS - Vatican City) - On 21 December 2020, the Holy Father Francis received His Eminence Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, Prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, in audience. During the audience, the Supreme Pontiff authorized the same Congregation to promulgate the decree concerning the heroic virtues of the Servant of God Ignatius Stuchlý, professed priest of the Society of St. Francis de Sales; born on 14 December 1869 in Bolesław (now Poland), he died in Lukov (Czech Republic) on 17 January 1953.

Vatican City, Vatican - December 2020 - On the afternoon of 11 December in St. Peter's Square, the traditional ceremony of lighting the Christmas tree and the inauguration of the nativity scene took place. The event was chaired by Cardinal Giuseppe Bertello, President of the Governorate of the Vatican City State. The large spruce was donated by the Slovenian Republic, its second time, the first being in 1996. The nativity scene was created by the pupils and teachers of the public art school for design in Castelli, Abruzzo, one of the most important ceramic-craft-related cities in Europe.