Catholic News
- Archbishop Viola appointed Archpriest of St. Peter's Basilica (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV today named Archbishop Francesco Viola, O.F.M., the secretary of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, as the new Archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica. - Cardinal Tagle elected Dean of College of Cardinals (Vatican News)
Pope Leo XIV approved the election of Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, 69, one of the two pro-prefects of the Dicastery for Evangelization, as dean of the College of Cardinals. Cardinal Tagle succeeds Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, 92, the prefect emeritus of the Congregation for Bishops, who resigned from the position. As dean of the College of Cardinals, Cardinal Tagle is first among equals and presides at a conclave (if he is under 80). Although cardinals are as a rule bishops, the College of Cardinals is composed of three orders: the cardinal-deacons (typically curial cardinals), the cardinal-priests (who typically govern dioceses), and the cardinal-bishops (the highest rank: those honored with the designation by the Pope, as well as Eastern Catholic Patriarchs who are cardinals). Cardinal Tagle was elected dean of the College of Cardinals by his fellow cardinal-bishops. - Amoris Laetitia meeting, October 9: prelates discuss young people and the discovery of the vocation to marriage (CWN)
On October 9—the second full day of the weeklong extraordinary Vatican meeting devoted to Amoris Laetitia—the presidents of the world’s episcopal conferences and the heads of the Eastern Catholic churches discussed the second of the meeting’s five themes: “young people and the discovery of the vocation to marriage: listening to young people and accompanying them in discovering the value of marriage.” - Undertake your studies 'with and for the Lord,' Pope tells pontifical university students (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged the students of Rome’s pontifical universities not to “teach, study or undertake research solely for themselves, but together with others, for others and, above all, with and for the Lord.” - Pontiff encourages Honduran bishops to educate for peace (Vatican News (Spanish))
Pope Leo XIV met with the bishops of Honduras for two hours—an hour longer than scheduled—on October 9. The prelates were in Rome for their ad limina visit. Bishop Jenry Orlando Ruiz of Trujillo said in an interview that “the Pope urged the bishops to foster education for peace within families, schools, neighborhoods, and villages, with the aim that every Honduran might contribute to building a more fraternal and reconciled society,” according to Vatican News’ summary of his remarks. The Pontiff also encouraged the bishops to strengthen Catholic education and to promote the dignity of the human person. Located in Central America, Honduras, a nation of 9.7 million (map), is 95% Christian (67% Catholic). - US bishops' conference president deplores government's decision to livestream execution (USCCB)
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, condemned the federal government’s decision to livestream an execution by firing squad. “It is with shock and great sorrow that I have learned of the Department of War’s decision to publicly livestream the execution of Nidal Hasan,” said Archbishop Coakley. “Our God is the God of life. In no way can Hassan’s actions be condoned but this decision is a barbaric promotion of a culture of death and must be reconsidered.” Archbishop Coakley added: The word of God exhorts us: ‘do not repay anyone evil for evil’ (Romans 12:17). The public execution even of one who has done grave harm will only further undermine the moral fabric of our nation and be a blight on the conscience of its people. I pray for the intercession of Our Lady of Good Counsel that we as a nation may always choose life even in the most trying times and circumstances. - Pope Leo, International Red Cross president discuss respect for international humanitarian law (International Committee of the Red Cross)
The president of the International Committee of the Red Cross discussed respect for international humanitarian law during an October 9 audience with Pope Leo XIV. “More war, combined with less respect for international humanitarian law, risks putting humanity on a very dangerous path,” Mirjana Spoljaric Egger said after the audience. “The way wars are fought in one part of the world informs how they are fought in another. The choices made before, during and after conflict to uphold or disregard the rules of war can either preserve or obstruct pathways back to peace.” Egger also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness. - Vatican diplomat: 'The first right of the child is to be born in a real family' (Holy See Mission)
Citing the Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church, a leading Vatican diplomat said that “the first right of the child is ‘to be born in a real family,’ a right that has not always been respected and that today is subject to new violations because of developments in genetic technology.” Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, made his remarks on October 6 during a UN General Assembly discussion of the rights of children. “The family is the foundation and most important safeguard for children’s rights,” said Archbishop El-Kassis. “It is a child’s first community and is responsible for the child’s wellbeing. Mothers and fathers are their children’s first teachers, protectors, and advocates, helping them to become aware of their God-given dignity.” The prelate concluded: Some serious problems remain unsolved: trafficking in children, child labor, “street children,” child marriage, exploitation, violence and the use of children in pornography and modern communication. These violations of the God-given dignity of boys and girls must be effectively fought with adequate preventive and penal measures. - Vatican newspaper highlights stories of volunteers (CWN)
L’Osservatore Romano devoted a special section in its October 9 edition to stories of volunteers from around the world. - USCCB begins mental health novena (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops today begins its annual mental health novena. The novena begins on October 10, World Mental Health Day, and concludes on October 18, the Feast of St. Luke, patron saint of health care. - Cardinal Farrell, at Amoris Laetitia meeting, encourages focus on transmission of faith within families (CWN)
In his opening greeting at the extraordinary Vatican meeting devoted to Amoris Laetitia, Cardinal Kevin Farrell encouraged the presidents of the world’s episcopal conferences and heads of Eastern Catholic churches to consider the breakdown of the transmission of faith within families. - Sister Alford at Amoris Laetitia meeting: 'Encourage young people to take up the great challenge of marriage and family life' (CWN)
In the first meditation delivered at the extraordinary Vatican meeting devoted to Amoris Laetitia, Sister Helen Alford, O.P., encouraged the assembled prelates to “search for ways to encourage young people to take up the great challenge of marriage and family life, embracing it in the full knowledge that they will experience great fragility as part of the process of realizing its beauty, and that in that fragility, they will find new and unexpected sources of God’s grace and experience a desire for holiness that is their very own.” - Amoris Laetitia meeting, October 8: prelates discuss 'families today: reality, beauty and challenges' (CWN)
On October 8—the first full day of the weeklong extraordinary Vatican meeting devoted to Amoris Laetitia—the presidents of the world’s episcopal conferences and the heads of the Eastern Catholic churches discussed the first of the meeting’s five themes: “families today: reality, beauty and challenges: discerning the signs of the times through the experience of families and the Church’s pastoral commitment today.” - Vatican diplomat calls for reform of international financial architecture (Holy See Mission)
A leading Vatican diplomat called for a “fairer and more inclusive international financial architecture” so that “no nation is merely a recipient of decisions made elsewhere.” During an October 6 UN discussion on financing sustainable development, Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, also encouraged the international community to “continue working towards a more effective and equitable debt architecture. This would provide countries facing unsustainable debt burdens with the necessary space to invest in their people and advance their development priorities.” “At a time when global military expenditure continues to rise and many developing countries still face severe constrains on financing basic development needs, greater attention must be given to the consequences of these choices on human persons,” Archbishop El-Kassis added. “Investment in healthcare, education, food security, decent work, and climate action is not peripheral to building peaceful and resilient societies: it is at its very core. “ - Leading nun to become president of Pontifical Mission Societies (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV appointed Sister Mary Barron, O.L.A., as the new president of the Pontifical Mission Societies, effective January 4. - Sierra Leone's president meets with Pontiff (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV received President Julius Maada Bio of Sierra Leone on October 8. - Vatican newspaper highlights Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
In a front-page article in its October 8 edition, the Vatican newspaper drew attention to a wave of Russian attacks on Ukrainian civilians. “The new wave of bombardments has impacted various areas of the country, once again exacting a heavy toll on the civilian population,” L’Osservatore Romano reported. “Five children are among the victims.” “Missiles and drones struck populated areas and various civilian infrastructure, exacerbating an already extremely fragile humanitarian situation,” the unsigned article continued. “A hospital is among the damaged facilities, while attacks have struck critical energy infrastructure, causing power outages and leaving some areas without electricity.” - Beauty opens us to God's gifts, Pope tells donors to Vatican Museums (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV thanked the Louisiana Patrons of the Arts in the Vatican Museums for their generosity and told them that “beauty possesses the power to awaken the noblest desires of the human heart, calling us beyond ourselves and opening our souls to the gratuity of God’s gifts.” - Vatican dicastery: Discern how charism, mission of dying religious orders can continue (Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life)
Two officials of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, including the dicastery’s secretary, took part in the National Assembly of Catholic Religious Australia in August. In an October 5 statement on the meeting, the dicastery said that “when the forms that have sustained an institute for decades can no longer remain unchanged, what it has received must be preserved: accompanying people and older members, preserving archives, history and heritage, administering assets responsibly, and discerning how the charism and mission can continue.” “The materials from the visit clearly distinguish preserving the charism from the indefinite continuation of every canonical structure,” the dicastery added. - US bishops to vote for conference secretary, 6 committee chairmen (USCCB)
The members of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops will vote for a new conference secretary and six committee chairmen at their November meeting. The secretary-elect will become chairman-elect of the relatively powerful Committee on Priorities and Plans. The two candidates are Bishop Earl Fernandes of Columbus, Ohio, and Bishop Kevin Rhoades of Fort Wayne-South Bend, Indiana. - More...