Catholic News
- Pope Leo entrusts world to Immaculate Heart of Mary, praises Marian devotion (Dicastery for Communication)
At the conclusion of Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square, the culminating event of the Jubilee of Marian Spirituality, Pope Leo XIV entrusted the world to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (booklet, pp. 47-48) in the presence of the original statue of Our Lady of Fatima, brought from Portugal for the occasion. Earlier, during his homily, Pope Leo lauded Marian spirituality. “Our affection for Mary of Nazareth,” he preached, “leads us to join her in becoming disciples of Jesus.” “Mary’s path follows that of Jesus, which leads us to encounter every human being, especially the poor, the wounded and sinners,” he added. “Because of this, authentic Marian spirituality brings God’s tenderness” - Pope welcomes 'spark of hope' in Holy Land, rues Russian attacks in Ukraine (Dicastery for Communication)
During his Sunday Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square that the “agreement to begin the peace process has given a spark of hope in the Holy Land.” “I encourage the parties involved to continue courageously on the path they have chosen, towards a just and lasting peace that respects the legitimate aspirations of the Israeli and Palestinian peoples,” he continued. “We ask God, who is the true Peace of humanity, to heal all wounds and to help us with his grace to accomplish what now seems humanly impossible: to remember that the other is not an enemy, but a brother or sister to be seen, forgiven and offered the hope of reconciliation.” Without mentioning Russia by name, Pope Leo also rued “the recent violent attacks that struck several cities and civilian infrastructure in Ukraine, causing the death of innocent people, including children, and leaving many families without electricity and heating.” The Pontiff renewed his appeal “to put an end to violence, to stop destruction, to open up to dialogue and peace.” - Papal tribute to tradition of Christian philosophy (Dicastery for Communication)
In a message to a philosophy conference taking place in Paraguay, Pope Leo XIV warned against “the attitude of those,” such as the Swiss Protestant theologian Karl Barth, “who, pretending to exalt the Word of God, ended up demeaning the value of human reason.” Pope Leo also warned against “the claim that transcendent knowledge can be attained through mere rational analysis”—a claim made in various ways, he said, by Pelagius and the German philosopher Georg Wilhelm Friedrich Hegel. On the other hand, figures like St. Justin Martyr, St. Thomas Aquinas, and St. Bonaventure have shown that “faith and reason are not only not opposed, but support and complement each other in an admirable way.” Thus, said the Pope, “the Christian thinker is called to be a living reminder of the authentic philosophical vocation as an honest and persevering search for Wisdom.” - Chile's president, Pontiff discuss sexual abuse, poverty, peace (Vatican Press Office)
During an audience with Pope Leo yesterday, President Gabriel Boric of Chile invited the Pontiff to visit the South American nation. Following the audience, President Boric said that he and the Pope had discussed the recent apostolic exhortation on love for the poor, sexual abuse in the Church in Chile, and the Chile-Argentina peace agreement the Church brokered four decades ago. The president also met with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Secretary of State of His Holiness, and Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. The parties discussed “the Chilean socio-economic situation,” with “special attention to the fight against poverty, migratory phenomena and ethical questions,” according to a Vatican press release. - Leading Latin American cardinal: UN climate conference is 'decisive test' for humanity, Church (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
The president of CELAM (the Episcopal Conference of Latin America) described COP30, the upcoming UN climate change conference, as “a decisive test for humanity and for the mission of the Church.” “We can say that in recent months, all Catholic communities in Brazil have become aware of the reality of climate change and the Church’s position,” Cardinal Jaime Spengler told the Vatican newspaper. “The market, the technocratic society, starts from a different principle than ours ... There is a difference between what economics and politics say, and what the Church defends. I don’t mean they are contradictory, but perhaps there are different perspectives.” “We have women and men who dedicate themselves to political activity, but we lack statesmen of ethical, human, and spiritual greatness,” added Cardinal Spengler, who is also the president of the Brazilian bishops’ conference. The prelate called for “leaders capable of making a difference in debate and capable of providing constructive guidance, necessary to face the difficulties our times impose.” - Mali archbishop speaks of good relations between Christians, Muslims (Vatican News (Italian))
In an interview with the Vatican media, Mali’s most prominent prelate characterized relations between Christians and Muslims as good, despite jihadist military actions there. Archbishop Robert Cissé of Bamako said that “our families may include Christians, Muslims, or even members of traditional faiths, and everyone lives their faith peacefully, without any problems.” “What drives the so-called jihadists are economic interests, and their game is easy because they capitalize on the poverty of so many young people who, without jobs and little money, are easily ensnared,” he added. “It’s a question of money ... Rather than Islamic terrorism, therefore, I would speak of terrorism for money.” - Over 2.5 million take part in Marian procession in Brazil (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Over 2.5 million people this year took part in the Círio De Nazaré Marian procession in Brazil. In a papal message for the occasion, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, wrote: Having been informed of the spiritual preparation—which unites thousands of families through careful meditation on the Word of God and the prayer of the Holy Rosary—for the feast days of the Círio, the Holy Father willingly joins those who raise to the loving Virgin Mother the most sincere and profound expression of filial devotion, committed to the care of our Common Home and imploring the gift of peace for the entire world. - Cardinal Parolin celebrates Mass for 1st feast of St. Carlo Acutis (CNA)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, traveled to the shrine in Assisi where St. Carlo Acutis is buried and celebrated Mass on the first liturgical memorial of the newly canonized saint, 19 years after his death. “From this shrine, together with St. Francis, he speaks to the world and reminds us that we are all called to holiness,” Cardinal Parolin preached. “With the simplicity of his life, he teaches us that holiness is possible at any age and in any state of life.” - Read Dilexi Te, USCCB president urges (USCCB)
Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, invited all people to “ all people to read, reflect, and pray with” Dilexi Te, Pope Leo’s first apostolic exhortation. “Our lives must reflect the reality of the ultimate, loving sacrifice of Christ,” said Archbishop Broglio. “The Holy Father calls upon each of us to respond to a world that is marked by indifference, division, and apathy especially when directed towards the poor and vulnerable.” - Vatican newspaper praises American author's book on Sacred Heart (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
The Vatican newspaper, which rarely reviews current books by American Catholic authors, published a positive review of Dawn Eden Goldstein’s The Sacred Heart: A Love for All Times. “The pages of the book confirm how devotion to the Sacred Heart has transformed the lives of important figures in the history of the Church,” Silvia Gusmano, a frequent contributor to L’Osservatore Romano, wrote in yesterday’s edition. The book is “not intended to be merely a book about devotion. Rather, it is a journey to the heart of Jesus, that heart that ‘knows and loves each of us from within,’ revealing to us that we ourselves are “beloved disciples.” - Act of reparation after public desecration of altar in St. Peter's basilica (CNA)
Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, the archpriest of St. Peter’s basilica, conducted a liturgical act of reparation at the request of Pope Leo on October 13, after the desecration of the altar two days earlier. A man who has not yet been identified climbed onto the Altar of Confession on Friday and urinated, leaving pilgrims and tourists aghast. He was quickly taken into custody by Vatican security officials. - Pope charges parishes to celebrate World Mission Sunday (Vatican News)
“I urge every Catholic parish in the world to take part in World Mission Sunday,” Pope Leo XIV said in a video message released on October 13. World Mission Sunday will be observed this year on October 19. The Pope spoke about how he saw the benefits of the event when he worked as missionary in Peru. - Be rooted in Christ and exemplars of synodality, Pope tells consecrated religious (Dicastery for Communication (Italian))
Pope Leo XIV met with thousands of participants in the Jubilee of Consecrated Life in Paul VI Audience Hall and told them, “It must always be emphasized how important it is for all of you to be rooted in Christ.” “Only in this way, in fact, will you be able to carry out your mission in a fruitful way, living your vocation as part of the marvelous adventure of following Jesus more closely,” Pope Leo said during the October 10 audience. “United with him, and in him among yourselves, your little lights become like the tracing of a luminous path in the great plan of peace and salvation that God has for humanity.” Turning to synodality, Pope Leo also called upon religious to “remain faithful to the path that we are all taking in this direction.” He explained: Your life, the very way in which you are organized, the de facto often international and intercultural character of your institutes, in fact place you in a privileged condition to be able to live daily values such as mutual listening, participation, the sharing of opinions and abilities, and the common search for paths according to the voice of the Spirit. - China to install another bishop without papal approval (New Daily Compass)
Chinese officials have scheduled the consecration of Father Joseph Wu Jianlin as an auxiliary bishop of Shanghai on October 15, without Vatican approval. The Patriotic Catholic Association appointed Father Joseph Wu Jianlin, along with one priests, to become bishops, on April 29, during the week after the death of Pope Francis The secret agreement between the Vatican and Beijing requires that bishops named by the Patriotic Association must be approved by the Pope. The apparent violation of that agreement comes just after Cardinal Pietro Parolin told reporters that the Vatican’s cooperation with China on the appointment of bishops “continues to move forward.” The Vatican Secretary of State acknowledged that there have been disagreements about the process, but “patience and trust are needed.” - The Pope understands the Church in the US, USCCB president says after audience (Vatican News)
On October 10, Pope Leo XIV received the leaders of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops: Archbishop Timothy Broglio (president), Archbishop William Lori (vice president), Father Michael Fuller (secretary general), and Father Paul Hartmann (assistant secretary general). “You feel you have an older brother walking with you—and that is a great blessing,” Archbishop Broglio, who leads the Archdiocese for the Military Services, said after the hour-long audience. “The refrain that ‘they don’t understand us over here’ doesn’t fit anymore, because he certainly does understand us.” Archbishop Broglio told Vatican News that “the bishops and the Church in the United States as a whole have always been very closely allied to the Pope, with a desire to work in unity with him.” Topics of conversation included the transmission of faith and migrants; “we talked about the challenges we face when people align themselves more quickly with political positions than with the message of the Gospel,” the prelate said. - 'Lay down your sword,' Pope urges during Rosary for peace (Dicastery for Communication)
During an evening prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square, Pope Leo XIV presided at the recitation of the Rosary for peace and Benediction of the Blessed Sacrament. The original statue of Our Lady of Fatima was brought to Rome from Portugal for the occasion; there, in 1917, the Blessed Virgin had requested the praying of the Rosary for peace. During the prayer vigil, the Pontiff reflected on the Marian spirituality and Christ’s blessing on the peacemakers. Referring to Christ’s words to St. Peter, Pope Leo said: Lay down your sword is a message addressed to the powerful of this world, to those who guide the fate of peoples: have the courage to disarm! At the same time, it is an invitation to each one of us to recognize that no idea, faith or policy justifies killing. We must first disarm our hearts because unless we have peace within ourselves, we cannot give it to others. - Pope urges Italian dioceses to be close to workers (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV addressed pilgrims from the dioceses of Tuscany and other Italian regions on October 11 and urged them “to assume, as a local Church, the style of proximity, listening to the struggles and hardships of the people.” “I say this thinking above all of the worrying news regarding various sectors of the world of work,” Pope Leo explained. “It is painful to see how the economic crisis affecting many companies is forcing the dismissal of so many workers and leaving many others on temporary layoff.” “I therefore urge you to be a Church close to the world of work, compassionate and embodied, so that the proclamation of the Gospel may become a concrete presence of consolation and hope, but also a prophetic word that recalls the importance of guaranteeing work to everyone,” he added. - Let prayer accompany communication, Pontiff tells dicastery employees (Dicastery for Communication (Italian))
Pope Leo XIV addressed employees of the Dicastery for Communication and their families on October 11, the date this year of their annual picnic. “Slowly I’m getting to know you,” Pope Leo said. “I know that you work with passion, to spread the Pope’s words and gestures everywhere. You do it daily, discreetly and in a hidden manner.” The Pope added, “How important it is that our communication be accompanied by prayer! I would say that this makes the difference. The world may not know it, it does not understand it, but we do, we know it and we must always try to do it: to accompany our daily work of communication with prayer.” - Vatican finally selects judges for Rupnik trial (AP)
The Vatican announced on October 13 that a panel of five judges has been named to hear the charges of sexual and spiritual abuse against Father Marko Rupnik. Almost two full years ago—on October 27, 2023—Pope Francis had ordered the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith to hold the trial, lifting the statute of limitations that had previously blocked prosecution of the influential former Jesuit. In an implicit recognition that the odd treatment of the Rupnik case had prompted questions about whether powerful Vatican officials had protected him, the Vatican said that judges had been chosen from outside the Roman Curia “to better guarantee, as in any judicial process, the autonomy and independence” of the tribunal. - Vatican message to Hindus recalls Nostra Aetate, highlights peace through dialogue (Vatican Press Office)
“Hindus and Christians: Building world peace through dialogue and collaboration in the spirit of Nostra Aetate“ is the theme of Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue’s 2025 message to Hindus for the Hindu festival of Diwali (Deepavali). The dicastery’s prefect and secretary hailed Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions, as an “historic initiative of interreligious dialogue” that “has evolved into a global project, generously supported and championed by people of diverse religious beliefs and non-beliefs alike, thereby making a significant contribution to world peace.” “During this festive season, we invite you to join us in reflecting on how Christians and Hindus, together with people of all faiths and goodwill, can strengthen our shared efforts for peace through dialogue and collaboration in the spirit of Nostra Aetate,” added the dicastery’s prefect (Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad) and secretary (Msgr. Indunil Janakaratne Kodithuwakku Kankanamalage). “ In today’s world, where mistrust, polarization, tensions and divisions are on the rise, interreligious dialogue is more necessary than ever.” - More...