Catholic News
- 'Blessed are those who mourn,' Pope preaches on All Souls' Day (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass (video) in Verano Cemetery in Rome late in the afternoon of All Souls’ Day. - Curbing infections, not people—Part I (CWN)
An exclusive CWN report by Phil Lawler - Holy See 'deeply concerned' about threats to nuclear facilities (Holy See Mission)
A leading Vatican diplomat said that the Holy See is “deeply concerned” about the “risks posed to nuclear facilities by armed conflict,” particularly the “ongoing precarious situation at the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant and the damage to the New Safe Confinement Shield at Chernobyl.” Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, told participants in a recent UN General Assembly committee meeting that “any incident resulting in the uncontrolled release of radioactive materials could have devastating consequences for civilian populations and the environment, with effects potentially extending beyond national borders.” “In situations of armed conflict, it is of crucial importance to ensure the safety and security of nuclear facilities, in order to prevent further humanitarian and environmental harm,” he added. - Archbishop of Vienna: 'I would certainly wish for the ordination of women' (AdVaticanum)
The archbishop of Vienna, Austria, said that he supported women’s ordination. “I would certainly wish for the ordination of women, but I see that at present this would be a decision that has to be taken at the level of the universal Church by a council,” Archbishop Josef Grünwidl said in an October 31 radio interview. “At the moment I do not see any realistic prospect of that decision being reached in that sense.” - Maronite prayer hall vandalized in Israel (Vatican News)
Archbishop Moussa El-Hage, the Maronite archbishop of Haifa, Israel, condemned a November 1 attack on a prayer hall in the city of Nahariya. “This is a grave and unacceptable attack, not only against Church property,” but “above all against the sacred character of a place dedicated to worship and against the right of the faithful to practice their religion freely, safely and with dignity,” the prelate said after statues and other images were broken and vandalized. The unknown vandal left a note that said, “I am so sorry. I don’t know what came over me to make me do that.” - Archbishop Hicks joins lawsuit against assisted suicide mandates (The Good Newsroom)
Archbishop Ronald Hicks of New York joined a lawsuit against the State of New York’s Medical Aid in Dying Act. “As Catholics, we are guided by the compassion of Jesus to serve those of every background who are in need of healing,” said Archbishop Hicks. “We refuse to allow New York to force us to harm the very ones we’ve been called to care for.” The original plaintiffs in the case were Bishop John Barres of Rockville Centre, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict, and the Little Sisters of the Poor. The plaintiffs have argued that the law created a Suicide Counseling Mandate, Suicide Qualification Mandate, Suicide Drug Prescription and Ingestion Mandate, Suicide Referral Mandate, False Death Certificate Mandate, and Unfaithful Employee Retention Mandate. Following the filing of the lawsuit, the State of New York temporarily agreed not to enforce the mandates against the plaintiffs. - 2 Peruvian bishops die on eve of papal visit (OSV News)
Two Peruvian bishops have died of illness on the eve of Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey there. Archbishop Richard Daniel Alarcón Urrutia of Cusco died on October 30; Bishop Jorge Pedro Carrión Pavlich of Puno died the following day. Pope Leo is scheduled to visit Cusco on November 15. Archbishop Lizardo Estrada Herrera, the coadjutor archbishop, has succeeded his predecessor. - State-level Catholic conferences prepare the faithful for ballot initiatives (EWTN News)
State-level Catholic conferences have weighed in on ballot initiatives related to abortion (Missouri, Nevada, Virginia), gender and sexuality (Colorado, Nebraska, Virginia, Washington), and other issues (Colorado, Nebraska, North Dakota, South Dakota). - English bishops call for progress toward disarmament (CBCEW)
The lead English bishops for conflict and for peacebuilding called for progress toward disarmament. “We urge Catholics to stand together for peace, and to pray that our political leaders will promote dialogue leading to meaningful disarmament,” said Bishop Nicholas Hudson of Plymouth and Bishop William Kenney, C.P., the retired auxiliary bishop of Birmingham. “Let us also pray for the grace to live out this message in our own lives, reaching out to those on the margins and choosing peace over conflict and division,” they added. - Bishops Flores, Boxie discuss 'faith before politics' (CWN)
On the eve of the midterm elections, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops posted two videos entitled “faith before politics.” - Vandalism outside Catholic school in Australia (The Catholic Weekly)
A young man faced charges following vandalism to a memorial garden outside a Catholic primary school in Rockdale, Australia. “I never thought something like this would happen here,” Father Yacub Barkat, the local parish priest, said after the November 2 incident. “This is a peaceful area, where we respect each other’s beliefs.” “Any attack on a place of worship is deeply troubling, because these places exist for prayer and peace, solace and sanctuary,” said a spokesman for the Archdiocese of Sydney. - 5 Franciscan martyrs beatified in Georgia; Pope hails their example (CWN)
Five Franciscan friars who were martyred in modern-day Georgia in 1597 were beatified on October 31. - Pope Leo calls for new peace initiatives in Ukraine following Oleshky ceasefire (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in Ukraine amid a ceasefire in Oleshky, for which he had appealed in a telephone call with Russian President Vladimir Putin. - The saints are the most beautiful sign of the Kingdom of God, Pope tells pilgrims (CWN)
In his All Saints’ Day Angelus address (video), Pope Leo XIV described the saints as “the most beautiful and powerful sign of the Kingdom of God.” - Vatican court condemns publication of 'credibly accused' lists (Catholic World Report)
Echoing earlier decisions of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, the Roman Rota condemned the publication of lists of clergy and religious who have been deemed “credibly accused” of sexually abusing minors, but have never been the subject of a trial. In a 2025 decision published recently in English, the Rota ruled against a religious institute that had published a “credibly accused” list. The canonical suit was brought by a former member—now a married layman—who argued that the publication of his name without an opportunity for self-defense inflicted immense damage upon him. - Pope Leo: Pray for the forgotten dead (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged the faithful to pray for the repose of the souls of the departed, and particularly for the forgotten. - Pope receives pilgrims from Notre Dame and Villanova, reflects on athletics and holiness (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV reflected on athletics and holiness as he addressed pilgrims from the University of Notre Dame and Villanova University. - New apostolic visitor appointed for Medjugorje (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Francesco Cavina, the former bishop of Carpi, Italy, as the new special apostolic visitator (visitor) for the parish of Medjugorje, in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Bishop Cavina succeeds Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, 80, who has served as special apostolic visitator since 2021. Bishop Cavina, appointed bishop of Carpi by Pope Benedict in 2011, resigned in 2019, when he was only 61. In 2024, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, in its Note About the Spiritual Experience Connected with Medjugorje, granted cautious approval to Medjugorje devotions. - USCCB publishes November Respect Life Prayer Guide (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ Secretariat of Pro-Life activities published a Respect Life Prayer Guide for November. The month’s theme focuses on care for the sick and dying. “Rather than addressing the patient’s problems, assisted suicide cruelly eliminates the life of a patient in need of authentic care,” the prayer guide notes. - Start anew from God and rebuild with a prophetic vision, Pope tells delegations from earthquake-ravaged Italian towns (CWN)
A decade after an earthquake ravaged parts of central Italy, Pope Leo XIV invoked the example of the prophet Haggai as he addressed delegations from affected municipalities. - More...