Catholic News
- Pope thanks Arab dialogue participants for efforts to promote harmony (Dicastery for Communication)
At the conclusion of his September 9 general audience, Pope Leo XIV thanked members of the Steering Committee of the Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation in the Arab World for “your cooperation with the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue” (KAICIID) and prayed that “your efforts to promote peaceful coexistence in the Arab region will indeed bear much fruit” “We wanted to meet the Pope during our gathering in the Eternal City to reaffirm our absolute dedication to interfaith dialogue as an indispensable path to achieving harmony, not only in the Middle East but everywhere,” said António de Almeida-Ribeiro, KAICIID’s secretary general. “Today, we stand here alongside representatives of the Coptic, Shiite, and Sunni worlds to bear witness that peace is not a utopia.” - Vatican, World Council of Churches discuss salvation, reconciliation (Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity)
Representatives of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches gathered in Bossey, Switzerland, from September 1-3. According to a statement issued after the meeting, discussions touched on three themes: salvation and religious indifference, collective reconciliation, and religious freedom, peacebuilding, and Christian witness. 350 Protestant and Orthodox communities are members of the World Council of Churches, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. - Latin American Catholic organizations call for 'transformative dialogue' on extractivism (CWN)
Warning that “we are now dangerously close to tipping points in the climate and environmental crisis,” six ecclesial networks that work in Latin America called for “transformative dialogue” on extractivism. - USCCB issues statement for 9/11 anniversary (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. “As we pray for our nation’s continued healing, for the souls of all those lost on that day and the comfort of their families, let us implore the Holy Spirit to conform us, increasingly, into the image of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and together build a civilization of love and universal fraternity,” said Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the bishops’ conference. - Sri Lankan bishops call for probe into mass graves (Daily Mirror (Colombo))
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka called for an impartial investigation into the Chemmani mass graves. The graves date to 1995-96, when the army retook control of an area held by rebels during the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009). In calling for an investigation, the bishops echoed a call made by priests and religious in Jaffna in July. - Ukrainian Greek Catholics thank Pontiff for support (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Participants in a youth ministry gathering of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) met with Pope Leo XIV at his September 9 general audience and thanked him for his support. “Our challenge is to strengthen and nurture the faith and spirituality of young Ukrainians fleeing their homeland, seeking to lighten the burden of sorrow weighing on their souls,” said Father Roman Dermush, deputy director of the UGCC’s youth ministry commission. “In this regard, we thanked the Pontiff for his tireless closeness to our people in their suffering, a solidarity that helps us, too, to heal the visible and invisible wounds of the individual.” - Malaysian Catholics begin national pastoral convention (Fides)
Nearly 1,000 Catholics gathered in Sibu yesterday for the beginning of the four-day Malaysian Pastoral Convention. The four themes of the event are family, Church, society, and ecology. Islam is the official religion of the Southeast Asian nation (map). 55% of its 34.9 million people are Muslim, 9% are Christian, 7% are Hindu, and 5% are Buddhist, with 19% adhering to Chinese folk religions and 4% to ethnic religions. - Pope, at audience, offers rare greeting to Croatian pilgrims (Dicastery for Communication)
At the conclusion of his September 9 general audience, Pope Leo XIV offered his customary greetings to pilgrims who speak French, English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, and Polish—and then offered a rare greeting to Croatian pilgrims. “I joyfully greet the Croatian pilgrims, in particular the faithful of the Military Ordinariate in Croatia, accompanied by the Military Ordinary Bishop, Bishop Jure Bogdan, together with the priests,” Pope Leo said. “Dear friends, as you celebrate the Jubilee of the foundation of the Military Ordinariate, with this pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, you thank the Lord for all the gifts you have received.” “As a great family of believers, through your faith and your works, show the world and the society in which you live the face of the living Christ, who goes out to meet everyone who seeks him with a sincere heart,” the Pope continued. “May the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary always accompany you on your journey. I cordially bless you all. May Jesus and Mary be praised!” - Pope to preside over assembly of Diocese of Rome (Diocesi di Roma (Italian))
The Diocese of Rome announced that Pope Leo XIV will preside over the annual diocesan assembly, which will take place in the Lateran Basilica on the evening of September 18. The assembly “will officially open the new pastoral year,” said Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome and archpriest of the Lateran Basilica. “Each parish community will be invited to participate with its own representation, so that the Assembly can express the face of the entire diocesan family.” - Pope, in audience on Vatican II, reflects on human dignity (CWN)
Continuing his series of Wednesday general audiences on the Second Vatican Council and its documents, Pope Leo XIV today spoke about “human dignity: gift and responsibility.” - Witness to unity and become contemplatives, Pope tells Focolare bishops (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV today encouraged four cardinals and 79 other bishops who are friends of the Focolare Movement to witness to unity and to nourish their interior lives. - Let us commit ourselves to living as Jesus did, Pope tells West African youth (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged participants in the first West African Youth Days to commit themselves to living as Jesus lived, and in doing so to reach out to the marginalized. - Synod study groups offer proposals for ad limina visits; relations between bishops, religious superiors (CWN)
The General Secretariat of the Synod yesterday released the final report of one of the study groups formed during the synod on synodality, as well as the second part of the final report of another study group. - Pontifical Academy for Life president: Catholics can support 'imperfect' euthanasia law (Catholic Herald)
The president of the Pontifical Academy for Life said that Catholics could support a law permitting euthanasia if one believes that it could prevent the enactment of an even more permissive law. “From the Catholic perspective, the issue boils down to assessing whether we are dealing with an ‘imperfect law,’ to which it would nonetheless be morally right to give one’s consent, given that Parliament might instead readily approve more permissive and libertarian laws that are far more detrimental to the dignity of the sick and the value of life,” Archbishop Renzo Pegoraro said in an interview. - Another bishop consecrated in China (Vatican Press Office)
The Holy See Press Office announced that Father Andrew Ding Yang, 44, was consecrated archbishop of Chongqing, China, on September 8. Typically, the Holy See Press Office announces a bishop’s appointment, rather than his consecration. In announcing the prelate’s consecration, the press office stated that Pope Leo, “having approved his candidacy within the framework of the Provisional Agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China,” made the appointment on July 28. The announcement follows two similar consecrations in July, for the dioceses of Chifeng and Bameng, and one in August, for the Diocese of Datong. - Without the Gospel, Church programs become 'blah blah,' Vatican prefect tells new bishops (Fides)
The prefect of the Dicastery for the Clergy told new bishops from missionary dioceses that without a grounding in the Gospel, “everything else, including the wonderful program of a synodal and missionary Church, risks remaining ‘blah blah’: words, programs and activities that do not change the hearts of people and the life of communities.” Cardinal Lazzaro You Heung-sik said yesterday that he prioritizes “being, not doing,” living as a disciple of Jesus, cultivating relationships with collaborators rather than focusing on activities, and “keeping our eyes fixed on the one Teacher: the Crucified and Risen One.” Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu, a Nigerian prelate who serves as secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization, also addressed the new bishops. He described missionary dioceses as the “Church of the sheaves,” the fruit of the labors of missionaries. He observed: Unfortunately, sometimes when some people from our local Churches today insist on remaining faithful to those teachings of the missionaries, they are tagged as conservatives. Many in the West want them to abandon the teachings received from the missionaries from the West, to embrace new and untested values that are taught by persons who do not and cannot stand any comparison with the missionaries in their conviction and fraternal solidarity. We cannot abandon our heritage or neglect the past, since the future is rooted in it. - More than 20,000 German churches may be abandoned over next decade (New York Times)
More than 20,000 churches across Germany are “expected to be abandoned in the next five to 10 years,” The New York Times reported, citing Dutch artist and art historian Hedwig Fijen. “In some churches, they really throw away the key,” Fijen said. “I’ve found sacred objects in the garbage bin.” “There is no central plan for what to do with the buildings, but secular cultural organizations, artists, preservationists and city planners are looking for ways to repurpose them for the benefit of their cities and towns—whether as health care centers, bookstores or spaces for the arts,” wrote journalist Nina Siegal. - USCCB publishes homily suggestions ahead of midterm elections (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) published “Preaching on Faithful Citizenship 2026-Year A,” a set of homily suggestions for Sundays between September 13 and November 1, leading up to the midterm elections. “With the intention of supporting ongoing efforts for conscience formation, this guide identifies possible ways to connect the call to Faithful Citizenship with the lectionary readings during an eight-week period,” the bishops’ conference stated. The homily suggestions were prepared by the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, chaired by Archbishop Shelton Fabre of Louisville, in consultation with members of the Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations. The USCCB also posted “Preaching Faithful Citizenship and the Call to Put Faith Before Politics,” a video reflection by Bishop Daniel Flores, Archbishop William Lori, and Archbishop Alexander Sample, and “Outlines for Clergy Formation on Faithful Citizenship,” a 26-page document. - New Jersey Catholic Conference calls for continued pro-life witness after governor signs law (New Jersey Catholic Conference)
The New Jersey Catholic Conference, which represents the state’s bishops on matters of public policy, encouraged a continued prayerful, peaceful presence at abortion clinics after Gov. Mike Sherrill signed legislation expanding criminal and civil penalties against those who “intimidate” or “interfere with” abortionists and mothers seeking abortions. “Our call to be a peaceful, prayerful presence for mothers and their children has not changed,” the New Jersey Catholic Conference said. “This new law does not stop you from praying, witnessing, or offering help outside a facility—it simply draws a clear line around a small set of specific actions. You are encouraged to be aware of that line, stay confidently on the right side of it, and continue this important ministry without fear.” The Catholic conference’s document offers guidance on which actions are legally permissible and which actions are not. “This new law does not stop you from praying and standing peacefully on a public sidewalk without blocking anyone,” the document concluded. “As with any new law, how it’s enforced in practice might vary and will likely become clearer over time. Take courage to continue this ministry peacefully, prudently, and confidently.” - Archbishop Gallagher recalls Cardinal Merry del Val's example of diplomacy (Vatican News)
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, paid tribute to the diplomacy of the Servant of God Rafael Merry del Val (1865-1930), a staunch ally of Pope St. Pius X in his efforts to combat Modernism. Speaking in Assisi on September 7, Archbishop Gallagher recalled that Cardinal Merry del Val was Pope Pius XI’s legate to Assisi in 1926 for the commemoration of the 700th anniversary of St. Francis’s death. A meeting between Cardinal Merry del Val and Italy’s education minister helped pave the way for the Lateran Treaty of 1929, in which Italy recognized the Pope’s sovereignty over Vatican City. “No agreement is born without a willingness to meet,” said Archbishop Gallagher, and gestures of reconciliation may eventually bear fruit in “just and lasting rules.” - More...