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<title>Catholic News Agency &#45; : From the Top</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/rss/category/from-the-top</link>
<description>Catholic News Agency &#45; : From the Top</description>
<dc:language>en</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Copyright 2026 Catholic News &#45; All Rights Reserved.</dc:rights>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV: Fragility in old age can teach our efficiency&#45;obsessed world</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-fragility-in-old-age-can-teach-our-efficiency-obsessed-world</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-fragility-in-old-age-can-teach-our-efficiency-obsessed-world</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff, who is traveling in Spain, sent a letter to be read at a Vatican symposium on the elderly. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV:, Fragility, old, age, can, teach, our, efficiency-obsessed, world</media:keywords>
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<title>Ahead of the World Cup, Pope Leo XIV shares an important lesson from soccer</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/ahead-of-the-world-cup-pope-leo-xiv-shares-an-important-lesson-from-soccer</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/ahead-of-the-world-cup-pope-leo-xiv-shares-an-important-lesson-from-soccer</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Soccer, Pope Leo said, &quot;helps us remember something very important: that life is not a race to be run in solitude; it is something played as a team, and we must learn to run together.&quot; ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Ahead, the, World, Cup, Pope, Leo, XIV, shares, important, lesson, from, soccer</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Peruvian boy whose family struggles to make ends meet asks pope why bad things happen</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/peruvian-boy-whose-family-struggles-to-make-ends-meet-asks-pope-why-bad-things-happen</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/peruvian-boy-whose-family-struggles-to-make-ends-meet-asks-pope-why-bad-things-happen</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Answering the question, Pope Leo XIV emphasized that “through the life of Jesus Christ, God shows us that, even amid suffering, he never abandons any of his children.&quot; ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Peruvian, boy, whose, family, struggles, make, ends, meet, asks, pope, why, bad, things, happen</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>‘I’m still on cloud nine,’ says pilot who shared cockpit with Pope Leo XIV</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/im-still-on-cloud-nine-says-pilot-who-shared-cockpit-with-pope-leo-xiv</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/im-still-on-cloud-nine-says-pilot-who-shared-cockpit-with-pope-leo-xiv</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Ángeles Hernández had the experience of a lifetime as she served as the co-pilot on the flight taking Pope Leo XIV from Madrid to Barcelona. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>‘I’m, still, cloud, nine, ’, says, pilot, who, shared, cockpit, with, Pope, Leo, XIV</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>A century later, Pope Leo XIV fulfills Gaudí’s dream</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/a-century-later-pope-leo-xiv-fulfills-gaudis-dream</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/a-century-later-pope-leo-xiv-fulfills-gaudis-dream</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Sagrada Familia Basilica&#039;s spectacular central spire is crowned by a white cross that makes it the tallest church in the world. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>century, later, Pope, Leo, XIV, fulfills, Gaudí’s, dream</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Women in the Vatican welcome Montserrat Alvarado as new prefect for communication</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/women-in-the-vatican-welcome-montserrat-alvarado-as-new-prefect-for-communication</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/women-in-the-vatican-welcome-montserrat-alvarado-as-new-prefect-for-communication</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Women in the Vatican Association strives &quot;to create an increasingly constructive and fruitful network of knowledge, friendship, and solidarity among all members,&quot; according to its president. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Women, the, Vatican, welcome, Montserrat, Alvarado, new, prefect, for, communication</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>In Spain, Pope Leo XIV tells young people: &amp;apos;You can change history, do it with love&amp;apos;</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/in-spain-pope-leo-xiv-tells-young-people-you-can-change-history-do-it-with-love-11078</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/in-spain-pope-leo-xiv-tells-young-people-you-can-change-history-do-it-with-love-11078</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pope spoke with hundreds of thousands of young people in Madrid on the first day of his six-day apostolic visit to Spain. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Spain, Pope, Leo, XIV, tells, young, people:, You, can, change, history, with, love</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV meets royalty, civic leaders, hundreds of thousands of youth in Spain</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-meets-royalty-civic-leaders-hundreds-of-thousands-of-youth-in-spain</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-meets-royalty-civic-leaders-hundreds-of-thousands-of-youth-in-spain</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy Father launched his six-day trip to the European country with a whirlwind first day of diplomatic visits and meetings with societal leaders. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>PHOTOS:, Pope, Leo, XIV, meets, royalty, civic, leaders, hundreds, thousands, youth, Spain</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV in Madrid: Corpus Christi must not become museum of the past</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-in-madrid-corpus-christi-must-not-become-museum-of-the-past</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-in-madrid-corpus-christi-must-not-become-museum-of-the-past</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ At Mass in Madrid’s Plaza de Cibeles, the pope called Spain’s centuries-old Eucharistic devotion “a school of faith” for the present and future. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, Madrid:, Corpus, Christi, must, not, become, museum, the, past</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Antonio Banderas tells Pope Leo XIV: &amp;apos;I am a victim of God’s spell’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/antonio-banderas-tells-pope-leo-xiv-i-am-a-victim-of-gods-spell</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/antonio-banderas-tells-pope-leo-xiv-i-am-a-victim-of-gods-spell</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Actor joins Pope Leo XIV at Madrid gathering on culture, art, economics, and sports during the pope’s apostolic visit to Spain. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 08 Jun 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Antonio, Banderas, tells, Pope, Leo, XIV:, victim, God’s, spell’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV: We must rediscover signs and symbols of the sacred liturgy</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-we-must-rediscover-signs-and-symbols-of-the-sacred-liturgy</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-we-must-rediscover-signs-and-symbols-of-the-sacred-liturgy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff continued his catechesis on the Second Vatican Council&#039;s teaching on the liturgy during his weekly general audience. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV:, must, rediscover, signs, and, symbols, the, sacred, liturgy</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope calls on Catholic universities to be authentic, instill ‘passion for the truth’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-calls-on-catholic-universities-to-be-authentic-instill-passion-for-the-truth</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-calls-on-catholic-universities-to-be-authentic-instill-passion-for-the-truth</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday addressed presidents and senior administrators from Catholic institutions belonging to the Association of Catholic Colleges and Universities. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, calls, Catholic, universities, authentic, instill, ‘passion, for, the, truth’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV accompanied him through his cancer battle. Now they will meet again in Madrid</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-accompanied-him-through-his-cancer-battle-now-they-will-meet-again-in-madrid</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-accompanied-him-through-his-cancer-battle-now-they-will-meet-again-in-madrid</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ After surviving cancer, a Spanish teen prepares to reunite with the pope who accompanied him through his illness. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, accompanied, him, through, his, cancer, battle., Now, they, will, meet, again, Madrid</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>June consistory of cardinals will address synod, war, artificial intelligence</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/june-consistory-of-cardinals-will-address-synod-war-artificial-intelligence</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/june-consistory-of-cardinals-will-address-synod-war-artificial-intelligence</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The gathering will function as &quot;a space for mutual listening, discernment, and shared exploration of certain issue,&quot; Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re said. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>June, consistory, cardinals, will, address, synod, war, artificial, intelligence</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Cardinal Koovakad to lead Sanremo meeting on interreligious dialogue</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/cardinal-koovakad-to-lead-sanremo-meeting-on-interreligious-dialogue</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/cardinal-koovakad-to-lead-sanremo-meeting-on-interreligious-dialogue</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The October gathering follows a pastoral letter by Bishop Antonio Suetta on charity, Christian witness, and the proclamation of the Gospel to Muslims living in the diocese. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 05 Jun 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Cardinal, Koovakad, lead, Sanremo, meeting, interreligious, dialogue</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV: Our world is more divided, but shared humanity unites us</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-our-world-is-more-divided-but-shared-humanity-unites-us</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-our-world-is-more-divided-but-shared-humanity-unites-us</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff addressed members of the Centesimus Annus Pro Pontifice Foundation on May 30. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV:, Our, world, more, divided, but, shared, humanity, unites</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>‘Invisible, silent, misunderstood work’: The pope’s school for diplomats at 325 years</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/invisible-silent-misunderstood-work-the-popes-school-for-diplomats-at-325-years</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/invisible-silent-misunderstood-work-the-popes-school-for-diplomats-at-325-years</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome was founded in 1701 as a training ground for the pope&#039;s ambassadors. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>‘Invisible, silent, misunderstood, work’:, The, pope’s, school, for, diplomats, 325, years</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Fulton Sheen’s missionary legacy hailed by Pope Leo XIV</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/fulton-sheens-missionary-legacy-hailed-by-pope-leo-xiv</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/fulton-sheens-missionary-legacy-hailed-by-pope-leo-xiv</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff praised Venerable Sheen, who will be beatified Sept. 24, as “a light of faith, hope, and love” whose radio and television broadcasts brought the Gospel to millions. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Fulton, Sheen’s, missionary, legacy, hailed, Pope, Leo, XIV</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV highlights ‘key aspects’ of Catholic Charismatic Renewal</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-highlights-key-aspects-of-catholic-charismatic-renewal</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-highlights-key-aspects-of-catholic-charismatic-renewal</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV encouraged members of the Catholic Charismatic Renewal to pursue their mission by placing themselves at the service of dioceses and parishes. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 02 Jun 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, highlights, ‘key, aspects’, Catholic, Charismatic, Renewal</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Leo XIV: Don’t water down Christianity</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-dont-water-down-christianity</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-dont-water-down-christianity</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff said the Church must respond to religious indifference not by softening the Gospel’s demands but by offering credible witness to Christ. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV:, Don’t, water, down, Christianity</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV to visit the Republic of San Marino on Aug. 22</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-to-visit-the-republic-of-san-marino-on-aug-22</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-to-visit-the-republic-of-san-marino-on-aug-22</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy Father will spend half a day in the microstate in north-central Italy before traveling around 14 miles northeast to the city of Rimini, Italy. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, visit, the, Republic, San, Marino, Aug.</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope receives Ferrari Luce steering wheel — Italian brand’s first fully electric car</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-receives-ferrari-luce-steering-wheel-italian-brands-first-fully-electric-car</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-receives-ferrari-luce-steering-wheel-italian-brands-first-fully-electric-car</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ A delegation from the Italian luxury sports car manufacturer met Pope Leo at Castel Gandolfo on May 26. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, receives, Ferrari, Luce, steering, wheel, —, Italian, brand’s, first, fully, electric, car</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Can wars still be just? Pope Leo XIV addresses the issue in Magnifica Humanitas</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/can-wars-still-be-just-pope-leo-xiv-addresses-the-issue-in-magnifica-humanitas</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/can-wars-still-be-just-pope-leo-xiv-addresses-the-issue-in-magnifica-humanitas</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The destructive power of modern weaponry and dubious claims to justification mean just war theory, which includes legitimate self-defense, must be reexamined. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 30 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Can, wars, still, just, Pope, Leo, XIV, addresses, the, issue, Magnifica, Humanitas</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>When to say ‘no’ to AI in the classroom and at home: A key warning of Magnifica Humanitas</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/when-to-say-no-to-ai-in-the-classroom-and-at-home-a-key-warning-of-magnifica-humanitas-10937</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/when-to-say-no-to-ai-in-the-classroom-and-at-home-a-key-warning-of-magnifica-humanitas-10937</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV issues a broad call to rethink what it means to educate people in the use of artificial intelligence and its implications, especially for young people. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>When, say, ‘no’, the, classroom, and, home:, key, warning, Magnifica, Humanitas</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>From the Vatican to Australia: Sistine Chapel exhibit debuts in Sydney</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/from-the-vatican-to-australia-sistine-chapel-exhibit-debuts-in-sydney</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/from-the-vatican-to-australia-sistine-chapel-exhibit-debuts-in-sydney</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Vatican Museums and the Archdiocese of Sydney held a conference in Rome to launch the exhibition ahead of the 2028 International Eucharistic Congress. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>From, the, Vatican, Australia:, Sistine, Chapel, exhibit, debuts, Sydney</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope decries ‘drastic sterility,’ discrimination against motherhood in Europe</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-decries-drastic-sterility-discrimination-against-motherhood-in-europe</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-decries-drastic-sterility-discrimination-against-motherhood-in-europe</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Leo addressed members of the European Parliament’s Intergroup on Demography and others during a conference on the family and demographics. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, decries, ‘drastic, sterility, ’, discrimination, against, motherhood, Europe</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Society of St. Pius X names priests to be consecrated bishops July 1</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/society-of-st-pius-x-names-priests-to-be-consecrated-bishops-july-1</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/society-of-st-pius-x-names-priests-to-be-consecrated-bishops-july-1</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The SSPX named four priests to be consecrated as bishops without papal permission — despite a warning from the Vatican that the “schismatic” consecrations would incur excommunication. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Society, St., Pius, names, priests, consecrated, bishops, July</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Anthropic co&#45;founder points to 3 ethical challenges of AI at Magnifica Humanitas presentation</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/anthropic-co-founder-points-to-3-ethical-challenges-of-ai-at-magnifica-humanitas-presentation</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/anthropic-co-founder-points-to-3-ethical-challenges-of-ai-at-magnifica-humanitas-presentation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Christopher Olah singled out the duty to the global poor, rediscovering and rethinking what it means to flourish as a human being and the need for discernment on the part of AI model developers. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 27 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Anthropic, co-founder, points, ethical, challenges, Magnifica, Humanitas, presentation</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Leo XIV authorizes beatification of 80 civil war martyrs ahead of his trip to Spain</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-authorizes-beatification-of-80-civil-war-martyrs-ahead-of-his-trip-to-spain</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-authorizes-beatification-of-80-civil-war-martyrs-ahead-of-his-trip-to-spain</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In addition, the pope will declare four other religious from various countries as venerable. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV, authorizes, beatification, civil, war, martyrs, ahead, his, trip, Spain</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV discusses major challenges of EU and its future with European bishops</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-discusses-major-challenges-of-eu-and-its-future-with-european-bishops</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-discusses-major-challenges-of-eu-and-its-future-with-european-bishops</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ While the bishops proposed many possible topics for the meeting, the pontiff emphasized dialogue and peace as priorities. The pope also said migrants must be respected and needed services not denied. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, discusses, major, challenges, and, its, future, with, European, bishops</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Why Catholics celebrate Mary as ‘mother of the Church’ the day after Pentecost</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/why-catholics-celebrate-mary-as-mother-of-the-church-the-day-after-pentecost</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/why-catholics-celebrate-mary-as-mother-of-the-church-the-day-after-pentecost</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Catholic Church celebrates the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church each year on the Monday after Pentecost. This year, it falls on May 25. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Why, Catholics, celebrate, Mary, ‘mother, the, Church’, the, day, after, Pentecost</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>In Italy’s ‘Land of Fires,’ Pope Leo XIV laments ‘the cry of creation and the poor’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/in-italys-land-of-fires-pope-leo-xiv-laments-the-cry-of-creation-and-the-poor</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/in-italys-land-of-fires-pope-leo-xiv-laments-the-cry-of-creation-and-the-poor</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy Father said Pope Francis&#039; encyclical Laudato Si&#039; is a framework for addressing the social and environmental crises of the region. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Italy’s, ‘Land, Fires, ’, Pope, Leo, XIV, laments, ‘the, cry, creation, and, the, poor’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>In Italian region marred by toxic waste, Pope Leo XIV praises ‘beauty no injustice can erase’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/in-italian-region-marred-by-toxic-waste-pope-leo-xiv-praises-beauty-no-injustice-can-erase</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/in-italian-region-marred-by-toxic-waste-pope-leo-xiv-praises-beauty-no-injustice-can-erase</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy Father on May 23 met with Church leaders and local residents at Acerra in Italy&#039;s &quot;Land of Fires.&quot; ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 24 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Italian, region, marred, toxic, waste, Pope, Leo, XIV, praises, ‘beauty, injustice, can, erase’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo expresses ‘deep concern’ for future of Lebanon, calls for strengthening unity</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-expresses-deep-concern-for-future-of-lebanon-calls-for-strengthening-unity</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-expresses-deep-concern-for-future-of-lebanon-calls-for-strengthening-unity</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pope met with the chief bishop of the Armenian Apostolic Church of Cilicia  headquartered in Lebanon, emphasizing his concern for that country and the role of ecumenism for Christian unity. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, expresses, ‘deep, concern’, for, future, Lebanon, calls, for, strengthening, unity</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Leo XIV laments that after receiving confirmation, many young people ‘disappear from the parish’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-laments-that-after-receiving-confirmation-many-young-people-disappear-from-the-parish</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-laments-that-after-receiving-confirmation-many-young-people-disappear-from-the-parish</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Speaking to a group of young people soon to be confirmed, Pope Leo XIV encouraged perseverance in the faith and emphasized that faith is lived in community, not in isolation. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV, laments, that, after, receiving, confirmation, many, young, people, ‘disappear, from, the, parish’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo explains why Vatican II’s reform did not change only ‘the rites’ of the liturgy</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-explains-why-vatican-iis-reform-did-not-change-only-the-rites-of-the-liturgy</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-explains-why-vatican-iis-reform-did-not-change-only-the-rites-of-the-liturgy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ On May 20, the pope began a series of messages focused on “Sacrosanctum Concilium,” a constitution on the sacred liturgy and the first document promulgated by the Second Vatican Council. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, explains, why, Vatican, II’s, reform, did, not, change, only, ‘the, rites’, the, liturgy</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>EWTN News explains: What is a papal encylical?</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/ewtn-news-explains-what-is-a-papal-encylical</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/ewtn-news-explains-what-is-a-papal-encylical</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Papal encyclicals are a powerful way the pope shapes global debates and articulates Church doctrine, but how should Catholics understand them? ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>EWTN, News, explains:, What, papal, encylical</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>How does Pope Leo pray?</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/how-does-pope-leo-pray</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/how-does-pope-leo-pray</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In an interview released by the Augustinians, the pope&#039;s personal secretary offers details about the Holy Father&#039;s prayer life and insights into his style of governance. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 21 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>How, does, Pope, Leo, pray</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Catholic Church&amp;apos;s response to AI — so far</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/the-catholic-churchs-response-to-ai-so-far</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/the-catholic-churchs-response-to-ai-so-far</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ As anticipation builds for Pope Leo XIV&#039;s first papal encyclical, recent teachings reveal the contours of a Catholic approach to artificial intelligence. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>The, Catholic, Churchs, response, —, far</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Leo XIV greets young people who fled war&#45;torn Gaza and will continue their studies in Rome</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-greets-young-people-who-fled-war-torn-gaza-and-will-continue-their-studies-in-rome</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-greets-young-people-who-fled-war-torn-gaza-and-will-continue-their-studies-in-rome</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Through a special program sponsored by the Diocese of Rome, Sapienza University and the Sant&#039;Egidio Community, 72 young people from Gaza will be able to continue studies cut short by the war. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV, greets, young, people, who, fled, war-torn, Gaza, and, will, continue, their, studies, Rome</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV to visit France in September, including a stop at UNESCO headquarters</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-to-visit-france-in-september-including-a-stop-at-unesco-headquarters</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-to-visit-france-in-september-including-a-stop-at-unesco-headquarters</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The visit will mark the pope&#039;s fifth international apostolic journey. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, visit, France, September, including, stop, UNESCO, headquarters</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican sets up commission on artificial intelligence</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-sets-up-commission-on-artificial-intelligence</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-sets-up-commission-on-artificial-intelligence</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV approved the new body as the Vatican prepares for his first encyclical, expected to address artificial intelligence through the lens of Catholic social teaching. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, sets, commission, artificial, intelligence</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV: AI communication must preserve ‘human voices and faces’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-ai-communication-must-preserve-human-voices-and-faces</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-ai-communication-must-preserve-human-voices-and-faces</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff marked World Communications Day by urging technology to remain centered on human dignity. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 18 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV:, communication, must, preserve, ‘human, voices, and, faces’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican urges religious leaders not to be ‘complicit through silence or fear’ amid division</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-urges-religious-leaders-not-to-be-complicit-through-silence-or-fear-amid-division</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-urges-religious-leaders-not-to-be-complicit-through-silence-or-fear-amid-division</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Vatican’s message for Vesak calls Buddhists and Christians to promote an “unarmed and disarming” peace rooted in truth, compassion, and mutual trust. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, urges, religious, leaders, not, ‘complicit, through, silence, fear’, amid, division</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican says SSPX faces excommunications for ‘schismatic’ bishop consecrations</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-says-sspx-faces-excommunications-for-schismatic-bishop-consecrations</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-says-sspx-faces-excommunications-for-schismatic-bishop-consecrations</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández said Pope Leo XIV is praying for the leaders of the Society of St. Pius X to &quot;reconsider the very grave decision they have made.&quot; ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, says, SSPX, faces, excommunications, for, ‘schismatic’, bishop, consecrations</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo prays where St. John Paul II was shot on feast of Our Lady of Fátima</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-prays-where-st-john-paul-ii-was-shot-on-feast-of-our-lady-of-fatima</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-prays-where-st-john-paul-ii-was-shot-on-feast-of-our-lady-of-fatima</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Leo XIV dedicated his message on May 13 to &quot;the Virgin Mary, model of the Church.&quot; ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, prays, where, St., John, Paul, was, shot, feast, Our, Lady, Fátima</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV appoints Capuchin priest and former missionary to lead Florida diocese</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-appoints-capuchin-priest-and-former-missionary-to-lead-florida-diocese</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-appoints-capuchin-priest-and-former-missionary-to-lead-florida-diocese</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pope also accepted Wednesday the resignation of Bishop Frank J. Dewane, 76, who led the Diocese of Venice, Florida, since 2007. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, appoints, Capuchin, priest, and, former, missionary, lead, Florida, diocese</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV warns students against the ‘great lie’ fueling youth anxiety</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-warns-students-against-the-great-lie-fueling-youth-anxiety</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-warns-students-against-the-great-lie-fueling-youth-anxiety</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ At Europe’s largest university, the pontiff denounced a culture that reduces people to numbers. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 15 May 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, warns, students, against, the, ‘great, lie’, fueling, youth, anxiety</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV urges Christians, Muslims to turn indifference into solidarity</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-christians-muslims-to-turn-indifference-into-solidarity</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-christians-muslims-to-turn-indifference-into-solidarity</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff warned that constant exposure to images of suffering can “dull our hearts rather than stir them.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, urges, Christians, Muslims, turn, indifference, into, solidarity</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope names U.S. Bishop Lopes to lead Australia’s Anglican ordinariate</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-names-us-bishop-lopes-to-lead-australias-anglican-ordinariate</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-names-us-bishop-lopes-to-lead-australias-anglican-ordinariate</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross in Australia is one of three Anglican ordinariates. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://res.cloudinary.com/ewtn/image/upload/v1778519639/ewtn-news/en/BishopStevenLopes051126_wjnpmx.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, names, U.S., Bishop, Lopes, lead, Australia’s, Anglican, ordinariate</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Haitian prime minister meets Pope Leo, inaugurates new Vatican embassy</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/haitian-prime-minister-meets-pope-leo-inaugurates-new-vatican-embassy</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/haitian-prime-minister-meets-pope-leo-inaugurates-new-vatican-embassy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The new embassy of Haiti to the Holy See, inaugurated Sunday near the Vatican walls, marks a deepening of diplomatic ties amid ongoing political crisis in the Caribbean nation. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Haitian, prime, minister, meets, Pope, Leo, inaugurates, new, Vatican, embassy</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope warns main threat common to religion and science is denial of objective truth</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-warns-main-threat-common-to-religion-and-science-is-denial-of-objective-truth</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-warns-main-threat-common-to-religion-and-science-is-denial-of-objective-truth</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV pointed out that both science and the Church clearly teach that caring for the planet is threatened by the irresponsible exploitation of both people and the natural world. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 12 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, warns, main, threat, common, religion, and, science, denial, objective, truth</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Fidelity, enthusiasm, and faith: Pope Leo XIV welcomes Swiss Guard recruits</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/fidelity-enthusiasm-and-faith-pope-leo-xiv-welcomes-swiss-guard-recruits</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/fidelity-enthusiasm-and-faith-pope-leo-xiv-welcomes-swiss-guard-recruits</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Twenty-eight Swiss Guards were sworn in Wednesday at the Vatican. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Fidelity, enthusiasm, and, faith:, Pope, Leo, XIV, welcomes, Swiss, Guard, recruits</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV’s first year: 10 powerful moments</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xivs-first-year-10-powerful-moments</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xivs-first-year-10-powerful-moments</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ On May 8, 2025, the world was introduced to Cardinal Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV. One year later, we look at some of the most significant events and powerful moments of his first year as pope. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV’s, first, year:, powerful, moments</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Leo XIV makes Marian pilgrimage on 1&#45;year anniversary as pope</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-makes-marian-pilgrimage-on-1-year-anniversary-as-pope</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-makes-marian-pilgrimage-on-1-year-anniversary-as-pope</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV traveled around 150 miles south of Rome to the Italian cities of Pompei and Naples on the first anniversary of his election. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV, makes, Marian, pilgrimage, 1-year, anniversary, pope</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV visits Pompei and Naples in Italy</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-visits-pompei-and-naples-in-italy</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-visits-pompei-and-naples-in-italy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy Father marked the first anniversary of his pontificate on May 8 by visiting the historic cities in southern Italy. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://res.cloudinary.com/ewtn/image/upload/v1778257418/ewtn-news/en/_RIS9498_1_fytvay.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 09 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>PHOTOS:, Pope, Leo, XIV, visits, Pompei, and, Naples, Italy</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo to meet Rubio following tensions with Trump</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-to-meet-rubio-following-tensions-with-trump</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-to-meet-rubio-following-tensions-with-trump</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy See Press Office confirmed that the pontiff will meet with the U.S. secretary of state on May 7. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://res.cloudinary.com/ewtn/image/upload/v1751922850/images/vance-rubio-leo-handshake-1.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, meet, Rubio, following, tensions, with, Trump</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Who was Pope Leo XIV before he became pope?</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/who-was-pope-leo-xiv-before-he-became-pope</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/who-was-pope-leo-xiv-before-he-became-pope</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ A new book gathers writings and meditations from Leo’s years as Augustinian prior general, offering a look at the spirituality that shaped his pontificate. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://res.cloudinary.com/ewtn/image/upload/v1777929682/popeleofrfarrell_lm8hw5.png" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Who, was, Pope, Leo, XIV, before, became, pope</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Legionaries leader rebuilds vocation after Maciel scandal: Pain ‘opened our eyes’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/legionaries-leader-rebuilds-vocation-after-maciel-scandal-pain-opened-our-eyes</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/legionaries-leader-rebuilds-vocation-after-maciel-scandal-pain-opened-our-eyes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Father Carlos Gutiérrez López, the new general director of the Legionaries of Christ, speaks about transparency, renewal, and the long road of healing after the crimes of founder Marcial Maciel. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Legionaries, leader, rebuilds, vocation, after, Maciel, scandal:, Pain, ‘opened, our, eyes’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV says violence is a last resort, rejects Trump’s claim about supporting nuclear weapons</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-says-violence-is-a-last-resort-rejects-trumps-claim-about-supporting-nuclear-weapons</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-says-violence-is-a-last-resort-rejects-trumps-claim-about-supporting-nuclear-weapons</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Just war is &quot;a very complex problem. You have to analyze it on many levels,&quot; Pope Leo XIV said. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 06 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, says, violence, last, resort, rejects, Trump’s, claim, about, supporting, nuclear, weapons</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>The story behind the feast of St. Joseph the Worker</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/the-story-behind-the-feast-of-st-joseph-the-worker</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/the-story-behind-the-feast-of-st-joseph-the-worker</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ St. Joseph, the beloved spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and earthly father of Jesus, is celebrated twice by the Catholic Church every year — March 19 and May 1. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://res.cloudinary.com/ewtn/image/upload/v1745615938/images/size680/San_Jos___Alonso_Miguel_de_Tovar.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>The, story, behind, the, feast, St., Joseph, the, Worker</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Here’s why the month of May is dedicated to the Virgin Mary</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/heres-why-the-month-of-may-is-dedicated-to-the-virgin-mary</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/heres-why-the-month-of-may-is-dedicated-to-the-virgin-mary</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Catholic Church dedicates the entire month of May to the Blessed Virgin Mary, mother of God and spiritual mother of all. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Here’s, why, the, month, May, dedicated, the, Virgin, Mary</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Vatican detected 78 suspicious activities in its financial system in 2025</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-detected-78-suspicious-activities-in-its-financial-system-in-2025</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-detected-78-suspicious-activities-in-its-financial-system-in-2025</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The report by the Supervisory and Financial Information and Authority for 2025 detailed the efforts at transparency and accountability in Vatican financial affairs. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://res.cloudinary.com/ewtn/image/upload/v1777663912/banco-vaticano-1770899934_d04vmh.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, detected, suspicious, activities, its, financial, system, 2025</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The life and legacy of St. Athanasius, champion of the Nicene Creed</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/the-life-and-legacy-of-st-athanasius-champion-of-the-nicene-creed</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/the-life-and-legacy-of-st-athanasius-champion-of-the-nicene-creed</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ St. Athanasius, celebrated on May 2, was a fourth-century bishop who is known as “the father of orthodoxy” for his dedication to the doctrine of Christ’s divinity. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 03 May 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>The, life, and, legacy, St., Athanasius, champion, the, Nicene, Creed</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>From visions to reform: The powerful witness of St. Catherine of Siena</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/from-visions-to-reform-the-powerful-witness-of-st-catherine-of-siena</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/from-visions-to-reform-the-powerful-witness-of-st-catherine-of-siena</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ St. Catherine’s incredible spiritual graces led her to sainthood, and her influential writings earned her the title of doctor of the Church. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>From, visions, reform:, The, powerful, witness, St., Catherine, Siena</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV condemns surge of violence in Colombia following attacks on civilians</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-condemns-surge-of-violence-in-colombia-following-attacks-on-civilians</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-condemns-surge-of-violence-in-colombia-following-attacks-on-civilians</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Since Friday, rebel groups have carried out more than two dozen attacks on civilians and military bases, just ahead of the presidential elections scheduled for May 31. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, condemns, surge, violence, Colombia, following, attacks, civilians</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIII’s legacy reaches space with asteroid named in his honor</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiiis-legacy-reaches-space-with-asteroid-named-in-his-honor</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiiis-legacy-reaches-space-with-asteroid-named-in-his-honor</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Vatican Observatory has named four asteroids after key figures in its history, including the pope who refounded the observatory in 1891. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIII’s, legacy, reaches, space, with, asteroid, named, his, honor</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>What is ‘ecclesiastical communion,’ which Pope Leo XIV granted to the new Chaldean patriarch?</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/what-is-ecclesiastical-communion-which-pope-leo-xiv-granted-to-the-new-chaldean-patriarch</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/what-is-ecclesiastical-communion-which-pope-leo-xiv-granted-to-the-new-chaldean-patriarch</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Following the procedures for autonomous Eastern Catholic Churches, Pope Leo XIV granted the newly elected patriarch of the Chaldean Catholic Church, Mar Paul III Nona, ecclesiastical communion. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 30 Apr 2026 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>What, ‘ecclesiastical, communion, ’, which, Pope, Leo, XIV, granted, the, new, Chaldean, patriarch</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Kicked out of Mass as a mischievous child, Pope Leo will ordain him Sunday</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/kicked-out-of-mass-as-a-mischievous-child-pope-leo-will-ordain-him-sunday</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/kicked-out-of-mass-as-a-mischievous-child-pope-leo-will-ordain-him-sunday</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Seminarians shared their personal stories of hearing and responding to God’s call to the priesthood. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Kicked, out, Mass, mischievous, child, Pope, Leo, will, ordain, him, Sunday</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV tells new priests: &amp;apos;You are a channel, not a filter&amp;apos;</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-tells-new-priests-you-are-a-channel-not-a-filter</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-tells-new-priests-you-are-a-channel-not-a-filter</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pope ordained 10 men to the priesthood on Good Shepherd Sunday and later warned at the Regina Caeli against the “thieves” that rob people of freedom, dignity, and peace. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 27 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, tells, new, priests:, You, are, channel, not, filter</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV visits prisoners, meets with families, says Mass in Equatorial Guinea</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-visits-prisoners-meets-with-families-says-mass-in-equatorial-guinea</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-visits-prisoners-meets-with-families-says-mass-in-equatorial-guinea</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy Father is wrapping up his papal trip to the African continent after visiting multiple countries there. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>PHOTOS:, Pope, Leo, XIV, visits, prisoners, meets, with, families, says, Mass, Equatorial, Guinea</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope to Equatorial Guinea: ‘Carry on the mission of Jesus’ first disciples with joy’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-to-equatorial-guinea-carry-on-the-mission-of-jesus-first-disciples-with-joy</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-to-equatorial-guinea-carry-on-the-mission-of-jesus-first-disciples-with-joy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ At his final Mass in Africa, Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to proclaim the Gospel with passion and bear witness through their lives to &quot;the faith that saves.&quot; ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Equatorial, Guinea:, ‘Carry, the, mission, Jesus’, first, disciples, with, joy’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV, returning from Africa: ‘I condemn all actions that are unjust’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-returning-from-africa-i-condemn-all-actions-that-are-unjust</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-returning-from-africa-i-condemn-all-actions-that-are-unjust</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Speaking to reporters on his flight from Malabo to Rome, the pope addressed war, migration, same-sex blessings, and the Vatican’s diplomacy with authoritarian governments. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, returning, from, Africa:, ‘I, condemn, all, actions, that, are, unjust’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV departs Africa, returns to Rome after 11&#45;day papal trip</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-departs-africa-returns-to-rome-after-11-day-papal-trip</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-departs-africa-returns-to-rome-after-11-day-papal-trip</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy Father visited four countries during his first apostolic visit to Africa. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://res.cloudinary.com/ewtn/image/upload/v1776956113/ewtn-news/en/_SIM6337_dvxknc.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Fri, 24 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>PHOTOS:, Pope, Leo, XIV, departs, Africa, returns, Rome, after, 11-day, papal, trip</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass, leads rosary in Angola</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-celebrates-mass-leads-rosary-in-angola</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-celebrates-mass-leads-rosary-in-angola</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ A look in photos at Pope Leo XIV’s seventh day of his apostolic visit to Africa. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>PHOTOS:, Pope, Leo, XIV, celebrates, Mass, leads, rosary, Angola</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo visits nursing home in Angola: The elderly ‘need to be listened to’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-visits-nursing-home-in-angola-the-elderly-need-to-be-listened-to</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-visits-nursing-home-in-angola-the-elderly-need-to-be-listened-to</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Saurimo, a city in northeastern Angola, is known as the center of diamond mining in the country. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, visits, nursing, home, Angola:, The, elderly, ‘need, listened, to’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Christ is not ‘a guru or a good luck charm,’ pope says at Mass in Angola</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/christ-is-not-a-guru-or-a-good-luck-charm-pope-says-at-mass-in-angola</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/christ-is-not-a-guru-or-a-good-luck-charm-pope-says-at-mass-in-angola</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ After praying at the Cathedral of Our Lady of the Assumption in Saurimo, Pope Leo XIV proceeded to the site of the Mass, attended by an estimated 60,000 people. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Christ, not, ‘a, guru, good, luck, charm, ’, pope, says, Mass, Angola</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV thanks Angola’s Church for promoting reconciliation and peace</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-thanks-angolas-church-for-promoting-reconciliation-and-peace</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-thanks-angolas-church-for-promoting-reconciliation-and-peace</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff urged bishops, priests, religious, and catechists to remain committed to peace, justice, and integral development. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, thanks, Angola’s, Church, for, promoting, reconciliation, and, peace</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV visits elderly home, says Mass for 60,000 in Angola</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-visits-elderly-home-says-mass-for-60000-in-angola</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-visits-elderly-home-says-mass-for-60000-in-angola</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ A look in photos at Pope Leo XIV’s eighth day of his apostolic journey to Africa. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 21 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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</item>

<item>
<title>U.S. Embassy to the Vatican: Nigerian Christians are being targeted</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/us-embassy-to-the-vatican-nigerian-christians-are-being-targeted</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/us-embassy-to-the-vatican-nigerian-christians-are-being-targeted</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Ambassador Brian Burch described the situation in Nigeria as a “conflict between radical Islamic groups and Christians because of their faith.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>U.S., Embassy, the, Vatican:, Nigerian, Christians, are, being, targeted</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Popes’ alma mater in Rome celebrates 25 years of Eucharistic adoration</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/popes-alma-mater-in-rome-celebrates-25-years-of-eucharistic-adoration</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/popes-alma-mater-in-rome-celebrates-25-years-of-eucharistic-adoration</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ St. John Paul II and Pope Leo XIV both studied at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas in Rome. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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</item>

<item>
<title>Pope tells Catholic university students in Cameroon to ‘search for truth’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-tells-catholic-university-students-in-cameroon-to-search-for-truth</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-tells-catholic-university-students-in-cameroon-to-search-for-truth</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Leo also addressed artificial intelligence and invited the students to be pioneers of “a new humanism in the context of the digital revolution.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, tells, Catholic, university, students, Cameroon, ‘search, for, truth’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV calls for the ‘safeguarding’ and ‘accompanying’ of minors and vulnerable adults</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-calls-for-the-safeguarding-and-accompanying-of-minors-and-vulnerable-adults</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-calls-for-the-safeguarding-and-accompanying-of-minors-and-vulnerable-adults</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pope said the protection of the vulnerable “challenges the conscience of the Church and measures its ability to express authentic care.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, calls, for, the, ‘safeguarding’, and, ‘accompanying’, minors, and, vulnerable, adults</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV meets with students, visits hospital, holds stadium Mass in Cameroon</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-meets-with-students-visits-hospital-holds-stadium-mass-in-cameroon</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-meets-with-students-visits-hospital-holds-stadium-mass-in-cameroon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy Father will stay in Cameroon one more night before traveling to Angola on April 18. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 18 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV calls June consistory of cardinals, says Evangelii Gaudium must be relaunched</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-calls-june-consistory-of-cardinals-says-evangelii-gaudium-must-be-relaunched</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-calls-june-consistory-of-cardinals-says-evangelii-gaudium-must-be-relaunched</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In a letter to the College of Cardinals, the pope said the exhortation remains “a significant point of reference” and urged renewed missionary boldness across the life of the Church. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, calls, June, consistory, cardinals, says, Evangelii, Gaudium, must, relaunched</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV reminds biblical scholars: Christ’s compassion toward all who suffer is ‘profound’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-reminds-biblical-scholars-christs-compassion-toward-all-who-suffer-is-profound</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-reminds-biblical-scholars-christs-compassion-toward-all-who-suffer-is-profound</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In a letter to the Pontifical Biblical Commission, which is meeting this week, Pope Leo XIV drew attention to Christ’s compassion for the sick and suffering. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, reminds, biblical, scholars:, Christ’s, compassion, toward, all, who, suffer, ‘profound’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Leo XIV: True power comes from virtue, not strength</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-true-power-comes-from-virtue-not-strength</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-true-power-comes-from-virtue-not-strength</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff discussed the legitimate exercise of authority in a message to the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV:, True, power, comes, from, virtue, not, strength</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV in Algeria: Where there is conflict the Church brings reconciliation</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-in-algeria-where-there-is-conflict-the-church-brings-reconciliation</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-in-algeria-where-there-is-conflict-the-church-brings-reconciliation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ At the Basilica of St. Augustine, the pontiff urged Christians to bear witness through “simple gestures, genuine relationships and a dialogue lived out day by day.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, Algeria:, Where, there, conflict, the, Church, brings, reconciliation</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV visits Algeria during his first papal trip to Africa</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-visits-algeria-during-his-first-papal-trip-to-africa</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-visits-algeria-during-his-first-papal-trip-to-africa</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy Father is scheduled to visit four African countries throughout mid-April. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 15 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>PHOTOS:, Pope, Leo, XIV, visits, Algeria, during, his, first, papal, trip, Africa</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Media narrative about nuncio’s Pentagon meeting untrue, Vatican says</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/media-narrative-about-nuncios-pentagon-meeting-untrue-vatican-says</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/media-narrative-about-nuncios-pentagon-meeting-untrue-vatican-says</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Vatican responded to a media report claiming Cardinal Christophe Pierre, then-papal envoy to the U.S., received “a bitter lecture” in a meeting with U.S. defense officials. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Media, narrative, about, nuncio’s, Pentagon, meeting, untrue, Vatican, says</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Chaldean Catholic bishops meet Pope Leo as they prepare to elect new patriarch</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/chaldean-catholic-bishops-meet-pope-leo-as-they-prepare-to-elect-new-patriarch</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/chaldean-catholic-bishops-meet-pope-leo-as-they-prepare-to-elect-new-patriarch</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The synod of Chaldean Catholic bishops is meeting in Rome this week to elect a new patriarch amid complex internal and national challenges. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Chaldean, Catholic, bishops, meet, Pope, Leo, they, prepare, elect, new, patriarch</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo names Father Andrea Ciucci chancellor of Pontifical Academy for Life</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-names-father-andrea-ciucci-chancellor-of-pontifical-academy-for-life</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-names-father-andrea-ciucci-chancellor-of-pontifical-academy-for-life</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Italian priest has served as the academy&#039;s secretariat coordinator since 2016. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, names, Father, Andrea, Ciucci, chancellor, Pontifical, Academy, for, Life</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV at Vatican peace vigil: &amp;apos;Enough of war!&amp;apos;</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-at-vatican-peace-vigil-enough-of-war</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-at-vatican-peace-vigil-enough-of-war</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Prayer is &quot;the most free, universal and disruptive response to death,&quot; the pope said in St. Peter&#039;s Basilica on Apr. 11. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 12 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, Vatican, peace, vigil:, Enough, war</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>On Easter Monday, Pope Leo XIV remembers those ‘tormented’ by war: ‘The truth does not remain hidden’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/on-easter-monday-pope-leo-xiv-remembers-those-tormented-by-war-the-truth-does-not-remain-hidden</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/on-easter-monday-pope-leo-xiv-remembers-those-tormented-by-war-the-truth-does-not-remain-hidden</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Upon the recitation of the Regina Caeli, the pope also remembered Pope Francis, who died a year ago on Easter Monday. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Easter, Monday, Pope, Leo, XIV, remembers, those, ‘tormented’, war:, ‘The, truth, does, not, remain, hidden’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Threat against entire people of Iran ‘not acceptable,’ Pope Leo XIV says</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/threat-against-entire-people-of-iran-not-acceptable-pope-leo-xiv-says</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/threat-against-entire-people-of-iran-not-acceptable-pope-leo-xiv-says</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Attacks on civilian infrastructure violate international law and are also a sign of hatred, division, and destruction, Pope Leo XIV said. “Let’s come back to the table,” he said. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Threat, against, entire, people, Iran, ‘not, acceptable, ’, Pope, Leo, XIV, says</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV welcomes ceasefire in Iran as ‘sign of living hope’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-welcomes-ceasefire-in-iran-as-sign-of-living-hope</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-welcomes-ceasefire-in-iran-as-sign-of-living-hope</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ “Only through a return to negotiation can the war come to an end,” the pope said at the end of his weekly general audience. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, welcomes, ceasefire, Iran, ‘sign, living, hope’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope will address tensions between Christianity and Islam in Africa, Nigerian bishop says</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-will-address-tensions-between-christianity-and-islam-in-africa-nigerian-bishop-says</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-will-address-tensions-between-christianity-and-islam-in-africa-nigerian-bishop-says</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ An Augustinian confrere of Pope Leo XIV discussed the pontiff’s upcoming trip to four African countries. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, will, address, tensions, between, Christianity, and, Islam, Africa, Nigerian, bishop, says</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican urges Catholics not to leave Pope Leo XIV alone in opposing war</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-urges-catholics-not-to-leave-pope-leo-xiv-alone-in-opposing-war</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-urges-catholics-not-to-leave-pope-leo-xiv-alone-in-opposing-war</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Vatican Secretary of State said the pope’s appeals for peace need concrete support. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 09 Apr 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, urges, Catholics, not, leave, Pope, Leo, XIV, alone, opposing, war</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>At the Colosseum, Pope Leo XIV urges the faithful to &amp;apos;live our lives as a journey&amp;apos; in Christ&amp;apos;s love</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/at-the-colosseum-pope-leo-xiv-urges-the-faithful-to-live-our-lives-as-a-journey-in-christs-love</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/at-the-colosseum-pope-leo-xiv-urges-the-faithful-to-live-our-lives-as-a-journey-in-christs-love</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy Father carried the cross at the Roman amphitheater on Good Friday, the first time a pope has done so in several years. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>the, Colosseum, Pope, Leo, XIV, urges, the, faithful, live, our, lives, journey, Christs, love</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV carries the cross at the Via Crucis in the Colosseum</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-carries-the-cross-at-the-via-crucis-in-the-colosseum</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-carries-the-cross-at-the-via-crucis-in-the-colosseum</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pope personally carried the cross through every station of the Good Friday Way of the Cross at the Colosseum. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>PHOTOS:, Pope, Leo, XIV, carries, the, cross, the, Via, Crucis, the, Colosseum</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>At Easter Vigil, Pope Leo XIV calls for peace to &amp;apos;grow and flourish&amp;apos; throughout the world</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/at-easter-vigil-pope-leo-xiv-calls-for-peace-to-grow-and-flourish-throughout-the-world-10333</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/at-easter-vigil-pope-leo-xiv-calls-for-peace-to-grow-and-flourish-throughout-the-world-10333</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The ancient vigil &quot;stretches across the centuries as a path of reconciliation and grace,&quot; the pope said at the Vatican. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Easter, Vigil, Pope, Leo, XIV, calls, for, peace, grow, and, flourish, throughout, the, world</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope at Easter: &amp;apos;May Christ, our Passover, bless us and give his peace to the whole world!&amp;apos;</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-at-easter-may-christ-our-passover-bless-us-and-give-his-peace-to-the-whole-world</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-at-easter-may-christ-our-passover-bless-us-and-give-his-peace-to-the-whole-world</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ On his first Easter as pontiff, Leo XIV urged Christians to bring the hope of the Resurrection into a world scarred by war, violence, and injustice. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Easter:, May, Christ, our, Passover, bless, and, give, his, peace, the, whole, world</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV announces April 11 peace vigil at St. Peter’s</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-announces-april-11-peace-vigil-at-st-peters</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-announces-april-11-peace-vigil-at-st-peters</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In his first Easter message to the city and the world, the pontiff urged those with weapons to lay them down. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 06 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, announces, April, peace, vigil, St., Peter’s</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope says Christian mission counters ‘imperialist occupation of the world’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-says-christian-mission-counters-imperialist-occupation-of-the-world</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-says-christian-mission-counters-imperialist-occupation-of-the-world</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ At the Holy Thursday chrism Mass, Leo XIV said the Church must reject domination, power, and “calculated strategy” in favor of humble service, unity, and peace. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, says, Christian, mission, counters, ‘imperialist, occupation, the, world’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Holy Thursday chrism Mass at the Vatican</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-holy-thursday-chrism-mass-at-the-vatican</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-holy-thursday-chrism-mass-at-the-vatican</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Chrism Mass includes the blessing of the holy oils that will be used throughout the year in the sacraments of baptism, confirmation, anointing of the sick, and holy orders. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>PHOTOS:, Holy, Thursday, chrism, Mass, the, Vatican</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV: ‘Kneel down as brothers and sisters alongside the oppressed’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-kneel-down-as-brothers-and-sisters-alongside-the-oppressed</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-kneel-down-as-brothers-and-sisters-alongside-the-oppressed</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ On Holy Thursday, the pontiff urged Catholics to imitate Christ’s service in a world marked by brutality. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV:, ‘Kneel, down, brothers, and, sisters, alongside, the, oppressed’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo XIV celebrates the Mass of the Lord’s Supper at the Vatican</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-celebrates-the-mass-of-the-lords-supper-at-the-vatican</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-xiv-celebrates-the-mass-of-the-lords-supper-at-the-vatican</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Departing from Pope Francis’ custom of celebrating the liturgy in prisons or migrant centers, Leo celebrated the rite in the cathedral of Rome and washed the feet of 12 priests of the Diocese of Rome. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 03 Apr 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>PHOTOS:, Pope, Leo, XIV, celebrates, the, Mass, the, Lord’s, Supper, the, Vatican</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope names Vatican diplomats to key positions in Secretariat of State, papal household</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-names-vatican-diplomats-to-key-positions-in-secretariat-of-state-papal-household</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-names-vatican-diplomats-to-key-positions-in-secretariat-of-state-papal-household</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Archbishop Paolo Rudelli is the new head of the general affairs section of the Secretariat of State and Archbishop Petar Rajič is the new prefect of the Papal Household. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, names, Vatican, diplomats, key, positions, Secretariat, State, papal, household</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Cardinal of Tehran prays in Rome for ‘end to violence’ in Persian Gulf</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/cardinal-of-tehran-prays-in-rome-for-end-to-violence-in-persian-gulf</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/cardinal-of-tehran-prays-in-rome-for-end-to-violence-in-persian-gulf</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In the Basilica of Santa Croce in Gerusalemme in Rome, Cardinal Dominique Mathieu, archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan, on Monday evening stood in prayer for peace. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Cardinal, Tehran, prays, Rome, for, ‘end, violence’, Persian, Gulf</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican affirms future of Anglican ordinariates: ‘A precious gift and a treasure to be shared’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-affirms-future-of-anglican-ordinariates-a-precious-gift-and-a-treasure-to-be-shared</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-affirms-future-of-anglican-ordinariates-a-precious-gift-and-a-treasure-to-be-shared</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Bishop Steven Lopes welcomed a Vatican document as a significant encouragement, calling it “an exhortation to live this patrimony in all of its richness.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, affirms, future, Anglican, ordinariates:, ‘A, precious, gift, and, treasure, shared’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Leo XIV: The most difficult circumstances can be transformed by the power of love</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-the-most-difficult-circumstances-can-be-transformed-by-the-power-of-love</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-the-most-difficult-circumstances-can-be-transformed-by-the-power-of-love</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In an audience with the Illinois Municipal League, the pontiff said that Gospel values can be applied to city government to the benefit of the most vulnerable and for the common good. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 31 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV:, The, most, difficult, circumstances, can, transformed, the, power, love</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Synod on Synodality proposes a Church ‘Observatory on Disability’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/synod-on-synodality-proposes-a-church-observatory-on-disability</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/synod-on-synodality-proposes-a-church-observatory-on-disability</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The report is the conclusion of the work carried out by one of the 10 study groups created by Pope Francis in 2024 during the Synod on Synodality. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 04:00:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Synod, Synodality, proposes, Church, ‘Observatory, Disability’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo praises organ donation, warns about commodification of the body</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-praises-organ-donation-warns-about-commodification-of-the-body</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-praises-organ-donation-warns-about-commodification-of-the-body</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The audience with participants in an event organized by the Italian National Transplant Network took place March 26 at the Vatican. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 04:00:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, praises, organ, donation, warns, about, commodification, the, body</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Asian Catholics pay tribute to late Vietnamese Cardinal Van Thuan</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/asian-catholics-pay-tribute-to-late-vietnamese-cardinal-van-thuan</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/asian-catholics-pay-tribute-to-late-vietnamese-cardinal-van-thuan</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Vatican held the “Cardinal Văn Thuận: Witness of Hope” conference at the Apostolic Palace of the Lateran in Rome on March 25. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 04:00:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Asian, Catholics, pay, tribute, late, Vietnamese, Cardinal, Van, Thuan</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV set to meet with first female archbishop of Canterbury</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-set-to-meet-with-first-female-archbishop-of-canterbury</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-set-to-meet-with-first-female-archbishop-of-canterbury</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The announcement came just two days after Sarah Mullally’s installation as archbishop of Canterbury. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 04:00:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, set, meet, with, first, female, archbishop, Canterbury</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Mother Angelica’s enduring legacy celebrated at Mass at St. Peter’s Basilica</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/mother-angelicas-enduring-legacy-celebrated-at-mass-at-st-peters-basilica</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/mother-angelicas-enduring-legacy-celebrated-at-mass-at-st-peters-basilica</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Mother Angelica knew from experience that “God works through humble, unexpected instruments to spread his Gospel,” said the principal celebrant at the Mass, Father Michael Baggot, LC. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 28 Mar 2026 04:00:13 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Mother, Angelica’s, enduring, legacy, celebrated, Mass, St., Peter’s, Basilica</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>From the altar to the track: Marathon&#45;running cardinal highlights spirituality of sport</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/from-the-altar-to-the-track-marathon-running-cardinal-highlights-spirituality-of-sport</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/from-the-altar-to-the-track-marathon-running-cardinal-highlights-spirituality-of-sport</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, the archbishop of Algiers, Algeria, said running is for him a “school of prayer.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>From, the, altar, the, track:, Marathon-running, cardinal, highlights, spirituality, sport</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV warns children should not look to chatbots for friendship</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-warns-children-should-not-look-to-chatbots-for-friendship</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-warns-children-should-not-look-to-chatbots-for-friendship</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pope cautioned that AI risks dulling young people’s intelligence, relationships, and creativity. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, warns, children, should, not, look, chatbots, for, friendship</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Exorcists urge pope to appoint trained practitioners in every diocese</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/exorcists-urge-pope-to-appoint-trained-practitioners-in-every-diocese</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/exorcists-urge-pope-to-appoint-trained-practitioners-in-every-diocese</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ An exorcist group said growing occult practices and spiritual harm highlight the need for trained priests and better formation. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Exorcists, urge, pope, appoint, trained, practitioners, every, diocese</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Yad Vashem chief: Holocaust memory is key to fighting antisemitism</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/yad-vashem-chief-holocaust-memory-is-key-to-fighting-antisemitism</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/yad-vashem-chief-holocaust-memory-is-key-to-fighting-antisemitism</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Dani Dayan spoke after meeting Pope Leo XIV, saying antisemitism is “bigotry” independent of Israeli policy. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 25 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Yad, Vashem, chief:, Holocaust, memory, key, fighting, antisemitism</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican secretary of state urges end to Iran war, warns of escalation</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-secretary-of-state-urges-end-to-iran-war-warns-of-escalation</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-secretary-of-state-urges-end-to-iran-war-warns-of-escalation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Cardinal Pietro Parolin said he would tell Trump and Israel to “stop as soon as possible.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, secretary, state, urges, end, Iran, war, warns, escalation</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>EWTN News explains: What is the ‘papal almoner’?</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/ewtn-news-explains-what-is-the-papal-almoner</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/ewtn-news-explains-what-is-the-papal-almoner</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The papal almoner is a key position in the Vatican, one that has played a vital role in the Church and its charitable undertakings for centuries. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>EWTN, News, explains:, What, the, ‘papal, almoner’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican urges Catholic organizations to divest from mining sector for the common good</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-urges-catholic-organizations-to-divest-from-mining-sector-for-the-common-good</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-urges-catholic-organizations-to-divest-from-mining-sector-for-the-common-good</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Around 40 faith-based organizations are participating in the &quot;Platform for Divestment in the Mining Industry,&quot; meeting March 19–21 in Rome. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 22 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, urges, Catholic, organizations, divest, from, mining, sector, for, the, common, good</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Leo XIV to journalists: War is not a video game; guard against propaganda, verify the news</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-to-journalists-war-is-not-a-video-game-guard-against-propaganda-verify-the-news</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-to-journalists-war-is-not-a-video-game-guard-against-propaganda-verify-the-news</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV exhorted journalists to fact-check the news and show the true face of war. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV, journalists:, War, not, video, game, guard, against, propaganda, verify, the, news</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>At a time of conflict, Pope Leo sends a bridge&#45;builder to the United States</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/at-a-time-of-conflict-pope-leo-sends-a-bridge-builder-to-the-united-states</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/at-a-time-of-conflict-pope-leo-sends-a-bridge-builder-to-the-united-states</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the new papal envoy to Washington, has been shaped by a diplomatic career in geopolitical hot spots. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>time, conflict, Pope, Leo, sends, bridge-builder, the, United, States</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican court orders partial retrial in ‘trial of the century’ finance case</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-court-orders-partial-retrial-in-trial-of-the-century-finance-case</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-court-orders-partial-retrial-in-trial-of-the-century-finance-case</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Judges cite procedural flaws tied to papal decrees, requiring renewed proceedings while leaving prior convictions formally intact. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, court, orders, partial, retrial, ‘trial, the, century’, finance, case</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV: ‘Each baptized person is an active agent of evangelization’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-each-baptized-person-is-an-active-agent-of-evangelization</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-each-baptized-person-is-an-active-agent-of-evangelization</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pope’s message at the general audience focused on the “communion of the faithful” as taught in the second chapter of Lumen Gentium. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV:, ‘Each, baptized, person, active, agent, evangelization’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Holy See calls on UN to eradicate surrogacy ‘in all its forms’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/holy-see-calls-on-un-to-eradicate-surrogacy-in-all-its-forms</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/holy-see-calls-on-un-to-eradicate-surrogacy-in-all-its-forms</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Archbishop Gabriele Caccia, the Holy See’s permanent observer to the United Nations, laid out the economic reasons surrogacy exists, the harm it does, and why it is wrong. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 19 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Holy, See, calls, eradicate, surrogacy, ‘in, all, its, forms’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Vatican promoting dialogue on Cuba, Cardinal Parolin says</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-promoting-dialogue-on-cuba-cardinal-parolin-says</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-promoting-dialogue-on-cuba-cardinal-parolin-says</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Vatican secretary of state pointed to recent contacts with Cuban and U.S. officials as the Holy See seeks a dialogue-based solution on the island. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, promoting, dialogue, Cuba, Cardinal, Parolin, says</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo calls Maronite priest killed in bombing ‘a true shepherd’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-calls-maronite-priest-killed-in-bombing-a-true-shepherd</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-calls-maronite-priest-killed-in-bombing-a-true-shepherd</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ “I am close to all the Lebanese people at this time of grave trial,” the pope said on March 11. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, calls, Maronite, priest, killed, bombing, ‘a, true, shepherd’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The religious sisters in Vatican leadership</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/the-religious-sisters-in-vatican-leadership</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/the-religious-sisters-in-vatican-leadership</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The percentage of Vatican employees who are women grew from 19.2% to 23.4% during the first decade of the last pontificate. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>The, religious, sisters, Vatican, leadership</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Tehran cardinal meets with Pope Leo XIV after being evacuated from Iran</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/tehran-cardinal-meets-with-pope-leo-xiv-after-being-evacuated-from-iran</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/tehran-cardinal-meets-with-pope-leo-xiv-after-being-evacuated-from-iran</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Archbishop of Tehran-Isfahan Cardinal Dominique Mathieu witnessed the first days of military clashes in the Iranian capital. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Tehran, cardinal, meets, with, Pope, Leo, XIV, after, being, evacuated, from, Iran</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Synod calls for more leadership roles for women but female diaconate ‘not yet ripe’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/synod-calls-for-more-leadership-roles-for-women-but-female-diaconate-not-yet-ripe</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/synod-calls-for-more-leadership-roles-for-women-but-female-diaconate-not-yet-ripe</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Synod on Synodality’s study group on “Women’s Participation in the Life and Leadership of the Church” has issued its final report, calling for expanded leadership roles for women in the Church. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 12 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Synod, calls, for, more, leadership, roles, for, women, but, female, diaconate, ‘not, yet, ripe’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Father Pasolini at the Vatican: Conversion and humility are paths to peace in times of conflict</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/father-pasolini-at-the-vatican-conversion-and-humility-are-paths-to-peace-in-times-of-conflict</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/father-pasolini-at-the-vatican-conversion-and-humility-are-paths-to-peace-in-times-of-conflict</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In a Lenten sermon to the pope, Roman Curia, and Vatican employees, Capuchin friar Father Roberto Pasolini drew the connection between humility, conversion, and peace in life of St. Francis of Assisi. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Father, Pasolini, the, Vatican:, Conversion, and, humility, are, paths, peace, times, conflict</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV appoints new envoy to the U.S.</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-appoints-new-envoy-to-the-us-10045</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-appoints-new-envoy-to-the-us-10045</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Archbishop Gabriele Giordano Caccia has till now served as the Vatican&#039;s representative to the United Nations in New York. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, appoints, new, envoy, the, U.S.</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Large family with 13&#45;year&#45;old in seminary and a baby named Leo touches pope’s heart</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/large-family-with-13-year-old-in-seminary-and-a-baby-named-leo-touches-popes-heart</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/large-family-with-13-year-old-in-seminary-and-a-baby-named-leo-touches-popes-heart</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ When their 13-year-old son entered the minor seminary, his parents had no idea that one day the whole family would meet Pope Leo XIV, an encounter that was a special blessing for them all. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Large, family, with, 13-year-old, seminary, and, baby, named, Leo, touches, pope’s, heart</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV warns of wider Middle East conflict</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-warns-of-wider-middle-east-conflict</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-warns-of-wider-middle-east-conflict</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ At his Sunday Angelus, the pope voiced alarm over violence and fear spreading from Iran across the region. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, warns, wider, Middle, East, conflict</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo says parishes should reflect a Church that ‘cares for her children’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-says-parishes-should-reflect-a-church-that-cares-for-her-children</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-says-parishes-should-reflect-a-church-that-cares-for-her-children</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff encouraged a Rome parish facing poverty and social challenges to show its closeness to those wounded and searching for hope. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 09 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, says, parishes, should, reflect, Church, that, ‘cares, for, her, children’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Vatican synod report urges women’s input in preparing future priests</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-synod-report-urges-womens-input-in-preparing-future-priests</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-synod-report-urges-womens-input-in-preparing-future-priests</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The report also warns seminaries must not become an “artificial environment” detached from the ordinary life of the faithful. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, synod, report, urges, women’s, input, preparing, future, priests</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Vatican secretary of state warns of Iran escalation</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-secretary-of-state-warns-of-iran-escalation</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-secretary-of-state-warns-of-iran-escalation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Cardinal Pietro Parolin says sidelining international law and embracing “preventive war” could ignite a broader conflict and deepen civilian suffering. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 04:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, secretary, state, warns, Iran, escalation</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>A pope’s magnificent bet on a young Bernini</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/a-popes-magnificent-bet-on-a-young-bernini</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/a-popes-magnificent-bet-on-a-young-bernini</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ An exhibition in Rome traces how Pope Urban VIII backed the 25-year-old artist behind St. Peter’s soaring bronze canopy — and the decade-long project that helped define Baroque Catholicism. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 04:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>pope’s, magnificent, bet, young, Bernini</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>This is Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of March</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/this-is-pope-leo-xivs-prayer-intention-for-the-month-of-march</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/this-is-pope-leo-xivs-prayer-intention-for-the-month-of-march</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In a video released on X, the Holy Father posed a question to the faithful: “Would you imagine what a world without wars would be like? A world without the terror of approaching explosions?” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 04:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>This, Pope, Leo, XIV’s, prayer, intention, for, the, month, March</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Holy See to UN: Christians are the most persecuted community in the world</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/holy-see-to-un-christians-are-the-most-persecuted-community-in-the-world</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/holy-see-to-un-christians-are-the-most-persecuted-community-in-the-world</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Holy See’s permanent observer to the UN provided statistics demonstrating the extent of the persecution of Christians worldwide. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 06 Mar 2026 04:00:03 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Holy, See, UN:, Christians, are, the, most, persecuted, community, the, world</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Vatican issues stamp honoring Ukrainian Catholics as war enters fourth year</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-issues-stamp-honoring-ukrainian-catholics-as-war-enters-fourth-year</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-issues-stamp-honoring-ukrainian-catholics-as-war-enters-fourth-year</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The stamp features the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Cathedral of the Resurrection of Christ in Kyiv. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, issues, stamp, honoring, Ukrainian, Catholics, war, enters, fourth, year</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV thanks preacher at end of Lenten exercises</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-thanks-preacher-at-end-of-lenten-exercises</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-thanks-preacher-at-end-of-lenten-exercises</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Bishop Erik Varden closed a weeklong retreat for the Roman Curia with meditations on the cross and hope. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, thanks, preacher, end, Lenten, exercises</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV urges ‘unconditional love’ amid hardship</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-unconditional-love-amid-hardship</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-unconditional-love-amid-hardship</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Visiting a parish in Rome, the pope preached on the Transfiguration and Abraham’s journey of faith. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, urges, ‘unconditional, love’, amid, hardship</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV promulgates new statutes for Pontifical Academy for Life</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-promulgates-new-statutes-for-pontifical-academy-for-life</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-promulgates-new-statutes-for-pontifical-academy-for-life</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The new statues introduce the new role of “supporters” who, while not academics, identify with the academy’s mission and “contribute to the advancement of its academic activities.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 03 Mar 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, promulgates, new, statutes, for, Pontifical, Academy, for, Life</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV eliminates committee created by Francis for World Children’s Day</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-eliminates-committee-created-by-francis-for-world-childrens-day</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-eliminates-committee-created-by-francis-for-world-childrens-day</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV has eliminated the Pontifical Committee for World Children’s Day, transferring the committee’s functions to the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, eliminates, committee, created, Francis, for, World, Children’s, Day</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican official says Notre Dame controversy shows need for dialogue on abortion</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-official-says-notre-dame-controversy-shows-need-for-dialogue-on-abortion</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-official-says-notre-dame-controversy-shows-need-for-dialogue-on-abortion</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Church should engage with universities about how to take “an ethical approach” to the dignity of unborn life, the president of the Pontifical Academy for Life said. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, official, says, Notre, Dame, controversy, shows, need, for, dialogue, abortion</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>‘Aventine procession’: A centuries&#45;old tradition Pope Leo XIV will lead for the first time</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/aventine-procession-a-centuries-old-tradition-pope-leo-xiv-will-lead-for-the-first-time</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/aventine-procession-a-centuries-old-tradition-pope-leo-xiv-will-lead-for-the-first-time</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The brief Ash Wednesday walk between two hilltop basilicas marks the start of Lent in Rome. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>‘Aventine, procession’:, centuries-old, tradition, Pope, Leo, XIV, will, lead, for, the, first, time</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>St. Peter’s marks 400 years with newly opened areas and digital access</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/st-peters-marks-400-years-with-newly-opened-areas-and-digital-access</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/st-peters-marks-400-years-with-newly-opened-areas-and-digital-access</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Vatican will open new parts of St. Peter’s — including the full terrace — and roll out a “SmartPass” digital entry system as it marks the basilica’s 400th anniversary. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 19 Feb 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>St., Peter’s, marks, 400, years, with, newly, opened, areas, and, digital, access</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope proposes Lenten ‘fast’ from hurtful words</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-proposes-lenten-fast-from-hurtful-words</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-proposes-lenten-fast-from-hurtful-words</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV urges Catholics to listen more closely to God and others — and to “disarm” their language by fasting from words that wound — in his message for Lent 2026. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, proposes, Lenten, ‘fast’, from, hurtful, words</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope’s visit brings hope to seaside community challenged by drugs, prostitution</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/popes-visit-brings-hope-to-seaside-community-challenged-by-drugs-prostitution</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/popes-visit-brings-hope-to-seaside-community-challenged-by-drugs-prostitution</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ A popular summer destination for tourists, Ostia will be the first of five parishes where the pope, as bishop of Rome, will celebrate Mass on Sundays in February and March. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope’s, visit, brings, hope, seaside, community, challenged, drugs, prostitution</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>‘It was the best thing I’ve ever done’: Abuse victim details papal meeting</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/it-was-the-best-thing-ive-ever-done-abuse-victim-details-papal-meeting</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/it-was-the-best-thing-ive-ever-done-abuse-victim-details-papal-meeting</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ David Ryan, a 61-year-old Irishman who suffered sexual abuse as a teenager, shared his story face-to-face with Pope Leo XIV, the first time the pope met with a victim individually. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>‘It, was, the, best, thing, I’ve, ever, done’:, Abuse, victim, details, papal, meeting</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV prays for Madagascar after twin cyclones</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-prays-for-madagascar-after-twin-cyclones</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-prays-for-madagascar-after-twin-cyclones</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In his catechesis before the Angelus, Leo said Jesus fulfills the Law by calling Christians beyond minimal righteousness to great love. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, prays, for, Madagascar, after, twin, cyclones</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV, in first Roman parish visit, calls for ‘disarming’ meekness</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-in-first-roman-parish-visit-calls-for-disarming-meekness</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-in-first-roman-parish-visit-calls-for-disarming-meekness</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff urged “coherence between faith and life” and persistent prayer for peace. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 16 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, first, Roman, parish, visit, calls, for, ‘disarming’, meekness</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV: ‘The Church is the rightful home of sacred Scripture’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-the-church-is-the-rightful-home-of-sacred-scripture</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-the-church-is-the-rightful-home-of-sacred-scripture</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV spoke about sacred Scripture during his weekly audience with pilgrims in the Vatican. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV:, ‘The, Church, the, rightful, home, sacred, Scripture’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Archbishop Checchio takes helm in New Orleans as pope accepts Archbishop Aymond’s resignation</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/archbishop-checchio-takes-helm-in-new-orleans-as-pope-accepts-archbishop-aymonds-resignation</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/archbishop-checchio-takes-helm-in-new-orleans-as-pope-accepts-archbishop-aymonds-resignation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV appointed Archbishop James Checchio coadjutor archbishop of New Orleans in September 2025 to automatically succeed the 76-year-old Archbishop Gregory Aymond upon his retirement. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Archbishop, Checchio, takes, helm, New, Orleans, pope, accepts, Archbishop, Aymond’s, resignation</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Jubilee 2033: Rift between Moscow and Constantinople patriarchates threatens ecumenical progress</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/jubilee-2033-rift-between-moscow-and-constantinople-patriarchates-threatens-ecumenical-progress</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/jubilee-2033-rift-between-moscow-and-constantinople-patriarchates-threatens-ecumenical-progress</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The 2033 Jubilee will commemorate the bimillennium of the Redemption but the main ecumenical obstacle is the rift between the Russian Orthodox Patriarchate and the Patriarchate of Constantinople. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Jubilee, 2033:, Rift, between, Moscow, and, Constantinople, patriarchates, threatens, ecumenical, progress</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican bank launches 2 new equity indexes aligned with Catholic principles</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-bank-launches-2-new-equity-indexes-aligned-with-catholic-principles</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-bank-launches-2-new-equity-indexes-aligned-with-catholic-principles</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Two indexes with 50 companies each that adhere to Catholic social teachings were announced by the Vatican Bank in order to promote ethical Catholic investing. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, bank, launches, new, equity, indexes, aligned, with, Catholic, principles</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican offers talks with Society of St. Pius X, warns illicit consecrations would end dialogue</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-offers-talks-with-society-of-st-pius-x-warns-illicit-consecrations-would-end-dialogue</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-offers-talks-with-society-of-st-pius-x-warns-illicit-consecrations-would-end-dialogue</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The Vatican’s doctrinal office told a traditionalist group that consecrating bishops without a papal mandate would mean a “decisive rupture” of communion. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 13 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, offers, talks, with, Society, St., Pius, warns, illicit, consecrations, would, end, dialogue</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Cuba’s bishops headed to Vatican this month to meet with Pope Leo XIV</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/cubas-bishops-headed-to-vatican-this-month-to-meet-with-pope-leo-xiv</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/cubas-bishops-headed-to-vatican-this-month-to-meet-with-pope-leo-xiv</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The country’s bishops will travel to Rome from Feb. 16–20 to present to Pope Leo XIV “the vicissitudes, sorrows, joys, and hopes of the Church in Cuba.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Cuba’s, bishops, headed, Vatican, this, month, meet, with, Pope, Leo, XIV</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV prays for victims of attacks in Nigeria</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-prays-for-victims-of-attacks-in-nigeria</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-prays-for-victims-of-attacks-in-nigeria</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ In his Angelus catechesis, the pope said true joy is found in communion with Christ and lived through concrete acts of charity. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, prays, for, victims, attacks, Nigeria</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV approves new statutes of Pontifical International Marian Academy</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-approves-new-statutes-of-pontifical-international-marian-academy</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-approves-new-statutes-of-pontifical-international-marian-academy</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV approved the new statutes of the Pontifical International Marian Academy, founded to promote and coordinate Mariological and Marian studies worldwide. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 10 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, approves, new, statutes, Pontifical, International, Marian, Academy</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV laments lack of progress in protecting children</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-laments-lack-of-progress-in-protecting-children</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-laments-lack-of-progress-in-protecting-children</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff told organizers of a Vatican-backed initiative that global crises are still leaving many children in extreme poverty. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, laments, lack, progress, protecting, children</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV, with Eastern Orthodox, urges Christians to strengthen unity</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-with-eastern-orthodox-urges-christians-to-strengthen-unity</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-with-eastern-orthodox-urges-christians-to-strengthen-unity</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff said Christians grow closer when they deepen their shared faith in Christ, “the ultimate source of our peace.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, with, Eastern, Orthodox, urges, Christians, strengthen, unity</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope calls for Olympic Truce in letter for Winter Games</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-calls-for-olympic-truce-in-letter-for-winter-games</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-calls-for-olympic-truce-in-letter-for-winter-games</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The pontiff warned that profit, doping, and fanaticism can distort sport’s deeper human purpose. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, calls, for, Olympic, Truce, letter, for, Winter, Games</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>‘Historic occasion’: Pope Leo XIV meets with same&#45;sex attraction ministry Courage International</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/historic-occasion-pope-leo-xiv-meets-with-same-sex-attraction-ministry-courage-international</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/historic-occasion-pope-leo-xiv-meets-with-same-sex-attraction-ministry-courage-international</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ “We talked about the importance of chastity, how it heals and strengthens and restores the person,&quot; said Courage International Executive Director Father Brian Gannon. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>‘Historic, occasion’:, Pope, Leo, XIV, meets, with, same-sex, attraction, ministry, Courage, International</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Leo XIV meets with founder of Sant’Egidio Community</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-meets-with-founder-of-santegidio-community</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-meets-with-founder-of-santegidio-community</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV and Sant’Egidio Community founder Andrea Riccardi discussed the role Christians and the Church are called to play in promoting peace in the midst of various world conflicts. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 07 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV, meets, with, founder, Sant’Egidio, Community</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>St. John Henry Newman is added to the General Roman Calendar: What does it mean?</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/st-john-henry-newman-is-added-to-the-general-roman-calendar-what-does-it-mean</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/st-john-henry-newman-is-added-to-the-general-roman-calendar-what-does-it-mean</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ The English saint, proclaimed a doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV in November 2025, is honored every Oct. 9. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>St., John, Henry, Newman, added, the, General, Roman, Calendar:, What, does, mean</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Rome events to highlight World Day Against Human Trafficking</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/rome-events-to-highlight-world-day-against-human-trafficking</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/rome-events-to-highlight-world-day-against-human-trafficking</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ From Feb. 4–8, the Catholic Church will mobilize with a series of activities in Rome in support of human dignity and peace. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Rome, events, highlight, World, Day, Against, Human, Trafficking</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo appoints Sister Raffaella Petrini as a member of Commission on Reserved Matters</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-appoints-sister-raffaella-petrini-as-a-member-of-commission-on-reserved-matters</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-appoints-sister-raffaella-petrini-as-a-member-of-commission-on-reserved-matters</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV has appointed Sister Raffaella Petrini as a member of the Commission for Reserved Matters, which is responsible for awarding financial contracts in confidential areas of the Vatican. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, appoints, Sister, Raffaella, Petrini, member, Commission, Reserved, Matters</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>This is the pope’s prayer intention for the month of February</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/this-is-the-popes-prayer-intention-for-the-month-of-february</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/this-is-the-popes-prayer-intention-for-the-month-of-february</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of February is for children with incurable diseases. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 04 Feb 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>This, the, pope’s, prayer, intention, for, the, month, February</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Money is A Moral Question</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/money-is-a-moral-question</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/money-is-a-moral-question</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ Money is not neutral. It never has been. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 24 Jan 2026 14:07:41 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Jim Says - Bro Jim C Salonoy</dc:creator>
<media:keywords></media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV receives lambs on feast of St. Agnes</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-receives-lambs-on-feast-of-st-agnes</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-receives-lambs-on-feast-of-st-agnes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV meets a pair of lambs blessed for the feast of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes in the Urban VIII Chapel in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Jan. 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 21, 2026 / 10:30 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday received a pair of lambs to be blessed for the feast day of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes — the first time a pope has welcomed lambs at the Vatican, part of a centuries-old tradition, since 2017.The presentation took place in the 17th-century Urban VIII Chapel in the Apostolic Palace, where the lambs’ bleats punctuated the brief ceremony Jan. 21. The wool of the blessed lambs will be used to make pallia — narrow white vestments worn by metropolitan archbishops.It was a tradition for the pope to bless the lambs every year on the feast of St. Agnes until Pope Francis discontinued the practice after 2017.Pope Leo XIV meets a pair of lambs blessed for the feast of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes in the Urban VIII Chapel in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Jan. 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaSt. Agnes, who was killed in Rome in A.D. 304 at the age of 12 or 13 for being a Christian, is associated with the lamb as a symbol of her purity and because her name means “lamb” in Latin.The lambs — carried in baskets dressed in white with red roses for St. Agnes’ virginity and martyrdom — were later blessed in the Mausoleum of Constantina, an ancient church close to the Minor Basilica of St. Agnes Outside the Walls, which is temporarily closed.The Benedictine nuns of the Basilica of St. Cecilia will take over care of the lambs, shearing them during Holy Week, then weaving their wool into pallia, which the pope will bestow on new metropolitan archbishops on June 29, the feast of Sts. Peter and Paul.Pope Leo XIV meets a pair of lambs blessed for the feast of the Roman virgin and martyr St. Agnes in the Urban VIII Chapel in the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace on Jan. 21, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaThe pallium is a narrow, circular band of white wool with pendants hanging down the front and the back. It is adorned with six small black crosses and three pins (called spinulae), which resemble both thorns and the nails used to crucify Jesus.It is bestowed on the Latin-rite patriarch of Jerusalem and metropolitan archbishops — the diocesan archbishops of the primary city of an ecclesiastical province or region — as a symbol of communion, authority, and unity with the pope and his pastoral mission to be a shepherd for the people of God. The pope also wears the pallium over his chasuble when he is celebrating Mass.Before the vestments are bestowed on the metropolitan archbishops, they are placed for a time in a spot near the tomb of St. Peter, under the main altar of St. Peter’s Basilica, to reinforce the bishop’s connection to Peter through apostolic succession. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 04:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, receives, lambs, feast, St., Agnes</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV to French Catholic media: Keep the heart of communication in an age of AI</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-to-french-catholic-media-keep-the-heart-of-communication-in-an-age-of-ai</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-to-french-catholic-media-keep-the-heart-of-communication-in-an-age-of-ai</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV waves to crowds in St. Peter’s Square after praying the Angelus on Jan. 18, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 22, 2026 / 04:45 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV urged Catholic journalists to double down on truth, human connection, and the voices of the vulnerable as artificial intelligence reshapes the communications landscape.In a message signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on the pope’s behalf, Leo addressed the Fédération des Médias Catholiques ahead of its Saint François de Sales gathering in Lourdes, scheduled for Jan. 21–23.“To face this era marked — including in the world of communications — by the rise of artificial intelligence, we urgently need to return to what matters most: matters of the heart, the centrality of good relationships, and the ability to connect with others without excluding anyone,” the pope’s message said. That call, he added, is answered by “the service to truth that Catholic media can offer everyone, including those who do not believe.”The pope specifically encouraged Catholic communications professionals to be “sowers of good words” and to amplify voices “that courageously seek reconciliation,” helping to “disarm hearts filled with hatred and fanaticism” in a world he described as “fragmented and polarized.”He also urged journalists to tune in to those most likely to be overlooked.The message called on Catholic media to act like antennas, picking up and passing along “the experiences of the vulnerable, the marginalized, those who are alone — and those who need to discover the joy of feeling loved.”Leo’s message also pointed to Father Jacques Hamel, the French priest murdered at the altar while celebrating Mass in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray on July 26, 2016. He was killed by two attackers who pledged allegiance to the Islamic State group; both were later shot dead by police.Noting that the federation has created an award in Hamel’s honor for journalists committed to peace and interreligious dialogue, the pope wrote that Hamel “was a witness to the faith, even to the point of death,” and believed deeply in dialogue and “patient, mutual listening.” He was convinced, the message said, that it is urgent “to know how to be close to others, without exception.”This story     was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, French, Catholic, media:, Keep, the, heart, communication, age</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Why the Church dedicates a week of prayer for Christian unity</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/why-the-church-dedicates-a-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/why-the-church-dedicates-a-week-of-prayer-for-christian-unity</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Dominican Father Nelson Medina discusses this year’s Week of Prayer for Christian Unity. | Credit: “EWTN Noticias”/Screenshot

Jan 22, 2026 / 10:00 am (CNA).
Friar Nelson Medina, a Colombian Dominican priest who holds a doctorate in fundamental theology, explained why it is important for the Catholic Church to celebrate and promote a     Week of Prayer for Christian Unity (Jan. 18–25), which in 2026 has the theme “One Body, One Spirit.”“There are two reasons, one theological and one biblical, both extremely important. The theological reason is that the fruit of sin is always division, and therefore the victory over sin is always unity around the truth and love in Christ,” the priest emphasized in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.“Then we have a biblical reason, which is that Christ Our Lord, as appears in chapter 17 of the Gospel according to St. John, prayed precisely for this intention. It is clear that it was from the depths of his heart, precisely in the hours leading up to his sorrowful passion and therefore to our redemption,” Medina emphasized.“So it is something that God wants, it is a common objective for the Church, and it is an initiative to which we should all unite.”Regarding the theme of this year’s week of prayer — “One Body, One Spirit” — the friar emphasized that “it is very interesting to see the Church from this dual perspective ... When we speak of unity in the Spirit, we are talking about that working [of the Spirit] which is interior, because the Spirit precisely comes into our hearts, as Romans 5:5 says.”“But then the unity of the body is also necessary, that is, a unity that is visible. It’s not just that we have general charity towards other people; it’s that it is visibly evident that we believe in the same God, that we believe in the same Scripture, and that we celebrate the same sacraments with a common understanding and truth,” the Dominican priest pointed out.What is the aim of Christian unity?On this point, Medina emphasized “the ecumenism of theology; serious theological study is truly indispensable, especially to avoid superficiality. Sometimes people think that for there to be ecumenism, it’s enough for us to simply get together, share a meal, and take a nice picture with people smiling. That’s not the case.”The Dominican priest explained that this unity helps address serious issues such as “gender ideology, the disregard for the dignity of human life with euthanasia, and all pro-life issues. It is necessary that, together with other Christians, and even with people of other religious beliefs, when appropriate, we understand that we are on the same side.”“And we shouldn’t underestimate this effort for the causes of defending life, ecology, and justice because in this collaborative work, prejudices are often broken down and doors are opened,” he emphasized.Regarding the work of priests, Medina continued, this unity among Christians is also important, because “we priests have quite a lot of work to do, because I think we move between two extremes ... on the one hand, parishes where nothing is done [for Christian unity], apart from perhaps putting up a poster on the parish bulletin board; nothing else is done. And others where a lot is done, but sometimes causing confusion.”“And this, too, we must warn against as a danger. For example, I learned of a case where some religious invited Anglicans to attend, and then everyone started receiving Communion, as if full Eucharistic unity had already been achieved,” he recalled.That, the Dominican priest lamented, “which should have been a very beautiful ceremony, ended up being a source of scandal for many people.”Medina noted that “formation is needed. It is a noble ideal, a pressing and unavoidable task for the Church, but it must, of course, have very clear parameters and guidelines from our pastors so that it does not end up being a fleeting enthusiasm, but also so that it does not produce this type of doctrinal or liturgical confusion.”This story     was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 23 Jan 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Why, the, Church, dedicates, week, prayer, for, Christian, unity</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Mexico’s Cardinal Aguiar: Pope Leo XIV would like to visit Mexico ‘soon’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/mexicos-cardinal-aguiar-pope-leo-xiv-would-like-to-visit-mexico-soon</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/mexicos-cardinal-aguiar-pope-leo-xiv-would-like-to-visit-mexico-soon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Cardinal Aguiar and his auxiliary bishop, Francisco Javier Acero Pérez, OAR, met with Pope Leo on Jan. 14, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 16, 2026 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The primatial archbishop of Mexico, Cardinal Carlos Aguiar Retes, has invited Pope Leo XIV to visit the country. The cardinal extended the invitation during their Jan. 14 meeting at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican, shortly before the Wednesday general audience.According to a statement released later by the Archdiocese of Mexico, during the audience Aguiar renewed the invitation he had first extended to the pope a few days after the conclave for him to travel to the country.“In response, the Holy Father expressed his gratitude and his desire and interest in visiting our country soon to entrust his pontificate to Our Lady of Guadalupe,” the press release indicated.In addition, Aguiar shared with Pope Leo XIV the progress and development of the synodal process underway in the Mexican diocese.In this context, the pontiff expressed his gratitude for the work of the religious communities, pastoral workers, and laypeople, and encouraged them to continue strengthening this path of listening, discernment, and pastoral co-responsibility.During the meeting, the Holy Father expressed his joy at the pilgrimage that the archdiocese will make Saturday, Jan. 17, to the Guadalupe Basilica at the beginning of the pilgrimage season to the sacred shrine of Our Lady of Guadalupe at Tepeyac.The cardinal was accompanied by Francisco Javier Acero Pérez, OAR, auxiliary bishop of the archdiocese. The communications office of the primatial archdiocese of Mexico invited all the faithful to join in prayer for the Holy Father and for the fruits of the synodal journey that the Mexican Church continues to undertake.This story     was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by the EWTN News English Service. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Mexico’s, Cardinal, Aguiar:, Pope, Leo, XIV, would, like, visit, Mexico, ‘soon’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Former U.S. ambassador to Holy See weighs in on Vatican diplomacy in Venezuela, U.S.</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/former-us-ambassador-to-holy-see-weighs-in-on-vatican-diplomacy-in-venezuela-us</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/former-us-ambassador-to-holy-see-weighs-in-on-vatican-diplomacy-in-venezuela-us</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Former United States Ambassador to the Holy See Francis Rooney speaks to “EWTN News Nightly” anchor Catherine Hadro on Monday, May 12, 2025. | Credit: “EWTN News Nightly”/Screenshot

Jan 17, 2026 / 10:00 am (CNA).
Francis Rooney, former U.S. ambassador to the Holy See, said Pope Leo XIV’s papacy marks a period of opportunity for the Church in the U.S. in an interview this week with “EWTN News In Depth.”The former diplomat and congressman highlighted Leo’s measured approach to diplomacy in light of U.S. involvement in Venezuela. “He’s always calm, he’s always careful, and he’s very judicious in his comments,&quot; Rooney said in a report that aired Jan. 16.“The Holy See has a long tradition of intervening in hostage situations and situations of marginalized people or people under great stress and change, like a regime change,” Rooney said.The Vatican’s move to host opposition leader María Corina Machado this week, he said, likely had diplomatic intentions to strengthen her standing. “I think it’s predictable that [Pope Leo XIV] would want to shore up her position on the international stage as well as he can,” Rooney said. “So a pre-Trump meeting with the Holy Father is a global expression of her importance right now.”Reacting to     a speech by Pope Leo     to diplomats at the Vatican, during which the Holy Father lamented that “peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good,” Rooney pointed out that while Leo does not do so in the same manner as Pope Francis, “he speaks very clearly and says a lot of the same things.”“[Leo’s] willing to call out bad activities by world leaders. He’s willing to call out the actions of Trump undermining the post-World War II order and creating potential consequences of bad actions by other people like North Korea, Russia, China,” he said, adding: “He’s not at all like Pope Francis. He’s calm, deliberate.”Rooney served as U.S. ambassador to the Holy See from 2005 to 2008. He was a Republican member of the U.S. House from Florida from 2017 to 2021.“The Church has a love-hate relationship with the United States. They resent our power, but they love our money, and they love our number of Catholics in the United States,” he said. “So this is an opportunity for Pope Leo to close that gap, earn more respect for the United States for the important role it plays in the Church, and also in Latin America.”U.S. President Donald Trump met with Archbishop Paul Coakley, president of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, on Jan. 12. Rooney, whose congressional Florida district included Fort Myers and Naples, speculated the closed meeting likely revolved around immigration.“We have Alligator Alcatraz down here near where we live, and a lot of migrants are being kicked out of the country who have no criminal record,” Rooney said. “I think most Americans would agree that we need workers. If theyve been living here a long time, some of their kids have gone to school with our kids, they should be able to stay and have an orderly rational plan for citizenship like President George W. Bush tried to accomplish but didn’t get it done.”“On the other hand, if they’re criminals, they should go. I don’t think anybody would argue that we shouldn’t police the border and have a strong border,” he said, concluding that Coakley and the president likely “spoke about that a great deal.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 19 Jan 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Former, U.S., ambassador, Holy, See, weighs, Vatican, diplomacy, Venezuela, U.S.</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV urges making time ‘to speak with God’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-making-time-to-speak-with-god</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-making-time-to-speak-with-god</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV gives the first general audience of 2026 in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Jan. 7, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 14, 2026 / 06:20 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV urged Christians on Wednesday to set aside time in their daily lives to speak with God in prayer and warned about the harm to one’s relationship with him when this is ignored.“Time dedicated to prayer, meditation, and reflection cannot be lacking in the Christian’s day and week,” the pontiff said during the catechesis at his general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on Jan. 14.The pope devoted the second week of his series of teachings on the documents of the Second Vatican Council to a closer examination of the dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum dedicated to divine revelation.Pointing to the document, he highlighted listening and dialogue with God as foundations of a Christian life.“From this perspective, the first attitude to cultivate is listening, so that the divine Word may penetrate our minds and our hearts; at the same time, we are required to speak with God, not to communicate to him what he already knows but to reveal ourselves to ourselves,” Leo said.The Holy Father also drew on the human experience of friendship to warn about the dangers of neglecting one’s spiritual life: “Our experience tells us that friendships can come to an end through a dramatic gesture of rupture, or because of a series of daily acts of neglect that erode the relationship until it is lost.”“If Jesus calls us to be friends, let us not leave this call unheeded. Let us welcome it, let us take care of this relationship, and we will discover that friendship with God is our salvation,” he said.The pope insisted that this living relationship with God is cultivated above all through prayer, understood as an authentic friendship with the Lord.This experience, he explained, is achieved first of all in liturgical and community prayer, “in which we do not decide what to hear from the Word of God, but it is he himself who speaks to us through the Church.” It is also achieved in personal prayer, which takes place “in the interiority of the heart and mind,” and which should form part of every believer’s day and week.‘Only when we speak with God can we also speak about him’The pontiff stressed that only from a personal relationship with God is it possible to bear authentic witness to the faith: “Only when we speak with God can we also speak about him.”Referring to the dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum, promulgated by St. Paul VI in 1965, Leo emphasized that Christian revelation is grounded in a living and personal dialogue between God and humanity. Through this dialogue, God reveals himself as an ally who invites each person into a true relationship of friendship.The pope noted that divine revelation has a profoundly dialogical character, proper to the experience of friendship: It does not tolerate silence but is nourished by the exchange of true words capable of creating communion.Leo XIV also distinguished between “words” and “chatter,” explaining that the latter remains on the surface and does not create authentic relationships. In genuine relationships, he said, words do not serve merely to exchange information but to reveal who we are and to establish a deep bond with the other.This story     was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA&#039;s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, urges, making, time, ‘to, speak, with, God’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Vatican prosecutor steps aside as London property trial appeal moves forward</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-prosecutor-steps-aside-as-london-property-trial-appeal-moves-forward</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-prosecutor-steps-aside-as-london-property-trial-appeal-moves-forward</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Cardinal Giovanni Angelo Becciu in 2019. | Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN

Jan 14, 2026 / 11:45 am (CNA).
The Vatican’s Court of Cassation has cleared the way for the appeal phase of the Secretariat of State funds trial — commonly tied in headlines to Cardinal Angelo Becciu — rejecting last-ditch procedural challenges and accepting the recusal of Vatican Promoter of Justice Alessandro Diddi from the case.In two separate rulings — one brief and another running eight pages — the court closed the remaining disputes that had stalled the appeal proceedings over the Holy See’s investment in a luxury property on Sloane Avenue in London.The Cassation decisions mean the appeal will proceed without Diddi, and they also uphold the appeal court’s earlier finding that the promoter’s office filed its own appeal improperly and outside required procedures and deadlines. As a result, the appeal phase will now focus primarily on defense appeals — which could at most lead to reduced sentences or even acquittals for some defendants.The appeal trial is scheduled to resume Feb. 3.What the Cassation court decidedThe case reached the Court of Cassation after a series of procedural clashes in the appeal court, including:— defense motions seeking Diddi’s recusal following intercepted communications suggesting contacts with individuals involved in the wider case;— defense arguments that the promoter’s appeal was inadmissible because it failed to follow procedural rules and timelines; and— a countermove from the promoter’s office seeking to challenge the appeal court itself — effectively attempting to halt proceedings by disputing the court’s authority to declare the promoter’s appeal inadmissible.The Vatican’s Court of Cassation accepted Diddi’s decision to abstain from the case, a move that effectively ends the push to force a formal ruling against him. In its more detailed ruling, the court reaffirmed that the promoter’s appeal was filed incorrectly and that the appeal court acted properly in declaring it inadmissible.The court is presided over by Cardinal Kevin Joseph Farrell, with Cardinals Matteo Zuppi, Augusto Paolo Lojudice, and Mauro Gambetti among the judges, alongside other members of the panel.Background: London deal and first verdictsThe broader trial centers on Vatican financial management tied to the Secretariat of State and its London real estate investment. Vatican prosecutors argued that intermediaries worked together to extract money from the Holy See as control of the property shifted between financiers.Becciu — the first cardinal tried by a Vatican civil tribunal following a decision by Pope Francis — was convicted in the first-instance verdict and sentenced to five years and six months in prison on charges including embezzlement and fraud. Other defendants received prison sentences as well, including Enrico Crasso (seven years), Raffaele Mincione (five years and six months), Cecilia Marogna (three years and nine months), and Gianluigi Torzi (six years). In total, first-instance convictions amounted to about 37 years of prison time, along with an order to confiscate 166 million euros ($193.6 million), though several defendants were acquitted on some counts.The appeal phase has unfolded in a changed Vatican context after the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV, who has signaled he intends to let Vatican justice proceed without the kinds of papal interventions that marked earlier stages of the case.This story was     first published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, prosecutor, steps, aside, London, property, trial, appeal, moves, forward</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Mosaic bearing Pope Leo XIV’s portrait readied for St. Paul Outside the Walls</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/mosaic-bearing-pope-leo-xivs-portrait-readied-for-st-paul-outside-the-walls</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/mosaic-bearing-pope-leo-xivs-portrait-readied-for-st-paul-outside-the-walls</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV next to the new mosaic of him that will be added to St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica in Rome. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 15, 2026 / 12:54 pm (CNA).
A mosaic bearing the official portrait of Pope Leo XIV was presented to the pontiff on Jan. 14. The mosaic will be placed in St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica at the request of the basilica’s archpriest, Cardinal James Michael Harvey.The artwork, which, according to ancient tradition, is created upon the election of each pope, was made in the     Vatican Mosaic Studio of the Fabric of St. Peter, where the basilica’s mosaics are currently being conserved through restoration work and where artwork is also produced for sale to the public.    
        Today, Pope Leo XIV was presented with the round mosaic featuring his official papal portrait — the 267th papal portrait to be placed in the Basilica of St. Paul’s Outside the Walls — which will be installed at the end of the right nave of the basilica. The presentation took… pic.twitter.com/CddKjcXekt— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) January 14, 2026



    Thanks to the skill and experience of its mosaic artists, who still use ancient technical and artistic methods, mosaics are produced that are inspired by masterpieces of sacred and secular art.The mosaic “tondo” — from the Italian word meaning “round” — of the Holy Father is 54 inches in diameter and was made with glass enamels and gold on a metal structure, according to the Vatican.The mosaic is composed of more than 15,000 tesserae — the small pieces used to create the mosaic — including some that date back to the 19th century. These pieces were created using the ancient technique of cut mosaic and have been fixed with the traditional oil-based stucco of the Vatican tradition.The mosaic will be placed in the space next to the portrait of Pope Francis, in the right nave of the papal basilica, at an approximate height of 43 feet.The work is based on a pictorial sketch by the Italian artist Rodolfo Papa, an oil painting on canvas that will be preserved in the Fabric of St. Peter in the Vatican.The mosaic of Pope Leo XIV will be placed in the space next to the portrait of Pope Francis. | Credit: Vatican MediaAlso participating in the presentation were Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, archpriest of St. Peter’s Basilica, and Harvey along with the abbot of the Benedictine monastery of St. Paul Outside the Walls, Donato Ogliari.At the end of the presentation, the Holy Father invited all those present to join him in a moment of prayer.This story     was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Mosaic, bearing, Pope, Leo, XIV’s, portrait, readied, for, St., Paul, Outside, the, Walls</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Archbishop Gallagher: Surrogacy is a ‘new form of colonialism’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/archbishop-gallagher-surrogacy-is-a-new-form-of-colonialism</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/archbishop-gallagher-surrogacy-is-a-new-form-of-colonialism</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations of the Holy See. | Credit: Santosh Digal

Jan 15, 2026 / 13:37 pm (CNA).
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, secretary for relations with states and international organizations of the Holy See, described the practice of surrogacy as a “new form of colonialism” in which the interests of adults prevail over the rights of children.The Italian Embassy to the Holy See hosted the Jan. 13 event “A Common Front for Human Dignity: Preventing the Commodification of Women and Children in Surrogacy” with the aim of fostering international debate on this practice and raising awareness of its ethical, legal, and social implications.The event, held at the Borromeo Palace in Rome, is part of an awareness campaign promoted by the Italian Ministry for Family, Birth Rate, and Equal Opportunities together with the Holy See at the United Nations.In his address, Gallagher stated that surrogacy is an issue that concerns all of humanity and therefore urged a united front to stop “the commodification of women and children.”The Vatican official emphasized that this practice “exploits bodies and takes any meaning out of relationships,” reducing the person to a mere product, as Pope Francis has denounced. He also noted that Pope Leo XIV recently warned that surrogacy sacrifices the rights of children.During his address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See, the pontiff denounced that “by turning gestation into a negotiable service, the dignity of both is violated: that of the child, who is reduced to a ‘product,’ and that of the mother, by exploiting her body and the generative process and altering the original relational vocation of the family.”In this context, Gallagher warned that surrogacy — although presented as “an act of generosity” — reduces the person to an “object of transaction.” “It’s the sale of a child, handed over to the buyers by virtue of a contract that places the interests of the adults at the center, and not those of the children,” he said emphatically.He also stated that it reduces women’s bodies to a “mere reproductive instrument,” affecting the social conception of motherhood and human dignity.After recalling that feminist groups also reject surrogacy, Gallagher emphasized that it is “a new form of colonialism” that exploits the most vulnerable people and pointed out that women’s consent is often the result of “financial pressures.”Finally, the Vatican official argued for the “total abolition” of surrogacy and expressed its opposition to the creation of an international regulatory framework, which, in his view, would lead to “more children destined to be sold.”The event also included speeches by the Italian ambassador to the Holy See, Francesco Di Nitto; the dean of the diplomatic corps to the Holy See and ambassador of Cyprus, George Poulides; and Italian Minister for Family, Natality, and Equal Opportunities Eugenia Roccella.This story     was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Archbishop, Gallagher:, Surrogacy, ‘new, form, colonialism’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>St. Peter’s Holy Door to be sealed Jan. 16</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/st-peters-holy-door-to-be-sealed-jan-16</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/st-peters-holy-door-to-be-sealed-jan-16</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  The pope closed the large bronze doors of St. Peter’s Basilica on Jan. 6, 2025, when the Jubilee of Hope concluded. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 15, 2026 / 17:42 pm (CNA).
With the final sealing on Jan. 16 of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, the Holy See will complete the closing — which includes the actual masonry work — of the four Holy Doors of the papal basilicas following the Jubilee of Hope.The concluding rite of closing the Holy Door of St. Mary Major Basilica took place Jan. 13. St. John Lateran Basilica’s was closed Jan. 14 and the Holy Door of St. Paul Outside the Walls was closed Jan. 15.The Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica will be sealed shut on Jan. 16. The so-called “sanpietrini,” the staff of the Fabric of St. Peter — comprising carpenters, cabinetmakers, and electricians — who normally handle the maintenance of the basilica, will repeat the process they have already carried out in the other three basilicas: They will erect a brick wall inside the church to permanently seal the Holy Door.In addition, the traditional metal capsule (“capsis”), a bronze box, will be inserted into the wall of the church. It will contain the official closing document, the coins minted during the jubilee year, and the keys to the Holy Door.These elements serve as material and symbolic testimony of the holy year, which, as the pope emphasized in the Jan. 6 ceremony in which he closed the great doors of the Vatican basilica, has concluded on the calendar but not in the spiritual life of the Catholic Church.In all the papal basilicas, the official document of closing the Holy Door has been deposited along with the key to the door and several pontifical medals from the last sealing, during the conclusion of the Extraordinary Jubilee of Mercy in 2016 to the present day.This story     was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 16 Jan 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>St., Peter’s, Holy, Door, sealed, Jan.</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV meets Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-meets-venezuelan-opposition-leader-maria-corina-machado</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-meets-venezuelan-opposition-leader-maria-corina-machado</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV meets Venezuelan opposition leader Maria Corina Machado at the Vatican on Jan. 12, 2026. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jan 12, 2026 / 06:50 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV met with Venezuelan opposition leader María Corina Machado at the Vatican on Monday in an audience that was not initially included in the official schedule for the day.The meeting was added to the pontiff’s agenda in the Holy See’s noon news bulletin. The Vatican has not released any details about the audience.Machado, one of the leading figures of the Venezuelan opposition, has been a prominent voice in denouncing the institutional, economic, and humanitarian crisis facing the country.The Venezuelan politician, who received the Nobel Peace Prize in December, is also expected to meet with U.S. President Donald Trump this week.According to a post on X from Machado&#039;s political party, Vente Venezuela, the politician met with the pope to request his help in the release of all political prisoners in Venezuela.“Today I had the blessing and honor of being able to share with His Holiness and express our gratitude for his attention to what is happening in our country. I also conveyed to him the strength of the Venezuelan people who remain steadfast and in prayer for the freedom of Venezuela, and I asked him to intercede for all Venezuelans who remain kidnapped and disappeared,” Machado said after the meeting, according to a post on X from political organization Comando Con Venezuela.Machado also met with Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on Jan. 12, according to Comando Con Venezuela.Nicolás Maduro is being held in a New York prison after appearing before a federal judge on various charges related to drug trafficking and terrorism following his capture by the U.S. military in the early hours of Jan. 3.Delcy Rodríguez, former vice president of Venezuela, has assumed the interim presidency of the country following Maduro’s arrest.In his Angelus message on Jan. 4, Leo XIV called for full respect for the country’s national sovereignty and for the human and civil rights of its people.“It is with deep concern that I am following the developments in Venezuela,” said the pontiff, stressing that “the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration.”The pope urged cooperation to “build a peaceful future of collaboration, stability, and harmony” and emphasized that this effort must be made “with special attention to the poorest, who suffer because of the difficult economic situation.”In his address to the diplomatic corps on Jan. 9, Leo reiterated his call to respect “the will of the Venezuelan people” and for work “to safeguard the human and civil rights of all, ensuring a future of stability and concord.”Hannah Brockhaus contributed to this report.This story was first published on ACI Prensa, CNA&#039;s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. It was updated at 10:18 a.m. ET with the statement from Machado.  ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, meets, Venezuelan, opposition, leader, María, Corina, Machado</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The story behind Pope Leo XIV’s new papal staff</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/the-story-behind-pope-leo-xivs-new-papal-staff</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/the-story-behind-pope-leo-xivs-new-papal-staff</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV introduced a new papal staff on Jan. 6, 2026, during the closing of the Holy Door | Credit: Vatican Media / null

Jan 12, 2026 / 12:25 pm (CNA).
Last week during the Jan. 6 closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, Pope Leo XIV used a new papal staff, or ferula, which is used by pontiffs in solemn ceremonies and represents their leadership as bishop of Rome and supreme pastor of the entire Church.According to the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Holy See, popes have traditionally received this insignia after their election, when they took possession of their see in St. John Lateran Basilica.The papal staff, used only by the pope and topped with a cross or a crucifix, is different from the bishop’s crozier — the shepherd’s staff — which ends in a curve and is used by bishops and archbishops.It was St. Paul VI who, in 1965 on the occasion of the closing of the Second Vatican Council, used a silver ferula with a crucifix designed by the sculptor Lello Scorzelli. The pontiff began to use this cross with increasing frequency in liturgical celebrations, as his successors would later do.St. John Paul II also chose to use the papal ferula from the beginning of his pontificate. Even in the last years of his life, the late pontiff leaned on it while convalescing in his room.Benedict XVI used a ferula topped with a golden cross, previously used by Blessed Pius IX. Leo XIV used Benedict XVI’s ferula on May 18 during his first Mass as pope and has also used the one designed by Scorzelli for St. Paul VI.Pope Leo XIV waves during the inaugural Mass of his pontificate, held in St. Peter&#039;s Square on May 18, 2025. He stands in front of a Flemish tapestry depicting the dialogue between Jesus and Peter after the miraculous catch of fish. Credit: Vatican MediaThe new papal ferula used by Pope Leo XIV is in continuity with those used by his predecessors, linking the mission of proclaiming the mystery of love expressed by Christ on the cross with its glorious manifestation in the Resurrection.Furthermore, as the Vatican explains, its style is reminiscent of Scorzelli’s work, as it depicts Christ no longer bound by the nails of the Passion but with his glorified body in the act of ascending to the Father.The ferula bears the motto chosen by Pope Leo XIV: “ In illo uno unum,” (“In the one Christ we are one”), which captures the theological dimension of his magisterium, founded on the unity and communion that makes us the Church.The use of the papal ferula is seen as carrying a profound symbolic meaning: It expresses the specific mission of the successor of Peter to confirm his brothers in the faith and preside over the Church in charity.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>The, story, behind, Pope, Leo, XIV’s, new, papal, staff</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV proclaims Franciscan Jubilee Year</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-proclaims-franciscan-jubilee-year</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-proclaims-franciscan-jubilee-year</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  St. Francis of Assisi. | Credit: Paolo Gallo/Shutterstock

Jan 12, 2026 / 17:21 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV has proclaimed a “Special Year of St. Francis” to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the saint’s death. During this time of grace, which will extend until January 2027, the faithful are granted the opportunity to obtain a     plenary indulgence.This Franciscan Jubilee Year, considered a gift for the entire Church and an occasion for authentic spiritual renewal, was inaugurated on Jan. 10 with     a decree issued by the Apostolic Penitentiary of the Holy See.Until Jan. 10 of next year, the faithful can obtain this grace under the usual conditions — sacramental confession, Communion, and prayer for the intentions of the pope — by making a pilgrimage to any Franciscan conventual church or place of worship dedicated to St. Francis anywhere in the world.Furthermore, the elderly, the sick, and those who, for serious reasons, cannot leave their homes can obtain the plenary indulgence by spiritually joining in the jubilee celebrations and offering their prayers, pains, or sufferings to God.In a world where “the virtual takes over the real, disagreements and social violence are part of everyday life, and peace becomes more insecure and distant every day, this Year of St. Francis spurs all of us, each according to our possibilities, to imitate the poor man of Assisi, to form ourselves as far as possible on the model of Christ,” the decree states.For     the Order of Friars Minor, this time is also an opportunity for the faithful to become “models of holiness of life and constant witnesses of peace.”On the occasion of this anniversary, Pope Leo XIV addressed     a letter to the ministers general of the Franciscan Family Conference in which he emphasized that “in this era, marked by so many seemingly endless wars, by internal and social divisions that create distrust and fear, he continues to speak. Not because he offers technical solutions, but because his life points to the authentic source of peace.”In this regard, he highlighted that St. Francis reminds us that “peace with God, peace among people, and peace with creation are inseparable dimensions of a single call to universal reconciliation.”This story     was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 13 Jan 2026 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, proclaims, Franciscan, Jubilee, Year</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>This is Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of January</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/this-is-pope-leo-xivs-prayer-intention-for-the-month-of-january</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/this-is-pope-leo-xivs-prayer-intention-for-the-month-of-january</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for the Jubilee of Prisoners in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 14, 2025. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 8, 2026 / 14:17 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of January is for the faithful to pray with the word of God.In a video released Jan. 7 on X, the Holy Father said that he is praying “that we may learn, practice, and love praying with the word of God.”“The gift of Scripture is God’s love letter to humankind,” he said. “Let’s pray that we all draw from this gift and get to know Our Lord.”‘Pray with the Pope’ initiativeThe Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network and the Dicastery for Communication announced Jan. 7 the “Pray with the Pope” project. According to a press release, this is a new initiative in which the pope will share his monthly prayer intentions through both video and audio, “inviting the universal Church and all people of goodwill to unite spiritually, using the same prayer that will now be led by the pope himself.”“This initiative aims to increase the visibility of the pope’s prayer intentions, using a language suitable for prayer, in new formats, so as to better reach the faithful throughout the world, especially in today’s world of digital communication,” the press release stated.In the full video shared on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention.Here is the pope’s full prayer:Lord Jesus, living Word of the Father,in you we find the light that guides our steps.We know that the human heart lives restless, hungry for meaning,and only your Gospel can give it peace and fullness.Teach us to listen to you each day in the Scriptures,to let ourselves be challenged by your voice,and to discern our decisionsfrom the closeness to your heart.May your word be nourishment in weariness,hope in darkness,and strength in our communities.Lord, may your word never be absent from our lips or from our hearts — the word that makes us sons and daughters, brothers and sisters,disciples and missionaries of your kingdom.Make us a Church that prays with the word,that is built upon it and shares it with joy,so that in every person the hope of a new world may be born again.May our faith grow in the encounter with you through your word,moving us from the heartto reach out to others,to serve the most vulnerable,to forgive, build bridges, and proclaim life.Amen.“Pray with the Pope” is accessible on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network     website and its digital platforms. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 10 Jan 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>This, Pope, Leo, XIV’s, prayer, intention, for, the, month, January</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo condemns ‘zeal for war,’ weak multilateralism in speech to diplomats</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-condemns-zeal-for-war-weak-multilateralism-in-speech-to-diplomats</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-condemns-zeal-for-war-weak-multilateralism-in-speech-to-diplomats</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV addresses ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 9, 2026 / 10:17 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV condemned the weakening of international multilateralism and the increased use of force in a speech to diplomats at the Vatican on Friday.He also said states should respect fundamental human rights, such as religious freedom and freedom of speech, and comply with international humanitarian law in     the lengthiest speech to date of his pontificate.“A diplomacy that promotes dialogue and seeks consensus among all parties is being replaced by a diplomacy based on force, by either individuals or groups of allies. War is back in vogue and a zeal for war is spreading,” he told ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 9. Currently, 184 states have diplomatic relations with the Holy See.“Peace is no longer sought as a gift and a desirable good in itself,” the pontiff continued. “Instead, peace is sought through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion. This gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence.”The Holy Father called for concern for the common good of peoples to take precedence over “the defense of partisan interests” amid escalating tensions, pointing in particular to Venezuela, for which he reiterated an appeal “to respect the will of the Venezuelan people, and to safeguard the human and civil rights of all.”Leo framed his speech, part of the annual new year greeting to the diplomatic corps, within St. Augustine of Hippo’s work of Christian philosophy “De Civitate Dei” (“City of God”).“The ‘City of God’ does not propose a political program. Instead, it offers valuable reflections on fundamental issues concerning social and political life, such as the search for a more just and peaceful coexistence among peoples. Augustine also warns of the grave dangers to political life arising from false representations of history, excessive nationalism and the distortion of the ideal of the political leader,” the pope said.He called “City of God,” written in the fifth century, highly relevant to the present time, marked by widespread migration and the “profound readjustment of geopolitical balances and cultural paradigms.”Pope Leo XIV greets ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaHuman rights short-circuitedLeo lamented what he called a “short circuit” of human rights around the world today, especially the right to life.“We firmly reiterate that the protection of the right to life constitutes the indispensable foundation of every other human right. A society is healthy and truly progresses only when it safeguards the sanctity of human life and works actively to promote it,” he said.He also called out the restriction of the right to freedom of expression, freedom of conscience, religious freedom, and the right to life in favor of other “so-called new rights,” so that “the very framework of human rights is losing its vitality and creating space for force and oppression.”“This occurs when each right becomes self-referential, and especially when it becomes disconnected from reality, nature, and truth,” he added.Christian persecutionPope Leo said     Christian persecution is one of the most widespread human rights crises today, with over 380 million believers around the world suffering high or extreme levels of discrimination, violence, and oppression.He recalled the victims of religiously motivated violence in Bangladesh, in the Sahel region, in Nigeria, and those killed or injured in the terrorist attack on the parish of St. Elias in Damascus in June.The pontiff also decried “a subtle form of religious discrimination against Christians” taking place even in Christian-majority countries in Europe and the Americas.“There, they are sometimes restricted in their ability to proclaim the truths of the Gospel for political or ideological reasons, especially when they defend the dignity of the weakest, the unborn, refugees and migrants, or promote the family,” he said.Leo also called for respect for the freedom of other religious communities and the rejection of all forms of antisemitism.Pope Leo XIV greets ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Hall of the Blessing in the Apostolic Palace on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaThe meaning of wordsThe Holy Father also spoke about debates over the meaning of words and how they are tied to attacks on freedom of expression.“Rediscovering the meaning of words is perhaps one of the primary challenges of our time. When words lose their connection to reality, and reality itself becomes debatable and ultimately incommunicable,” he said.“We should also note the paradox that this weakening of language is often invoked in the name of freedom of expression itself. However, on closer inspection, the opposite is true, for freedom of speech and expression is guaranteed precisely by the certainty of language and the fact that every term is anchored in the truth,” he noted.He called it painful to see the space for genuine freedom of expression rapidly shrink, especially in the West.“At the same time, a new Orwellian-style language is developing which, in an attempt to be increasingly inclusive, ends up excluding those who do not conform to the ideologies that are fueling it,” he said.A consequence of this, Leo said, is that the freedom of conscience, another fundamental human right, is increasingly questioned by states.The freedom of conscience, which “establishes a balance between the collective interest and individual dignity,” protects individuals “to refuse legal or professional obligations that conflict with moral, ethical, or religious principles deeply rooted in their personal lives,” such as military service, abortion, or euthanasia.“Conscientious objection is not rebellion but an act of fidelity to oneself,” he underlined.Life and the familyPope Leo urged states to protect the institution of the family as “the vocation to love and to life” manifested in the “exclusive and indissoluble union between a woman and a man” and implying a “fundamental ethical imperative for enabling families to welcome and fully care for unborn life.”Noting the increasing priority of raising birth rates, he emphasized life as a gift to be cherished and said “we categorically reject any practice that denies or exploits the origin of life and its development,” including abortion and surrogacy.He added that the Holy See is also concerned about projects aimed at financing cross-border mobility to increase access to abortion and “considers it deplorable that public resources are allocated to suppress life rather than being invested to support mothers and families.”Pope Leo XIV poses with ambassadors and other diplomatic representatives to the Holy See in the Sistine Chapel on Jan. 9, 2026. | Credit: Vatican MediaFor the sick and elderly, “civil society and states also have a responsibility to respond concretely to situations of vulnerability, offering solutions to human suffering, such as palliative care, and promoting policies of authentic solidarity rather than encouraging deceptive forms of compassion such as euthanasia,” he said.The pontiff underlined the inalienable dignity of every person and that migrants, as people, have “inalienable rights that must be respected in every situation.”“I renew the Holy See’s hope that the actions taken by states against criminality and human trafficking will not become a pretext for undermining the dignity of migrants and refugees,” he said.Pride and self-loveLeo recalled that in Augustine’s “City of God,” the saint interprets events and history according to a model of two cities. The city of God is characterized by God’s unconditional love and love for one’s neighbor, especially the poor, while the earthly city “is centered on pride and self-love (‘amor sui’), on the thirst for worldly power and glory that leads to destruction.”“While St. Augustine highlights the coexistence of the heavenly and earthly cities until the end of time, our era seems somewhat inclined to deny the city of God its ‘right of citizenship,’” the pope noted.“Yet, as Augustine notes, ‘Great is the folly of pride in those individuals who think that the supreme good can be found in this life and that they can become happy by their own resources,’” Leo said. “Pride obscures both reality itself and our empathy towards others. It is no coincidence that pride is always at the root of every conflict.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 10 Jan 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, condemns, ‘zeal, for, war, ’, weak, multilateralism, speech, diplomats</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope says Christian hope doesn’t depend on human calculations</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-says-christian-hope-doesnt-depend-on-human-calculations</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-says-christian-hope-doesnt-depend-on-human-calculations</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the recitation of the Angelus on Jan. 4, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jan 4, 2026 / 05:20 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV said Christian hope “is not based on optimistic forecasts or human calculations” but on God’s decision to share humanity’s path so that no one is alone on life’s journey.Speaking Jan. 4 from the window of the Apostolic Palace to hundreds of faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square despite the rain, the pope said the foundation of Christian hope is “God’s Incarnation,” pointing to the day’s Gospel reading from the Prologue of St. John: “The Word became flesh and lived among us” (Jn 1:14).On the second Sunday after Christmas, before reciting the Angelus, Leo urged believers to rethink their faith and avoid an abstract or distant spirituality. “He is not a distant deity in a perfect heaven above us, but a God who is nearby and inhabits our fragile earth, who becomes present in the faces of our brothers and sisters, and reveals himself in the circumstances of daily life,” he said.The pope also underscored that the Incarnation calls for a concrete and consistent commitment, including examining whether one’s spirituality and the ways faith is expressed are “truly incarnate.” “God has become flesh; therefore, there is no authentic worship of God without care for humanity,” he said, linking Christian faith to solidarity with those who suffer.After the Angelus, Leo reiterated his closeness to those affected by the New Year’s Eve fire in a bar in the Alpine town of Crans-Montana, Switzerland, where young people had been celebrating. Swiss authorities have confirmed at least 40 dead and about 115 injured, many of them seriously.“I wish to express once again my closeness to those suffering as a result of the tragedy in Crans-Montana, Switzerland, and to assure them of my prayers for the young people who died, for the injured, and for their families,” the pope said.He also said he was following developments in Venezuela “with deep concern” and that “the good of the beloved Venezuelan people must prevail over every other consideration.” His remarks came a day after news of the U.S. capture and arrest of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro and his wife, Cilia Flores. The pope urged that the country’s sovereignty and rule of law be guaranteed.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, says, Christian, hope, doesn’t, depend, human, calculations</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Vatican says more than 33 million pilgrims took part in jubilee</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-says-more-than-33-million-pilgrims-took-part-in-jubilee</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-says-more-than-33-million-pilgrims-took-part-in-jubilee</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Seminarians approach the Holy Door at St. Peter’s Basilica, Tuesday, June 24, 2025 - Credit: Courtney Mares/CNA

Vatican City, Jan 5, 2026 / 04:00 am (CNA).
More than 33.4 million pilgrims traveled to Rome to participate in the Jubilee of Hope, surpassing initial projections, the Vatican said Monday.Archbishop Rino Fisichella, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization, said 33,475,369 pilgrims ultimately took part in the jubilee — nearly 2 million more than the Vatican’s initial estimate of 31.7 million.He also said the final group to pass through the Holy Door on Monday will be staff from the Dicastery for Evangelization, the principal organizers of the holy year, at 5:30 p.m. local time.The solemn closing of the holy year will take place Tuesday at 9:30 a.m. local time, when Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to close the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica in a ceremony expected to be attended by Italian President Sergio Mattarella, civil authorities, and large numbers of faithful.The Holy Door is scheduled to be opened again in eight years, in 2033, for the Jubilee of the Redemption.In his assessment of the jubilee, Fisichella described the year as extraordinary in many respects and noted its unusual historical arc: The jubilee began under Pope Francis and concludes under Pope Leo XIV — a transition he said underscored the complexity of the organizational effort.He also pointed to major events that unfolded alongside the jubilee calendar, including the funeral of Pope Francis on April 26 and the election of his successor, Leo XIV, on May 8, saying those developments were integrated into the jubilee schedule amid an exceptional succession of events.Pilgrims from 185 countriesAccording to official Vatican data presented Monday, pilgrims from 185 countries took part in jubilee events. By geographic area, Europe accounted for 62.63% of participants, followed by North America (16.54%), South America (9.44%), and Asia (7.69%). The remaining pilgrims came from Oceania (1.14%), Central America and the Caribbean (1.04%), Africa (0.95%), and the Middle East (0.46%).By country, Italy represented 36.34% of pilgrims, followed by the United States (12.57%) and Spain (6.23%). Other leading countries included Brazil (4.67%), Poland (3.69%), Germany (3.16%), the United Kingdom (2.81%), China (2.79%), Mexico (2.37%), and France (2.31%). The Vatican also recorded significant participation from Argentina, Canada, Portugal, Colombia, Australia, the Philippines, Slovakia, Indonesia, and Austria.Fisichella said that beginning in May — around the time of Leo XIV’s election — Rome saw an unexpected increase in pilgrims, which he said was managed with close attention in a city that remained under international media focus throughout the year.How the count was madeFisichella said the initial projections were based on a study by the faculty of sociology at Roma Tre University and were intended as an early planning guide.He said the primary count was made at St. Peter’s Basilica’s Holy Door, where a camera automatically recorded the number of pilgrims passing through each day.For the other three papal basilicas — St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls — the Vatican applied percentages based on the flow recorded at St. Peter’s, supplemented by volunteer counts using manual clickers. Attendance at major jubilee events and audiences was also tracked and cross-checked with registrations made through the official jubilee website.Rome mayor cites lasting legacy and spendingRome Mayor Roberto Gualtieri said the Jubilee of Hope has left a lasting legacy for the city, both in infrastructure and in institutional governance, pointing to what he described as a “jubilee method” of sustained cooperation among public administrations.Gualtieri said the jubilee program included 332 interventions, with 204 already completed or partially completed. He added that street works in Rome were about 90% finished, with the remaining 10% scheduled for completion in 2026.He also said government funding specifically allocated for jubilee-related works totaled 1.725 billion euros ($2.02 billion). According to Gualtieri, 75% of those resources were used for interventions completed or partially completed, while spending for essential, nondeferrable interventions reached 90%.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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</item>

<item>
<title>St. Carlo Acutis’ parents helped develop new Vatican City State app</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/st-carlo-acutis-parents-helped-develop-new-vatican-city-state-app</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/st-carlo-acutis-parents-helped-develop-new-vatican-city-state-app</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  The news app for Vatican City State, developed with support from the family of St. Carlo Acutis. | Credit: Vatican City State/Screenshot

Vatican City, Jan 5, 2026 / 05:20 am (CNA).
The parents of St. Carlo Acutis contributed to the development of a new official news application connected to the institutional website of the Vatican City State,     www.vaticanstate.va, an initiative presented as part of an ongoing digital renewal and as a tribute to the young saint, often held up as a model for evangelizing through new technologies.After downloading the app, users can read a message of thanks from the Governorate of Vatican City State to Andrea and Antonia Acutis, Carlo’s parents.“The Governorate of Vatican City State thanks Andrea and Antonia Acutis who, on the occasion of the canonization of their son Carlo, generously contributed to the creation and development of the News App of the official website     www.vaticanstate.va,” the message reads.The new application, officially launched over the weekend, is dedicated to the Italian saint, who died of leukemia in 2006 at age 15 and is frequently remembered for his computer prowess.The platform is designed to provide fast, intuitive access to news, notices, and official communications from the Vatican Governorate, aiming to improve navigation and accessibility to institutional information.The app includes several sections, including “saint of the day,” news, interviews, videos, and direct links to other institutions of the Governorate, such as the Gendarmerie Corps, the Vatican Museums, the Vatican Pharmacy, Poste Vaticane, the Pontifical Villas, and the Vatican Observatory.According to the report, additional features will be implemented progressively.The app’s launch comes after     the institutional website of the Holy See received a graphic overhaul following the May 8 election of Pope Leo XIV. That portal now features a more modern design, including a sky-blue background and an image of the pope greeting the faithful, updating a site that has been online since December 1995.The Vatican City State app is available as a free download for iOS and Android devices.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV closes St. Peter’s Holy Door, concluding Jubilee of Hope</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-closes-st-peters-holy-door-concluding-jubilee-of-hope</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-closes-st-peters-holy-door-concluding-jubilee-of-hope</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV closes the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, concluding the Jubilee of Hope, on Jan. 6, 2026. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jan 6, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday closed the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, bringing the ordinary holy year to an end — a time of grace that invited Catholics to conversion, reconciliation, and hope.The pontiff processed toward the Holy Door as the antiphon “O clavis David” was sung. Reaching the threshold, he knelt before the door and remained for a few minutes in silent prayer. He then rose and, at 9:41 a.m., pushed shut the two large bronze doors — a gesture that visibly marked the end of the jubilee season.“With thankful hearts we now prepare to close this Holy Door, crossed by a multitude of faithful, certain that the Good Shepherd always keeps the door of his heart open to welcome us whenever we feel weary and oppressed,” Leo XIV said in an address before the concluding gesture that ended the ecclesial event, ordinarily held every 25 years to offer the faithful the possibility of obtaining a plenary indulgence.With these words, Leo XIV emphasized that even though the jubilee has ended, God’s mercy remains ever open to believers.Before closing the doors, the Holy Father pronounced in Latin the formula prescribed by the rite, following a practice established in 1975 and later simplified by St. John Paul II during the Jubilee of the Year 2000.In keeping with the simplified celebration, the public rite did not include the portion involving the construction of a brick wall and was limited to the closing of the bronze doors. The masonry work itself will be carried out later, privately, about 10 days after this public rite.The act will be overseen by the Office of Liturgical Celebrations of the Supreme Pontiff. The so-called “sampietrini” — personnel of the Fabric of St. Peter, including carpenters, cabinetmakers, and electricians who normally handle basilica maintenance — will build the brick wall inside the basilica to definitively seal the Holy Door.During this private rite — without cameras or journalists — the traditional metal capsule (“capsis”) will be inserted into the wall. It will contain the official act of closure, coins minted during the jubilee year, and the keys of the Holy Door as a material and symbolic testimony of the holy year that, as the pope noted, has ended on the calendar but not in the spiritual life of the Church.Leo XIV then recited the prayer of thanksgiving for the ordinary holy year, proclaiming: “This Holy Door is closed, but the door of your mercy is not closed.”The formula concluded with an invocation that the “treasures” of divine grace would remain open “so that, at the end of our earthly pilgrimage, we may confidently knock at the door of your house and enjoy the fruits of the tree of life.”The Jubilee of Hope was instituted on Dec. 24, 2024, by Pope Francis but, after his death in April 2025, was concluded by his successor, Leo XIV — a situation not seen since the year 1700. The last ordinary jubilee (celebrated every 25 years) took place in 2000.Jubilees may also be celebrated at “extraordinary” moments, such as the Jubilee of Mercy celebrated by Francis in 2015 or the one to be convoked in 2033 to commemorate the two millennia of the death and resurrection of Jesus.After closing the Holy Door, Leo XIV presided over Mass for the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord inside St. Peter’s Basilica, bringing the day’s liturgical celebration to its conclusion.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV says God is found in humble places, not in prestige</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-says-god-is-found-in-humble-places-not-in-prestige</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-says-god-is-found-in-humble-places-not-in-prestige</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Jan. 6, 2026. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

Vatican City, Jan 6, 2026 / 08:45 am (CNA).
Celebrating the solemnity of the Epiphany in St. Peter’s Basilica on Tuesday, Pope Leo XIV said God’s saving presence is revealed not “in a prestigious location” but “in a humble place” and urged Catholics to protect what is holy and newly born — “small, vulnerable, fragile” — in a world that often seeks to profit from everything.“The child whom the Magi adore is a priceless and immeasurable good. It is the Epiphany of a gift. It does not occur in a prestigious location but in a humble place,” the pope said in his homily, delivered during a Mass that also included the closing of the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica, the last Holy Door to be shut at the end of the jubilee year.Reflecting on the Gospel account of the Magi’s journey (Matthew 2:1-12), Leo contrasted the joy of those who seek Christ with the fear of Herod, who “tries to take advantage of the wishes of the Magi by manipulating their quest.” “Fear does indeed blind us,” he said. “Conversely, the joy of the Gospel liberates us. It makes us prudent, yes, but also bold, attentive, and creative; it beckons us along ways that are different to those already traveled.”In one of the final major liturgies of his first Christmas season as pope, Leo also warned against the spiritual dangers of a distorted economy that turns even humanity’s deepest longings into a commodity.“Loving and seeking peace means protecting what is holy and, consequently, that which is newly born like a small, vulnerable, fragile baby. Around us, a distorted economy tries to profit from everything. We see how the marketplace can turn human yearnings of seeking, traveling, and beginning again into a mere business,” he said.The pope pointed to the “stream of innumerable men and women, pilgrims of hope” who crossed the Holy Door during the jubilee and asked what the Church offered them — and what she must offer going forward.“Millions of them crossed the threshold of the Church. What did they find?” he asked, adding that “the spiritual searching of our contemporaries, much richer than perhaps we can comprehend, invites us to earnest reflection.”After the jubilee year, he continued, Catholics should examine whether they have learned to recognize God’s presence in those they encounter: “After this year, will we be better able to recognize a pilgrim in the visitor, a seeker in the stranger, a neighbor in the foreigner, and fellow travelers in those who are different?”Leo also urged Catholics not to reduce churches to museums but to ensure they are places where faith is alive and hope is born anew.“If we do not reduce our churches to monuments, if our communities are homes, if we stand united and resist the flattery and seduction of those in power, then we will be the generation of a new dawn,” he said.Angelus: Replace the industry of war with the craft of peaceFollowing the Mass, Pope Leo XIV appeared at the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to pray the Angelus and again linked the Epiphany to the end of the jubilee year, emphasizing that Christian hope must be lived concretely in the world.“Dear friends, the hope that we proclaim must be grounded in reality, for Jesus came down from heaven in order to create a new story here below,” he said.In a pointed appeal for peace, he prayed: “May strangers and enemies become brothers and sisters. In the place of inequality, may there be fairness, and may the industry of war be replaced by the craft of peace. As weavers of hope, let us journey together towards the future by another road.”After the Marian prayer, the pope greeted children and young people around the world on Missionary Childhood Day and thanked them for praying for missionaries and helping those in need. He also offered good wishes for serenity and peace to Eastern Christian communities preparing to celebrate Christmas according to the Julian calendar.This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, and has been adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 07 Jan 2026 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, says, God, found, humble, places, not, prestige</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Leo XIV: The world is saved by welcoming all without fear</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-the-world-is-saved-by-welcoming-all-without-fear</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-the-world-is-saved-by-welcoming-all-without-fear</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican on Jan. 1, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jan 1, 2026 / 02:05 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV called Catholics to a steadfast openness to other people, warning that peace will not be built through force or exclusion, as he celebrated his first liturgy of the new year on Thursday.“The world is not saved by sharpening swords, nor by judging, oppressing, or eliminating our brothers and sisters,” the pope said in his homily for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Rather, he added, it is saved by “tirelessly striving to understand, forgive, liberate, and welcome everyone, without calculation and without fear.”As is customary for the Jan. 1 Mass, a large group of diplomats accredited to the Holy See attended the liturgy in St. Peter’s Basilica, underlining the international scope of the Church’s prayer for peace on the World Day of Peace, observed each year on the first day of January.A blessing for a new beginningAt the start of his     homily, Leo XIV pointed to the ancient biblical blessing proclaimed in the liturgy: “May the Lord bless you and keep you. May the Lord let his face shine on you and be gracious to you. May the Lord uncover his face to you and bring you peace” (Num 6:24-26). He recalled that this blessing was addressed to a people set free, Israel after slavery in Egypt, and he drew a parallel to the Christian life at the opening of a new year.“For each of us, every day can be the beginning of a new life, thanks to God’s generous love, his mercy, and the response of our freedom,” he said. The coming year, he continued, can be seen “as an open journey to be discovered,” lived with confidence “free and bearers of freedom, forgiven and bringers of forgiveness,” trusting in “the closeness and goodness of the Lord who accompanies us always.”Mary’s ‘yes’ and the human face of mercyThe pope centered his reflection on the mystery of the Incarnation and Mary’s decisive role in salvation history. “By her ‘yes,’ she helped give a human face to the source of all mercy and benevolence: the face of Jesus,” he said.Leo XIV invited the faithful to contemplate God’s love through Christ’s life: “Through his eyes — first as a child, then as a young man and as an adult — the Father’s love reaches us and transforms us.”He urged Catholics to begin the year with renewed confidence in that love: “Let us ask the Lord to help us experience at every moment, around us and upon us, the warmth of his fatherly embrace and the light of his benevolent gaze.”‘Unarmed and disarming’ peaceEchoing the theme he chose for this year’s     World Day of Peace message, Leo XIV returned repeatedly to the image of God’s humility revealed in the Nativity. Citing St. Augustine, he emphasized “the complete gratuity of his love” and described God’s approach to humanity as one of radical vulnerability.“As I emphasized in the message for this World Day of Peace, God presents himself to us ‘unarmed and disarming,’ as naked and defenseless as a newborn in a cradle,” the pope said.That divine “style,” he suggested, is the model for Christian action in a world tempted by coercion, retaliation, and fear. Christian witness, he said, should reflect a God who does not overwhelm but invites, and who heals rather than humiliates.Mary the disciple who ‘laid aside every defense’Leo XIV also reflected on Mary’s path after Bethlehem, presenting her not only as mother but also as disciple. He described her as one who followed Jesus “with the heart of a humble disciple… all the way to the cross and the Resurrection.”“To do so, she too laid aside every defense,” he said, renouncing “expectations, claims, and comforts,” and “consecrating her life without reserve to the son she had received by grace.”In Mary’s divine motherhood, the pope added, the Church sees “the meeting of two immense, ‘unarmed’ realities”: God, who “renounces every privilege of his divinity to be born in the flesh” (cf. Phil 2:6-11), and the human person who embraces God’s will, offering “the greatest power she possesses: her freedom.”A renewed missionNear the end of the homily, Leo XIV recalled a Jan. 1 homily of St. John Paul II that invited Christians to begin again with courage after the Jubilee of 2000. As the Church approaches the conclusion of the Jubilee of Hope, Leo XIV urged the faithful to return to the Nativity with faith and then step forward with renewed commitment.“Let us approach it as the place of ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace par excellence,” he said, and then, “like the humble witnesses at the grotto,” to set out once more, “glorifying and praising God” (Lk 2:20) for what they have seen and heard.“This be our commitment and our resolve for the months ahead, and, indeed, for the whole of our Christian lives,” he concluded.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV:, The, world, saved, welcoming, all, without, fear</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV urges prayers for peace in bloodied nations and wounded families</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-prayers-for-peace-in-bloodied-nations-and-wounded-families</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-prayers-for-peace-in-bloodied-nations-and-wounded-families</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for recitation of the Angelus on Jan. 1, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Jan 1, 2026 / 02:30 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Thursday urged Catholics to pray for peace, “first, among nations bloodied by conflict and suffering,” and also “within our homes, in families wounded by violence or pain,” during the Angelus address on the first day of 2026.Greeting pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and the 59th World Day of Peace, the pope     reflected on the start of a new year as a time to renew hope and reconciliation.“While the rhythm of passing months repeats itself, the Lord invites us to renew our times by finally ushering in an era of peace and friendship among all peoples,” he said. “Without this desire for the good, there would be no point in turning the pages of the calendar and filling our diaries.”Leo also looked back on the jubilee, which he said “is about to end,” noting that it has taught the Church to cultivate hope for a new world by converting hearts to God, so as “to transform wrongs into forgiveness, pain into consolation, and resolutions of virtue into good works.”The pope then turned to the Marian feast, saying Christmas today “directs our gaze towards Mary, who was the first to experience Christ’s beating heart.” He evoked “the silence of her virginal womb,” where “the Word of life presents himself as a heartbeat of grace.”“God, the good creator, has always known Mary’s heart and our hearts,” Leo said. “By becoming man, he makes his heart known to us.” He added that the heart of Jesus “beats for every man and woman,” both for those who welcome him and for those who reject him.“His heart is not indifferent to those who have no heart for their neighbor,” the pope said. “It beats for the righteous, so that they may persevere in their dedication, as well as for the unrighteous, so that they may change their lives and find peace.”At the end of the Angelus, Leo greeted the tens of thousands of pilgrims in the square and offered “good wishes of peace.” He also returned to the theme of the World Day of Peace, recalling that it has been celebrated on Jan. 1 since 1968 at the request of St. Paul VI.In his message for the day, Leo said he wanted to repeat the wish he felt the Lord gave him at the start of his pontificate: “Peace be with you all!”“A peace that is unarmed and disarming, which comes from God, a gift of his unconditional love, and is entrusted to our responsibility,” he said.“Dear friends, with the grace of Christ, let us begin today to build a year of peace, disarming our hearts and refraining from all violence,” the pope continued.Leo also expressed appreciation for peace initiatives held around the world, mentioning a national march held the previous evening in Catania and greeting participants in a march organized by the Community of Sant’Egidio.He offered greetings as well to a group of students and teachers from Richland, New Jersey, and to the Romans and pilgrims present.Finally, the pope noted that 2026 marks the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, and he invoked a biblical blessing for the new year: “The Lord bless you and keep you; the Lord make his face to shine upon you, and be gracious to you; the Lord lift up his countenance upon you, and give you peace.”“May the Holy Mother of God guide us on our journey in the new year,” Leo said. “Best wishes to everyone!”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Key dates on the agenda of the pope and Vatican for 2026</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/key-dates-on-the-agenda-of-the-pope-and-vatican-for-2026</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/key-dates-on-the-agenda-of-the-pope-and-vatican-for-2026</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile in St. Peter’s Square in October 2025. Credit: Vatican Media

Jan 1, 2026 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV is preparing for a very busy year at the Vatican in 2026, with important events such as the conclusion of the Jubilee of Hope and his first consistory of cardinals since his election on May 8, 2025.1. Closing of the Jubilee of Hope — Jan. 6On Jan. 6, the solemnity of the Epiphany of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the Mass and perform the rite for the closing the Holy Door in St. Peter’s Basilica, bringing to an end the Jubilee of Hope that Pope Francis began on Dec. 24, 2024. This liturgical act officially closes a year that, according to the papal bull     Spes non Confundit, has been experienced as “a time of grace and hope” for the global Church.Pope Leo XIV walks through the Holy Door carrying the jubilee cross while leading the Holy See’s pilgrimage on June 9, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media2. Extraordinary consistory of cardinals — Jan. 7–8Following the conclusion of the jubilee, the pope has convened an extraordinary consistory of cardinals for Jan. 7–8. This type of meeting is usually reserved for discussing major doctrinal, institutional, or pastoral issues affecting the entire Church. Its scheduling in the days immediately following the close of the holy year underscores the pope’s intention to set a new course after the intense experience of the jubilee.3. Extraordinary restoration in the Sistine Chapel — JanuaryBeginning in January, the Vatican Museums will undertake extraordinary conservation work on Michelangelo’s “Last Judgment” fresco in the Sistine Chapel, which will continue until March, with the expectation of completion before Holy Week. This project addresses the need to preserve the masterpiece in light of the impact of millions of visitors each year.4. Appeal hearing in the Becciu case — Feb. 3The appeal hearing in the case concerning the management of funds by the Secretariat of State of the Holy See in the purchase of a building in London has been postponed until Feb. 3. Spanish judge Alejandro Arellano Cedillo, dean of the Roman Rota, presides over the three-judge panel hearing the appeal of 77-year-old Cardinal Angelo Becciu. On Dec. 16, 2023, the cardinal was convicted of embezzlement and barred from holding public office. He was also fined 8,000 euros ($9,400).5. Second World Children’s Day — Sept. 25–27Pope Leo XIV has announced the celebration of the second World Children’s Day, which will take place in Rome Sept. 25–27. Organized by the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, this event aims to bring together thousands of children and families from around the world for a time of encounter, prayer, and celebration for peace and the future of children.Pope Leo XIV blesses a newborn baby. Credit: Vatican MediaPossible international trips for Pope Leo XIV in 2026Although the official travel schedule is not yet finalized, the pontiff has expressed a desire to visit several countries during 2026:— Algeria, an African country with deep ties to St. Augustine, is still in the planning stages as part of a possible continental itinerary.— Argentina and Uruguay have been mentioned as possible destinations, along with an extended visit to Peru and Mexico, with a particular interest in visiting the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe, one of the most visited Marian shrines in the world.— There is also a strong possibility of an upcoming papal trip to Spain.This story     was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 04 Jan 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV ends 2025 urging Catholics to examine conscience and entrust new year to God</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-ends-2025-urging-catholics-to-examine-conscience-and-entrust-new-year-to-god</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-ends-2025-urging-catholics-to-examine-conscience-and-entrust-new-year-to-god</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims gathered for his Wednesday general audience on Dec. 31, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media

Dec 31, 2025 / 08:08 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV used the Vatican’s final general audience of 2025 on Wednesday to invite Catholics to look back on the past year with gratitude and repentance, and to place what lies ahead in God’s hands.In St. Peter’s Square on Dec. 31, the pope said 2025 brought both joy and sorrow, citing the jubilee pilgrimage of the faithful as well as “the passing of the late Pope Francis” and “the scenarios of war that continue to convulse the planet.”“At its end,” Leo said, “the Church invites us to place everything before the Lord, entrusting ourselves to his providence, and asking him to renew, in us and around us, in the coming days, the wonders of his grace and mercy.”Pope Leo XIV waves from the popemobile to pilgrims gathered for his Wednesday general audience on Dec. 31, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican MediaHe tied that end-of-year spiritual “dynamic” to the Church’s Te Deum observance, saying the hymn of praise and thanksgiving helps believers recognize God’s gifts and renew hope. Leo noted that the prayer includes lines such as: “You are God: We praise you,” “In you, Lord, is our hope,” and “Have mercy on us.”According to the Vatican’s published schedule, Leo was set to celebrate first vespers for the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, at 5 p.m. in St. Peter’s Basilica, followed by the Te Deum.In his     catechesis, the pope encouraged an honest examination of conscience, calling the faithful to reflect on God’s action over the past year, to evaluate their response to his gifts, and to ask forgiveness for times they failed to follow his inspirations or invest well the talents entrusted to them.Leo also returned to a core jubilee image, describing life as a pilgrimage. “This reminds us that our whole life is a journey,” he said, one that reaches its true fulfillment in “the encounter with God and in full and eternal communion with him.”Pope Leo XIV greets a young pilgrim during his Wednesday general audience on Dec. 31, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican MediaThe pope pointed to another emblematic jubilee practice, the passage through the Holy Door, describing it as a concrete sign of conversion and of the believer’s yes to God, who “invites us to cross the threshold of a new life, animated by grace, modeled on the Gospel.”Looking to Christmas, Leo recalled St. Leo the Great’s preaching on the universal joy of Christ’s birth: “Let the saint rejoice … let the sinner rejoice … let the pagan take courage.” The pope said that invitation extends to all, including those who feel weak or fragile, because Christ has taken human frailty upon himself and redeemed it.To close, Leo cited St. Paul VI’s reflection at the end of the 1975 Jubilee, saying its core message can be summed up in a single word: “love.” He then repeated Paul VI’s emphatic profession of faith, including: “God is love! … God is mercy! God is forgiveness! … God, yes, God is life!”This story was     first published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, ends, 2025, urging, Catholics, examine, conscience, and, entrust, new, year, God</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV on New Year’s Eve: The future is in God’s hands</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-on-new-years-eve-the-future-is-in-gods-hands</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-on-new-years-eve-the-future-is-in-gods-hands</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV presides over first vespers (evening prayer) in St. Peter&#039;s Basilica in anticipation of the Jan. 1 solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on Dec. 31, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media.

Dec 31, 2025 / 15:00 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV at a New Year’s Eve prayer service reflected on God’s divine plan of salvation for the world — and the hope of ordinary people.“The world moves forward in this way, propelled by the hope of so many simple people — unknown to the world but not to God — who, despite everything, believe in a better tomorrow, because they know that the future is in the hands of the One who offers them the greatest hope,” the pope said in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 31.Leo presided over first vespers (evening prayer) in anticipation of the Jan. 1 solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The liturgy included hymns, Psalms, readings from Scripture, and the singing of the “Te Deum,” a Latin hymn of thanksgiving from the early Church.In his homily, the pontiff spoke about God’s plan versus the plans the world makes.“In our own time we feel the need for a wise, benevolent, merciful plan — one that is free and liberating, peaceful and faithful, like the plan that the Virgin Mary proclaimed in her canticle of praise: ‘From generation to generation his mercy is upon those who fear him’ (Lk 1:50),” he said.But, Leo noted, the world is enveloped in other plans: “Strategies aimed at conquering markets, territories, spheres of influence — armed strategies, cloaked in hypocritical rhetoric, ideological proclamations, and false religious motives.”However, the holy Mother of God sees things with God’s eyes, the pope continued. She knows that “with the power of his arm the Most High scatters the schemes of the proud, casts the mighty from their thrones and lifts up the lowly, fills the hungry with good things and sends the rich away empty.”Pope Leo XIV presides over first vespers (evening prayer) in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 31, 2025, in anticipation of the Jan. 1 solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. | Credit: Vatican MediaThe Holy Father referenced the words of the Apostle Paul in Galatians 4, that “when the fullness of time had come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as children.”The apostle presents the mystery of Christ as “a great plan for human history,” Leo said. “A mysterious plan, yet one with a clear center, like a lofty mountain illuminated by the sun in the midst of a dense forest: This center is the ‘fullness of time.’”On the vigil of the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, he emphasized Mary’s motherhood and her role in the revelation of the great mystery and paradox of “a God who is born of a virgin.”Pope Leo XIV presides over first vespers (evening prayer) in St. Peter’s Basilica in anticipation of the Jan. 1 solemnity of Mary, Mother of God on Dec. 31, 2025. | Credit: Vatican Media“The mother of Jesus is the woman with whom God, in the fullness of time, wrote the Word that reveals the mystery,” he said. “He did not impose it; he first proposed it to her heart, and once her ‘yes’ was received, he wrote it with ineffable love in her flesh,” he said.“Thus God’s hope became intertwined with Mary’s hope,” he added.Pope Leo pointed out that the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, concludes the Octave of Christmas and “spans the passage from one year to the next and extends over it the blessing of the One ‘who is, who was, and who is to come’ (Rv 1:8).”“The liturgy of the first vespers of the Mother of God possesses a singular richness, deriving both from the dizzying mystery it celebrates and from its placement at the very end of the solar year,” he said.Recalling that the Church is at the end of the Jubilee Year 2025, he added that the “Te Deum” prayer, to be sung at the end of the liturgy, “seems to expand so as to give voice to all the hearts and faces that have passed beneath these vaults and through the streets of this city.”Pope Leo XIV visits the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square on Dec. 31, 2025. | Credit: Vatican Media“We thank God for the gift of the jubilee, which has been a great sign of his plan of hope for humanity and for the world. And we thank all those who, during the months and days of 2025, have worked in service to the pilgrims and to make Rome more welcoming,” he said.“What can we wish for Rome?” he continued. “That it may be worthy of its smallest ones: of children, of elderly people who are alone and frail, of families who struggle most to make ends meet, of men and women who have come from afar hoping for a dignified life.”After the prayer service, Pope Leo visited the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square, a papal custom, while the Swiss Guard Band gave its annual Christmas concert.He then personally greeted the band and some of the people gathered in the square.    
        Pope Leo celebrates First Vespers of the Feast of Saint Mary, Most Holy Mother of God and Te Deum of Thanksgiving on New Year’s Eve in St. Peter’s Basilica, emphasizing in his homily the paradox of “a God born of a virgin, blessing the passing of one year to the next with Him,… pic.twitter.com/nKFQuNCDgh— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) December 31, 2025



     ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, New, Year’s, Eve:, The, future, God’s, hands</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>How to obtain a plenary indulgence for the end of 2025 and the beginning of 2026</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/how-to-obtain-a-plenary-indulgence-for-the-end-of-2025-and-the-beginning-of-2026</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/how-to-obtain-a-plenary-indulgence-for-the-end-of-2025-and-the-beginning-of-2026</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Credit: Wirestock Creators/Shutterstock

Dec 31, 2025 / 16:00 pm (CNA).
On New Year’s Eve, Dec. 31, and the first day of 2026, the Catholic Church offers the opportunity to obtain plenary indulgences as a sign of God’s mercy and the desire for the sanctification of all her members.A plenary indulgence is remission before God of the temporal punishment due to sins whose guilt has already been forgiven.Indulgences on Dec. 31On the eve of the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, the Church grants a plenary indulgence to those Christian faithful who publicly recite the “Te Deum,” thanking God for the year that is ending. This blessing is extended especially on Dec. 31.To recite the “Te Deum,” click     here.Indulgences on Jan. 1Likewise, on Jan. 1, the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, a plenary indulgence is granted to those who publicly recite the hymn “Veni Creator,” imploring blessings for the new year that is beginning.To recite the “Veni Creator,” click     here.Additionally, those who devoutly receive the papal blessing “urbi et orbi” (“for the city and for the world”), either through radio, television, or the internet, as well as those who devoutly receive the blessing of the bishop of their diocese, will also be able to obtain these special blessings from the Church.Conditions to obtain a plenary indulgenceIn addition to performing the specific work mentioned above, the following conditions must be met:First, it is necessary to be detached from all sin, even venial sin.Second, one must make a sacramental confession, receive Communion, and pray for the pope’s intentions. These conditions can be met a few days before or after carrying out the action prescribed to obtain the indulgence, but it is suggested that Communion and prayer be performed on the same day that the action is carried out.It is important to note that several indulgences can be obtained through a single confession, although frequent participation in the sacrament of reconciliation is recommended in order to deepen one’s conversion and purity of heart.As for receiving Communion and praying for the intentions of the Holy Father, it should be noted that with just one Communion and one prayer, made on the same day, a plenary indulgence is obtained.Finally, the condition of praying for the intentions of the supreme pontiff is fulfilled by reciting one Our Father and one Hail Mary. However, each Christian is given the right to use any other formula according to his personal piety and devotion.What is a plenary indulgence?A plenary indulgence is a grace granted by the Catholic Church through the merits of Jesus Christ to remove the temporal punishment due to sin.It is not a forgiveness of sin but the remission of punishment for sins already forgiven. It may apply either to oneself or to souls already in purgatory.In order to obtain a plenary indulgence the faithful must — in addition to being in the state of grace — both have the interior disposition of complete detachment from sin (even venial sin), have sacramentally confessed their sins and received the Eucharist (either within or outside of Mass), and must pray for the intentions of the Holy Father.The conditions for a plenary indulgence can be fulfilled a few days before or after performing the actions specified to gain the indulgence, but it is appropriate that Communion and the prayer take place on the same day that the work is completed.This story     was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 01 Jan 2026 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>How, obtain, plenary, indulgence, for, the, end, 2025, and, the, beginning, 2026</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV: Christians have no enemies, only brothers and sisters</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-christians-have-no-enemies-only-brothers-and-sisters</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-christians-have-no-enemies-only-brothers-and-sisters</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the recitation of the Angelus on Dec. 26, 2025. | Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 26, 2025 / 02:17 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Friday urged Christians to resist the temptation to treat others as enemies, saying the mystery of Christmas calls believers to recognize the God-given dignity of every person, even in their adversaries.“Christians, however, have no enemies, but brothers and sisters, who remain so even when they do not understand each other,” the pope said Dec. 26 during his     Angelus address from the Apostolic Palace on the feast of St. Stephen, the Church’s first martyr.Leo acknowledged that “those who believe in peace and have chosen the unarmed path of Jesus and the martyrs are often ridiculed, excluded from public discourse,” and sometimes even “accused of favoring adversaries and enemies.” Yet, he said Christian joy is sustained by “the tenacity of those who already live in fraternity.”Reflecting on St. Stephen’s martyrdom, the pope noted that early Christians spoke of the saint’s “birthday,” convinced “that we are not born just once” and that “martyrdom is a birth into heaven.”Citing the Acts of the Apostles, Leo recalled that those who witnessed Stephen’s trial and death “saw that his face was like the face of an angel” (Acts 6:15), calling it “the face of one who does not leave history indifferently but responds to it with love.”The pope linked Stephen’s witness to the meaning of Christmas, saying “the birth of the Son of God among us calls us to live as children of God,” drawing believers through the humility of Mary, Joseph, and the shepherds of Bethlehem.At the same time, he said, the beauty of Christ and of those who imitate him can be rejected because it exposes injustice and threatens those “who struggle for power.”“To this day, however, no power can prevail over the work of God,” Leo said, pointing to people around the world who choose justice “even at great cost,” who “put peace before their fears,” and who serve the poor.“In the current conditions of uncertainty and suffering in the world, joy might seem impossible,” he added, but insisted hope still “sprouts” and “it makes sense to celebrate despite everything.”The pope said Stephen’s final act of forgiveness mirrors Jesus’ own, flowing from “a force more real than that of weapons,” a “gratuitous force” rekindled when people learn to look at their neighbor with “attention and recognition.”“Yes, this is what it means to be reborn, to come once more into the light, this is our ‘Christmas!’” he said.After the Angelus, Leo renewed his Christmas wishes “for peace and serenity,” greeted pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square, and asked St. Stephen’s intercession for persecuted Christians and communities suffering for their faith. He also encouraged those working amid conflict to pursue “dialogue, reconciliation, and peace.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2025 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV:, Christians, have, enemies, only, brothers, and, sisters</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV urges families to keep the flame of love alive</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-families-to-keep-the-flame-of-love-alive</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-families-to-keep-the-flame-of-love-alive</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the recitation of the Angelus on Dec. 28, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 28, 2025 / 09:49 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged Christian families to “cherish the values of the Gospel” and protect the “flame of love” in their homes against modern myths of success, power, and comfort that he said often leave people isolated and divided.Speaking to pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square before the Angelus on Dec. 28, the feast of the Holy Family of Nazareth, the pope reflected on the Gospel account of the family’s flight into Egypt and contrasted the trust of Jesus, Mary, and Joseph with what he called the fear-driven cruelty of King Herod.“It is a moment of trial for Jesus, Mary, and Joseph,” Leo said, adding that “the bright image of Christmas is suddenly almost eclipsed by the disturbing shadow of a deadly threat.”The pope described Herod as “a cruel and bloodthirsty man” who is “deeply lonely and gripped with the fear of being deposed.” After hearing from the Magi that the “king of the Jews” had been born, Herod “decrees that all children of the same age as Jesus should be killed,” the pope said.“In Bethlehem there is light and joy,” Leo noted, recalling the shepherds who “have glorified God before the manger,” but he said “none of this can penetrate the armored defenses of the royal palace, except as a distorted echo of a threat to be stifled with blind violence.”Against that backdrop, the pope said the Holy Family reveals “the only possible answer of salvation,” namely, “God who, in total gratuitousness, gives himself to men without reserve and without pretension.”Leo pointed to St. Joseph’s obedience in protecting Mary and Jesus, saying that “the gesture of Joseph is revealed in all its redemptive significance.” He added: “In Egypt, the flame of domestic love, to which the Lord has entrusted his presence in the world, grows and gains strength in order to bring light to the whole world.”Turning to families today, the pope warned that “the world always has its ‘Herods,’ its myths of success at any cost, of unscrupulous power, of empty and superficial well-being” and said societies often “pay the price in the form of loneliness, despair, divisions, and conflicts.”“Let us not allow these mirages to suffocate the flame of love in Christian families,” he said.Instead, Leo urged families to cultivate “prayer, frequent reception of the sacraments, especially confession and Communion, healthy affections, sincere dialogue, fidelity, and the simple and beautiful concreteness of everyday words and gestures.” He said such family life can make homes “a light of hope for the places in which we live; a school of love and an instrument of salvation in God’s hands.”After the Angelus, the pope greeted pilgrims from several Italian parishes and groups. He also renewed his appeal for peace, asking Catholics to remember those suffering because of conflict.“In the light of the Nativity of the Lord, let us continue to pray for peace,” he said. “Today, in particular, let us pray for families suffering because of war, especially for children, elderly, and the most vulnerable.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2025 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, urges, families, keep, the, flame, love, alive</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV sends 3 truckloads of humanitarian aid to Ukraine</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-sends-3-truckloads-of-humanitarian-aid-to-ukraine</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-sends-3-truckloads-of-humanitarian-aid-to-ukraine</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV addresses pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for recitation of the Angelus on Dec. 28, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 28, 2025 / 10:00 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV has sent three trucks carrying humanitarian aid to parts of Ukraine hit hardest by bombardments, where residents are facing severe shortages of electricity, water, and heat.Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the pope’s almoner, disclosed the delivery to Vatican media on Dec. 27, saying the convoy carried special food that can be dissolved in a small amount of water to produce energy-rich soups with chicken and vegetables.Krajewski described the shipment as a small gesture of closeness from the pope to Ukrainian families on the feast of the Holy Family, celebrated Dec. 28.The trucks, he said, arrived in the Vatican shortly before Christmas loaded with supplies donated by South Korean food company Samyang Foods. As had happened on previous occasions, including during the pontificate of Pope Francis, the aid was then redirected to war zones most severely affected by strikes, where basic utilities are often unavailable.Krajewski said the delivery underscores that the pope not only prays for peace but also wants to be concretely present with families who are suffering.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Mon, 29 Dec 2025 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, sends, truckloads, humanitarian, aid, Ukraine</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV on Christmas night: Make room for others</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-on-christmas-night-make-room-for-others</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-on-christmas-night-make-room-for-others</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV celebrates Christmas Mass during the Night in a packed St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Dec 24, 2025 / 17:30 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV, at Christmas Mass during the Night, said Christ’s birth brings light into the world’s darkness — and where the human person is welcomed, God is welcomed too.“To enlighten our blindness, the Lord chose to reveal himself as a man to man, his true image, according to a plan of love that began with the creation of the world,” the pope said in his homily in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24.“As long as the night of error obscures this providential truth, then ‘there is no room for others either, for children, for the poor, for the stranger,’” he added, quoting Pope Benedict XVI’s homily at Christmas Mass on Dec. 24, 2012.“These words of Pope Benedict XVI remain a timely reminder that on earth, there is no room for God if there is no room for the human person,” the pontiff said.Leo celebrated the Christmas Mass, also known as midnight Mass, for a packed Vatican basilica at 10 p.m. The Vatican said an estimated 6,000 people were inside the basilica for the Mass, while another 5,000 people followed the papal Mass via jumbo screens in St. Peter’s Square.In a surprise before the Mass, the pope stepped outside St. Peter’s Basilica to greet those who were forced to stay in the rainy square because there was no more room inside.“The basilica of St. Peter’s is very large, but unfortunately it is not large enough to receive all of you,” Leo said, thanking everyone for their presence, wishing them a merry Christmas, and bestowing his apostolic blessing.Just now: Pope Leo surprised and blessed the crowd that could not get into St. Peter’s Basilica for tonight’s Christmas Eve Mass. “The basilica of St. Peter is very large, but unfortunately, it is not large enough to receive all of you. Tante grazie per venire qui questa sera.” pic.twitter.com/vMK1Zmibl8— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) December 24, 2025 The preparatory readings and the sung Proclamation of the Birth of Christ — also called the Kalenda Proclamation — preceded the Mass. The pontiff removed a cloth to reveal a wooden sculpture of the Christ Child, placed in front of the main altar of the basilica, after the chanting of the Kalenda Proclamation. A group of 10 children dressed in traditional clothing from different parts of the world brought flowers to the figure of baby Jesus.In his homily, the pope recalled that, “for millennia, across the earth, peoples have gazed up at the sky” attempting to read the future in the stars. Yet, they remained lost and in the dark, he said. “On this night, however, ‘the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light’ (Is 9:2).”“Born in the night is the One who redeems us from the night,” Leo said. “The hint of the dawning day is no longer to be sought in the distant reaches of the cosmos, but by bending low, in the stable nearby.Pope Leo invited Christians to marvel at the wisdom of Christmas, through which “God gives the world a new life: his own, offered for all.”“He does not give us a clever solution to every problem but a love story that draws us in. In response to the expectations of peoples, he sends a child to be a word of hope. In the face of the suffering of the poor, he sends one who is defenseless to be the strength to rise again. Before violence and oppression, he kindles a gentle light that illumines with salvation all the children of this world,” he said.The pontiff quoted a sermon of St. Augustine, who said “human pride weighed you down so heavily that only divine humility could raise you up again.”“While a distorted economy leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise, God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person,” Leo said. “While humanity seeks to become ‘god’ in order to dominate others, God chooses to become man in order to free us from every form of slavery. Will this love be enough to change our history?” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, Christmas, night:, Make, room, for, others</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Full text: Pope Leo XIV’s Christmas night homily</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/full-text-pope-leo-xivs-christmas-night-homily</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/full-text-pope-leo-xivs-christmas-night-homily</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV venerates a statue of the child Jesus during the celebration of Christmas Mass during the Night in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 24, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Dec 24, 2025 / 17:31 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Christmas Mass during the Night in St. Peter’s Basilica on Wednesday. The Mass was attended by an estimated 6,000 people inside the basilica, while around 5,000 people gathered outside in St. Peter&#039;s Square, according to the Vatican.Below is the full text of the pope’s Christmas night homily:Dear brothers and sisters,For millennia, across the earth, peoples have gazed up at the sky, giving names to the silent stars, and seeing images therein. In their imaginative yearning, they tried to read the future in the heavens, seeking on high for a truth that was absent below amidst their homes. Yet, as if grasping in the dark, they remained lost, confounded by their own oracles. On this night, however, “the people who walked in darkness have seen a great light; those who dwelt in a land of deep darkness, on them has light shined” (Is 9:2).Behold the star that astonishes the world, a spark newly lit and blazing with life: “To you is born this day in the city of David a Savior, who is the Messiah, the Lord” (Lk 2:11). Into time and space — in our midst — comes the One without whom we would not exist. He who gives his life for us lives among us, illuminating the night with his light of salvation. There is no darkness that this star does not illumine, for by its light all humanity beholds the dawn of a new and eternal life.It is the birth of Jesus, Emmanuel. In the Son made man, God gives us nothing less than his very self, in order to “redeem us from all iniquity and purify for himself a people of his own” (Titus 2:14). Born in the night is the One who redeems us from the night. The hint of the dawning day is no longer to be sought in the distant reaches of the cosmos, but by bending low, in the stable nearby.The clear sign given to a darkened world is indeed “a child wrapped in bands of cloth and lying in a manger” (Lk 2:12). To find the Savior, one must not gaze upward, but look below: The omnipotence of God shines forth in the powerlessness of a newborn; the eloquence of the eternal Word resounds in an infant’s first cry; the holiness of the Spirit gleams in that small body, freshly washed and wrapped in swaddling clothes. The need for care and warmth becomes divine since the Son of the Father shares in history with all his brothers and sisters. The divine light radiating from this Child helps us to recognize humanity in every new life.To heal our blindness, the Lord chooses to reveal himself in each human being, who reflect his true image, according to a plan of love begun at the creation of the world. As long as the night of error obscures this providential truth, then “there is no room for others either, for children, for the poor, for the stranger” (Benedict XVI, Homily, Christmas Mass during the Night, 24 December 2012).These words of Pope Benedict XVI remain a timely reminder that on earth, there is no room for God if there is no room for the human person. To refuse one is to refuse the other. Yet, where there is room for the human person, there is room for God; even a stable can become more sacred than a temple, and the womb of the Virgin Mary become the Ark of the New Covenant.Let us marvel, dear brothers and sisters, at the wisdom of Christmas. In the Child Jesus, God gives the world a new life: his own, offered for all. He does not give us a clever solution to every problem, but a love story that draws us in. In response to the expectations of peoples, he sends a child to be a word of hope. In the face of the suffering of the poor, he sends one who is defenseless to be the strength to rise again. Before violence and oppression, he kindles a gentle light that illumines with salvation all the children of this world. As St. Augustine observed, “human pride weighed you down so heavily that only divine humility could raise you up again” (St. Augustine, Sermon 188, III, 3). While a distorted economy leads us to treat human beings as mere merchandise, God becomes like us, revealing the infinite dignity of every person. While humanity seeks to become “god” in order to dominate others, God chooses to become man in order to free us from every form of slavery. Will this love be enough to change our history?The answer will come as soon as we wake up from a deadly night into the light of new life, and, like the shepherds, contemplate the child Jesus. Above the stable of Bethlehem, where Mary and Joseph watch over the newborn Child with hearts full of wonder, the starry sky is transformed into “a multitude of the heavenly host” (Lk 2:13). These are unarmed and disarming hosts, for they sing of the glory of God, of which peace on earth is the true manifestation (cf. v. 14). Indeed, in the heart of Christ beats the bond of love that unites heaven and earth, Creator and creatures.For this reason, exactly one year ago, Pope Francis affirmed that the Nativity of Jesus rekindles in us the “gift and task of bringing hope wherever hope has been lost,” because “with him, joy flourishes; with him, life changes; with him, hope does not disappoint” (Homily, Christmas Mass during the Night, 24 December 2024). With these words, the holy year began. Now, as the jubilee draws to a close, Christmas becomes for us a time of gratitude and mission; gratitude for the gift received, and mission to bear witness to it before the world. As the Psalmist sings: “Tell of his salvation from day to day. Declare his glory among the nations, his marvelous deeds among all the peoples” (Ps 96:2–3).Brothers and sisters, contemplation of the Word made flesh awakens in the whole Church a new and true proclamation. Let us therefore announce the joy of Christmas, which is a feast of faith, charity, and hope. It is a feast of faith, because God becomes man, born of the Virgin. It is a feast of charity, because the gift of the redeeming Son is realized in fraternal self-giving. It is a feast of hope, because the child Jesus kindles it within us, making us messengers of peace. With these virtues in our hearts, unafraid of the night, we can go forth to meet the dawn of a new day. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Full, text:, Pope, Leo, XIV’s, Christmas, night, homily</media:keywords>
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<title>Pope, at Christmas Day Mass, says wars fed by falsehoods send young people to their deaths</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-at-christmas-day-mass-says-wars-fed-by-falsehoods-send-young-people-to-their-deaths</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-at-christmas-day-mass-says-wars-fed-by-falsehoods-send-young-people-to-their-deaths</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass in St. Peter&#039;s Basilica at the Vatican on December 25, 2025. / Daniel Ibañez/ EWTN News

Vatican City, Dec 25, 2025 / 06:35 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Christmas Day deplored the “falsehoods” used to justify wars that leave young people “forced to take up arms” and “sent to their deaths,” while also drawing attention to the humanitarian suffering of displaced people, including families living in tents in Gaza.In his first Christmas as pope, Leo celebrated Christmas Day Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, reviving a practice not seen since 1994 during the pontificate of St. John Paul II. Reflecting on the prologue of St. John’s Gospel, the pope said in his homily that the Christmas liturgy highlights a striking contrast: God’s Word, which acts with power, comes into the world in utter weakness.“The ‘Word’ is a word that acts,” Leo said. Yet, he added, “the Word of God appears but cannot speak. He comes to us as a newborn baby who can only cry and babble.”Leo said the mystery Christians celebrate at Christmas cannot be separated from the vulnerability of those whose dignity is assaulted by war, displacement, and poverty. He urged Catholics to let Christ’s birth pierce complacency and move them toward tenderness and solidarity.“‘Flesh’ is the radical nakedness that, in Bethlehem as on Calvary, remains even without words – just as so many brothers and sisters, stripped of their dignity and reduced to silence, have no words today,” he said.In one of the homily’s most striking passages, Leo connected the Gospel image of the Word “pitching” his tent among humanity with the reality faced by families living in makeshift shelters amid conflict.“Dear brothers and sisters, since the Word was made flesh, humanity now speaks, crying out with God’s own desire to encounter us. The Word has pitched his fragile tent among us,” he said, before asking: “How, then, can we not think of the tents in Gaza, exposed for weeks to rain, wind and cold; and of those of so many other refugees and displaced persons on every continent; or of the makeshift shelters of thousands of homeless people in our own cities?”The pope also described the toll of war in terms of both shattered communities and wounded consciences.“Fragile is the flesh of defenseless populations, tried by so many wars, ongoing or concluded, leaving behind rubble and open wounds,” he said. “Fragile are the minds and lives of young people forced to take up arms, who on the front lines feel the senselessness of what is asked of them and the falsehoods that fill the pompous speeches of those who send them to their deaths.”Leo framed Christmas as a proclamation that peace is not merely a hope for the future but a gift already present in Christ, even when few recognize it. Quoting Jesus’ words to the disciples, he said: “‘Peace I leave with you; my peace I give to you; not as the world gives do I give to you’ (Jn 14:27).”That peace, he said, begins not in rhetoric but in concrete compassion that listens, stays close, and responds to suffering.“When the fragility of others penetrates our hearts, when their pain shatters our rigid certainties, then peace has already begun,” he said. “The peace of God is born from a newborn’s cry that is welcomed, from weeping that is heard. It is born amidst ruins that call out for new forms of solidarity.”The pope warned that believers can bury what the Gospel calls “the power to become children of God” by keeping their distance from the vulnerable.“Becoming children of God is a true power – one that remains buried so long as we keep our distance from the cry of children and the frailty of the elderly, from the helpless silence of victims and the resigned melancholy of those who do the evil they do not want,” he said.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Christmas, Day, Mass, says, wars, fed, falsehoods, send, young, people, their, deaths</media:keywords>
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<title>Pope Leo XIV highlights Gaza, Yemen, migrants in first Christmas Urbi et Orbi message</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-highlights-gaza-yemen-migrants-in-first-christmas-urbi-et-orbi-message</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-highlights-gaza-yemen-migrants-in-first-christmas-urbi-et-orbi-message</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV delivers his Christmas &quot;Urbi et Orbi&quot; message at the Vatican on December 25, 2025. / Daniel Ibañez/ EWTN News

Vatican City, Dec 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
In his first Christmas “Urbi et Orbi” message as pope, Leo XIV urged the world to embrace “responsibility” as the sure way to peace, while pointing in particular to the suffering of people in Gaza, Yemen, and those fleeing war and poverty as refugees and migrants.Before an estimated 26,000 people gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Dec. 25, the pope appeared at the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica to deliver the traditional Christmas blessing “to the city and to the world,” eight months after his May 8 election.In one of the most evocative passages of the message, the pope cited at length from “Wildpeace,” a poem by Israeli poet Yehuda Amichai, contrasting “the peace of a cease-fire” with a deeper peace that arrives unexpectedly — “like wildflowers” — after exhaustion and conflict.“Responsibility is the sure way to peace,” Leo said. “If all of us, at every level, would stop accusing others and instead acknowledge our own faults, asking God for forgiveness, and if we would truly enter into the suffering of others and stand in solidarity with the weak and the oppressed, then the world would change.”The pope framed his appeal around the Christian proclamation that Christ “is our peace,” adding: “Without a heart freed from sin, a heart that has been forgiven, we cannot be men and women of peace or builders of peace.”Turning to concrete “faces” of contemporary pain, Leo said that in becoming man, Jesus “took upon himself our fragility, identifying with each one of us: with those who have nothing left and have lost everything, like the inhabitants of Gaza; with those who are prey to hunger and poverty, like the Yemeni people; with those who are fleeing their homeland to seek a future elsewhere, like the many refugees and migrants who cross the Mediterranean or traverse the American continent.”He also named those who have lost jobs, underpaid workers who are exploited, and prisoners “who often live in inhumane conditions.”Leo offered “a warm and fatherly greeting” to Christians, “especially those living in the Middle East,” recalling his recent trip to Turkey and Lebanon. “I listened to them as they expressed their fears and know well their sense of powerlessness before the power dynamics that overwhelm them,” he said.“From God let us ask for justice, peace and stability for Lebanon, Palestine, Israel and Syria,” the pope continued, as he invoked Scripture on righteousness and peace.He also prayed “in a particular way for the tormented people of Ukraine,” asking that “the clamor of weapons cease,” and that the parties involved — “with the support and commitment of the international community” — find “the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue.”In a wider survey of global crises, the pope said: “From the Child of Bethlehem, we implore peace and consolation for the victims of all current wars in the world, especially those that are forgotten, and for those who suffer due to injustice, political instability, religious persecution and terrorism,” naming Sudan, South Sudan, Mali, Burkina Faso, and the Democratic Republic of Congo. He prayed as well for Haiti, asking that “all forms of violence in the country will cease,” and called for a future of reconciliation for Myanmar.Leo also included a specific appeal for Latin America, asking that “the Child Jesus inspire those in Latin America who hold political responsibilities,” so that amid the region’s challenges “space may be given to dialogue for the common good, rather than to ideological and partisan prejudices.”He concluded by urging the faithful to open their hearts to those in need: “On this holy day, let us open our hearts to our brothers and sisters who are in need or in pain,” before offering “heartfelt good wishes for a peaceful and holy Christmas!”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, highlights, Gaza, Yemen, migrants, first, Christmas, Urbi, Orbi, message</media:keywords>
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<title>PHOTOS: Pope Leo meets the tiniest members of the flock — babies</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-meets-the-tiniest-members-of-the-flock-babies</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/photos-pope-leo-meets-the-tiniest-members-of-the-flock-babies</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV blesses a baby on All Saints Day’ 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 25, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV has welcomed and greeted a plethora of babies at the Vatican since his election on May 8. As Christians everywhere celebrate the birth of Jesus, who came into this world as a baby, it’s a perfect time to highlight many of these sweet “pontiff meets babies” moments.Pope Leo XIV holds a baby during an audience at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV blesses a baby during his general audience  in St. Peter’s Square on June 18, 2025, at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV greets a young attendee at a Pentecost prayer vigil in St. Peter’s Square, Saturday, June 7, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAPope Leo XIV blesses a baby during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 6, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNAPope Leo XIV blesses a baby during his Wednesday general audience in St. Peter’s Basilica on Aug. 13, 2025, at the Vatican. Due to the heat, the pope gave his address in Paul VI Audience Hall but also greeted pilgrims in other locations. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo meets a family at the general audience on Aug. 27, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo embraces a crying baby in St. Peter&#039;s Square on Sept. 6, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo ambraces a baby at his general audience on Aug. 27, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV blesses a baby during the general audience on Sept. 3, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV blesses a baby during his general audience on Sept. 24, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNAPope Leo XIV blesses a baby during his general audience on Sept. 24, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV greets a baby during his general audience on Sept. 24, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV blesses a baby during his jubilee audience on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV greets a family in Rome. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV greets a baby at his general audience in St. Peter&#039;s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 8, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAPope Leo XIV pauses to embrace a baby in the crowd during Sunday Mass in St. Peter’s Square on Oct. 12, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo greets young children and families in St. Peter&#039;s Basilica Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV greets a baby during his general audience in St. Peter&#039;s Square at the Vatican, Wednesday, Oct. 22, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo blesses a baby on All Saints&#039; Day 2025. Credit: Vatican Media ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 26 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>PHOTOS:, Pope, Leo, meets, the, tiniest, members, the, flock, —, babies</media:keywords>
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<title>Pope Leo XIV highlights key virtues for final days of Advent</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-highlights-key-virtues-for-final-days-of-advent</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-highlights-key-virtues-for-final-days-of-advent</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the recitation of the Angelus on Dec. 21, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 21, 2025 / 09:15 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday highlighted four virtues of St. Joseph — “piety and charity, mercy and trust” — as guides for Catholics in the final days of Advent leading up to Christmas.Speaking during his Angelus address from the window of the Apostolic Palace on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, the pope said the day’s liturgy invited the faithful to reflect on St. Joseph, especially “at the moment when God reveals his mission to him in a dream.”Calling the Gospel episode “a very beautiful page in salvation history,” Leo described Joseph as a man who is “fragile and fallible — like us — and at the same time courageous and strong in faith.”Referring to the Gospel of Matthew, the pontiff recalled that Joseph of Nazareth was a “just man,” a devout Israelite who observed the law and frequented the synagogue, while also being “extremely sensitive and human.”In the face of Mary’s mysterious pregnancy — a situation that was difficult to understand and accept — the pope noted that Joseph did not choose “the way of scandal” or public condemnation. Instead, he opted for the discreet and benevolent path of planning to divorce her quietly.In doing so, Leo said, Joseph demonstrated he had grasped the deepest meaning of religious observance: mercy.The pope added that Joseph’s purity and nobility became even clearer when the Lord revealed his plan of salvation in a dream, showing Joseph the unexpected role he would assume as the husband of the Virgin Mother of the Messiah.Leo pointed to Joseph’s “great act of faith,” saying the saint left behind the last of his certainties and set out into a future fully in God’s hands.Referring to St. Augustine, the pope said that from Joseph’s piety and charity, “a son was born of the Virgin Mary — Son at the same time of God.”“Piety and charity, mercy and trust,” Leo said, are the virtues the liturgy proposes for the faithful today so that they may accompany Christians through these final Advent days toward “holy Christmas.”The pope emphasized that these attitudes “educate the heart” for encountering Christ and one another and can help believers become for each other “a welcoming manger, a comfortable home, a sign of God’s presence.”He urged Catholics not to miss opportunities during this season of grace to put the virtues into practice — forgiving, encouraging, offering hope to those they live with and meet — and renewing in prayer a childlike trust in the Lord and in his providence.Leo concluded by entrusting the faithful to the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph, who were the first to welcome Jesus, the Savior of the world, “with great faith and love.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, highlights, key, virtues, for, final, days, Advent</media:keywords>
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<title>These are Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intentions for 2026</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/these-are-pope-leo-xivs-prayer-intentions-for-2026</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/these-are-pope-leo-xivs-prayer-intentions-for-2026</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV prays during his Wednesday general audience on Aug. 13, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Dec 22, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
The pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network has released Pope Leo XIV’s list of prayer intentions for the year 2026.Every month, Pope Leo asks Catholics around the world to pray for a particular intention. This initiative is accompanied by a video in which the pontiff expresses the reasons why he has chosen that particular intention.Below is the complete list of Pope Leo’s prayer intentions for 2026.January: For prayer with the word of GodLet us pray that praying with the word of God be nourishment for our lives and a source of hope in our communities, helping us to build a more fraternal and missionary Church.February: For children with incurable diseasesLet us pray that children suffering from incurable diseases and their families receive the necessary medical care and support, never losing strength and hope.March: For disarmament and peaceLet us pray that nations move toward effective disarmament, particularly nuclear disarmament, and that world leaders choose the path of dialogue and diplomacy instead of violence.April: For priests in crisisLet us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.May: That everyone might have foodLet us pray that everyone, from large producers to small consumers, be committed to avoid wasting food and to ensure that everyone has access to quality food.June: For the values of sportsLet us pray that sports be an instrument of peace, encounter, and dialogue among cultures and nations, and that they promote values such as respect, solidarity, and personal growth.July: For respect for human lifeLet us pray for the respect and protection of human life in all its stages, recognizing it as a gift from God.August: For evangelization in the cityLet us pray that in large cities often marked by anonymity and loneliness we find new ways to proclaim the Gospel, discovering creative paths to build community.September: For the care of waterLet us pray for a just and sustainable management of water, a vital resource, so that everyone may have equal access to it.October: For mental health ministryLet us pray that mental health ministry be established throughout the Church, helping to overcome the stigma and discrimination of persons with mental illnesses.November: For the proper use of wealthLet us pray for the proper use of wealth, that not succumbing to the temptation of selfishness, it may always be put at the service of the common good and solidarity of those who have less.December: For single-parent familiesLet us pray for families experiencing the absence of a mother or father, that they may find support and accompaniment in the Church, and help and strength in the faith during difficult times. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>These, are, Pope, Leo, XIV’s, prayer, intentions, for, 2026</media:keywords>
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<title>Pope Leo XIV urges a ‘more missionary’ Roman Curia and warns against internal divisions</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-a-more-missionary-roman-curia-and-warns-against-internal-divisions</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-a-more-missionary-roman-curia-and-warns-against-internal-divisions</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV addresses officials of the Roman Curia at the Vatican on Dec. 22, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 22, 2025 / 06:25 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Monday called on officials of the Roman Curia to deepen both mission and communion, urging Vatican offices to be “more mission-oriented” and cautioning against the “forces of division” that can take root even “beneath an apparent calm.”Speaking during his annual Christmas greetings with personnel of the Church’s central administration, the pope also paid tribute to Pope Francis, whom he described as his “beloved predecessor” who “this year concluded his earthly life.”Leo said Francis’ “prophetic voice, pastoral style, and rich magisterium” encouraged the Church “to place God’s mercy at the center, to give renewed impetus to evangelization, and to be a joyful Church, welcoming to all and attentive to the poorest.”Drawing on Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium, Leo focused his address on what he called “two fundamental aspects of the Church’s life: mission and communion.”“By her very nature, the Church is outward-looking, turned toward the world, missionary,” the pope said, adding that the Church exists to invite people into “the good news of God’s love.”He insisted that ecclesial structures should serve evangelization rather than slow it down. “Structures must not weigh down or slow the progress of the Gospel or hinder the dynamism of evangelization; instead, we must ‘make them more mission-oriented,’” he said.Applying that principle directly to Vatican governance, the pope said: “We need an ever more missionary Roman Curia in which institutions, offices, and tasks are conceived in light of today’s major ecclesial, pastoral, and social challenges, and not merely to ensure ordinary administration.”Leo said the mystery of Christmas highlights not only the mission of the Son of God but also the purpose of that mission: reconciliation and a new kind of fraternity. “Christmas reminds us that Jesus came to reveal the true face of God as Father, so that we might all become his children and therefore brothers and sisters to one another,” he said.Pope Leo XIV addresses officials of the Roman Curia at the Vatican on Dec. 22, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaThe pope warned that communion within the Church requires ongoing conversion, especially when tensions arise in workplaces and debates about doctrine and practice.“At times, beneath an apparent calm, forces of division may be at play,” he said. He cautioned against “swinging between two opposite extremes: uniformity that fails to value differences, or the exacerbation of differences and viewpoints instead of seeking communion.”Such patterns, he said, can lead to “rigidity or ideology” and the conflicts that follow.Yet, he continued, Christians are united in Christ even amid real diversity. “And in Christ, though many and diverse, we are one: ‘In Illo uno unum,’” he said.Leo called Curia officials in particular to be “builders of Christ’s communion,” emphasizing a synodal Church in which “all cooperate in the same mission, each according to his or her charism and role.”The pope acknowledged that long years of service can leave some Vatican employees disheartened by workplace dynamics, including “the exercise of power,” “the desire to prevail,” or “the pursuit of personal interests.”He posed the question directly: “Is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia? To have relationships of genuine fraternal friendship?” He said it is “a grace to find trustworthy friends, where masks fall away,” where “no one is used or sidelined,” and where each person’s “worth and competence are respected.”Such relationships, he said, require personal conversion so that “Christ’s love” can be visible.The pope also linked internal communion to the Church’s public witness in a world marked by violence and polarization. He said this conversion becomes a sign “ad extra” in “a world wounded by discord, violence, and conflict,” where there is “a growth in aggression and anger,” often “exploited by both the digital sphere and politics.”“Dear brothers and sisters, mission and communion are possible if we place Christ at the center,” Leo said.He also pointed to the significance of the Church’s current jubilee year, saying it underscores that Christ “alone is the hope that does not disappoint.”The pope referenced two major anniversaries marked this year: the Council of Nicaea, which he said returns the Church “to the roots of our faith,” and the Second Vatican Council, which “strengthened the Church and sent her forth to engage the modern world.”Leo closed by recalling the 50th anniversary of St. Paul VI’s apostolic exhortation Evangelii Nuntiandi, highlighting its emphasis that evangelization belongs to the whole Church and that the first means of evangelization is the witness of an authentically Christian life.“Let us remember this also in our curial service: The work of each is important for the whole, and the witness of a Christian life, expressed in communion, is the first and greatest service we can offer,” he said.Quoting Lutheran pastor and theologian Dietrich Bonhoeffer on the humility of God revealed at Christmas, Leo prayed that the Lord would grant the Curia “his own humility, his compassion, and his love,” and he concluded by wishing all present “a holy Christmas” and asking God to “grant peace to the world.”At the close of the exchange of greetings, Cardinal Giovanni Battista Re, dean of the College of Cardinals, offered Christmas wishes on behalf of Curia offices, the Vatican City State Governorate, and the Diocese of Rome, and the pope presented curial personnel with a copy of “The Practice of the Presence of God,” the spiritual classic he has recently recommended.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/popeleoromancuria2122225.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, urges, ‘more, missionary’, Roman, Curia, and, warns, against, internal, divisions</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo in apostolic letter calls for renewed priestly formation, fraternity, and mission</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-inapostolic-letter-callsfor-renewed-priestly-formation-fraternity-and-mission</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-inapostolic-letter-callsfor-renewed-priestly-formation-fraternity-and-mission</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square on Dec. 20, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 22, 2025 / 12:07 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV calls for renewed priestly formation, stronger priestly fraternity, and a more missionary focus in pastoral ministry in an apostolic letter released by the Vatican on Monday.The document, “A Fidelity That Generates the Future,” reflects on two decrees of the Second Vatican Council: Optatam Totius — on priestly formation — and Presbyterorum Ordinis — on the ministry and life of priests — both promulgated in 1965. Leo urges Catholics to keep reading the two conciliar texts in Christian communities and to study them “particularly in seminaries and in all places of preparation and formation for ordained ministry.”An apostolic letter is a formal papal document, typically addressed to the Church, meant to teach, encourage, or direct pastoral priorities on a specific theme.In his new letter, Leo says the Church is not simply marking an anniversary. He writes that the council’s “desired renewal” remains closely tied to priestly ministry, quoting the council’s assessment that “the desired renewal of the whole Church depends to a great extent on a priestly ministry animated by the spirit of Christ.”The pope presents fidelity as both a grace and “a constant journey of conversion,” and he thanks priests worldwide for their ministry — from celebrating the Eucharist and proclaiming the Word to caring for those who suffer.Formation and the abuse crisisLeo writes that every vocation begins with an encounter with Christ and recalls the Lord’s call, “Follow me” (Mk 1:17). He says fidelity in “times of trial and temptation” is strengthened by remembering “the sound of the voice of the Lord who loves, chooses, and calls us,” and by seeking the accompaniment of those experienced in the spiritual life. Addressing what he calls “the crisis of trust in the Church caused by abuses committed by members of the clergy,” the pope says the scandal “has filled us with shame and called us to humility” and underscores “the urgent need for a comprehensive formation” that fosters human maturity alongside “a rich and solid spiritual life.” He urges seminarians to examine their motivations and includes a pointed line on formation of the heart: “The seminary is meant to be a training ground to help a seminarian attend to his own heart… we need to learn how to love and how to do so as Jesus did.” Priestly fraternity and lonelinessLeo describes priestly fraternity as a gift rooted in ordination itself and warns against individualism. He encourages practical steps to strengthen bonds among priests, including support for those who are isolated, sick, or elderly.The pope also flags disparities that can undermine communion, saying more remains to be done — including “economic equalization between those who serve poor parishes and those who carry out their ministry in wealthy communities.”Synodality and shared leadershipLeo calls synodality “particularly close to my heart,” arguing that the Church still has work to do in fostering healthy relationships between priests and bishops, among priests themselves, and with the lay faithful. He encourages priests to engage the Synod on Synodality’s final document and says priestly ministry should move away from “exclusive leadership” that centralizes parish life and places every responsibility on the priest alone. Instead, he points to more collegial leadership and cooperation among priests, deacons, and the whole people of God. Mission and the temptations of activism and withdrawalThe pope links priestly identity to mission and warns against two temptations: an efficiency-driven mindset that measures worth by performance, and a “quietism” that retreats from evangelization. He writes that media exposure and social networks require discernment and recalls St. Paul’s warning: “‘All things are lawful for me,’ but not all things are beneficial” (1 Cor 6:12). The letter closes with a focus on vocations and the need for both prayer and renewed pastoral creativity. Leo entrusts seminarians, deacons, and priests to the intercession of the Immaculate Virgin, Mother of Good Counsel, and St. John Mary Vianney. This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.  ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/popeleojubilee122225.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, in apostolic, letter, calls for, renewed, priestly, formation, fraternity, and, mission</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV tells Vatican employees doing work well gives glory to God</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-tells-vatican-employees-doing-work-well-gives-glory-to-god</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-tells-vatican-employees-doing-work-well-gives-glory-to-god</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV addresses employees of the Vatican on Dec. 22, 2025, in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 22, 2025 / 12:37 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV told Vatican and Holy See employees to see their daily work as part of the Church’s mission, saying that doing one’s job well “gives glory to the Lord.”Meeting the workers for a Christmas greeting on Dec. 22, the pope said he is still getting to know the Vatican and experiences it as “a great mosaic” made up of many offices and services. He said he hopes, with God’s help, to meet employees as he visits different workplaces.Reflecting on the Nativity scene, Pope Leo pointed to the many figures shown at work — each carrying out a task — as a reminder that everyday activities find their full meaning in God’s plan centered on Jesus Christ. He said it is as if the Christ Child blesses everyone from the manger, giving purpose and unity to the work of each person.Even when some figures in the Nativity seem distant from the central event, he said, they participate precisely by being themselves, staying in their place and doing what they are called to do. The pope applied that image to Vatican life, saying each person can praise God by carrying out his or her responsibilities with commitment and care.The pope also linked professional dedication to family life, telling lay employees that striving to do one’s best at work — and loving one’s family and children — honors God.He urged Vatican workers to make that spirit a hallmark of the Church “in every expression,” and he asked them to convey his greetings to their relatives at home, telling them that the pope is praying for them.After giving his blessing, Pope Leo greeted some of those present individually.This story was first published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/popeleovaticanemployees122225.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Tue, 23 Dec 2025 04:00:04 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, tells, Vatican, employees, doing, work, well, gives, glory, God</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Countdown to the closing of the jubilee: When, who will close the Holy Doors in Rome?</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/countdown-to-the-closing-of-the-jubilee-when-who-will-close-the-holy-doors-in-rome</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/countdown-to-the-closing-of-the-jubilee-when-who-will-close-the-holy-doors-in-rome</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV passes through the Holy Door carrying the jubilee cross as he leads the pilgrimage of the Holy See on June 9, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 18, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Just a few weeks remain until the closing of the holy year, which was inaugurated by Pope Francis on Dec. 24, 2024. On Jan. 6, 2026, Pope Leo XIV will be the one to close the enormous bronze door of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican, through which nearly 30 million pilgrims have passed during the last 12 months seeking a plenary indulgence. This Holy Door is slated to be reopened in 2033, when the Church celebrates the Extraordinary Holy Year of the Redemption.The schedule for closing rites of the Holy Doors of the main papal basilicas in Rome is as follows:The first Holy Door to be closed — and which will remain walled up until the next jubilee — is that of St. Mary Major Basilica. The rite will take place on Dec. 25, as reported by the Holy See Press Office. The ceremony will be begin at 6 p.m. local time, followed by Mass celebrated by the cardinal archpriest of the basilica, Rolandas Makrickas.Lithuanian Cardinal Rolandas Makrickas, archpriest of the Basilica of St. Mary Major, celebrates Mass on Aug. 5, 2025, to mark the anniversary of the dedication of the Marian basilica. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/CNATwo days later, on Dec. 27 at 11 a.m. local time, the closing ceremony at St. John Lateran Basilica will be presided over by the cardinal vicar of Rome, Baldassare Reina, who will celebrate the Eucharist, and will feature the participation of the diocesan choir, directed by Monsignor Marco Frisina.On Dec. 28 at 10 a.m. local time, the Holy Door of St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica will be closed. The solemn event will be presided over by Cardinal Archpriest James Michael Harvey.Finally, on Jan. 6, 2026, the solemnity of the Epiphany, Pope Leo XIV is scheduled to close the Holy Door of St. Peter’s Basilica before celebrating the Mass that will mark the concluding act of the 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope. On that occasion, the pontiff will invite pilgrims to return to Rome in 2033 for the Extraordinary Holy Year of Redemption.Detail of the bronze panels on the Holy Door of St. Peter&#039;s Basilica, highlighted during the nocturnal opening for the Jubilee of Artists, Feb. 16, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNAThe Holy Doors, as is tradition, have been solely those of the four papal basilicas of Rome: St. Peter’s in the Vatican, St. John Lateran, St. Mary Major, and St. Paul Outside the Walls. However, on Dec. 26, two days after officially inaugurating the holy year, Pope Francis made an exception by traveling to the Rebibbia prison in Rome to repeat this gesture at another door as a symbol of hope.The late pope wanted to extend this gesture of grace to prisoners by opening the door of this correctional facility in the Italian capital.The date on which the closing ceremony for this fifth Holy Door will take place has yet to be announced.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/popejubileeecc.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 20 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Countdown, the, closing, the, jubilee:, When, who, will, close, the, Holy, Doors, Rome</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV warns against destructive spiral of autonomous weapons and escalation</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-warns-against-destructive-spiral-of-autonomous-weapons-and-escalation</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-warns-against-destructive-spiral-of-autonomous-weapons-and-escalation</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV speaks to patients and caregivers at the De La Croix Hospital in Jal el Dib, Lebanon, on Dec. 2, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 18, 2025 / 18:28 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV warned against the destructive spiral fueled by the arms race and the development of autonomous weapons, and called for an “unarmed and disarming” peace — one that springs from the resurrection of Christ — as the only answer to the world’s challenges.“The peace of the risen Jesus is unarmed, because his was an unarmed struggle in the midst of concrete historical, political, and social circumstances,” the pontiff wrote in his message for the 59th World Day of Peace, which will be celebrated on Jan. 1, 2026. Its text was released Dec. 18 by the Holy See Press Office.The four-page document is titled “Peace Be with You All: Towards an Unarmed and Disarming Peace,” an expression that directly echoes the first words spoken by Leo XIV after his election as the successor of Peter on May 8, when he appeared on the balcony of the Apostolic Palace to greet the faithful for the first time.In the text, the pope lamented that, in the face of global challenges, the predominant response is an “enormous economic investment in rearmament.” In this regard, he noted that in 2024, global military spending increased by 9.4% compared with the previous year, confirming “the trend of the last 10 years.” According to the data cited, total spending reached $2.718 trillion, equivalent to 2.5% of the world’s gross domestic product.Beyond the statistics, the pope warned of the cultural and educational consequences of this logic. He criticized the fact that schools and universities are not adequately preserving “a culture of memory” that remembers the “millions of victims” of wars ​​and lamented that, instead, educational programs are being promoted that are based on the “perception of threats,” promoting “only an armed notion of defense and security.”The Holy Father also emphasized how technological advancements and the incorporation of artificial intelligence in the military sphere have “worsened the tragedy” of armed conflicts. He therefore warned of the risk of a growing tendency to “shirk responsibility” by political and military leaders such that “decisions about life and death are increasingly “‘delegated’ to machines.” In his view, this is an “unprecedented destructive betrayal” of the “legal and philosophical principles of humanism” upon which any civilization is based and safeguarded.The pontiff did not shy away from denouncing “the enormous concentrations of private economic and financial interests” that are driving states in this direction, but emphasized that just criticizing this would not be enough “unless we also awakened conscience and critical thought” throughout society.In his reflection, Leo XIV included an explicit warning against the religious instrumentalization of violence. The pope observed that it is part of the contemporary landscape to “to drag the language of faith into political battles, to bless nationalism, and to justify violence and armed struggle in the name of religion.” In response, he urged believers to “actively refute this, above all by the witness of their lives,” because “these forms of blasphemy profane the holy name of God.”Therefore, he emphasized that, alongside concrete actions for peace, it is increasingly necessary to cultivate “prayer, spirituality, and ecumenical and interreligious dialogue” as authentic paths to peace and as languages ​​of encounter between traditions and cultures.The Holy Father also warned of the risk of treating peace as a “distant ideal” and “disconnected from the concrete experience of people and the political life of nations.”When peace is presented as something unattainable, the pope noted in the text, “we cease to be scandalized when it is denied, or even when war is waged in its name.”According to the pontiff, there is a real risk that this logic will end up seeping into both private and public life, fueling the perception that it is almost “a fault” not to be sufficiently prepared for war, “not to react to attacks,” even going “far beyond the principle of legitimate defense.”“It is no coincidence that repeated calls to increase military spending, and the choices that follow, are presented by many government leaders as a justified response to external threats,” Leo XIV lamented.Indeed, he continued, “the deterrent power of military might, especially nuclear deterrence, is based on the irrationality of relations between nations, built not on law, justice, and trust but on fear and domination by force.”Faced with this scenario, the pope proposed a different understanding of peace that “wants to dwell within us” and has the “gentle power to enlighten and expand our understanding; it resists and overcomes violence.”‘Peace is a breath of the eternal’“Peace is a breath of the eternal: while to evil we cry out ‘Enough,’ to peace we whisper ‘Forever,’” the pope emphasized.The reflection included a cultural critique of the modern world, which he called “realistic” in its narratives but “devoid of hope, blind to the beauty of others,” and that forgets that “God’s grace is always at work in human hearts, even those wounded by sin.”In this regard, the pope recalled that the path proposed by Jesus was already perplexing even for his own disciples: “The Gospels do not hide the fact that what troubled the disciples was his nonviolent response,” a path that everyone, starting with Peter, opposed, “yet the Master asked them to follow this path to the end. The way of Jesus continues to cause unease and fear.” The Holy Father acknowledged the discouragement experienced by people of goodwill who “have hearts ready for peace” and are overwhelmed by a feeling of “powerlessness” in the face of the increasingly uncertain course of events.The World Day of Peace was instituted by St. Paul VI, who proposed it on Dec. 8, 1967, the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception. It was celebrated for the first time on Jan. 1, 1968, coinciding with the solemnity of Mary, Mother of God, and since then it has become an annual occasion for the Church to reflect on the great challenges of human coexistence.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/ris4417.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 20 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, warns, against, destructive, spiral, autonomous, weapons, and, escalation</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV writes preface to book that shaped his spiritual life</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-writes-preface-to-book-that-shaped-his-spiritual-life</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-writes-preface-to-book-that-shaped-his-spiritual-life</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for the Jubilee of Prisoners in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 14, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 19, 2025 / 11:05 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV has written the preface to a new Vatican edition of the book “The Practice of the Presence of God,” a spiritual work he says is “one of the texts that has most shaped my spiritual life.”“The Practice of the Presence of God” is a 17th-century spiritual classic written by the Carmelite friar Lawrence of the Resurrection.The pontiff shared the personal importance of this work during the return flight to Rome at the end of his first international trip to Turkey and Lebanon earlier this month.“It’s a very simple book, by someone who doesn’t even give his last name — Brother Lawrence — written many years ago,” he said at the time.“But it describes, if you will, a type of prayer and spirituality where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead.”The book that has ‘shaped my spiritual life’In a preface to “The Practice of the Presence of God,” published by the Vatican Publishing House (LEV) in Italian, the pope goes deeper into this personal experience and places the work within his own journey of faith.“As I have had occasion to say, together with the writings of St. Augustine and other books, this is one of the texts that has most shaped my spiritual life and has formed me in what the path for knowing and loving the Lord can be,” he writes.Leo emphasizes that the small book by Brother Lawrence places at the center not merely the experience but a true “practice” of the presence of God, lived in everyday life.It is, he explains, a path that is “simple and arduous at the same time. Simple, because it requires nothing other than “constantly calling God to mind, with small, continual acts of praise, prayer, supplication, adoration, in every action and in every thought, with him alone as our horizon, source, and end.”It is demanding because it requires “a journey of purification, of ascetic discipline, of renunciation and conversion of the most intimate part of ourselves — of our mind and our thoughts, even more than of our actions,” he explains.In this context, the pontiff cites St. Paul’s exhortation to the Philippians: “Have in you the same sentiments as Christ Jesus” — to underscore that “it is not only our attitudes and behaviors that must be conformed to God, but our very sentiments, our very way of feeling.”Making daily tasks ‘easy and light’In the preface, Leo underscores that this spiritual path, in which the presence of God becomes “familiar and occupies our inner space,” is where “graces and spiritual riches blossom, and even daily tasks become easy and light.”The pope situates Brother Lawrence’s message in the context of today’s world. The writings of this Carmelite, who lived with luminous faith through a century marked by conflicts and violence — “certainly no less violent than our own” — can, he affirms, “also be an inspiration and a help for the lives of us men and women of the third millennium.”Beyond ‘moralism’The writing of Brother Lawrence shows us “that there is no circumstance that can separate us from God, that each of our actions, each of our occupations, and even each of our mistakes acquires infinite value if lived in the presence of God, continually offered to him,” the Holy Father says.The pope adds that the whole of Christian ethics “can truly be summed up in this continual calling to mind of the fact that God is present: He is here.”“This remembrance, which is more than a simple memory because it involves our feelings and affections, overcomes all moralism and every reduction of the Gospel to a mere set of rules, and shows us that truly, as Jesus promised us, the experience of entrusting ourselves to God the Father already gives us a hundredfold here on earth,” he explains. “Entrusting ourselves to the presence of God means tasting a foretaste of paradise,” Leo writes.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA&#039;s Spanish-language partner agency. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 20 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, writes, preface, book, that, shaped, his, spiritual, life</media:keywords>
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<title>Pope Leo XIV: The person and families must be at center of labor system</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xivthe-person-and-families-must-be-at-center-of-labor-system</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xivthe-person-and-families-must-be-at-center-of-labor-system</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV addresses employment consultants on Dec. 18, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 19, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV advocated for a labor system that serves individuals and families so that the dignity of each employee is recognized and his or her real needs are met.During a Dec. 18 audience at the Vatican with members of the Order of Employment Consultants, the Holy Father highlighted three aspects that he considers particularly important in the business world: the dignity of the person, mediation, and the promotion of safety.At the beginning of his address in the Apostolic Palace, the pontiff emphasized that at the heart of any work dynamic “should neither be capital, nor the laws of the market, nor profit, but the person, the family, and their well-being, to which everything else is secondary.”Consequently, he stated that workers must “be recognized in their dignity” and receive concrete responses to their real needs, such as the needs of young families, of parents with small children, “as well as the importance of helping those who, even while working, must care for elderly and sick family members.”“These are needs,” he pointed out, “that no truly civilized society can afford to forget or neglect.” This is especially true today, when artificial intelligence and technology “increasingly manage and influence our activities.” Therefore, he emphasized the urgent need to ensure that companies are characterized “as humane and fraternal communities.”He also urged the establishment of fair mediation between managers and employees, avoiding “excessive bureaucratization of relationships” and “distance and detachment and distance from reality.”Thus, he invited employment consultants to pay close attention “to the people in front of you, especially those who are in difficulty and have fewer opportunities to express their needs and assert their interests.” Finally, he emphasized the importance of promoting workplace safety and lamented the numerous accidents that occur at work. “Prevention is better than remediating,” he remarked.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 20 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV: The, person, and, families, must, center, labor, system</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV strengthens legal protections for employees of the Vatican and Holy See</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-strengthens-legal-protections-for-employees-of-the-vatican-and-holy-see</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-strengthens-legal-protections-for-employees-of-the-vatican-and-holy-see</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  A new Vatican labor regulations decree was issued after an audience granted to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, pictured here with Pope Leo XIV. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 19, 2025 / 16:22 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV approved new labor regulations at the Office of Labor of the Apostolic See (ULSA, by its Italian acronym), the Holy See’s body responsible for managing labor relations for personnel working in the Roman Curia, the Governorate of Vatican City State, and other entities directly administered by the Apostolic See.The reform, established through a pontifical rescript signed on Nov. 25, introduces significant changes that strengthen institutional representation, improve internal coordination, and underscore the pontiff’s care for employees and the application of the Church’s social doctrine.The document that has been released — corresponding to the ULSA’s new statute — details, in precise legal language, how labor disputes should be handled in the Vatican, reinforcing protections, procedures, and deadlines for both current and former employees of the Holy See.Specifically, the text regulates the chapter dedicated to labor disputes, clearly establishing who can appeal, to which authorities, and within what time frames.The document indicates that anyone who believes they have been harmed by an administrative act in labor matters — unless it has been expressly approved by the pope — may file a complaint with ULSA or take it to the Vatican judicial authority.However, it is emphasized that attempting conciliation with the ULSA director is a mandatory condition, an indispensable requirement before pursuing any other course of action.The text also specifies that, when required by the internal regulations of each administration, the employee must first exhaust all internal remedies, failing which his or her claim will be deemed inadmissible. Only after completing this process can the procedure before ULSA or the courts of Vatican City State be initiated.Solutions through dialogue before resorting to legal actionLabor disputes — whether individual or collective — will be resolved preferably through conciliation mechanisms, and only in case of failure will they be referred to the ULSA Conciliation and Arbitration Board or the Vatican court. In this way, the system prioritizes solutions through dialogue before resorting to legal action.The document also establishes a five-year statute of limitations for rights arising from the employment relationship, although it clarifies that filing a request for conciliation interrupts this period until official notification of the document that concludes this phase.Matters falling under the jurisdiction of the Disciplinary Commissions established in the general regulations of the various Vatican administrations are expressly excluded from this procedure.Regarding deadlines, the statute stipulates that the appeal must be filed within 30 days of notification — or actual knowledge — of the contested act. The same deadline applies after a negative decision on an internal appeal or in the case of administrative silence, if the administration fails to respond within the prescribed time.Finally, the text details the formal requirements of the claim, which must include the claimant’s personal data, the identification of the administration involved,and the act being challenged, as well as the necessary elements to allow for the proper processing of the case.The decree was issued after an audience granted to Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin and coincides with the approval of the new general regulations of the Roman Curia.Overall, the document reflects an effort to provide greater legal certainty, transparency, and procedural order to labor relations within the Vatican, in line with the recent reform initiated by Pope Leo XIV to strengthen the protection of workers and promote a culture of conciliation before resorting to legal conflict.A more representative councilAnother major innovation of the new statute is the expansion of the ULSA Council, the advisory body responsible for developing regulatory proposals. For the first time, it will include a representative from the Secretariat of State as well as from the Vicariate of Rome, the Pension Fund, and the Healthcare Fund (FAS) used by employees of the Vatican and the Holy See. This addition brings the number of newly represented entities to four and aims to strengthen the technical expertise and effective protection of workers.The council — whose members serve a five-year term — already included representatives from various Vatican dicasteries and bodies, such as the Dicastery for Evangelization, the Secretariat for the Economy, the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, and the Governorate of Vatican City State.A more ‘synodal’ working styleThe new statute also introduces a more participatory way of working. From now on, each council member will be able to propose topics for the agenda directly, a power that previously required the support of at least four members. According to Vatican sources, this measure emphasizes a more “synodal” working style and promotes the creative involvement of the various departments and staff representatives.Leo XIV has confirmed the historical responsibilities of ULSA, an organization established by St. John Paul II in 1988 and operational since 1989, and which was further updated during the pontificates of Benedict XVI and Francis.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/paro.pope.jpeg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sat, 20 Dec 2025 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, strengthens, legal, protections, for, employees, the, Vatican, and, Holy, See</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV voices concern over renewed fighting in eastern Congo, urges dialogue</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-voices-concern-over-renewed-fighting-in-eastern-congo-urges-dialogue</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-voices-concern-over-renewed-fighting-in-eastern-congo-urges-dialogue</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican for the Angelus on Dec. 14, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 14, 2025 / 08:05 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Sunday voiced deep concern over renewed fighting in the eastern Democratic Republic of Congo, urging an immediate end to violence and a return to dialogue in line with ongoing peace efforts.After leading pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square in praying the Angelus on the third Sunday of Advent, the pope said he was “following with deep concern the resumption of fighting in the eastern part of the Democratic Republic of Congo.”“While expressing my closeness to the people, I urge the parties in the conflict to cease all forms of violence and to seek constructive dialogue, respecting the ongoing peace process,” he said.The pope’s appeal came amid reports of intensified clashes involving the M23 rebel group in the mineral-rich eastern region, despite a recently signed peace agreement between Congolese and Rwandan leaders.Pope Leo also recalled recent beatifications of martyrs in Spain and France, praising their fidelity to the faith amid persecution. “Let us praise the Lord for these martyrs, courageous witnesses to the Gospel, persecuted and killed for remaining close to their people and faithful to the Church,” he said.Earlier, in his catechesis before leading the Angelus, Pope Leo reflected on the Gospel reading for the third Sunday of Advent, which presents John the Baptist imprisoned for his preaching yet still seeking the truth about Jesus.From prison, John hears “about the works of Christ” and sends his disciples to ask whether Jesus is truly the one who is to come, the pope noted. Jesus’ response, he said, points not to abstract claims but to concrete signs.“Christ announces who he is by what he does. And what he does is a sign of salvation for all of us,” Pope Leo said. Encountering Jesus, he explained, restores meaning to lives marked by darkness and suffering: “The blind see, the mute speak, the deaf hear… Even the dead, who are completely lifeless, come back to life. This is the Gospel of Jesus, the good news proclaimed to the poor.”“The words of Jesus free us from the prison of despair and suffering,” the pope said, adding that Christ “gives voice to the oppressed and to those whose voices have been silenced by violence and hatred” and “defeats ideologies that make us deaf to the truth.”Concluding his reflection, Pope Leo said that Advent calls Christians to unite their expectation of the Savior with attentiveness to God’s action in the world. “Then we will be able to experience the joy of freedom in encountering our Savior,” he said, echoing the Church’s celebration of Gaudete Sunday.This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/tre5108-1.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, voices, concern, over, renewed, fighting, eastern, Congo, urges, dialogue</media:keywords>
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<title>Pope Leo XIV condemns attack on Sydney’s Jewish community, prays for victims</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-condemns-attack-on-sydneys-jewish-community-prays-for-victims</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-condemns-attack-on-sydneys-jewish-community-prays-for-victims</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV gives his apostolic blessing at the end of the general audience in St. Peter’s Square on Nov. 12, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Dec 15, 2025 / 07:48 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Monday condemned a deadly attack on the Jewish community in Sydney and entrusted the victims to God in prayer.“Today I wish to entrust to the Lord the victims of the terrorist attack carried out yesterday in Sydney against the Jewish community,” the pope said Dec. 15, referring to a shooting during a Hanukkah celebration at Bondi Beach that left at least 15 people dead and some 40 others injured.The Holy Father expressed his spiritual closeness to those affected by the violence, which occurred as more than 1,000 people had gathered to mark the start of Hanukkah, also known as the Feast of Lights — one of the most important celebrations in the Jewish calendar.According to local media reports, two armed assailants opened fire on the crowd, sparking panic and a mass flight toward the beach and nearby businesses. One attacker was killed during the police response, while the second remains in critical condition. Authorities are investigating possible links between the attackers and a jihadist terrorist organization. Among the victims were a child and a Holocaust survivor.The pope made his remarks during a Vatican audience with delegations that donated this year’s Christmas tree and Nativity scenes for St. Peter’s Square and the Paul VI Audience Hall. During the same encounter, Leo also reflected on the meaning of Christmas, urging the faithful to “let the tenderness of the Child Jesus illuminate our lives.”Catholic leaders in Australia also responded with prayer and a strong condemnation of antisemitism. Archbishop Anthony Fisher of Sydney called for prayer and invoked the intercession of the Virgin Mary in the immediate aftermath of the Dec. 14 shooting.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, condemns, attack, Sydney’s, Jewish, community, prays, for, victims</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope thankful for pro&#45;life Nativity scene that ‘represents a life preserved from abortion’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-thankful-for-pro-life-nativity-scene-that-represents-a-life-preserved-from-abortion</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-thankful-for-pro-life-nativity-scene-that-represents-a-life-preserved-from-abortion</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo admires the Nativity scene that was made in Costa Rica. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 15, 2025 / 17:06 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Monday thanked Costa Rican artist Paula Sáenz Soto for donating a pro-life Nativity scene to the Vatican, named “Gaudium” (“Joy”), which features a pregnant Virgin Mary.“I thank the Costa Rican artist who, along with the message of peace of Christmas, also wanted to make an appeal for protecting life from conception,” the pope said during the audience he granted Dec. 15 to the delegations that prepared this year’s Christmas tree and Nativity scenes that will adorn the Vatican during the Christmas season.The artwork from the Central American country has been on display since Dec. 15 in the Pope Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican, the large hall where the pope is now holding his Wednesday general audiences so pilgrims don’t have to endure the cold temperatures of the Roman winter in St. Peter’s Square.In his address, the Holy Father alluded to its composition, mentioning the 28,000 colorful ribbons that symbolize lives saved thanks to the support provided by Catholic organizations to pregnant women in vulnerable situations.“The scene depicts a life saved from abortion thanks to prayer and the support provided by Catholic organizations to many mothers in difficult circumstances,” Pope Leo XIV noted.The decorations in St. Peter’s Square — which were unveiled Monday afternoon — have an Italian touch. The chosen tree comes from Val d’Ultimo, one of the most picturesque and lesser-known valleys of South Tyrol in Italy. Meanwhile, the Nativity scene in St. Peter’s Square comes from the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno, one of the oldest in Italy: Its origins date back to the third century, when Nuceria Alfaterna — the ancient Roman city in the Sarno Valley — already had an organized Christian community.“I thank you for this artistic work that incorporates characteristic elements of your territory,” the pope said, noting that this traditional Nativity scene includes a reproduction of the sixth-century baptistery of St. Mary Major Basilica, one of the best-preserved in the country.The pope emphasized that this work will be a reminder for pilgrims from all over the world that “God draws near to humanity, entering into our history in the vulnerability of a child.”“In the poverty of the cave in Bethlehem, we contemplate a mystery of humility and love,” the pope reflected. He also highlighted the figure of the Virgin Mary “as a model of adoring silence,” who treasures in her heart all that she has experienced, while the shepherds glorify God and share what they have seen and heard. In this regard, he emphasized the “need to seek moments of silence and prayer in our lives.”Regarding the Christmas tree, the pontiff said the large fir tree “is a sign of life and a reminder of the hope that does not fade even in the cold of winter.”The lights that adorn it, he added, symbolize “Christ, the light of the world,” who comes to “dispel the darkness and guide our path.” In addition to the large fir tree, the forests of South Tyrol have also donated other smaller trees to the Vatican, intended for offices, public spaces, and various areas of Vatican City.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, thankful, for, pro-life, Nativity, scene, that, ‘represents, life, preserved, from, abortion’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>‘Seeking Beauty’ travel show with David Henrie premieres at Vatican</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/seeking-beauty-travel-show-with-david-henrie-premieres-at-vatican</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/seeking-beauty-travel-show-with-david-henrie-premieres-at-vatican</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Catholic actor and director David Henrie speaks with EWTN News after the first episode of his new travel show, “Seeking Beauty,” premiered at the Vatican’s movie theater on Dec. 15, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNA

Vatican City, Dec 16, 2025 / 10:45 am (CNA).
The first episode of a new travel show, hosted by Catholic actor and director David Henrie, premiered at the Vatican’s movie theater on Monday evening.“Seeking Beauty,” which will debut on EWTN’s free streaming platform EWTN+ on Jan. 19, 2026, is a series documenting Henrie’s exploration of the beauty of art and culture in six Italian cities.Henrie and executive producer Edmundo Reyes, with other crew members, were present for the airing of Episode 1 inside Vatican City on Dec. 15. The premiere was followed by a Q-and-A with Henrie, Reyes, and Peter Gagnon, president of EWTN Studios, moderated by Andreas Thonhauser, chief global officer of EWTN.“It’s a blessing to be able to play the show at the Vatican, which is where we [filmed] our first episode,” Henrie told EWTN News. “You can’t help but feel grateful, and feel like [it’s] a full-circle moment.”Catholic actor and director David Henrie shares just how much fun he had while filming his new travel show, &quot;Seeking Beauty,&quot; in Italy. ?The first episode premiered at the Vatican on Dec. 15, and will stream on EWTN+ (via Roku) starting Jan. 19. pic.twitter.com/4GtNvqKycn— Hannah Brockhaus (@HannahBrockhaus) December 16, 2025 In the first episode, Henrie speaks to a range of experts — including art historian Elizabeth Lev and artist Kelly Medford — to learn more about the Vatican Gardens, the Swiss Guard, St. Peter’s Basilica, and St. Peter’s Square.Reyes called it “such a special moment” to show the first episode of “Seeking Beauty” at the Vatican.“We can’t wait for people to see it,” he told EWTN News at the event. “I think it’s going to be a great, great evangelization tool.”Reyes, who had the original idea for the show, recalled visiting Spain with his family four years ago and how it was there he realized how many stories about art and faith have not been shared with a wider audience.“God put in my heart this desire … Let’s create a travel show that will be more than a travel show, that would help people encounter God through beauty,” he said.“What David has done is very special, because it’s not about going to places but retraining us or inviting us to contemplate and to look at beauty differently,” Reyes said during the Q-and-A. It’s about “God speaking to us through beauty, and not so much about, ‘Hey, here’s a cool place to visit and to put on your bucket list.’”The first episode of new travel show “Seeking Beauty” premiered at the Vatican’s movie theater on Dec. 15, 2025. It was followed by a Q-and-A with, from left, EWTN Studios President Peter Gagnon, series executive producer Edmundo Reyes, and series host David Henrie. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/CNAThe series is produced by EWTN Studios in partnership with Digital Continent and in association with Novo Inspire and Sacred Arthouse.“Each episode is very unique … There’s so much there that can touch people in different ways,” Gagnon said.In Season 1, Henrie will also visit Rome, Milan, Venice, Florence, and Subiaco, a place connected to St. Benedict. Season 2 of “Seeking Beauty” recently wrapped filming in Spain.“I’m not an expert. You’re just seeing it through my eyes,” Henrie told EWTN News. “The thing that will make this accessible is that you’re not sitting down for a history lesson; it’s a travel show,” he said. “When my wife and I watch travel shows, we have a glass of wine, we hang out, we relax, we watch something. It’s easy consumption, but there’s some medicine under all the sugar.”Paola Flynn, Vatican correspondent for EWTN Noticias, contributed to this report. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>‘Seeking, Beauty’, travel, show, with, David, Henrie, premieres, Vatican</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>With special permission, prisoners travel to Rome for the jubilee</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/with-special-permission-prisoners-travel-to-rome-for-the-jubilee</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/with-special-permission-prisoners-travel-to-rome-for-the-jubilee</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV presides at the jubilee Mass for prisoners on Dec. 14, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 16, 2025 / 15:11 pm (CNA).
The last major event of the Jubilee of Hope was dedicated to prisoners around the world, some of whom during the past weekend were able to experience freedom and fulfill a dream: to go see Pope Leo XIV.Víctor Aguado, director of prison ministry in Valencia, Spain, accompanied a group of prisoners to the Eternal City, many of whom had spent more than 12 years behind bars. Thanks to special permission, they were able to travel and become living witnesses that “hope breaks down walls and that dignity cannot be taken away.”In a conversation with ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner, Aguado recounted the details of the “intense, emotional, and spiritual” trip that will forever mark the lives of the men and women who have been incarcerated. The group was composed of a total of 13 people from Valencia, including prisoners, volunteers, and the chaplain. Six of them were inmates in the second and third degree of the prison system — regimens that combine incarceration with controlled outings — so they had to obtain a series of permits from the Treatment Board, the General Secretariat, and the Oversight Institutions. “It was a long bureaucratic process, but we didn’t have any problems,” Aguado explained.He explained that they selected the prisoners they have known for a long time. Those in the third degree of the prison system enjoy a semi-release regimen and live in halfway houses, while those in the second degree usually go to workshops and cooperate with everything the prison ministry proposes. “They are people of faith who attend Mass, and we knew that, given their situation and attitude, they needed this and wouldn’t turn it down,” he commented.&quot;With the pilgrimage, the prisoners assumed a new responsibility and embarked on a new path.&quot; Credit: Photo courtesy of Víctor Aguado“They wanted to be very well prepared, free of burdens, and participate in Sunday Mass completely cleansed and at peace with themselves,” said Aguado, who also highlighted their passing through the Holy Door as one of the most emotional moments of the jubilee. “With the pilgrimage, the prisoners assumed a new responsibility and a new path, a new life, and the feeling that now they have to do things right.”He also highlighted their excitement at seeing the pope, since for them “he is the representation of the Lord on earth.” The Sunday Mass with the Holy Father, Aguado explained, was “very simple, and although it was in Italian, it was perfectly understandable.”“Hope goes beyond, it breaks down walls wherever it may be, and the dignity of people cannot be taken away, and that is what they conveyed during the three days we were in Rome. These were very intensely personal experiences, and we could feel their joy; everyone had a look of peace,” he noted.For Aguado — who has been working with prisoners for 14 years — the fact that this event closed the Jubilee of Hope is no mere coincidence. “The world of prisons is not visible, and in some way we must begin to consider that people who have been judged eventually get out and have to reintegrate into normal life, and that depends on society.”“We know that the Lord forgives everything, so who are we to not forgive these people and keep on stigmatizing them? They are called ex-convicts, but they are nothing more than persons, with all their dignity and freedom,” he affirmed.Although he assured that the Lord “is always with them and walks with them,” he emphasized the urgency of recognizing the prisoners as living members of the Church and appealed to the responsibility of every Christian: “Sometimes we take the works of mercy for granted, but we don’t always put them into practice. The Lord challenges us: ‘I was in prison,’ and the question remains the same: ‘Did you come to see me?’”There are many lives that need to be rescuedThe Italian priest Father Raffaele Grimaldi, who left his chaplaincy at the Secondigliano prison in Naples — where he served the inmates for 23 years — to coordinate the 230 priests who minister to the nearly 62,000 detainees throughout Italy, also participated in this historic jubilee.Speaking to ACI Prensa, he noted that the event “is a strong reminder that the Church wants to bring God’s love and mercy to prisons, who goes in search of those who are lost.”Father Raffaele Grimaldi, center, with volunteers from Italian prisons at the Jubilee of Prisoners. Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Raffaele GrimaldiAccording to Grimaldi, this jubilee “has brought to light the most difficult situations we are experiencing in our prisons and the plight of the prisoners” including overcrowding, lack of resources, suicides, neglect, and “above all, the lack of acceptance from society.”The priest brought some prisoners from different Italian prisons before Pope Leo XIV, especially young people and one man sentenced to life in prison. “It was a moment of great joy for them,” he commented.“Every prisoner needs to constantly hear a word of mercy: from people who do not judge, who do not point fingers, who do not condemn, but who embrace,” he stated.He also emphasized that this jubilee has not been an isolated event, since throughout the year there has been spiritual preparation in the correctional facilities, where “proclaiming hope is a powerful message that resonates deeply in the hearts of all.”Grimaldi admitted that these individuals have “made mistakes” and are serving a sentence for them; however, he urged people to “reach out to them so that they can take up their lives again and change,” with justice accompanied by mercy, “so that justice itself does not become vengeance.”During his years of service in the prisons, he said he has encountered many people who have traveled on a beautiful spiritual journey, “like a young Albanian man who received the sacrament of baptism on Dec. 12.”“This makes us understand that in our prisons there are many lives that need to be rescued and helped, because if these opportunities don’t exist, the prisoner dies inside, and we also kill the hope that is in their heart.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 17 Dec 2025 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>With, special, permission, prisoners, travel, Rome, for, the, jubilee</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV, in meeting with award committee, calls for concrete acts of charity</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-in-meeting-with-award-committee-calls-for-concrete-acts-of-charity</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-in-meeting-with-award-committee-calls-for-concrete-acts-of-charity</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV meets with the committee that chooses recipients of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity at the Vatican on Dec. 11, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 12, 2025 / 06:52 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV urged concrete acts of charity and solidarity in a world marked by conflict as he met with the committee that chooses recipients of the Zayed Award for Human Fraternity.“In a time marked by increased conflict and division, we need authentic testimonies of human kindness and charity to remind us that we are all brothers and sisters. Words are not enough,” the pope told the delegation at the Vatican on Dec. 11.Leo praised the committee for continuing the legacy of Pope Francis and Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb in promoting compassion and fraternity, calling their work a “noble service of human fraternity.”The Zayed Award for Human Fraternity, named after the late United Arab Emirates president Sheikh Zayed bin Sultan Al Nahyan, was established following the signing of the Document on Human Fraternity by Pope Francis and Al-Tayyeb during Francis’ 2019 apostolic journey to Abu Dhabi.“This prize not only embodies the legacy of Sheikh Zayed and these other leaders, it also emphasizes that every human being and every religion is called to promote fraternity,” Leo said.The pope stressed that ideals must be matched by action, telling the committee that building a society founded on love and respect requires “concrete actions.”“Remaining in the realm of ideas and theories, while failing to give them expression through frequent and practical acts of charity, will eventually cause even our most cherished hopes and aspirations to weaken and fade away,” he said, quoting his apostolic exhortation Dilexi Te.Leo encouraged the committee to persevere in its work, expressing confidence that its efforts would “continue to bear fruit for the good of the human family.”The Zayed Award association has received nominations from individuals and institutions worldwide whose work aims to foster solidarity and human connection across national, ethnic, and religious lines. For its 2026 edition, the award received more than 350 nominations from over 75 countries, with winners to be announced in January.Award recipients will be honored at a ceremony in Abu Dhabi on Feb. 4, coinciding with the anniversary of the Document on Human Fraternity and the U.N. International Day of Human Fraternity. A $1 million prize will be divided among the winners.Earlier this week, the Zayed Award delegation met with Grand Imam Ahmad Al-Tayyeb in Cairo. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2025 04:00:08 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, meeting, with, award, committee, calls, for, concrete, acts, charity</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope warns about risks to Church when intelligence agencies ‘act for nefarious purposes’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-warns-about-risks-to-church-when-intelligence-agencies-act-for-nefarious-purposes</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-warns-about-risks-to-church-when-intelligence-agencies-act-for-nefarious-purposes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV speaks to people who work in Italy’s intelligence sector in the Vatican’s Hall of Blessings on Dec. 12, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Dec 12, 2025 / 09:11 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV warned that intelligence agencies in some countries work against the Catholic Church, “oppressing its freedom” by using confidential information for “nefarious purposes.”In an audience at the Vatican on Friday with people who work in Italy’s intelligence sector, the pope recalled the importance of conducting their jobs both ethically and morally.“We must be vigilant to ensure that confidential information is not used to intimidate, manipulate, blackmail, or discredit politicians, journalists, or other actors in civil society. All of this also applies to the ecclesial sphere,” he said on Dec. 12.Speaking in the Hall of Blessings, Leo urged those engaged in national security intelligence work to act with professionalism, to have respect for human dignity, and to engage in ethical communication.“Security agencies often have to collect information on individuals and therefore have a strong impact on individual rights,” he noted. “It is therefore necessary that limits be established, according to the criterion of human dignity, and that we remain vigilant against the temptations to which a job like yours exposes you.”The pope urged them to ensure that the protection of national security “always and in all cases guarantees people’s rights, their private and family life, freedom of conscience and information, and the right to a fair trial.”Leo recalled the massive changes to digital communications in recent decades and warned that the arrival of new and increasingly advanced technologies “offers us greater possibilities but, at the same time, exposes us to constant dangers.”“The massive and continuous exchange of information requires us to be critically vigilant about certain issues of vital importance: the distinction between truth and fake news, the undue exposure of private life, the manipulation of the most vulnerable, the logic of blackmail, and incitement to hatred and violence,” he said. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/ris7301.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2025 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, warns, about, risks, Church, when, intelligence, agencies, ‘act, for, nefarious, purposes’</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>Pope Leo praises Christian archaeology, capable of ‘bringing to light anonymous holiness’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-praises-christian-archaeology-capable-of-bringing-to-light-anonymous-holiness</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-praises-christian-archaeology-capable-of-bringing-to-light-anonymous-holiness</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV waves to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square during his Wednesday general audience on Dec. 10, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN News

Vatican City, Dec 12, 2025 / 11:42 am (CNA).
On the centenary of the founding of the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology, Pope Leo XIV published a new apostolic letter in which he praised Christian archaeology as a work capable of “giving a voice to the silence of history” and of “bringing to light the anonymous holiness of many faithful who have contributed to building up the Church.”“In today’s fast-paced world, there is a tendency to forget and to consume images and words without reflecting on their meaning. The Church, on the other hand, is called to educate people in memory, and Christian archaeology is one of its most noble tools for doing so — not in order to take refuge in the past, but consciously to live in the present and work towards an enduring future,” the pope stated in the document, published on Dec. 11.This is the third magisterial publication of this kind by Leo XIV in his eight months as pontiff, following “Drawing New Maps of Hope,” a document focused on education, and In Unitate Fidei on the Ecumenical Council of Nicaea, in which he explored the unity of Christians.For Leo XIV, Christian archaeology allows the Church to “remember its origins” and “recount the history of salvation not only through words but also through images, forms, and spaces.” In a time that “often loses sight of its roots,” it is “a valuable instrument of evangelization.”Thus, he emphasized that archaeology speaks to believers and nonbelievers, young people, scholars, and pilgrims, because it illuminates the meaning of the journey and evokes an “echo of eternity.”‘Christianity is not an abstract concept’Each archaeological discovery, he explained, demonstrates that “Christianity is not an abstract concept but rather a body that has lived, celebrated, and inhabited space and time.”For the Holy Father, archaeology shows that faith “has already survived difficult times and resisted persecution, crises, and changes. Faith has been renewed and regenerated,” and has “flourished in new forms.” Hence, he described it as “a ministry of hope.”The pope said the discipline allows people to intuit the “power of an existence that transcends time,” to read in burials the “expectation of the Resurrection” and in apses “the orientation toward Christ.”The pope emphasized that archaeology also plays a decisive role in the theology of revelation, since God “has in time spoken through events and people.” Therefore, understanding revelation requires knowing its historical contexts: Archaeology “illuminates the texts,” he affirmed, and also “completes written sources.”In the document, the pope distanced himself from any idealization of the past and called for understanding the true history of the Church — made up of “greatness and limitation, holiness and fragility, continuity and rupture” — which will allow for a more authentic theology.‘Living memory,’ not ‘a cult of the past’Leo XIV warned against a merely conservationist vision of archaeology. “True Christian archaeology is not a matter of sterile conservation but of living memory,” he emphasized after pointing out that Christian archaeology must foster a “reconciled memory” and promote spaces for dialogue.Likewise, the pope recalled the value of academic communion and cooperation among archaeological institutions, describing this field as “a resource for everyone.”In affirming the fundamental role of Christian archaeology, the pope underscored that “theological studies that disregard archaeology run the risk of becoming disembodied, abstract, or even ideological.”According to the pontiff, archaeology not only provides historical data but also allows theology to remain rooted in the concrete reality of the people of God. Thus, he affirmed that a theology that “embraces archaeology ... listens to the body of the Church, assesses its wounds, reads its signs, and is touched by its history.”In his reflection, Leo XIV highlighted the human and pastoral dimension of archaeological work. He described it as an essentially “hands-on” profession in which researchers “are the first to handle buried material that conserves its vitality even after centuries.”But the contribution of the Christian archaeologist, Leo XIV added, goes beyond material recovery: “They study not only the artifacts but also the hands that forged them, the minds that conceived them, and the hearts that loved them.”God has truly entered history, and faith is not a philosophyThe pope recalled that from its origins, the Christian faith was transmitted through the memory of places and signs. “Christian communities safeguarded not only Jesus’ words but also the places, objects, and signs of his presence,” he stated.Places such as the empty tomb, Peter’s house in Capernaum, and the Roman catacombs not only served as historical testimony but also “all testify that God has truly entered history and that faith is not a mere philosophy but a tangible path within the reality of the world,” the Holy Father wrote.The pope affirmed that the Church needs to “search for a profound wisdom capable of preserving and passing on to future generations what is truly essential” and emphasized that archaeology has “an essential role in understanding Christianity and, consequently, its application within catechetical and theological formation.”Citing Pope Francis’ apostolic constitution Veritatis Gaudium, Leo recalled that archaeology is part of the fundamental disciplines of theological formation, because “it does not merely tell us about artifacts but about people: their homes, tombs, churches, and prayers” and about “how faith shaped their spaces, cities, landscapes, and mentalities.”The pope also emphasized that archaeology “is not just a specialized discipline reserved to a few experts” but rather a path accessible “to anyone who wishes to understand how faith is embodied in time, place, and culture.”Archaeology as a ‘school of hope’In his view, studying and narrating history helps to keep “the flame of collective conscience” alive. Otherwise, he warned, “all that remains is the personal memory of facts bound to our own interests or sensibilities, with no real connection to the human and ecclesial community in which we live.”Leo XIV recalled that the Pontifical Institute of Christian Archaeology was established by Pius XI’s motu proprio Primitivi Cemeteri (“Primitive Cemeteries”) of Dec. 11, 1925, with the task “of directing studies on the monuments of ancient Christianity with the utmost scientific rigor” in order to “reconstruct the lives of the early communities.”The institute has participated in crucial excavations, such as that of the tomb of the apostle Peter beneath the Altar of the Confession in St. Peter’s Basilica, and in recent investigations at St. Paul Outside the Walls.The pope asked: “How fruitful can the role of Christian archaeology still be for society and the Church in an age marked by artificial intelligence and by the exploration of the innumerable galaxies of the universe?”He himself offered the answer: Contemporary methods “enable us to glean new information from findings once considered insignificant,” reminding us that “nothing is truly useless or lost.” Even the marginal, he affirmed, can “reveal profound meaning in the light of new questions and methods. In this respect, archaeology is also a school of hope.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2025 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, praises, Christian, archaeology, capable, ‘bringing, light, anonymous, holiness’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Swedish choir honors St. Lucy with songs in St. Peter’s Basilica</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/swedish-choir-honors-st-lucy-with-songs-in-st-peters-basilica</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/swedish-choir-honors-st-lucy-with-songs-in-st-peters-basilica</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Students from Nordiska Musikgymnasiet — The Nordic Music High School — in Stockholm perform traditional Swedish “Lucia songs” during an afternoon Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 11, 2025. / Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN News

Rome Newsroom, Dec 13, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).
A Swedish youth choir marked the feast of St. Lucy by singing at a Mass at the Vatican on Thursday, Dec. 11.Students from Nordiska Musikgymnasiet — The Nordic Music High School — in Stockholm performed traditional Swedish “Lucia songs” during an afternoon Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica ahead of the Italian saint’s Dec. 13 feast day.Students from Nordiska Musikgymnasiet — The Nordic Music High School — in Stockholm perform traditional Swedish “Lucia songs” during an afternoon Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 11, 2025. Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN News“It was just really amazing” singing in St. Peter’s Basilica, choir member Alfio Tota told EWTN News after the Dec. 11 Mass. “It’s so enormous … And the acoustics are very interesting.”The student recalled that though Sweden is a very secular country, the tradition of St. Lucia, as they call her, is quite strong.Students from Nordiska Musikgymnasiet — The Nordic Music High School — in Stockholm perform traditional Swedish “Lucia songs” during an afternoon Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 11, 2025. Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN News“I think everyone feels quite a lot of joy and nostalgia in singing” the St. Lucy hymns, he said.Choir member Fabienne Glader told EWTN News that she always spends the feast of St. Lucy with her family.Students from Nordiska Musikgymnasiet — The Nordic Music High School — in Stockholm perform traditional Swedish “Lucia songs” during an afternoon Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 11, 2025. Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN NewsSt. Lucy “shows courage and patience and just to never [give up] on yourself,” Glader said. “Even if you’re not really religious in any way, you can look up to her as just a wonderful person.”The choir’s conductor, Casimir Käfling, said as a Christian, the tradition of St. Lucy was always part of Christmas for his family.Students from Nordiska Musikgymnasiet — The Nordic Music High School — in Stockholm perform traditional Swedish “Lucia songs” during an afternoon Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on Dec. 11, 2025. Credit: Bénédicte Cedergren/EWTN NewsHe called it “an incredible honor to be able to sing and conduct” her songs in St. Peter’s Basilica.Käfling also recalled the darkness Sweden experiences during the winter, especially in the month of December, and said St. Lucy brings light into that darkness.“The story of St. Lucy really plays with these contrasts of light and dark, and most importantly, hope and despair,” Tota said. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sun, 14 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Swedish, choir, honors, St., Lucy, with, songs, St., Peter’s, Basilica</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>On solemnity of the Immaculate Conception, pope encourages renewing our ‘yes’ to God</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/on-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception-pope-encourages-renewing-our-yes-to-god</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/on-solemnity-of-the-immaculate-conception-pope-encourages-renewing-our-yes-to-god</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV prays the Angelus prayer on the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception on Dec. 8, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 8, 2025 / 13:30 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV led the Angelus prayer Dec. 8 from the window of the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on the occasion of the solemnity of the Immaculate Conception.Addressing the faithful and pilgrims in attendance in St. Peter’s Square, the pontiff commented that on Dec. 8 we express our joy because the Father of heaven wanted her to be “preserved immune from all stain of original sin.”“The Lord has granted to Mary the extraordinary grace of a completely pure heart, in view of an even greater miracle: the coming of Christ the Savior,” he added.The pope also noted that the gift of the fullness of grace in the young woman of Nazareth “was able to bear fruit because she in her freedom welcomed it, embracing the plan of God.”He emphasized that “the Lord always acts in this way: He gives us great gifts, but he leaves us free to accept them or not.”For the Holy Father, this feast also invites us to “believe as she believed, giving our generous assent to the mission to which the Lord calls us.”In this way, he pointed out that the miracle that happened for Mary at her conception was “renewed for us in baptism: Cleansed from original sin, we have become children of God, his dwelling place and the temple of the Holy Spirit.”“The ‘yes’ of the mother of the Lord is wonderful, but so also can ours be, renewed faithfully each day, with gratitude, humility, and perseverance, in prayer and in concrete acts of love, from the most extraordinary gestures to the most mundane and ordinary efforts and acts of service. In this way, Christ can be known, welcomed, and loved everywhere and salvation can come to everyone,” he emphasized.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2025 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>solemnity, the, Immaculate, Conception, pope, encourages, renewing, our, ‘yes’, God</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Former Hungarian ambassador reflects on 10&#45;year term at the Vatican</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/former-hungarian-ambassador-reflects-on-10-year-term-at-the-vatican</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/former-hungarian-ambassador-reflects-on-10-year-term-at-the-vatican</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Eduard Habsburg, Hungary&#039;s ambassador to the Holy See from 2015 to 2025, takes his leave during a farewell visit to Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 21, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media.

Vatican City, Dec 9, 2025 / 10:30 am (CNA).
Archduke of Austria Eduard Habsburg, who served as Hungary’s ambassador to the Holy See since 2015, described his post at the Vatican as “the greatest 10 years of my life.”Shortly before his farewell meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 21, Habsburg told EWTN News reporter Colm Flynn that after a decade on the job, he has “seen it all” and now wants to dedicate more time to his family, particularly his parents.“I felt that 10 years is a good term. It’s far longer than ambassadors usually have here,” he said in the exclusive interview.“I think I’ve seen everything you can see here, including a conclave, visits by my prime minister, exciting moments,” he added. “In a way, I’m going to miss it but also family is important.” The former ambassador, whose term at the Vatican ended on Nov. 30, said he will likely continue to represent Hungary at future international events organized by the Church and pro-family groups.  “I’ll keep a foot in that world, so to speak, so I’m not going to totally give it up,” he said.Reflecting on his initial surprise at being asked to be Hungary’s ambassador to the Holy See, Habsburg, who belongs to the prominent 850-year-old European Catholic dynasty, said he “hit the floor running” when he arrived in Rome for his first post.On Pope Francis and his love for HungaryDescribing his relationship with Pope Francis as “incredibly positive,” the former ambassador said the Argentine pontiff had a warm affection for the Central European nation and its people.“I saw it every time he met a Hungarian,” he said. “He would use Hungarian expressions. He would smile. He would be happy. He would take his time with them.”Though Pope Francis had not visited Hungary until 2021 for the 52nd International Eucharistic Conference, he told Habsburg that he “learned everything” about Hungary through three religious sisters who fled their country in 1956, during the Soviet occupation, to a monastery in Buenos Aires, Argentina.   “They have shaped Pope Francis’ outlook on Hungary and that made my work very easy,” he quipped. “He was incredibly generous.”Pope Francis visited Hungary a second time in 2023 for his apostolic journey to the country’s capital of Budapest from April 28–30.   On Pope Benedict XVI and his humorDuring the 1990s, Pope Benedict XVI, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, read Habsburg’s doctoral thesis on the topic of Thomas Aquinas and Vatican II and told him “he liked it” and that he wanted him to either make a documentary or a thriller about Thomism.After first meeting with Pope Francis, the former ambassador said he later met with Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI in the Vatican Gardens.  “He looked at me and said, ‘So you’re ambassador now?’” Habsburg recalled. “And then he said, ‘You know you still owe me a documentary or a thriller about Thomism.” “That was the first thing he said. I was so blown away,” he said. “I still haven’t written it.”“That’s the one thing many people don’t realize about Pope Benedict XVI was the sense of humor that he had that we never got to see publicly,” he said.  Habsburg earned a doctorate in philosophy from the University of Eichstätt-Ingolstadt in 1999. On Pope Leo XIV The archduke told EWTN News he had briefly met Pope Leo XIV four times prior to his farewell visit to the pontiff on Nov. 21.  “I’m very impressed by him. I feel [he is] a very balanced and just man who is trying to do good,” he said of the first U.S.-born pope. Noting Pope Leo’s fluency in many languages, including English, Italian, Spanish, and Latin, Habsburg commented that he believes the universal Church’s new leader “has several cultures in his heart and in his mind.”“And yes, we will see the things that he’ll do. We pray for him every day,” he said.Watch the full interview with Eduard Habsburg on the EWTN News YouTube channel. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Former, Hungarian, ambassador, reflects, 10-year, term, the, Vatican</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pontifical Yearbook goes digital: What is it and what does it contain?</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pontifical-yearbook-goes-digital-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-contain</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pontifical-yearbook-goes-digital-what-is-it-and-what-does-it-contain</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV uses a tablet to navigate the website of the new digital version of the Vatican&#039;s Pontifical Yearbook, known as the &quot;Annuario Pontificio&quot; in Italian. / Credit: Vatican Media.

Vatican City, Dec 10, 2025 / 11:00 am (CNA).
The Vatican this week launched the first-ever digital version of its annual directory, creating an easier way to find reliable and up-to-date information about the Church’s structures and members all around the world.The red-covered Pontifical Yearbook — known in Italian as the “Annuario Pontificio” — is an important reference updated every year with Church statistics, the names and contacts of bishops, information about the departments of the Holy See, and more.The Pontifical Yearbook, in its current form, started in the early 20th century, though other versions of a book with information about the Catholic hierarchy and the Roman Curia can be traced to the 18th century or earlier.The 2025 edition of the Annuario Pontificio, also called the Pontifical Yearbook. Credit: EWTN News.The biggest benefits to users are the ability to easily search for information and the possibility for updates to be reflected in real time.Before now, to keep the directory current, one would have to cut out and glue periodic updates from the Vatican into the hardback book.The directory includes global data that is frequently changing, including statistics about Catholic dioceses and missions, and information about bishops, the members of the Church, the number of priests and religious, and the Holy See’s diplomatic representation.It also contains information about the pope and cardinals, and lists the people who lead the many different entities that make up the Roman Curia and the Vatican.Screenshot of the homepage of the digital version of the Pontifical Yearbook.On Dec. 8, the Vatican’s Secretariat of State, which is responsible for publishing the Pontifical Yearbook, unveiled the digital version, available in both web and app versions for an annual subscription of 68,10 euros ($79.20), around the same price as a printed version, which is still being published.The Vatican said in time it intends to offer the directory in languages other than Italian, “making it more accessible to a growing number of users around the world.”At a presentation of the project, Pope Leo XIV had a chance to receive a first lesson in how the digital yearbook works. He thanked those involved, calling it “a wonderful service which will be of great help.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pontifical, Yearbook, goes, digital:, What, and, what, does, contain</media:keywords>
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<title>Pope Leo XIV criticizes transhumanism: ‘Death is not opposed to life’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-criticizes-transhumanism-death-is-not-opposed-to-life</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-criticizes-transhumanism-death-is-not-opposed-to-life</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV greets pilgrims in St. Peter&#039;s Square during a Jubilee audience on Nov. 22, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media.

Vatican City, Dec 10, 2025 / 11:21 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday rejected technological promises to indefinitely prolong human existence — such as those proposed by “transhumanism”— and said the resurrection of Christ “reveals to us that death is not opposed to life.”Speaking on a cold morning in St. Peter’s Square Dec. 10, the pontiff warned that numerous current anthropological visions “promise immanent immortality [and] theorize the prolongation of earthly life through technology.”That outlook, he said, is characteristic of “the transhumance scenario,” a phenomenon that “is making its way into the horizon of the challenges of our time.”In response, Leo urged people to consider two central questions: “Could death really be defeated by science? But then, could science itself guarantee us that a life without death is also a happy life?”The Holy Father explained that death and life are not opposed, and that in the Christian meaning, death is “a constitutive part of [life], as the passage to eternal life.”“The Pasch of Jesus gives us a foretaste, in this time still full of suffering and trials, of the fullness of what will happen after death,” he added.Thailand-Cambodia border clashesAt the end of his audience, Pope Leo spoke out against violent clashes at the border of Thailand and Cambodia, saying he was “deeply saddened by the news of the escalation of the conflict.”The hostilities have injured more than 100 people and displaced thousands of people in both countries. An estimated 13 people, including civilians, have been killed as the fighting entered the third day on Wednesday.“I express my closeness in prayer to these beloved populations and I ask the parties to immediately cease fire and resume dialogue,” the pope said.Death, ‘a great teacher of life’In his catechesis for the general audience, Leo XIV noted that throughout history, “many ancient peoples developed rites and customs linked to the cult of the dead, to accompany and to recall those who journeyed towards the supreme mystery.” But today, death “seems to be a sort of taboo” and “something to be spoken of in hushed tones, to avoid disturbing our sensibilities and our tranquility.”The pope lamented that this attitude often leads people to avoid visiting cemeteries.He also evoked the teachings of St. Alphonsus Liguori, recalling the enduring relevance of the saint’s work, “Preparation for Death.” The pontiff emphasized that, for the saint, death is “a great teacher of life,” capable of guiding the believer toward what is essential.As the pope explained, St. Alphonsus invited people to “to know that [death] exists, and above all to reflect on it” as a way to discern what is truly important in life.Leo also recalled that, in Alphonsian spirituality, prayer holds a central place “to understand what is beneficial in view of the kingdom of heaven, and letting go of the superfluous that instead binds us to ephemeral things.”From this perspective, he asserted that only the resurrection of Christ “is capable of illuminating the mystery of death to its full extent.”“In this light, and only in this, what our heart desires and hopes  becomes true: that death is not the end, but the passage towards full light, towards a happy eternity,” he said.The pope explained that the risen Christ “has gone before us in the great trial of death, emerging victorious thanks to the power of divine Love.”“He has prepared for us the place of eternal rest, the home where we are awaited; he has given us the fullness of life in which there are no longer any shadows and contradictions,” Leo said.This story was originally published by ACI Prensa, CNA&#039;s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
<enclosure url="https://www.catholicnewsagency.com/images/ris8515-1.jpg" length="49398" type="image/jpeg"/>
<pubDate>Thu, 11 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, criticizes, transhumanism:, ‘Death, not, opposed, life’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo reveals Mideast peace talks with Trump, Netanyahu, other regional players</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-reveals-mideast-peace-talks-with-trump-netanyahu-other-regional-players</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-reveals-mideast-peace-talks-with-trump-netanyahu-other-regional-players</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV speaks with reporters on his flight from Beirut to Rome on Dec. 2, 2025. / Credit: Elias Turk/EWTN

Rome, Italy, Dec 2, 2025 / 11:30 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV has begun conversations with U.S. President Donald Trump and Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu about the need to halt violence and seek solutions in the Middle East, the pope told journalists on his Tuesday flight from Beirut to Rome.The wide-ranging news conference also touched on Ukraine, the Catholic Church in Germany, and Leo’s own election as pope, among other topics.In response to a question referring to Hezbollah, an Iran-backed political party and militia that holds significant influence in Lebanon, the pope said that during the trip he also held personal meetings with representatives of unnamed political groups involved in regional conflicts. “Our work is not something we announce publicly,” he said. “We try to convince the parties to put down the arms and violence and come together to the table of dialogue.” Leo also addressed concerns about Islam in Europe, saying fear is often “generated by people who are against immigration.” He said the Middle East offers an alternative model. “One of the great lessons that Lebanon can teach to the world,” he said, “is showing a land where Islam and Christianity are both present and respected, and where there is a possibility to live together.”On Ukraine, Leo repeated his appeal for a ceasefire. He acknowledged that the United States is seeking to promote a peace plan, but “the presence of Europe is important,” noting that the administration in Washington modified its first proposal after European concerns. He suggested that Italy could play “a very important role” as an intermediary.Asked about his own election, he said he had once imagined retiring. He affirmed his commitment to conclave secrecy but recalled telling a reporter the day before his election that “everything is in the hands of God.” When the reality of the vote became clear, he said, “I took a deep breath. I said, here we go, Lord, you are in charge.” Leo added that he is often amused by journalists’ interpretations of his expressions. “You think you can read my mind or my face,” he joked, “and you are not always correct.”Leo said he hopes his next trip will be to somewhere in Africa and said he wants eventually to go to Algeria to visit sites associated with St. Augustine and continue building bridges with Muslims. He said he would also like to visit Argentina and Uruguay, which have been waiting for a papal visit. He added that other Latin American countries, including Peru, are being considered, but “nothing is confirmed.”On Venezuela, Leo said the Holy See is working with the national bishops’ conference and the nuncio to calm tensions after recent threats from the United States. “We are looking for ways to calm the situation,” he said, “seeking above all the good of the people, because so often those who suffer are the people, not the authorities.”Responding to a question about the German Church’s Synodal Way, a controversial series of meetings of bishops and laity that have proposed major changes to Catholic doctrine and governance, Leo noted concerns among many German Catholics that “certain aspects of the Synodal Way … do not represent their own hope for the Church.” He stressed the need for “dialogue and listening … so that the voice of those who are more powerful does not silence or stifle” others. “I suspect there will be some adjustments made on both sides in Germany, but I’m certainly hopeful that things will work out positively,” Leo said. He added that the ongoing meetings between German bishops and the Roman Curia aim “to try and make sure that the German Synodal Way does not, if you will, break away from what needs to be considered as the pathway of the universal Church.”Asked what the Middle Eastern Church can offer the West, Leo reflected on the value of unity in an individualistic age. “Young people ask, why should I want to be one?” he said. “But unity, friendship, human relationships, communion are extremely important and extremely valuable.” Recalling the testimony of Christians and Muslims who helped one another after their villages were destroyed, he said such gestures show how “authentic peace and justice” can take root when people overcome distrust.In response to a question about how he is learning to be pope, Leo recommended a book that he said has shaped his own life by the 17th-century Carmelite friar known as Brother Lawrence. “If you want to know something about me,” he said, “read ‘The Practice of the Presence of God.’ It describes a way of prayer where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead. That has been my spirituality for many years.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 04:00:11 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, reveals, Mideast, peace, talks, with, Trump, Netanyahu, other, regional, players</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Powerful moments from Pope Leo XIV’s trip to Turkey and Lebanon</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/powerful-moments-from-pope-leo-xivs-trip-to-turkey-and-lebanon</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/powerful-moments-from-pope-leo-xivs-trip-to-turkey-and-lebanon</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV interacts with a baby before celebrating Mass in Beirut, Lebanon, on Dec. 2, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Dec 2, 2025 / 17:34 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV’s first official papal trip from Nov. 27–Dec. 2 to Turkey and Lebanon has just ended. The wide-ranging international visit included historic ecumenical encounters, deeply symbolic gestures of prayer, and pastoral visits to Christian communities under pressure. Pope Leo highlighted the importance of unity, peace, and fraternity, and brought encouragement to a region marked by ancient faith and present suffering.Here are some of the most powerful moments from Pope Leo’s trip:TurkeyUpon landing at the Esenboğa International Airport in Ankara, Turkey, Pope Leo was greeted by Turkish authorities and members of the military. Outside of the Presidential Palace, the pontiff  was welcomed by a cavalry escort, the playing of the national anthems, and 21 cannon shots.null The pope commemorated the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea on Nov. 28 alongside Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople and other Christian leaders in the Turkish city of Iznik, southeast of Istanbul, the site of the Council of Nicaea, historically known as the birthplace of the Nicene Creed.The ecumenical prayer service took place at the archaeological excavations of the ancient Basilica of St. Neophytus, built in 380 at the site of the first Christian ecumenical council, which was convened by Emperor Constantine I in 325.null While in Istanbul, Pope Leo visited the Nursing Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor, telling the community that Christian charity begins not with doing but with being — i.e., living a real communion with those one serves.Pope Leo XIV visits a care home for the elderly run by a community of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Istanbul, Turkey, on Nov. 28, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaLater that day, Pope Leo met the “little flock” of Catholics at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul. Catholics in Turkey make up roughly just 0.05% of the country’s 85 million people. The pope encouraged them to rediscover what he called the Gospel’s “logic of littleness” and not to be discouraged by their tiny numbers but to recognize in them the strength of authentic Christian witness.null In another touching moment at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul, a young child eagerly awaited and received the blessing of the Holy Father:null Pope Leo and Patriarch Bartholomew I gave a joint ecumenical blessing from the balcony of the patriarchate following the Orthodox Divine Liturgy on Nov. 30. The joint blessing recalls the fraternity and communion between the Church of Rome and the Church of Constantinople.Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I give a joint blessing from the balcony of the Ecumenical Patriarchate in Istanbul, Turkey, following an Orthodox Divine Liturgy on Nov. 30, 2025. Credit: Elias Turk/EWTN NewsLebanonAhead of his second day in Lebanon, a stunning rainbow appeared over the Port of Beirut, the site of the explosion that devastated the area in 2020.This morning, a stunning rainbow over the Port of Beirut opened the second day of Pope Leo’s visit to Lebanon. The pope will pray at the site of the explosion that devastated this area in 2020. What a beautiful sign of peace and hope.?Magdalena Wolińska-Riedi / EWTN News pic.twitter.com/DKqS9pclSg— EWTN News (@EWTNews) December 1, 2025 Pope Leo XIV became the first pope in history to visit the tomb of St. Charbel Makhlouf when he arrived at the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya on the second day of his apostolic journey to Lebanon.Pope Leo XIV reflects on the enduring message of St. Charbel Makhlouf at the hermit&#039;s tomb at the Monastery of St. Maron, in Annaya, Lebanon, on Dec. 1, 2025. Credit: Vatican Medianull In another beautiful moment, Pope Leo gave a Golden Rose to the Virgin Mary during his visit to the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, Lebanon.Pope Leo XIV presents a Golden Rose to Mary at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa, Lebanon, on Dec. 1, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaA little girl proudly showed off a rosary given to her by Pope Leo during the pope’s meeting with bishops, clergy, and religious at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa.null On the final morning of his trip to Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV paused before the ruins of the Beirut port explosion, praying in silence and placing a wreath in memory of the victims. In one of the most emotional moments of his trip, he also met family members of those killed and survivors still carrying the wounds of the Aug. 4, 2020, blast.Five years after the explosion, one of the largest nonnuclear blasts in history, families of the 236 people killed and more than 7,000 wounded say they are still waiting for truth and accountability.Pope Leo XIV prays in silence at the site of the 2020 port explosion in Beirut, Lebanon, on Dec. 2, 2025. Credit: AIGAV PoolPope Leo XIV greets a young child at the site of the Aug. 4, 2020, blast at the Port of Beirut on Dec. 2, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaPope Leo XIV prayed in silence at the Port of Beirut, where an explosion in 2020 left hundreds of victims. He stopped before the monument honoring the dead, amid the debris that still remains, to lay a wreath of flowers and light a candle. pic.twitter.com/asEbtchn7R— EWTN Vatican (@EWTNVatican) December 2, 2025 After visiting the site of the explosion, Pope Leo celebrated Mass for an estimated 150,000 people at the Beirut Waterfront. Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass for an estimated 150,000 people at Beirut&#039;s Waterfront in Lebanon, on Dec. 2, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaWhile visiting the De La Croix Hospital in Jal el Dib, north of Beirut, Pope Leo also spent time in the Saint-Dominique wing, where children with severe physical and mental disabilities are cared for, and blessed the children.Pope Leo XIV blesses a child at the De La Croix Hospital for the mentally disabled in Jal el Dib, north of Beirut, Lebanon, on Dec. 2, 2025. Credit: Vatican MediaFrom there, Pope Leo boarded the papal plane for Rome, telling the Lebanese people: “Leaving this land means carrying you in my heart.”Pope Leo XIV waves goodbye to those in attendance at a farewell ceremony at the International Airport of Beirut in Lebanon on Dec. 2, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 04:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Powerful, moments, from, Pope, Leo, XIV’s, trip, Turkey, and, Lebanon</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>The kitchen friar’s book that inspires Pope Leo’s spirituality</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/the-kitchen-friars-book-that-inspires-pope-leos-spirituality</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/the-kitchen-friars-book-that-inspires-pope-leos-spirituality</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV speaks with reporters on his flight from Beirut to Rome on Dec. 2, 2025. / Credit: Elias Turk/EWTN

CNA Staff, Dec 3, 2025 / 18:21 pm (CNA).
On the papal plane on the way home from his first international trip, Pope Leo XIV referenced a book that has greatly influenced his spirituality after being asked by a journalist about the conclave and what it’s been like becoming the pope.“Besides St. Augustine,” Pope Leo said that “The Practice of the Presence of God” by a 17th-century Carmelite friar named Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection is a book that can help anyone to understand his spirituality.“It’s a very simple book by someone who doesn’t even give his last name,” the pope told journalists on the papal plane Dec. 2. “I read it many years ago, but it describes a type of prayer and spirituality where one simply gives his life to the Lord and allows the Lord to lead.”“And if you want to know something about me, that’s been my spirituality for many years, in midst of great challenges — living in Peru, during years of terrorism, being called to service in places where I never thought I would be called to serve to — I trust in God, and that message is something that I share with all people,” he continued. After being asked what it was like for him during the conclave, Pope Leo mentioned the book and said: “I resigned myself to the fact, when I saw how things were going, [that] this could be a reality.” “I took a deep breath. I said, here we go. Lord, you’re in charge, and you lead the way,” he said. Who was Brother Lawrence?“The Practice of the Presence of God” is a collection of Brother Lawrence’s teachings — memorialized in about 30 pages of letters and records of his conversations. Though Brother Lawrence was virtually unknown in life, Father Joseph de Beaufort compiled his wisdom into a pamphlet published soon after his death in 1691. The book is now beloved by Catholics and Protestants alike. In his writings, Brother Lawrence presents a spirituality that involves being constantly in contact with God, being accompanied by him in all things — from cooking to shoe repair. Before he was Brother Lawrence, Nicholas Herman was a soldier during the Thirty Years’ War. Because of a wartime injury, his leg impaired his movement and caused him constant pain for life. But as a young adult, he had a vision of Christ that would inspire him for the rest of his life; or, as de Beaufort recalled: “which has never since been effaced from his soul.”He went on to join the Discalced Carmelite Prior in Paris, doing humble work as a cook, and eventually working in the sandal repair shop as well.  Brother Lawrence believed that little things could please God just as much as great things. “We ought not to be weary of doing little things for the love of God, who regards not the greatness of the work but the love with which it is performed,” he taught.Amid the busy environment of a kitchen serving about 100 people, he still connected with God. In one recorded conversation, de Beaufort recalled Brother Lawrence saying that “the time of business … does not with me differ from the time of prayer.”“And in the noise and clutter of my kitchen, while several persons are at the same time calling for different things, I possess GOD in as great tranquillity as if I were upon my knees at the Blessed Sacrament,” he continued. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 04:00:09 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>The, kitchen, friar’s, book, that, inspires, Pope, Leo’s, spirituality</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Vatican commission rejects female diaconate, although without a ‘definitive judgment’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-commission-rejects-female-diaconate-although-without-a-definitive-judgment</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-commission-rejects-female-diaconate-although-without-a-definitive-judgment</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  St. Peter’s Basilica in Vatican City. / Credit: Xosema (CC BY-SA 4.0)

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 13:37 pm (CNA).
The Vatican published on Dec. 4 the summary of the work carried out by the commissions studying the possibility of admitting women to the diaconate, presented to Pope Leo XIV by Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi.Petrocchi, the president of the Study Commission on the Female Diaconate created by Pope Francis, stated that — with seven votes in favor and one against — the possibility of admitting women to the diaconate as a degree of the sacrament of holy orders is ruled out.However, he emphasized that for the moment it is not possible “to formulate a definitive judgment, as in the case of priestly ordination.”Historical investigation into so-called ‘deaconesses’This second working session — following the one held in 2021 — ended last February, and the conclusions were presented on Sept. 18 to Pope Leo XIV, who ordered that they be made public on Dec. 4.In a seven-page document, the cardinal stated that, based on a historical investigation, the commissions agree that the so-called “deaconesses” existed in the history of the Church but with diverse functions and not equivalent to the male diaconate.Petrocchi emphasized that this question cannot be resolved solely with historical data and that, ultimately, it is up to the magisterium to issue a doctrinal judgment.Following the Synod on Synodality, everyone who wished to do so was invited to submit their contributions on the topic. The cardinal revealed that “although numerous submissions were received, the individuals or groups who sent their work numbered only 22 and represented only a few countries.”“Therefore, although the material is abundant and, in some cases, skillfully argued, it cannot be considered the voice of the synod, much less of the people of God as a whole,” he noted.Christ is male and the sex of those who receive ordinationAlthough there is not enough consensus to admit women to the diaconate, the votes show divided positions, with a clear tendency to maintain caution in this regard.On the one hand, those who support the female diaconate argue for “the equal status of men and women as images of God,” while those who are against it recall “the fact that Christ is male, and therefore that those who receive ordination are male is not accidental but is an integral part of the sacramental identity, preserving the divine order of salvation in Christ.”For those who oppose it, “altering this reality would not be a simple adjustment of the ministry but a rupture of the nuptial meaning of salvation.”Despite the lack of consensus surrounding the diaconate, there is unanimity on the need to expand the ministries instituted for women, further exploring the “baptismal diaconate” (every baptized person’s call to serve) and promoting greater female co-responsibility in the life of the Church. Petrocchi concluded by recommending that Pope Leo XIV follow a line of doctrinal prudence in his discernment as well as continue the theological study of the diaconate and, at the same time, open new ministerial spaces for women without resorting to sacramental ordination.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican, commission, rejects, female, diaconate, although, without, ‘definitive, judgment’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Leo XIV eliminates commission for donations to Holy See created by Pope Francis</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-eliminates-commission-for-donations-to-holy-see-created-by-pope-francis</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/leo-xiv-eliminates-commission-for-donations-to-holy-see-created-by-pope-francis</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  null / Credit: Yury Dmitrienko/Shutterstock

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 4, 2025 / 16:07 pm (CNA).
The Vatican announced on Dec. 4 a new decision by Pope Leo XIV regarding fundraising for the Holy See.Through the new chirograph Vinculum Unitatis et Caritatis, the Holy Father is eliminating the current Commissio de Donationibus (Donations Commission) structure created in February by Pope Francis to raise funds, which was approved “ad experimentum” (for temporary or provisional use) for three years.This commission was tasked with encouraging donations through specific campaigns among the faithful, bishops’ conferences, and other potential benefactors.The pontiff thus repealed the rules in force until now and established that they will no longer have “any canonical or legal force,” as well as any acts adopted up to this point. Furthermore, Pope Leo XIV decreed that all the commission’s assets must be transferred to the Holy See.By means of this decree, the members of the commission are immediately dismissed. The commission was composed of Monsignor Roberto Campisi, adviser for general affairs of the Secretariat of State, who chaired it; Archbishop Flavio Pace, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity; Alessandra Smerilli, secretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development; Sister Silvana Piro, undersecretary of the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See; and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi, deputy secretary-general of the Governorate of Vatican City State.The decision of Leo XIV comes after consulting with experts in the field and following the recommendations of the Council for the Economy, with the aim of strengthening administrative efficiency in the financial management of the Holy See.The liquidation of the former commission will be managed by the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, while the Secretariat for the Economy will resolve any outstanding issues and must keep the Council for the Economy informed of all actions taken in this regard.The Holy Father also ordered the creation of a new working group tasked with designing a renewed and more suitable model for fundraising, whose members will be proposed by the Council for the Economy. This measure takes effect immediately upon its publication in L’Osservatore Romano.On Nov. 26, Pope Leo XIV also made an adjustment to the reforms undertaken by his predecessor with a new decree to revise the financial and administrative rules governing the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Mary Major.The pontiff placed both institutions under the ordinary supervision of the Vatican’s Council for the Economy, emphasizing that the economic and financial reform of the Holy See requires a “periodic reevaluation and redefinition” of the regulatory framework.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Fri, 05 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Leo, XIV, eliminates, commission, for, donations, Holy, See, created, Pope, Francis</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo offers Lebanon a way to hope ‘even when surrounded by the sound of weapons’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-offers-lebanon-a-way-to-hope-even-when-surrounded-by-the-sound-of-weapons</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-offers-lebanon-a-way-to-hope-even-when-surrounded-by-the-sound-of-weapons</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV addressed Lebanon’s bishops, clergy, and pastoral workers at Harissa, Lebanon, on Dec. 1, 2025. / Credit: Elias Turk/EWTN

Harissa, Lebanon, Dec 1, 2025 / 05:32 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV told Lebanon’s bishops, clergy, and pastoral workers on Monday that Christians can remain steadfast in hope “even when surrounded by the sound of weapons,” urging them to look to the Virgin Mary as a model of faith in dark and uncertain times.Meeting them at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lebanon in Harissa on the second day of his apostolic visit, the pope said that Mary teaches believers how to persevere when daily life becomes a struggle. “It is in being with Mary at the foot of Jesus’ cross that our prayer, that invisible bridge which unites hearts, gives us the strength to continue to hope and work,” he said.Leo recalled St. John Paul II’s words to the Lebanese — “In the Lebanon of today, you are the ones responsible for hope” — and urged believers to nurture a climate of fraternity wherever they live and work. He stressed the need to trust one another so that “the regenerative power of forgiveness and mercy may triumph,” adding that the fruits of this message are visible in Lebanon’s resilience.The pope compared faith to an anchor that holds firm in turbulence. “Our faith is an anchor in heaven,” he said. “Hold fast to the rope.” He reminded those present that peace requires loving without fear and giving without measure. Quoting Pope Benedict XVI, Leo said Christians are called to celebrate “the victory of love over hate… forgiveness over revenge,” a message he said continues to guide the Church’s mission.During the gathering, Pope Leo was welcomed by clergy and the shrine’s rector before processing to the presbytery, where Armenian Catholic Patriarch Raphaël Bedros XXI Minassian greeted him. The celebration included prayers, testimonies, Arabic chants, the Gospel reading (John 19:25–27), the Magnificat, the Our Father, a blessing, Marian hymns, and the exchange of gifts.Pope Leo also presented a Golden Rose to the Virgin Mary, a traditional papal gift to major Marian shrines. The ornament, a gold branch of roses set in a silver vase and mounted on white marble, bears the papal coat of arms and symbolizes the pope’s devotion to the Mother of God. Leo said the rose’s fragrance calls Christians to be “the fragrance of Christ,” drawing a parallel to the richness and diversity of Lebanese family tables and encouraging the faithful to live that spirit of shared love each day.The pope also highlighted testimonies shared during the meeting. Father Youhanna spoke of Debbabiyé, where Christians, Muslims, and refugees live together in mutual trust. Loren, a migrant worker, appealed to all communities to welcome those forced from their homes, telling them, “Welcome home!” Sister Dima described keeping a school open during violence, teaching children to share “bread, fear, and hope.”The pope noted that the shrine itself remains “a symbol of unity for the entire Lebanese people.” Rising about 2,130 feet above sea level and roughly 16 miles north of Beirut, the sanctuary offers sweeping views of Jounieh Bay and stands not far from Bkerke, the seat of the Maronite patriarch. Its white-painted bronze statue of Our Lady of Lebanon, 28 feet tall and weighing about 33,000 pounds, was cast in France and placed atop a 66-foot stone pedestal shaped like a tree trunk. The adjacent basilica, designed to evoke both a cedar tree and a Phoenician ship, seats around 3,500 people and opens toward the Marian statue through its glass façade. The site is entrusted to the Lebanese Maronite Missionaries.Later at the apostolic nunciature, Pope Leo was scheduled to welcome the Council of Eastern Catholic Patriarchs together with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican secretary of state, and Cardinal Claudio Gugerotti, prefect of the Dicastery for the Eastern Churches. He was then set to share lunch with them and with the country’s Orthodox patriarchs, joined by Cardinal Kurt Koch, prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, in a gesture underscoring the ecumenical dimension of his visit. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, offers, Lebanon, way, hope, ‘even, when, surrounded, the, sound, weapons’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo tells Lebanese religious leaders unity and peace are possible</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-tells-lebanese-religious-leaders-unity-and-peace-are-possible</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-tells-lebanese-religious-leaders-unity-and-peace-are-possible</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV in Harissa, Lebanon, on Dec. 1, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Beirut, Lebanon, Dec 1, 2025 / 10:35 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV told Lebanon’s religious leaders on Monday that their country remains a sign to the world that fear and prejudice do not have the final word. At an ecumenical and interreligious meeting in Beirut’s Martyrs’ Square, the pope said Lebanon shows that unity, reconciliation, and peace can take root even amid profound differences.In his address, the Holy Father recalled Pope Benedict XVI, who wrote in 2012 that the Church’s mission is to dialogue with followers of other religions, guided not by political interests but by theological truths rooted in faith. Pope Leo said Lebanon proves this kind of dialogue is possible, where minarets and bell towers stand side by side and bear witness to belief in the one God.The pope said the world often watches the Middle East with trepidation, yet hope emerges when the focus turns to what unites people — their shared humanity and belief in a God of mercy. Lebanon, he said, “remains a sign that unity and peace can be achieved.” He also cited the Second Vatican Council’s declaration Nostra Aetate, on the Church’s relation to non-Christian religions, which opened a new horizon for encounter, rejected prejudice, and affirmed the dignity of every person. Leo concluded by calling the Lebanese “builders of peace,” both within their borders and throughout the world.Before the address, Pope Leo was welcomed at the entrance of the meeting tent by the Syriac Catholic patriarch, the Maronite patriarch, the Grand Sunni imam, and a Shia representative. The program included chanting from the Gospel, a moment of silence, and chanting from the Quran. Leaders from Sunni, Greek Orthodox, Shia, Syriac Orthodox, Druze, Armenian Orthodox, Protestant, and Alawite communities offered brief remarks, interspersed with chants. After Leo spoke, participants planted an olive tree and ended with a final prayer for peace.Martyrs’ Square in central Beirut is widely regarded as the symbolic heart of the capital. It takes its name from Lebanese and Arab nationalists executed there by Ottoman authorities in 1916 and has long served as the city’s civic center. The square has been the site of major demonstrations that crossed sectarian lines, including the 2005 Cedar Revolution following the assassination of former Prime Minister Rafik Hariri, the nationwide 2019 protests against corruption and economic collapse, and the public outcry after the 2020 Beirut port explosion. These movements expressed frustration with Lebanon’s entrenched sectarian political system and highlighted the square’s enduring role as a gathering place where citizens of all faiths call for reform. Pope Leo’s meeting with religious leaders reinforced that symbolic role.The Holy Father’s message was directed to leaders of a society shaped by a complex sectarian power-sharing structure, where political figures influenced by regional powers often block national decision-making. Lebanon does not publish official religious statistics, but most estimates hold that roughly 70% of the population is Muslim and about 30% Christian, the highest Christian proportion of any Arab country. Maronite Catholics form the largest Christian community. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, tells, Lebanese, religious, leaders, unity, and, peace, are, possible</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo to Lebanese youth: Love, not retaliation, is the real answer to evil</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-to-lebanese-youth-love-not-retaliation-is-the-real-answer-to-evil</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-to-lebanese-youth-love-not-retaliation-is-the-real-answer-to-evil</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV greets a young mother and her child outside of the Monastery of St. Maron in Annaya, Lebanon, on Dec. 1, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Bkerke, Lebanon, Dec 1, 2025 / 12:34 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV told thousands of young people in Lebanon on Monday that love, not retaliation, is the real force capable of transforming their country as it continues to grapple with the wounds of conflict and social instability. “The true opposition to evil is not evil, but love,” he said, calling the nation’s youth to rebuild their homeland through reconciliation, service, and a renewed rooting in faith.The gathering took place in the square before the Maronite Patriarchate of Antioch, in Bkerké, where the pope was welcomed by Patriarch Cardinal Béchara Boutros Raï. After greeting the crowd in a brief tour, Pope Leo opened his address with the Arabic words “assalamu alaykum,” meaning “peace be with you,” telling the young people that this greeting of the risen Christ “sustains the joy of our meeting.”Lebanon’s young generation has endured some of the nation’s hardest years. A devastating financial collapse, the 2020 Beirut port explosion, and the 2023–2024 border war between Hezbollah and Israel have left deep physical and social scars, contributing to widespread emigration and a sense of exhaustion among the country’s youth.The pope spoke directly to their anxieties, acknowledging that many feel they have inherited “a world torn apart by wars and disfigured by social injustice,” yet insisted that hope lives within them. “You have time to dream, to plan, and to do good. You are the present, and the future is already taking shape in your hands.”Pointing to Lebanon’s national symbol, he said the country “will flourish once again, beautiful and vigorous like the cedar,” explaining that its strength lies in deep roots. In the same way, he told them, the foundation of renewal cannot rest only on ideas or agreements. “The true principle of new life is the hope that comes from above. It is Christ himself. He, the Living One, is the foundation of our trust.”Peace, he continued, cannot grow out of factional interests. “It is only genuinely sincere when I do to others what I would like them to do to me. Forgiveness leads to justice, which is the foundation of peace.”Calling them to works of charity, he reminded them that nothing reveals God’s presence more clearly than love. Renewal begins in daily choices, he said, such as welcoming “those near and far” and offering concrete help “to friends and refugees and enemies.”The pope held up several saints as companions for the journey: Carlo Acutis, Pier Giorgio Frassati, St. Rafqa, Blessed Yakub El-Haddad, and St. Charbel, whose hidden life “shines a powerful light.” He urged the youth to pray, to read Scripture, and attend Mass and adoration. “Be contemplatives like St. Charbel,” he told them.Pope Leo ended with the prayer attributed to St. Francis of Assisi, “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace,” and assured the young people that “the Lord will always be with you, and you can be assured of the support of the whole Church.” He entrusted them to the Mother of God, Our Lady. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, Lebanese, youth:, Love, not, retaliation, the, real, answer, evil</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Aid to the Church in Need welcomes appointment of Cardinal Koch as its new president</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/aid-to-the-church-in-need-welcomes-appointment-of-cardinal-koch-as-its-new-president</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/aid-to-the-church-in-need-welcomes-appointment-of-cardinal-koch-as-its-new-president</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Cardinal Kurt Koch during an interview with EWTN News. / Credit: EWTN News

ACI Prensa Staff, Dec 1, 2025 / 16:21 pm (CNA).
The executive director of Aid to the Church in Need (ACN), Regina Lynch, thanked Pope Leo XIV for appointing Cardinal Kurt Koch as the new president of the pontifical foundation.“We very much look forward to having Cardinal Koch as our president and for the guidance he can bring to our mission to persecuted and suffering Christians all over the world. We are grateful to Pope Leo XIV for this appointment and for his interest in our work,” Lynch said.Koch is 75 years old and replaces Cardinal Mauro Piacenza, who is 81 years old and has led the institution since 2011.Piacenza was the first president of ACN since the organization received the title of pontifical foundation.In a Nov. 27 statement published on the ACN website, Lynch highlighted the work carried out by Piacenza, in whom the international institution “has always had a steady and trusted mentor and president.”Furthermore, Piacenza “was always a great supporter of ACN initiatives, such as the One Million Children Praying the Rosary and the Middle East campaigns, and we are very grateful for his service to suffering and persecuted Christians.”Koch is the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and has headed the Commission for Religious Relations with Judaism since 2010. He has also closely collaborated with the Catholic charity over the years, ACN reported.The organization highlighted its new president’s experience in ecumenical and interreligious relations, as these are an essential part of the pontifical foundation’s mission, “especially in countries where Christians, or Catholics, are a minority.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Aid, the, Church, Need, welcomes, appointment, Cardinal, Koch, its, new, president</media:keywords>
</item>

<item>
<title>The Holy See closed the 2024 fiscal year with a surplus of $1.86 million</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/the-holy-see-closed-the-2024-fiscal-year-with-a-surplus-of-186-million</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/the-holy-see-closed-the-2024-fiscal-year-with-a-surplus-of-186-million</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  St. Peter’s Square during the declaration of St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the Church in November 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN News

Vatican City, Dec 1, 2025 / 16:51 pm (CNA).
The Holy See closed the 2024 fiscal year with a surplus of 1.6 million euros ($1.86 million), according to the 2024 Consolidated Financial Statement published Nov. 26 by the Vatican Secretariat for the Economy. This result represents a substantial change compared with the deficit of 51.2 million euros ($59.5 million) recorded in 2023, according to the Vatican.The last public report from the Holy See was from 2020 — published in 2021 — and showed a deficit of 66.3 million euros ($77 million).The current report indicates that the financial improvement is based on a reduction in the operating deficit, which decreased by almost 50%, from 83 million to 44 million euros, ($96.4 to $51.1 million) driven by a 79-million-euro ($91.8 million) increase in revenue, mainly from donations and hospital management, and by strict cost control that partially offset inflation and rising personnel costs.The report also highlights the performance of financial management with positive results of 46 million euros ($53.4 million), higher than the previous year thanks to capital gains obtained from the sale of historical investments and the start of operations of the Investment Committee.Surplus excluding hospitalsExcluding hospital entities, the Holy See recorded a surplus of 18.7 million euros ($21.7 million), although the secretariat warns that this figure reflects extraordinary accounting effects and a one-time increase in donations, so its sustainability will depend on future fiscal years.The Holy See’s balance sheet reveals a total allocation of 393.29 million euros ($457 million) destined for the apostolic mission and the pontifical funds, not including the financing of hospitals. This budget reflects the priority of supporting the Church’s core activities worldwide and shows how resources are distributed to guarantee the continuity of the apostolic mission.Approximately 83% of the funds are concentrated in five strategic areas that underpin the pastoral and social work of the Holy See. The most significant allocation, amounting to 146.4 million euros ($170.1 million) — equivalent to 37% of the total — is dedicated to supporting local Churches in difficult situations and for evangelization, recognizing the importance of strengthening the most vulnerable communities and supporting the spread of the faith in territories where the mission faces greater challenges.Worship and evangelization constitute the second most significant category, representing 14% of the resources. This allocation supports liturgical activities, religious formation, and initiatives for spreading Church teachings worldwide. A ​​further 12% is specifically dedicated to communicating the pope’s message, ensuring that his teachings, exhortations, and statements effectively reach the faithful and the international community.Ten percent of the budget is allocated to charitable servicesLikewise, 10% of the budget is dedicated to maintaining the international presence of the Holy See through the apostolic nunciatures, which play an essential diplomatic and pastoral role in relations with states and local Churches. Another 10% is allocated to charitable services, reinforcing humanitarian and assistance initiatives that respond to the most urgent needs of the poor and marginalized.The remaining 17% finances activities such as the organization of ecclesial life, management of historical heritage, and support for academic institutions. The secretariat emphasized that these allocations reflect consistency between the Church’s pastoral mission and its financial management.The report concludes that, although the result is encouraging, the full financial sustainability of the Holy See will continue to depend on its performance in the coming fiscal years, marking 2024 as a year of economic recovery after years of deficits.Maximino Caballero Ledo, prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy, gave a comprehensive explanation of the results in an interview with Vatican media, highlighting both the achievements and the need for prudence and continuity in management.“The data reflect remarkable progress in consolidating the economic situation of the Holy See,” Caballero said. “It is not only about maintaining a balanced budget but also about strengthening our ability to make the best use of every contribution received, making the service to the mission of the universal Church more solid and sustainable.”The financial document presented by the Vatican shows that the structural operating deficit was reduced by almost half, from 83.5 million euros to 44.4 million euros ($97 million to $51.6 million). This is mainly due to an increase in revenue, which amounted to almost 79 million euros ($91.8 million) compared with the previous year, driven by greater donor participation, positive results from hospital activities, and progress in real estate and commercial management.Caballero emphasized that these “favorable dynamics,” combined with prudent spending control and a constant effort to improve operational efficiency, offer a positive outlook for the Vatican’s finances. However, he recalled that “the deficit of 44.4 million euros [$51.6 million] indicates that there is still a long way to go. Financial sustainability is not only a possible objective but a necessary condition to guarantee the continuity of our apostolic mission.”Growth in donations and the trust of the faithfulThe prefect noted that contributions from the faithful experienced a rebound in 2024 after years of slowdown. “This increase represents an encouraging sign of renewed participation by the faithful and local Churches in the mission of the Holy See. However, these dynamics are variable and always require prudence and realism in their interpretation,” he emphasized.The analysis of expenditures confirms, according to Caballero, that most resources continue to be allocated directly to apostolic activities, “reflecting the consistency between the priorities of the mission and the financial decisions that make it possible. This allows for the strengthening of pastoral initiatives and support for the most vulnerable communities, consolidating a balanced and responsible management of resources.”Financial management and future prospectsThe 2024 balance sheet also shows positive results of 46 million euros ($53.4 million) from financial activities, including extraordinary transactions related to the restructuring of the investment portfolio in accordance with the new policy approved by the Investment Committee. Caballero warned that “these capital gains are not repeatable with the same intensity in future years and reflect the natural volatility of financial activity.”Therefore, he emphasized that “along with prudence in spending, it is essential to continue working on the revenue side: donations, fundraising, asset valuation, and consistent investment management. The goal is not to pit these dimensions against each other but to consolidate progress and gradually strengthen a more stable economic foundation.”Toward full financial sustainabilityThe prefect concluded by highlighting that the 2024 fiscal year closed with a small surplus of 1.6 million euros ($1.86 million), an encouraging sign that, according to him, “demonstrates that the direction taken is positive. Now we must consolidate this progress, aware that some of the results come from nonrecurring elements. Financial sustainability is essential to ensure the continuity of the Holy See’s mission, which by its nature requires a stable economic foundation.”Caballero emphasized that “it is not simply a matter of balancing the budget but of strengthening our ability to optimally utilize every contribution received, making the Holy See’s service to the entire universal Church more solid and sustainable.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Tue, 02 Dec 2025 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Vatican&amp;amp;#039;s 2025 Christmas tree installed in St. Peter&amp;amp;#039;s Square</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vaticans-2025-christmas-tree-installed-in-st-peters-square</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vaticans-2025-christmas-tree-installed-in-st-peters-square</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Workers erect the Vatican&#039;s 2025 Christmas tree in St. Peter&#039;s Square on Thursday, Nov. 27, 2025 / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Nov 27, 2025 / 14:30 pm (CNA).
A towering Christmas tree now stands in the center of St. Peter’s Square, after the spruce arrived at the Vatican on Thursday morning. The 88-foot-tall spruce tree from Italy’s Bolzano province was erected next to the ancient Egyptian obelisk which stands in the middle of the 17th century Baroque square designed by Gian Lorenzo Bernini.This year, the northern Italian municipalities of Lagundo and Ultimo gifted the Christmas tree to the Vatican. The tree was harvested in the alpine valley of Ultimo.In an Oct. 20 interview published on the Vatican State website, Bishop Ivo Muser of the Diocese of Bolzano-Bressanone said the tree reaffirms the local church’s “spiritual and emotional bond” with the pope. “It is a way of saying: ‘We are with you, Pope Leo; we wish to pray with you and share the joy of Christmas with you,” he said.“The tree thus becomes an ‘ambassador’ of our territory, our culture, and our faith — a way of bringing a small piece of our local Church into the heart of the universal Church,” he added.The Vatican’s large-scale nativity display — donated by the Italian Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno — is currently under construction behind covered fencing in St. Peter’s Square.The highly-awaited 2025 nativity scene will honor St. Alphonus Maria de Liguori, whose remains lay in the southern Italian diocese. In Italy, St. Alponsus is famous for composing the famous Italian Christmas carol “Tu scendi dalle stelle” (“From starry skies descending”).Bishop Giuseppe Giudice of the Diocese of Nocera Inferiore-Sarno said the nativity project for the Vatican, which involved a “long period of preparation,” will also showcase local Neapolitan Christmas traditions.  “I am happy to say that everyone working on the project is from our wonderful region, and the Nativity scene will be rich in elements typical of our local Agro nocerino-sarnese area,” he said in an Oct. 24 interview published by Vatican City State.  The Vatican will hold a special ceremony on Dec. 7 at 6:30 pm local time to present  the Christmas tree and nativity scene to the public. The display will be open to the public until mid-January 2026. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 29 Nov 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Vatican&amp;039s, 2025, Christmas, tree, installed, St., Peter&amp;039s, Square</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo reminds Turkish Catholic minority of the ‘logic of littleness’</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-reminds-turkish-catholic-minority-of-the-logic-of-littleness</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-reminds-turkish-catholic-minority-of-the-logic-of-littleness</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV encourages Catholic clergy, religious brothers and sisters, and lay pastoral workers to see the Catholic community’s small size as a strength during an encounter at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul, Turkey, on Nov. 28, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media.

Istanbul, Turkey, Nov 28, 2025 / 01:55 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV encouraged Turkey’s small Catholic community Friday to rediscover what he called the Gospel’s “logic of littleness,” urging them not to be discouraged by their tiny numbers but to recognize in them the strength of authentic Christian witness.The pope addressed bishops, priests, religious, pastoral workers, and laypeople at the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit in Istanbul on his second day in the country. Catholics in Turkey make up roughly 0.05% of the nation’s 85 million people.Calling Turkey a “holy land” where the Old and New Testaments meet, the pope recalled the deep Christian roots of the region: Abraham’s journey through Harran, the early Christian communities in Antioch and Ephesus, and the long and influential history of Byzantine Christianity. He noted in particular that the Ecumenical Patriarchate of Constantinople, currently led by Patriarch Bartholomew I,  remains “a point of reference” both for its Greek faithful and for other Orthodox Churches.The pope warned Christians not to treat this heritage merely as a memory of past greatness. Instead, he urged them to adopt “an evangelical vision” that sees their present reality through the Holy Spirit’s light.“When we look with God’s eyes, we discover that he has chosen the way of littleness,” he said, pointing to the mustard seed, the little ones praised by Jesus, and the quiet growth of the kingdom of God. The Church’s true strength, he explained, “does not lie in her resources or structures,” nor in numbers or influence, but in remaining gathered around Christ and sent by the Holy Spirit.Quoting Jesus’ words, “Do not be afraid, little flock,” the pope encouraged Christians in Turkey to cultivate hope. He pointed to the growing number of young people approaching the Catholic Church as a sign of promise and asked communities to continue welcoming and accompanying them.He urged particular dedication to ecumenical and interreligious dialogue, the transmission of the faith to local communities, and pastoral service to refugees and migrants—many of whom are among the most vulnerable people in the country. The pope also noted that many Catholics in Turkey come from abroad, a reality that calls for a deeper process of inculturation so that the language and culture of the country become “more and more your own.”The pope highlighted Turkey’s unique role in the history of the Church, recalling that the first eight ecumenical councils were held on its soil. Marking the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, he said the council continues to pose three questions to Christians today: What is the essence of the faith? Who is Jesus for us? And how should doctrine be expressed in ways that speak to contemporary culture?He warned against what he described as a “new Arianism,” a version of the heresy that divided Christianity in its early centuries, that reduces Jesus to a moral teacher or heroic figure while denying his divinity and lordship over history.Before concluding, the pope invoked the memory of St. John XXIII, who served in Turkey and wrote affectionately of its people. Reflecting on the saint’s image of Bosporus fishermen laboring through the night, he encouraged Turkish Catholics to persevere in the same spirit: working faithfully, joyfully, and courageously “in the Lord’s boat.”The Cathedral of the Holy Spirit, where the meeting took place, was built in 1846 and houses relics of early popes, including St. Linus. A statue of Pope Benedict XV stands in its courtyard, erected in gratitude for his efforts to help victims of the 1915–1918 war. The inscription honors him as a “benefactor of peoples, without distinction of nationality or religion.”Watch Pope Leo XIV&#039;s full homily here. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 29 Nov 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, reminds, Turkish, Catholic, minority, the, ‘logic, littleness’</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo shares ‘secret of Christian charity’ with Little Sisters of the Poor</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-shares-secret-of-christian-charity-with-little-sisters-of-the-poor</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-shares-secret-of-christian-charity-with-little-sisters-of-the-poor</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV visits a care home for the elderly run by a community of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Istanbul, Turkey, on Nov. 28, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media.

Istanbul, Turkey, Nov 28, 2025 / 03:00 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV visited the Nursing Home of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Istanbul on Friday, telling the community that Christian charity begins not with doing, but with being, i.e., living a real communion with those one serves.“The secret of Christian charity is that before being for others, we must first be with others in a communion based on fraternity,” he said during the encounter on Nov. 28, the second day of his apostolic trip to Turkey, where he is marking the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea. A papal stop at a charitable institution has become customary during international journeys, and Pope Leo chose to spend time with the elderly as a sign of closeness to those often marginalized in modern societies.Founded in France in 1839 by St. Jeanne Jugan, the Little Sisters of the Poor serve elderly people in need around the world, including in Turkey, where they welcome residents of different religious backgrounds. The pope was greeted at the residence by the mother superior, former superior, and provincial leader before proceeding to the chapel to meet residents, staff, and benefactors.Pope Leo XIV visits a care home for the elderly run by a community of the Little Sisters of the Poor in Istanbul, Turkey, on Nov. 28, 2025. Credit: Vatican Media.Reflecting on the congregation’s name, the pope told the Sisters that their mission mirrors the life of Christ himself. “The Lord has called you not only to assist or help the poor, but has also called you to be their ‘sisters.’ You are to be like Jesus, whom the Father sent to us not only to help and serve us, but also to be our brother.” Turning to the residents, he warned that the word “elderly” risks losing its meaning in cultures driven by efficiency and materialism. Such attitudes, he said, lead societies to forget the dignity and value of older persons. Scripture and tradition, by contrast, present the elderly as bearers of memory and wisdom.“As Pope Francis loved to repeat – the elderly are the wisdom of a people, a treasure for their grandchildren, families and society as a whole,” he said. Pope Leo concluded by thanking the community for its patient, prayerful witness and prayed that the Lord would strengthen all who live and serve in the home. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 29 Nov 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, shares, ‘secret, Christian, charity’, with, Little, Sisters, the, Poor</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV marks Nicaea anniversary, urges Christians to overcome divisions</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-marks-nicaea-anniversary-urges-christians-to-overcome-divisions</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-marks-nicaea-anniversary-urges-christians-to-overcome-divisions</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I of Constantinople at an ecumenical event marking the 1,700th anniversary of Nicene Creed, in Iznik, Turkey, on November 28th, 2025. / Screenshot: Vatican Media

Iznik, Turkey, Nov 28, 2025 / 08:05 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV commemorated the 1700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea on Friday in the Turkish city historically known as the birthplace of the Nicene Creed, calling Christians to overcome “the scandal of divisions” and to renew their commitment to unity.The pope spoke during an ecumenical prayer service held at the archaeological site of the ancient Basilica of Saint Neophytos on the shore of Lake Iznik, southeast of Istanbul. The gathering marked one of the most symbolic moments of his apostolic visit to Turkey, which has focused heavily on ecumenical and interreligious outreach.“We are all invited to overcome the scandal of divisions,” he said, urging Christians to nurture “the desire for unity for which the Lord Jesus prayed and gave his life.”Pope Leo and Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, considered first among equals among Eastern Orthodox bishops,  were welcomed by two senior Orthodox bishops before proceeding to a platform beside the submerged ruins of the basilica. The two leaders stood before icons of Christ and of the council and lit candles together.Iznik, formerly Nicaea, is located about 130 kilometers southeast of Istanbul. The remains of an early Christian basilica dedicated to Saint Neophytos, a young martyr killed in 303 during the persecutions of Diocletian, were first identified in 2014 after aerial photographs revealed the outline of a submerged church. The basilica collapsed during an earthquake in 740, and its ruins are now visible from the lakeshore.In his homily, Leo said the anniversary was “a precious opportunity to ask ourselves who Jesus Christ is in the lives of men and women today, and who he is for each one of us personally.” He cautioned against reducing Christ to “a kind of charismatic leader or superman,” recalling Arius’ denial of Christ’s divinity and the council’s defense of the full humanity and full divinity of Jesus.“If God did not become man, how can mortal creatures participate in his immortal life?” the pope asked, emphasizing what was at stake in the fourth-century debate.Leo said the Nicene confession of faith remains a foundation for unity among Christians worldwide. Quoting the creed, he underlined the proclamation of Christ as “consubstantial with the Father,” describing it as “a profound bond already uniting all Christians.” Citing St. Augustine, he added: “Although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one.”A reconciled Christianity, he continued, can “bear credible witness to the Gospel” and offer “a proclamation of hope for all.”The pope also extended his appeal for fraternity beyond the Christian world, insisting that authentic recognition of God as Father requires honoring all people as brothers and sisters. He warned against using religion “to justify war, violence, or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism,” and called instead for “fraternal encounter, dialogue, and cooperation.”Pope Leo’s schedule in Turkey includes a series of ecumenical events, among them the signing of a joint declaration with Patriarch Bartholomew I on Nov. 29 at the Patriarchal Palace. His trip also carries an interreligious dimension. Earlier on Friday he met the Chief Rabbi of Turkey, discussing the visit as a sign of peace and support for all religious communities. On Saturday, Nov. 29, he will visit the Sultan Ahmed Mosque. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Sat, 29 Nov 2025 04:00:05 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, marks, Nicaea, anniversary, urges, Christians, overcome, divisions</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>New EWTN docuseries commemorates 100th anniversary of Christ the King</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/new-ewtn-docuseries-commemorates-100th-anniversary-of-christ-the-king</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/new-ewtn-docuseries-commemorates-100th-anniversary-of-christ-the-king</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Aidan Gallagher, director of EWTN Ireland, speaks at the premiere of “The Kingship of Christ” at the Vatican on Nov. 18, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN News

CNA Staff, Nov 23, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).
Marking the 100th anniversary of the feast of Christ the King, which this year falls on Nov. 23, EWTN has released “The Kingship of Christ,” a four-part docuseries that explores some of the core aspects of the kingship of Christ. The four 30-minute episodes look at the origin of kingship in the Old and New Testaments, what type of kingship is that of Christ’s, the growth in interest and devotion to kingship in the 1800s and 1900s, and how Christ’s kingship is being realized today. Currently airing on EWTN, the docuseries features Father Bernard McGuckian, SJ; Father Dominic Holtz, OP; and Father Mark Lewis, SJ.The four-part series was filmed across five principal locations in Rome that are highly relevant to Christ’s kingship, namely St. Peter’s Basilica, the Gesù (the main Jesuit Church in Rome), the Scala Santa, the Basilica of Santa Croce Gerusalemme, and the Basilica of the Sacred Heart of Christ the King. Additionally, many other churches, basilicas, and monuments are featured across many countries throughout the world that were built in honor of the kingship of Christ.Aidan Gallagher, director of EWTN Ireland, who co-produced the series alongside EWTN Studios and EWTN Vatican, told CNA in an interview that he was approached by McGuckian 18 months ago to see if he was interested in making a series on the kingship of Christ to “commemorate and celebrate the 100-year anniversary of the establishment of feast of Christ the King in 1925, which had followed Pope Pius XI’s papal encyclical Quas Primas.”From there, they worked to create a comprehensive series looking into this devotion and its importance. “At the heart of this work lies the desire that the kingship of Christ is recognized, realized, and accepted by individuals, peoples, societies, countries across the entire world so that Christ can reign in all hearts and thus be truly king of the world, leading us to peace,” he said. He explained that extensive work “has been put into researching and evidencing the fact that Jesus Christ is King, where we highlighted relevant Scripture across thousands of years from the Old Testament and New Testament. So, for thousands of years it has been there, and we hope that people will take away this fact from watching the series.”The premiere of &quot;The Kingship of Christ&quot; at the Vatican on Nov. 18, 2025. Credit: Daniel Ibañez/EWTN NewsThe film premiered at the Filmoteca Vaticano, a screening room in the Vatican, on Nov. 18. Ambassadors to the Holy See, journalists, and dignitaries were present for the screening. Gallagher shared that it was “very well received” and “there was excitement about watching the full series online.”After watching the series, he said he hopes that “people will understand the type of kingship which Christ presents and that recognition and allegiance to his kingship can ultimately lead us to peace, holiness, and the betterment of human existence — both in this life and the next.”“The Kingship of Christ” can also be viewed on EWTN Ireland’s website. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>New, EWTN, docuseries, commemorates, 100th, anniversary, Christ, the, King</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Pope Leo XIV urges Christians to move beyond outdated theological disputes</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-christians-to-move-beyond-outdated-theological-disputes</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/pope-leo-xiv-urges-christians-to-move-beyond-outdated-theological-disputes</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Pope Leo XIV receives Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople at the Vatican on May 30, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Nov 23, 2025 / 12:29 pm (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV has called on Christians to move beyond “theological controversies” that no longer serve the cause of unity and to rediscover together the faith professed at the Council of Nicaea 1,700 years ago.In a new apostolic letter, In Unitate Fidei (“In the Unity of Faith”), released Nov. 23, the solemnity of Christ the King, the pope links the anniversary of the first ecumenical council to the holy year of 2025 and to his upcoming apostolic journey to Turkey, where he will commemorate Nicaea’s 1,700th anniversary and take part in an ecumenical event with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew on Nov. 30 before traveling on to Lebanon.“I would like this letter to encourage the whole Church to renew her enthusiasm for the profession of faith,” the pope writes, stressing that the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed “for centuries … has been the common heritage of Christians, and it deserves to be professed and understood in ever new and relevant ways.”In a strong ecumenical appeal, Leo XIV says the Nicene Creed “can be the basis and reference point” for a renewed journey toward full communion among Christians. “It offers us a model of true unity in legitimate diversity. Unity in the Trinity, Trinity in unity, because unity without multiplicity is tyranny, multiplicity without unity is fragmentation,” he writes.“We must therefore leave behind theological controversies that have lost their ‘raison d’être’ in order to develop a common understanding and even more, a common prayer to the Holy Spirit, so that he may gather us all together in one faith and one love,” the pope continues.“The restoration of unity among Christians does not make us poorer; on the contrary, it enriches us,” he adds, calling the goal of full visible unity “a theological challenge and, even more so, a spiritual challenge, which requires repentance and conversion on the part of all.”‘This Creed gives us hope’Linking Nicaea to today’s crises, Leo XIV notes that the holy year is dedicated to the theme “Christ Our Hope” and that the Nicene Creed remains a source of confidence amid war, injustice, and suffering.“In this holy year, dedicated to the theme of ‘Christ Our Hope,’ it is a providential coincidence that we are also celebrating the 1,700th anniversary of the First Ecumenical Council of Nicaea,” he writes. That council, he recalls, “proclaimed the profession of faith in Jesus Christ, Son of God. This is the heart of the Christian faith.”“In these difficult times we are living, amid so many concerns and fears, threats of war and violence, natural disasters, grave injustices and imbalances, and the hunger and misery suffered by millions of our brothers and sisters, this Creed gives us hope,” the pope says.Leo XIV presents the letter as an invitation for all Christians “to walk in harmony, guarding and transmitting the gift they have received with love and joy,” especially through the words of the Creed: “I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Only Begotten Son of God … for our salvation he came down from heaven.”Nicaea and the heart of the Christian faithThe pope devotes much of In Unitate Fidei to explaining the historical and theological context of the Council of Nicaea, which met in 325 to address the Arian controversy over the divinity of Christ.The dispute, he notes, “concerned the essence of the Christian faith,” namely the answer to Jesus’ question in the Gospel: “Who do you say that I am?” In response, the Nicene Fathers confessed that Jesus is the Son of God “in as much as he is of the substance (ousia) of the Father … ‘begotten, not made, consubstantial (homooúsios) with the Father.’”“The Fathers of Nicaea were firm in their resolution to remain faithful to biblical monotheism and the authenticity of the Incarnation,” Leo XIV writes. By adopting terms such as “substance” and “consubstantial,” which are not found in Scripture, the council “did not … replace biblical statements with Greek philosophy,” he explains. Rather, it sought “to affirm biblical faith with clarity and to distinguish it from Arius’ error, which was deeply influenced by Hellenism.”“The Nicene Creed does not depict a distant, inaccessible, and immovable God who rests in himself but a God who is close to us and accompanies us on our journey in the world, even in the darkest places on earth,” the pope writes. “His immensity is revealed when he makes himself small, laying aside his infinite majesty to become our neighbor in the little ones and in the poor. This revolutionizes pagan and philosophical conceptions of God.”Leo XIV also highlights the Nicene emphasis on the full humanity of Christ, noting the clarification that the Word “became man.” Against teachings that suggested the Logos only assumed a body, he recalls that later councils made explicit that “in Christ, God assumed and redeemed the whole human being, body and soul.”Quoting St. Athanasius and the patristic tradition, the pope writes: “Divinization, then, is true humanization (becoming fully human). This is why human existence points beyond itself, seeks beyond itself, desires beyond itself, and is restless until it rests in God.” Only God, he adds, “in his infinity, can satisfy the infinite desire of the human heart, and for this reason the Son of God chose to become our brother and redeemer.”A call to examine conscienceBeyond doctrine, Leo XIV insists that the Creed must shape Christian life.“Both the liturgy and the Christian life are thus firmly anchored in the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed: What we profess with our mouths must come from the heart so that we may bear witness to it with our lives,” he writes. “We must therefore ask ourselves: What about our interior reception of the Creed today? Do we experience that it also affects our current situation? Do we understand and live out what we say every Sunday? What do these words mean for our lives?”“In this sense, the Nicene Creed invites us to examine our conscience,” the pope continues. “What does God mean to me and how do I bear witness to my faith in him? Is the one and only God truly the Lord of my life, or do I have idols that I place before God and his commandments?”He ties this examination to care for creation and social justice, asking: “How do I treat creation, the work of his hands? Do I exploit and destroy it, or do I use it with reverence and gratitude, caring for and cultivating it as the common home of humanity?”Echoing the Second Vatican Council, Leo XIV notes that “for many people today, however, God and the question of God have almost no meaning in their lives” and that Christians themselves bear some responsibility, since “they do not bear witness to the true faith; they hide the true face of God with lifestyles and actions that diverge from the Gospel.”Instead of proclaiming a merciful God, he laments, “a vengeful God has been presented who instils terror and punishes.”Following Christ and loving one anotherAt the center of the Creed, the pope writes, is the confession of Jesus Christ as Lord and God.“The profession of faith in Jesus Christ, Our Lord and God, is the center of the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed. This is the heart of our Christian life,” he says. “For this reason, we commit to follow Jesus as our master, companion, brother, and friend.”Following Christ, he continues, “is not a wide and comfortable path,” but “this often demanding or even painful path always leads to life and salvation.”“If God loves us with all his being, then we too must love one another,” Leo XIV writes. “We cannot love God whom we do not see without loving our brother and sister whom we do see. Love for God without love for neighbor is hypocrisy; radical love for our neighbor, especially love for our enemies, without love for God, requires a ‘heroism’ that would overwhelm and oppress us.”“In the face of disasters, wars, and misery, we bear witness to God’s mercy to those who doubt him only when they experience his mercy through us,” he adds.Ecumenism as ‘sign of peace and instrument of reconciliation’Recalling the teaching of Vatican II and St. John Paul II’s 1995 encyclical Ut Unum Sint, the pope says that in a divided world “the one universal Christian community can be a sign of peace and an instrument of reconciliation, playing a decisive role in the global commitment to peace.”He notes that, while full visible unity with Orthodox, Oriental Orthodox, and communities born of the Reformation has not yet been achieved, ecumenical dialogue “founded on one baptism and the Nicene-Constantinopolitan Creed” has already helped Christians recognize each other as brothers and sisters in Christ and rediscover “the one universal community of Christ’s disciples throughout the world.”“We share the same faith in the one and only God, the Father of all people; we confess together the one Lord and true Son of God, Jesus Christ, and the one Holy Spirit, who inspires us and impels us towards full unity and the common witness to the Gospel,” he writes. “Truly, what unites us is much greater than what divides us!”‘Come, divine Comforter’The letter concludes with a prayer to the Holy Spirit for the renewal of faith and the healing of divisions among Christians.“Holy Spirit of God, you guide believers along the path of history,” Leo XIV prays. “We thank you for inspiring the symbols of faith and for stirring in our hearts the joy of professing our salvation in Jesus Christ, the Son of God, consubstantial with the Father. Without him, we can do nothing.”“Come, divine Comforter, source of harmony, unite the hearts and minds of believers. Come and grant us to taste the beauty of communion,” he continues. “Come, Love of the Father and the Son, gather us into the one flock of Christ. Show us the ways to follow, so that with your wisdom, we become once again what we are in Christ: one, so that the world may believe.” ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
<media:keywords>Pope, Leo, XIV, urges, Christians, move, beyond, outdated, theological, disputes</media:keywords>
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<item>
<title>Vatican defends monogamy against polygamy, polyamory</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/vatican-defends-monogamy-against-polygamy-polyamory</link>
<guid>https://catholics.news/vatican-defends-monogamy-against-polygamy-polyamory</guid>
<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  null / Credit: Alex Studio/Shutterstock

Vatican City, Nov 25, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).
A new Vatican document defends marriage as a monogamous relationship amid the growing popularity of polyamory and addresses the pastoral challenges caused by conversion to Catholicism of people in polygamous situations.“One Flesh: In Praise of Monogamy” was published in Italian by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith on Nov. 25.“Polygamy, adultery, or polyamory are based on the illusion that the intensity of the relationship can be found in the succession of partners,” the Vatican says.To illustrate this metaphorically, the text cites the myth of Don Juan, an unbridled seducer whose womanizing leads him to hell, which demonstrates that “multiplying partners in a supposed total union means fragmenting the meaning of marital love.”The text also draws on the writing of poets Walt Whitman, Pablo Neruda, Rabindranath Tagore, and Emily Dickinson, as well as philosophers such as the Danish philosopher Søren Kierkegaard.The document, signed by Pope Leo XIV, does not address the indissolubility of marriage or the purpose of procreation but focuses on the unitive aspect of marriage: “A communion of love and life shared by both spouses, a communion that is not oriented solely toward procreation but also toward the integral good of both.”The text originated from a request made during the Synod on Synodality for African bishops to prepare a statement on polygamy. African bishops themselves asked the Holy See for guidance on the issue, the doctrine dicastery said earlier this month.In the Nov. 25 document, the dicastery says it also wanted to provide a deeper reflection on monogamy in the face of growing “public forms of nonmonogamous unions — sometimes called ‘polyamory’” — in the West.The Vatican’s doctrinal note emphasizes that “properly understood, monogamy is not simply the opposite of polygamy.”Drawing from the teachings of St. John Paul II, the Vatican affirms that “only monogamy guarantees that sexuality develops within a framework of recognizing the other as a subject with whom one shares one’s life entirely, a subject who is an end in himself and never a means to one’s own needs. Sexual union, which involves the whole person, can treat the other as a person, that is, as a co-subject of love and not an object of use, only if it develops within the framework of a unique and exclusive belonging.”“Those who give themselves fully and completely to the other can only be two,” the text states, after noting that in nonmonogamous relationships everyone “would be treated as means and not as persons.”Sexuality: Total and open to lifeThe text makes it clear that placing sexuality within the framework of a love that “unites spouses in a single friendship” does not imply a “devaluation of sexual pleasure.” Rather, “by orienting it toward self-giving, it is not only enriched but also enhanced.”Thus, “sexuality is no longer the release of an immediate need but a personal choice that expresses the totality of the person.”The Vatican criticizes contemporary culture that reduces sexuality to consumption: “Various problems have arisen from an excessive and uncontrolled pursuit of sex, or from the simple denial of its procreative purpose.”Therefore, the Vatican defends openness to life in sexual union as a form of expression of “conjugal charity” without requiring that every act explicitly have that purpose.On an anthropological level, the document insists that “the defense of monogamy is also a defense of the dignity of women,” since “the unity of marriage implies, therefore, a free choice on the part of the woman, who has the right to demand exclusive reciprocity.”The document also addresses sexual violence, which it says proliferates on social media, and invites Catholics to provide education on “faithful and monogamous love.”“Education in monogamy is not a moral restriction but rather an initiation into the grandeur of a love that transcends immediacy,” it says.Theological foundations and spiritual traditionThe text offers a broad overview of the Christian tradition that has upheld and reflected upon marital unity. It quotes popes and Church fathers, including St. John Chrysostom, who saw in marital unity an antidote to “unbridled sexual abandon, without love or fidelity.”Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the text also considers the challenges for those who, desiring to convert to the Catholic faith, must navigate complex family situations. In addition to Africa, the document cites Asia, specifically India, where “monogamy has generally been the norm and has been considered an ideal in married life,” but polygamous relationships have also been present.Africa’s Catholic bishops issued a document earlier this year with six pastoral guidelines for how to welcome people in polygamous situations into the Church, both while upholding Church teaching on marriage and not leaving women and children vulnerable to abandonment and poverty.At the Aug. 4 assembly of the Symposium of Episcopal Conference of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) in Kigali, Rwanda, Archbishop Andrew Nkea Fuanya of Cameroon’s Bamenda Catholic Archdiocese clarified that during the deliberations at the Synod on Synodality, “polygamy was not brought up as an African concept to be approved. It was brought up as a challenge to Christian marriage in Africa.”This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. Hannah Brockhaus contributed to this report. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 04:00:07 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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<item>
<title>Pope to give 2025 Ratzinger Prize to conductor Riccardo Muti at Christmas concert</title>
<link>https://catholics.news/pope-to-give-2025-ratzinger-prize-to-conductor-riccardo-muti-at-christmas-concert</link>
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<description><![CDATA[ 
  
  Conductor Riccardo Muti has been awarded the 2025 Ratzinger Prize. / Credit: Riccardo Muti Italian Opera Academy

Vatican City, Nov 25, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).
Pope Leo XIV will present the 2025 Ratzinger Prize to the renowned Italian conductor Riccardo Muti, one of the most influential and respected figures in international music, during a concert in the pope’s honor on Dec. 12.The Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation announced that the prize will be awarded to Muti at a Christmas concert directed by the Italian conductor in the Paul VI Audience Hall at the Vatican, in the presence of the pope.Recognized for the expressive depth with which he interprets musical scores, Muti was also admired by Benedict XVI, who, beyond his profound theological erudition, was a great lover and connoisseur of classical music. The German pontiff was an ardent admirer of Muti’s talent, to which he attributed exceptional spiritual and cultural value.The maestro reciprocated this esteem with repeated expressions of affection, even after Benedict XVI resigned from the papacy in February 2013, when he moved to the “Mater Ecclesiae” Monastery for a life of prayer and seclusion.Upon learning of the award, Muti expressed his emotion with these words: “I have always followed and deeply admired Pope Benedict XVI, whose thoughts, reflections, and meditations have been and will continue to be a source of [spiritual] nourishment for men and women of goodwill.”The presentation of the 2025 Ratzinger Prize will not only celebrate the maestro’s artistic achievements but will also be a tribute to the relationship of mutual admiration and profound respect he had for Benedict.The concert will include the “Mass for the Coronation of Charles X,“ composed by Luigi Cherubini in 1885, performed by the Luigi Cherubini Youth Orchestra and the Guidi Chigi Saracini Choir of the Cathedral of Siena.Muti, born in 1941 in Naples, began his musical career as a pianist and choirmaster, eventually becoming one of the world’s most renowned conductors.He has conducted some of the foremost orchestras, such as the New York Philharmonic, the Vienna Philharmonic, and the Teatro alla Scala in Milan, where he has left an indelible mark thanks to his commitment to the faithful interpretation of classical music. Throughout his career, he has received numerous international awards, solidifying his reputation as a master of the symphonic and operatic repertoire.The Ratzinger Prize, established in 2011, is awarded annually upon the recommendation of the foundation’s scientific committee and with the approval of the pope, recognizing outstanding figures in Christian-inspired culture and art. Previous recipients include theologians, biblical scholars, philosophers, jurists, and artists from various continents and religious denominations.This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA. ]]></description>
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<pubDate>Wed, 26 Nov 2025 04:00:06 +0000</pubDate>
<dc:creator>Bro Jim C Salonoy - News Writer and Moderator</dc:creator>
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