WWII Martyrs Beatified, Catholics Leaving the Church, and a Rise in US Executions

Maggie Murray of OSV News catches you up on the Catholic news of the day for Tuesday, Dec. 16, 2025. Tune in and visit us online at osvnews.com. 

In this episode:

• Fifty French Catholics who were martyred while serving deported workers during World War II were beatified in a Mass at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris Dec. 13, honoring their witness and sacrifice.
• A Pew Research Center report finds most Americans who leave their childhood religion do so by age 30, with former Catholics citing loss of belief, unmet spiritual needs and other factors for departing the Church. 
• The Little Sisters of the Poor have appealed an August ruling that struck down a religious conscience rule exempting employers with moral objections from providing contraceptive coverage in employee health plans.  
• A year-end report from the Death Penalty Information Center shows a significant rise in U.S. executions in 2025, largely due to a high number carried out in Florida even as new death sentences remain rare.
• Pope Leo XIV attended a Christmas concert at a Castel Gandolfo school, thanking children and teachers for their songs and reflecting on how they shared love and joy through their music.