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National Catholic Register

The Lions Come

Jean-Léon Gérôme, “The Christian Martyrs’ Last Prayer,” ca. 1863-1883, Walters Art Museum, Baltimore, Maryland

COMMENTARY: From Rome’s arenas to today’s streets, every attempt to silence the faith only strengthens it.

Heritage Foundation Aims to Tackle Marriage, Family Crisis

Heritage Foundation President Kevin Roberts is releasing a report outlining ways to promote and support family life amid low marriage and birth rates on Jan. 12, 2026.

New report is titled ‘Saving America by Saving the Family: A Foundation for the Next 250 Years.’

Pope Leo Walks the ‘Early Francis’ Path — With a New Approach

Daniel Ibáñez
Pope Leo XIV walks down the steps at the Vatican’s Paul VI Audience Hall during a meeting with students Oct. 30, 2025, for the Jubilee of the World of Education.

COMMENTARY: Early signs from Leo’s first consistory suggest continuity with Pope Francis’ original pastoral vision — more in what he said than in how he later governed.

The Story Behind Pope Leo XIV’s New Papal Staff

Vatican Media
Pope Leo XIV introduced a new papal staff on Jan. 6, 2026, during the closing of the Holy Door.

The papal staff, used only by the pope and topped with a cross or a crucifix, is different from the bishop’s crozier — the shepherd’s staff — which ends in a curve and is used by bishops and archbishops.