(ITALY)
La Croix International [Montrouge Cedex, France]
December 31, 2024
By Louis Mathieu and Céline Hoyeau
The year 2024 was marked by inspiring events for the Catholic Church—worldwide, such as the Synod, the reopening of Notre Dame, and the pope’s trip to Corsica. We take a look back at 12 of these major dates.
► Nicaragua: Bishop Rolando Alvarez freed and exiled to Rome alongside 18 other clergy
Bishop Rolando Alvarez of Matagalpa and a figure of opposition to the regime of Nicaraguan President Daniel Ortega, was freed and exiled to the Vatican on January 14 alongside another bishop, 15 priests, and two seminarians. The Catholic Church was particularly targeted by the Sandinista government, which accuses it of treason due to the church’s support for the 2018 protesters. In 2024, the president of the bishops’ conference and about 50 clergy were banned from Nicaragua, while 1,500 NGOs, primarily religious, were shut down in the country.
► Medjugorje: The Vatican strengthens control Over messages from alleged visionaries
After 40 years of controversies linked to the alleged apparitions in Medjugorje (Bosnia-Herzegovina), the Vatican authorized the faithful to “adhere prudently” to the alleged messages of the “Gospa” September 19 without ruling on the reality of the visions. The decree was a form of oversight, as a papal delegate will now review the messages before publication.
Further reading: Medjugorje: The Vatican tightens control
This decision aligned with the new norms published May 17 by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith “for the discernment of alleged apparitions or revelations.” According to these norms, the Holy See can declare that an event is not supernatural—it does not rule on the opposite—or grant it a “nihil obstat,” also considering the “spiritual fruits” (conversions, vocations…) observed on-site.
► Abbé Pierre, the end of an icon
In a report published on July 17 by Emmaus International, Abbé Pierre (1912–2007), the organization’s founder, was implicated in a series of sexual assaults committed between 1970 and 2005. In September, at least 17 more women, some minors at the time, accused him of sexual violence.
Further reading: The case of Abbé Pierre: What the French Catholic Church’s archives reveal
The following month, Emmaus France and Emmaus International announced the appointment of sociologist Céline Béraud, alongside historian Denis Pelletier, to lead an independent expert commission tasked with shedding light on the silence of institutions surrounding the accusations of sexual violence committed by Abbé Pierre.
► The Holy Games brought together 2,300 youth at the Paris Olympics
Thanks to the Holy Games, an initiative of the Catholic Church of France, 2,300 youth gathered for the Paris Olympics between July 26 and August 11. Introduced in March 2023 in Lourdes and led by Isabelle de Chatellus, the Holy Games mobilized over 1,000 volunteers, facilitated support for over 1,000 people in the stadiums, and hosted 350 vulnerable individuals during the Games.
Further reading: Church prepares special events for the 2024 Summer Olympics
The events organized brought together 4,500 participants (33 dioceses, 58 parishes, 40 chaplains…). “The flame does not go out,” as the Holy Games continues to support the world of sports on the road to the Winter Games in 2026 and Los Angeles in 2028.
► The Ukrainian Orthodox Church (affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate) banned in Ukraine
On August 20, the Ukrainian Parliament voted to ban the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (affiliated with the Moscow Patriarchate) by adopting a law prohibiting any religious organization affiliated with a belligerent country against Ukraine. The church was suspected of still being tied to Russia despite distancing itself from Russian ecclesiastical authorities from the beginning of the war. Some observers and religious leaders, including Pope Francis, expressed concern for freedom of worship in this war-torn country.
► In Asia, the longest apostolic journey in history
Pope Francis embarked on an Asian tour from September 2 to 13, successfully visiting Indonesia, Papua New Guinea, East Timor, and Singapore. This was Francis’s longest journey since the beginning of his pontificate in 2013.
► The eventful visit of Pope Francis to Belgium
After Asia, the pope visited Luxembourg and Belgium from September 26 to 29. After a brief stop in the Grand Duchy, the trip to Brussels was primarily an occasion for the Belgian side to strongly demand that the Church better combat pedophilia and revise its stance on women and its welcoming of LGBTQ+ people. The pope’s remarks on abortion—which he again referred to as “homicide,” as he has repeatedly done since the start of his pontificate, sparked controversy in the country in the following days.
► The conclusion of the Synod on Synodality
On October 26, the Synod on Synodality, a vast process of Catholic reflection on the future of the church initiated by the pope three years earlier, concluded after a month of deliberations in Rome by 365 synodal fathers and mothers—laypeople, clergy, bishops, cardinals. The 51-page final document—the pope chose not to add a post-synodal exhortation—expressed the church’s desire to operate differently: less monarchical, less pyramidal, and less authoritarian.
► The resignation of the Primate of the Anglican Communion
A leading Christian figure, Archbishop Justin Welby of Canterbury, Primate of the Anglican Church, was forced to announce his resignation November 12 due to his handling of a sexual abuse case involving a church member. The case involved John Smyth, a committed lay lawyer, who allegedly assaulted at least 115 boys and young men between 1970 and 2010 during Christian holiday camps. The case was detailed in the Makin Report, published a week before the archbishop’s resignation.
► The rebirth of Notre Dame Cathedral
After five years of construction, the Cathedral of Notre Dame reopened its doors on December 7 during a ceremony attended by around 40 heads of state, including Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy and U.S. President-elect Donald Trump. Although absent from the event, Pope Francis sent a message through his apostolic nuncio expressing his wish that this reopening be “a prophetic sign of renewal” for the Catholic Church in France. The next day, the new altar was consecrated during a ceremony attended notably by the rector of the Great Mosque of Paris and the Chief Rabbi of France.
► The first papal visit to Corsica
Pope Francis visited Corsica December 15, the first visit by a pope to the Isle of Beauty. During the nine-hour visit to Ajaccio, the Argentine pope, who said he felt “at home,” praised the “healthy secularism” experienced on the island, where popular religiosity is peacefully expressed in public spaces. He also met with French President Emmanuel Macron at the airport for an hour-long private exchange.
► The opening of the Jubilee Year 2025
On December 24, Pope Francis opened the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica to mark the launch of the Jubilee Year. Thirty-two million pilgrims are expected to visit Rome during this year of spiritual purification, which has been organized every quarter-century since the early 14th century and will conclude on January 6, 2026. The Vatican’s website, launched for the occasion, stated, “It is a time to experience how the holiness of God transforms us.”
Further reading: Jubilee 2025: Pope Francis’ moving visit to a Roman prison