Pope Leo XIV

Congratulations to the US Christians here on the first ever American pope. He's a missionary, which is a good sign in my view. Someone from the Global North who has spent much of his life in the Global South. But I confess I know very little about him.

Unbelievable.

I know he's mostly worked in Peru, and he's been a vocal opponent of Trump (and Vance), but I'm absolutely floored they chose an American.

Honestly, I wouldn't be surprised if Trump's "Pope" pic factored into this.

I read Leo has a degree in math. That and his Augustinian background make me think he won't be as huggy as Francis? Similar instincts though. (Thank goodness on climate!) "Peace" mentioned frequently on balcony. As Pope, Francis never visited Argentina. Wonder if Leo will visit US or Peru -- he has dual citizenship. On balcony, he spoke Italian, Spanish, Latin, but not English.

Per his brother, a White Sox fan ( not Cubs). His childhood home was a tiny brick bungalow, maybe 2 bedrooms, if they were small!

>3 margd: He might have trouble at the border with that kind of history.

>4 margd:

He grew up on the south side, so he has to be a Sox fan!

>5 2wonderY:. I'll post reference later but he may have some Haitian Creole / Acadian French roots ancestry via New Orleans?
--------------------------------------
ETA:

Pope Leo XIV has roots in New Orleans' 7th Ward. See his family lineage and history.
HANNAH LEVITAN | May 8, 2025
https://www.nola.com/news/first-american-pope-roots-new-orleans/article_3c7bfdf1...
---------------------------------------
ETA:

Ida Bae Wells ‪@nhannahjones.bsky.social‬ | May 8, 2025 at 8:11 PM:
Founder Center for Journalism & Democracy at Howard Univ// Staff writer at NYT Mag

I didn’t give a wit about new pope coverage, but the first American pope being a man with Black ancestry born in Chicago by way of New Orleans by way of Haiti. Names his self after the pope who condemned slavery? In the Trump era? Oh, baebae, I am HERE for it.

Pope Leo XIV's grandparents were 7th Ward Creoles
Lily Cummings | May 8, 2025
The newly elected pontiff, born in Chicago, has ancestral ties to the city’s historic Seventh Ward, according to genealogists at The Historic New Orleans Collection...
https://www.wwltv.com/article/news/nation-world/pope-leo-xiv-grandparents-were-7...

>6 lilithcat:

Yes, according to his brother he was a White Sox fan, while the rest of the family were Cubs fans.

I like the fact that as both a missionary and a dual citizen he straddles the Global North and the Global South. When I saw his name, the first thing that struck me was that the previous Leo, XIII, is generally credited as the father of modern Catholic Social Teaching with his 1891 encyclical Rerum Novarum, on capital and labour. Did this factor in Leo XIV's choice of name?

A few links to articles on the new pope.

Leo XIV is the new Pope (Vatican News)

"Peace be with all of you!" - the first words of Pope Leo XIV. The Conclave has elected Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the 267th Bishop of Rome...

Who is Robert Prevost, the new Pope Leo XIV? (BBC)

He is the first American to fill the role of pope, although he is considered as much a cardinal from Latin America because of the many years he spent as a missionary in Peru...

What will the new Pope be like? He’s chosen to be called Leo: that’s no accident (Guardian)

Popes who take that name tend to be progressive reformers. If Trump and JD Vance think they have an ally in the Vatican, I think not...

Continuity the key for Pope seen as unifier in the Church (BBC)

The fact that the conclave was over quickly suggests that from the outset, a significant number of the voting cardinals felt Robert Prevost was the one amongst them best equipped to take on the challenges a pope faces. In the lead up to the election - during the formal meetings of cardinals, and the informal dinners and coffees they had to discuss the type of person they were looking for - it was apparent that two words kept coming up, "continuity" and "unity". There was a recognition among many that Pope Francis had started something hugely impactful, through reaching out to the those living on the margins of society, to those on the peripheries of the Catholic world and also to those outside the faith. There was appreciation for his endeavour to become a voice for the voiceless and focus on the poor and those whose destinies were not in their own hands. But there was also a sense that work had to be done to resolve the (sometimes very public) splits between those of different schools of thought within the Church hierarchy, often characterised as traditionalist and progressive. It was in that context that Robert Prevost's name started to be talked of as a serious contender. As someone who supported Pope Francis behind the scenes, but who different factions could still think of as one of their own. But the voting cardinals had been tasked by the Church with considering not just what the institution and Catholic believers needed, but also what humanity needed at a difficult juncture, with war and division the backdrop. Again, Cardinal Prevost - the US-Peruvian dual national, who was talked of as feeling as at home with his North American peers as he was with Latin American colleagues - was seen as someone who, as pope, could connect different worlds... For those who had in their minds that the primary requirement being sought of a new pope was an ability to bring "continuity" and "unity", during his speech on St Peter's balcony, Leo XIV gave strong clues as to why the cardinals chose him. In his talk of "building bridges" and people globally being "one people" he evoked echoes of Pope Francis and also talked of unity at its fullest...

Southern African Catholic Bishops Hail Pope Leo XIV’s Election as “historic”, Pledge “unwavering support, prayers” (ACI Africa)

Members of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference (SACBC) have welcomed the election of Pope Leo XIV and described it as “historic”... “In a spirit of unity and faith, the bishops express profound gratitude to His Holiness for embracing the immense responsibility of shepherding the Universal Church,” the three-nation Catholic Bishops say... In their May 8 statement, SACBC members weigh in the Holy Father’s first address, saying his “message of peace resonates deeply with the SACBC, which recognizes the Pope’s call for all to be peacemakers and bridge builders in a world yearning for reconciliation and unity.” “SACBC pledges unwavering support and assures Pope Leo XIV of continuous prayers. Acknowledging the challenges that lie ahead, the bishops pray that the Holy Father places his trust in the Lord, who has chosen him and promises to be with him always”... They ask that God grant the new Pope “wisdom, courage, and strength to sow the peace he spoke of in his first words as Pope.” SACBC members express hope that Pope Leo XIV’s leadership “will bring about greater unity within the Church, deepen the faith of the people of God, and offer guidance to millions around the globe during these pivotal times.” They commit to “walking alongside the Holy Father, holding hands in solidarity, to reinforce the spirit of synodality and promote peace in the world”...

I've read that Vatican finances will be a priority for the new pope, e.g. underfunded pension fund. (With mathematics background, Leo should be better positioned than most to pore over the books?)

How the pope gets paid and a look into the Vatican's finances
Pilar Arias, Daniella Genovese | May 7, 2025
https://www.yahoo.com/news/popes-salary-does-pontiff-paid-165420570.html

>11 margd:

(With mathematics background, Leo should be better positioned than most to pore over the books?)

I'm not sure that follows. If he had an accounting background, that would be more relevant. And even then, there are a lot of factors that cause underfunded pensions that need to be dealt with politically (such as, do we put this revenue into the pension fund or some politician's (or cardinal's) pet project?).

Five things to know about Pope Leo XIV
Claire Giangravé and Roxanne Stone | May 8, 2025

1. Prevost is American — and Peruvian.
2. Prevost is a member of the Order of St. Augustine, having served twice as its head.
3. As head of the Dicastery for Bishops, Prevost may have played a role in sidelining a prominent right-wing American bishop.
4. On hot-button issues, including LGBTQ inclusion and women’s ordination, Prevost has kept a low profile.
5. With the name Leo XIV, Prevost inherits a legacy of reform and social justice.

https://religionnews.com/2025/05/08/pope-leo-xiv-five-facts/?utm_source=firefox-...

>13 margd:

1. Prevost is American — and Peruvian.

A descendant of Afro-Caribbean Creoles in New Orleans: https://www.nytimes.com/2025/05/08/us/pope-leo-creole-new-orleans.html (In other words, he's African-American.)

2. Prevost is a member of the Order of St. Augustine,

He should visit St. Augustine in New Orleans, founded by free people of color in 1841: https://staugchurch.org/ The church has a fascinating history. It was threatened with closure following Hurricane Katrina, but has been saved. That story is recounted in War of the Pews: A Personal Account of St. Augustine Church in New Orleans, by Jerome G. LeDoux, who was the minister there.

Pope Leo XIV: a different kind of American leader (Guardian)

The first pontiff from the United States can be a powerful countervailing voice in the Trump era, and help protect Francis’s legacy... Within the church itself, traditionalist hopes of a post-Francis return to a more doctrinally rigid, hierarchical way of doing things appear to have been scotched. Though more moderate and diplomatic in manner, the new pontiff seems likely to stick to the reforming direction of travel set by his predecessor... But despite fears that this conclave could take its own Trumpian turn and choose an inward-looking arch-conservative as the 267th pope, it opted instead for broad continuity with the compassionate, world-facing spirit of Francis’s groundbreaking papacy...

Biography of Pope Leo XIV, born Robert Francis Prevost (Vatican News)

The first Augustinian Pope, Leo XIV is the second Roman Pontiff - after Pope Francis - from the Americas. Unlike Jorge Mario Bergoglio, however, the 69-year-old Robert Francis Prevost is from the northern part of the continent, though he spent many years as a missionary in Peru before being elected head of the Augustinians for two consecutive terms...

Liz Cheney @Liz_Cheney | 2:53 PM · May 9, 2025: {X.com}
In an era that looked as if it might be defined by an American man of depraved cruelty, corruption, and shame, what a magnificent thing the Catholic Church has done. The elevation of an American man of goodness, grace, humility, mercy, and faith to the Throne of St. Peter is moving and momentous for us all.

George Conway 👊🇺🇸🔥 ‪@gtconway.bsky.social‬ | May 8, 2025 at 1:42 PM:
We should be grateful to the Lord to now be blessed with having an American on the world stage who embodies good and not evil.

Adam Kinzinger ‪@adamkinzinger.bsky.social‬ | May 8, 2025 at 8:41 PM:
So let me get this straight, we finally get an American pope, and some of the America first crowd is "mad" because he cares about the poor and immigrants. Am i missing something here?

"On Truth Social, Trump posted that he was looking forward to meeting the Holy Father. "Congratulations to Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, who was just named Pope," Trump wrote. "It is such an honor to realize that he is the first American Pope. What excitement, and what a Great Honor for our Country. I look forward to meeting Pope Leo XIV. It will be a very meaningful moment!" https://www.rawstory.com/trump-pope-2671919918/

""I mean it's kind of jaw-dropping," Trump's former chief strategist Steve Bannon told the BBC on Friday, speaking of Leo's election. "It is shocking to me that a guy could be selected to be the Pope that had had the Twitter feed and the statements he's had against American senior politicians," said Bannon, a hard-right Trump loyalist, practising Catholic and former altar boy. And he predicted that there's "definitely going to be friction" between Leo and Trump. " https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/clyglw20lg2o

Laura Loomer: "woke marxist pope"

Pope Leo tells cardinals they must continue 'precious legacy' of Pope Francis
Philip Pullella and Joshua McElwee | May 10, 2025

Pope Leo signals he will press ahead with Francis' agenda
Leo asks world's cardinals to commit to Church reforms
Pope says Church should take lead against AI
Cardinal says Vatican-China deal also discussed

https://www.reuters.com/world/pope-leo-tells-cardinals-they-must-continue-precio...
--------------------------------------------

margd: Lots can be learned by AI poring through piles of data, e.g., new drugs, insights on rare disease, etc., but as with other technologies, lots of potential for misuse and mistakes.

Claire Willett ‪@clairewillett.bsky.social‬ | May 10, 2025 at 8:59 AM
Chaos Muppet. Raconteuse. The internet’s gay Catholic aunt. Covering arts philanthropy ... Writing books and plays ... Mentoring lefty grantwriters ...

if an American pope takes up AI under the seven themes of Catholic social teaching (of which one is “The Dignity of Work & the Rights of Workers” and another is “Care and Stewardship of God’s Creation”) all the worst Catholics in America might just keel over on the spot and save us all some trouble

The new pope said on Saturday he had taken his papal name partly to honor Pope Leo XIIII (1878-1903), who was known as an advocate for social justice and pushed for fair pay and treatment of workers during the industrial revolution. Leo XIV said the Church must now take the lead in facing newer threats to workers, such as artificial intelligence. He said Al posed "new challenges for the defence of human dignity, justice and labour." ...

which is why the US bishops hate talking about the seven themes of catholic social teaching*

absolutely shrieking at the thought of the Catholic US Supreme Court justices having to decide what the fuck to do with a Catholic plaintiff who says it’s religious discrimination to be forced by their employer to use AI
-----------------------------------------------

* From website of The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB):

Seven Themes of Catholic Social Teaching

Life and Dignity of the Human Person
Call to Family, Community, and Participation
Rights and Responsibilities
Option for the Poor and Vulnerable
The Dignity of Work and the Rights of Workers
Solidarity
Care for God's Creation

https://www.usccb.org/beliefs-and-teachings/what-we-believe/catholic-social-teac...

Maga says Pope Leo may be American, but he's not 'America first' (BBC)

Catholicism has rarely been more prominent in US politics as the Trump administration openly embraces advisers and officials who proudly say faith has shaped their views. But any jubilation on the American Make America Great Again right about the new Pope this week quickly dissipated as key voices from Donald Trump's Maga movement came to a disappointed conclusion: the first American Pope does not appear to be "America first"... He has voiced concerns for the poor and immigrants, chosen a name that may reference more liberal church leadership, and he appears to have both supported the liberal-leaning Pope Francis and criticised the US president's policies on social media. But the president so far has said only that Leo's election was a "great honour" for the US. Still, some of Trump's most prominent supporters were quick to attack Pope Leo, lambasting him as a possible challenge to Trump and on the perception that he will follow Pope Francis in areas like immigration... US Catholics also broadly supported Pope Francis: 78% of those surveyed in February viewed him favorably, including a majority of Catholic Republicans... Though Maga supporters represent a small subset of US Catholics, it's one with outsized access to conservative media and Trump's ear... Laura Loomer, a far-right influencer who has Trump's ear, swaying the president on top personnel decisions, called the new Pope "anti-Trump, anti-Maga, pro-open Borders, and a total Marxist like Pope Francis"...

Cardinal reveals what it was like to be part of conclav (BBC)

Being sealed off from the world in the conclave to choose the new Pope was "immensely peaceful", England and Wales's most senior Roman Catholic has told the BBC... nobody in the highly secretive meeting was saying who to vote for or who to not vote for, adding that there was "no rancour" or "politicking" among the cardinals. "It was a much calmer process than that and I found it actually a rather wonderful experience," he added... "There was a calmness, a bit of solemnity," he continued, adding that everyone he spoke to when in it was "peaceful and just wanting to do this well"... "I think it was a short conclave in part because Pope Francis left us with a good inheritance," the cardinal said. "He left a college of cardinals who were dedicated, who had this desire for the church to be more missionary, and that led us forward actually very, very easily to the decision that we made"... Speaking about the new Pope, Cardinal Nichols said Pope Leo is "very decisive" in a "quiet way", adding that he has seen him "make decisions which disappoint people but don't destroy them"...

Pope Leo XIV Explains Choice of Papal Name, to Prioritize Catholic Social Teaching “in response to” AI Revolution

Pope Leo XIV met with the College of Cardinals Saturday morning for his first official address since his election, outlining key priorities for his pontificate in the age of artificial intelligence, while emphasizing continuity with his predecessors and commitment to the Church’s social teaching. The U.S.-born pontiff, speaking in Italian, explained his choice of papal name, noting that Pope Leo XIII “addressed the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution” with his encyclical Rerum Novarum. “In our own day, the Church offers to everyone the treasury of her social teaching in response to another industrial revolution and to developments in the field of artificial intelligence that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor,” Pope Leo said...

Newly Elected Pope Leo XIV “a figure at the crossroads of continuities and ruptures”: African Theologian

The election of Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost who takes the name Pope Leo XIV signifies “a return to the fundamentals” of past Popes, but also “a continuation of the reform process” in the Church, a leading Senegalese Catholic Theologian has said, noting that expectations are high as the new Pontiff takes over from his predecessors... The member of the Pan-African Catholic Theology and Pastoral Network (PACTPAN) said that Pope Leo XIII’s Rerum Novarum, which she described as the founding text of the Church's social doctrine affirmed the rights of the working class that were being abused at the time. Describing the Church from Pope Leo XIII to Pope Francis as “a Church at the heart of social realities”, the leading African theologian said, “With Rerum Novarum, Leo XIII ushered in a new era. An era of a Church prophetically committed to social issues.” “Faced with the upheavals of industrial capitalism and the suffering of the working class, Leo XIII affirmed the right to work, the dignity of the human person, and the role of the common good,” Sr. Faye said. She said that Pope Leo XIII’s dynamic continued to grow with subsequent popes, each deepening an aspect such as human rights, integral development, human ecology, ethical globalization...

Holy Spirit Guided Election of Pope Leo XIV, “solid, discreet, and good worker”: Spanish-born French Cardinal Elector

François-Xavier Cardinal Bustillo has described Pope Leo XIV as a “solid, discreet, and good worker” and expressed confidence that the new pontiff will continue to be “bold” in addressing the needs of today’s world, in comments made shortly after the May 8 conclave... the College of Cardinals entered the conclave with openness to the Holy Spirit, not political calculation. “It’s precisely this: we weren’t thinking at all about strategies or political tactics,” Cardinal Bustillo said. “We were trusting and wanted not our own good, not the good of us cardinals, but wanted the good of the people of God, and I think we succeeded in giving a good pope to the Church — and this was our objective.” The cardinal highlighted the significance of the date of Leo’s election. May 8 is marked across much of Europe as Victory in Europe Day, commemorating the end of World War II. “Our world needs peace — there’s too much violence in our lives, in our families, everywhere, even in international geopolitics — and so there’s a need for peace,” he said. “The pope was right to recall the meaning of peace, and the mission of the Church is to foster peace.” When asked about similarities between Leo XIV and his predecessor, Pope Francis, Cardinal Bustillo pointed to their shared pastoral outlook. “He reminds me of Pope Francis in his contact with people, in his vision of the world, and in his understanding of the Church’s response to the world,” he said. “That’s what’s important.” Bustillo emphasized that the conclave, which concluded in under 24 hours, was marked by spiritual clarity and fraternal unity. “He is the pope the Holy Spirit has given us — in less than 24 hours we elected the pope, and there were neither tactics nor strategies. There was freedom and trust,” he said...

All from ACI Africa

Pope Leo appeals for no more war in first Sunday address (BBC)

Pope Leo XIV appealed for "no more war" in a message to world powers during his first Sunday address at the Vatican. Reflecting on current conflicts, the newly selected pontiff called for a "lasting peace" in the war in Ukraine, a ceasefire in Gaza, and welcomed Saturday's agreement to end recent hostilities between India and Pakistan. He said he was "deeply hurt" by events in Gaza, expressed hope for a "lasting accord" between India and Pakistan, and wished for a "authentic, true and lasting peace" in Ukraine... Three years ago, as Bishop Robert Prevost, he denounced Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine as an imperialist war and condemned crimes against humanity he said were being committed there. On Sunday, he restricted himself to echoing his predecessor, Francis, in calling for peace. "I would also like to address the powerful people of the world, repeating the always current call: 'no more war'," he told the crowd from the central balcony of St Peter's Basilica. "The immense tragedy of the Second World War ended 80 years ago...now we're facing the tragedy of a third world war in pieces"... he described himself as an unworthy choice for Pope, and vowed to continue the "precious legacy" of his predecessor. He highlighted the importance of missionary work and discussion - as well as care for those he called the "least and the rejected". He explained he had chosen the name Leo after a 19th-century Pope known for his teaching on social justice...

Pope Leo: A pope is nothing more than a humble servant (USCCB)

The Catholic community is alive, beautiful and strong, and it is up to its pastors to protect and nourish the faithful and to help bring God's hope to the whole world, Pope Leo XIV said. For that reason, the pope invited the cardinals "to renew together today our complete commitment to the path that the universal church has now followed for decades in the wake of the Second Vatican Council," and that "Pope Francis masterfully and concretely set it forth in the apostolic exhortation Evangelii Gaudium" ("The Joy of the Gospel"), he said May 10, in his first formal speech to the College of Cardinals. He also said that he chose his name in homage to Pope Leo XIII, recognizing the need to renew Catholic social teaching to face today's new industrial revolution and the developments of artificial intelligence "that pose new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice and labor"...

Pope at Mass: Listen without judging (Vatican News)

“We have to know how to listen—not to judge, not to shut doors as if we hold all the truth and no one else has anything to offer,” the Pope said. From this posture of humility, he added, will come greater clarity about where the Lord is calling us.

Pope Leo XIV's motto and coat of arms (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV's coat of arms offers a clear reflection of his Augustinian roots and the values he seeks to promote during his pontificate, particularly unity and communion within the Church... Pope Leo XIV has also chosen a motto that reflects this Augustinian tradition: In Illo uno unum, which means “In the One, we are one.” The phrase is taken from Saint Augustine’s Exposition on Psalm 127, where he explains that “although we Christians are many, in the one Christ we are one”... As can be seen from my episcopal motto, unity and communion are truly part of the charism of the Order of Saint Augustine, and also of my way of acting and thinking,” he said. “I believe it is very important to promote communion in the Church, and we know well that communion, participation, and mission are the three key words of the Synod. So, as an Augustinian, for me promoting unity and communion is fundamental”...

>21 John5918: pope-nothing-more-humble-servant

Hope we treat this one more gently. We all seemed to want a piece of Pope Francis on his last day, and he was so weak and tired. I know he wanted it, to tour the square, meet w VP Vance, but it was hard to watch.

>22 margd:

Indeed, and thanks. What I found most sad, discouraging and disturbing with the way Pope Francis was treated was the spectre of Catholics (even on this very forum) not simply disagreeing with him but undermining, ridiculing, denigrating and disrespecting him. Many Catholics have disagreed with recent popes, particularly John Paul II and Benedict XVI, but I have never before seen the sort of abuse which was levelled at Francis. No doubt there will also be disagreements with Leo XIV, but I pray that these disagreements will be voiced with charity and respect.

“Season of hope, renewal”: Africa’s Catholic Bishops Hail Election of Pope Leo XIV as “new chapter” in Church’s Life

The Thursday, May 8 election of Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the Catholic Church’s 267th Pontiff is a defining moment in the life of the Church, ushering in a new era of “hope and renewal” as well as a missionary dynamism, Catholic Bishops in Africa have said. In a Press Statement shared with ACI Africa on Friday, May 10, members of the Symposium of Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar (SECAM) say they “joyfully join the universal Church in giving thanks to God for the gift of our new Supreme Pontiff, His Holiness Pope Leo XIV.” “This historic moment marks a new chapter in the life of the Church, a season of hope, renewal, and missionary commitment,” the Press Statement that SECAM President, Fridolin Cardinal Ambongo, signed, states. Africa’s Catholic Bishops add, “With deep joy, we welcome this providential gift of a new Shepherd, in fulfilment of the Lord’s promise: I will give you shepherds after my own heart, who will lead you with knowledge and understanding.” “As a continent blessed with a rapidly growing Catholic population and a youthful, vibrant Church, Africa looks with great expectation to the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV,” Catholic Bishops in Africa say in their Press release. They pray that “his leadership will inspire efforts to deepen the faith, strengthen vocations, and advance authentic, Christ-centered development. Africa, rich in culture, history, and deep-rooted spirituality, remains an indispensable partner in the mission of the universal Church”...

Pope Leo XIV’s Election “a sign of hope”, Catholic Bishops in Mozambique Say, Pledge “fidelity, communion, obedience”

Members of the Episcopal Conference of Mozambique (CEM) have hailed the Thursday, May 8 election of Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the Catholic Church’s 267th Pontiff, describing it as “a sign of hope” for the Church and the world. In a statement they issued shortly after the election of Pope Leo XIV was announced, CEM members call upon Mozambicans to welcome this new chapter with prayer and spiritual dedication and pledge their support for the new Pontiff. They express their “communion with the entire Catholic Church” in rejoicing over “the election of the new Pope, the new successor of Peter: Pope Leo XIV”...

Both from ACI Africa

A descendant of Afro-Caribbean Creoles in New Orleans

Honestly, I think the internet genealogists have flown well ahead of what the Pope himself knows about his ancestry. He's talked about his ancestry and didn't seem to have a clue. Pretty cool.

>26 timspalding:

And a (very) attenuated link to Judaism: https://forward.com/culture/719350/pope-leo-jewish-henry-loeb-family-tree

Leo ticks all(?) the boxes!

>25 brone:

My post >23 John5918: was written in the context of >22 margd: about treating our popes more gently, and your diatribe about socialists, boomers, stifling free speech and America suggests that once again you miss the point. My apologies that I am not able to make myself clearer. Let me try once more.

Nobody objects to disagreement with and criticism of our popes. It is healthy and constructive, and not necessarily divisive. John Paul II and Benedict XVI certainly came in for a fair degree of it. But I would suggest that the level of vitriol and toxicity aimed at the late Pope Francis by Catholics, not by protestants, people of other faiths, atheists, secularists, humanists, communists, socialists, marxists or other who might be expected to be anti-Catholic, is unprecedented. Attempting to delegitimise one's own pope by holding him up as a figure of ridicule and mockery is not the Catholic way. The argument that this is just humour falls flat - that's the way we used to excuse racist, sexist, homophobic, xenophobic, anti-Semitic, anti-Irish and other forms of hate speech in my younger days. In your latest post in your "Latin Mass, FBI, Scapulas, Superbowls" thread (#421) you correctly refer to the sort of friendly humour which comes naturally to us and is treasured in so many parts of the English-speaking world, not only the USA, with emphasis on the word "friendly". Let us pray that it continues to be so.

In this context I repeat two quotes which I have recently come across. Cardinal Cristobal López Romero, Archbishop of Rabat said, "If I separate, it won't be the Pope's fault." And Franciscan Fr Richard Rohr, in a recent newsletter, reflected, "Throughout all these years I’ve tried to pass my words through three gates: 'Is it true? Is it loving? Is it necessary?'” Food for thought and prayer.

A bit of red herring, but just for my information, did 20 million US Catholics really participate in the Vietnam war? The best I can find online is that 3.4 million US military of all types served there, far short of 20 million.

The new pope is the internet’s biggest meme. What does that say about us? (Guardian)

Social media has been fun for the first time in years. But the joy of this moment is about more than just jokes... The arrival of a new pope has come at a time when people are interrogating the distribution of power in the world, when the formerly devout are questioning their faith (no matter what the American religious right would have you believe), and when there’s an urgent sentiment that the global establishment and its supporters (like the church) need to be transformed. Pope Leo XIV’s ascent is taking place at the cultural intersection of social media obsession, power and religion. But the way we’ve responded to it – the return to our collective ideals that moments like this inspire – gives some meaning to all the pomp and circumstance.

Being American, Pope Leo XIV's Pontificate Could Mean Increased Charitable Giving: Papal Foundation President (ACI Africa)

As the world celebrates the election of the first pope born in the United States, the president of the only U.S.-based charitable organization dedicated to carrying out the Holy Father’s humanitarian aid projects speculates that Leo XIV’s papacy could increase charitable giving within the Church. “I do think that because Pope Leo is American, he will have a special rapport with Americans that it should lead to increased donation for his causes of the poor and the vulnerable and the marginalized,” said Ward Fitzgerald, the Papal Foundation’s board president... He stated that the pontiff’s philosophy rests on three pillars: an appreciation for the harmony of faith and reason, shaped by his study of Aquinas; a commitment to leading people to Christ, rooted in his Augustinian influences; and a deep concern for the poor and marginalized, reflected in his service in Peru...

A thirteen minute video including a news video of US Cardinal Timothy Dolan speaking about the conclave and the new pope. The commentary by a priest on whose YouTube channel this was posted is pretty unmemorable, but Dolan's words are interesting: link

>31 brone:

At no point did I accuse you of deliberately misleading anyone. I was simply trying to get to the facts on an issue about which I am not overly familiar. As for a red herring, I understand it to mean something which is not connected to the substantive issue. The number of US military in Vietnam has nothing to do with Pope Leo XIV. As for gaslighting, I'm still waiting to hear what you mean by the term. Cruel? Not intentionally, and I'm sorry if that's how you interpreted it.

>33 brone: making the Catholic Church great again

We would disagree on this phrasing. The Catholic Church is already "great", and doesn't need to be made great again. Where we can perhaps agree is that the new pope will continue the trajectory of his great predecessors, which in my lifetime goes back as far as Pius XII, in maintaining and building on that greatness.

Pope! Amigo! Peruvians remember the young American priest who became pope (CNN)

Pope Leo was born in the United States as Robert Prevost, but for his adopted nation of Peru – where he acquired citizenship in 2015 – he is a Chiclayano, a son of the bustling northern Peruvian city where he served as bishop for years, after working as a priest in the countryside. Here, everyone has a story about him... “The way he treated people, his presence enveloped you in a sense of trust. He had a Latin American heart”... Leo, widely considered a progressive pope and ideological successor to Pope Francis, worked closely with the neediest in Chiclayo, coordinating local NGOs, churches and religious groups in the late 2010s to assist a flood of Venezuelans fleeing political chaos and economic collapse in their home country... “Papa! Amigo! El pueblo esta contigo!” congregants chanted in the crowd, blasting airhorns and lifting their children in the air as if it were a home team game. “Pope! Friend! The people are with you! Let me tell you, the Pope has two hearts: one is for where he was born, but the other one is for here, for us, the humble people of Chiclayo,” Cruzado said. “He is our Pope.”

Pope Leo XIV: News media should foster peace and disarm words (Vatican News)

The newly-elected Pope began his remarks with a call for communication to foster peace by caring for how people and events are presented. He invited media professionals to promote a different kind of communication, one that “does not seek consensus at all costs, does not use aggressive words, does not follow the culture of competition, and never separates the search for truth from the love with which we must humbly seek it.” “The way we communicate is of fundamental importance,” he said. “We must say ‘no’ to the war of words and images; we must reject the paradigm of war.” The Pope went on to reaffirm the Church’s solidarity with journalists who are imprisoned for reporting the truth, and he called for their release. He said their suffering reminds the world of the importance of the freedom of expression and the press, adding that “only informed individuals can make free choices”...

Bobbleheads, t-shirts and political pressure for first US-born pope (Tablet)

Progressive Catholics cheered the fact that, as cardinal, Prevost re-posted articles on social media criticising Trump’s anti-immigrant stance, which concerned Trump supporters...

Successor of Pope Leo XIV in Peruvian Catholic Diocese Defends Him against Accusations of Sexual Abuse Cover-up (ACI Africa)

The current bishop of Chiclayo, Peru, Edinson Farfán, is publicly defending the actions of his predecessor, Bishop Robert Prevost — now Pope Leo XIV — in the face of accusations that he covered up sexual abuse in the diocese. Responding to a question at a press conference about the issue, Farfán stated: “That’s a lie. He has listened, he has respected the processes, and this process is still ongoing… Farfán said he has accompanied the alleged victims: “I have asked for their forgiveness, we have wept together, and they have undoubtedly been treated well; there is a close relationship. I hope we can reach satisfactory closure.” He added that the canonical process is ongoing, assuring that “the cardinal, Pope Leo XIV, has been the most responsive to these cases in the Peruvian Church, and he has listened to us; he has allowed us to achieve justice”... At the press conference, Farfán also denied that the victims had received $150,000 in exchange for their silence...

>35 John5918: John, Many thanks for taking time to write about Pope LeoXIV. I regret that I never knew a lot about Pope Francis, but I vow to learn about this pope. I appreciate the assistance your posts gives.

Pope Leo XIV to Eastern Catholics: The Church needs you (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV welcomes Eastern Catholics to the Vatican for the Jubilee of Eastern Churches, and highlights the need to preserve their traditions and pray for true peace, “which is reconciliation, forgiveness, and the courage to turn the page and start anew"...

Pope Leo XVI, First Missionary to Become Pope in a Long, Long Time (National Catholic Register)

Is Pope Leo XIV the first missionary to become pope since St. Peter? Some historians argue the point — more on that below — but all agree that his experience as a foreign missionary is a rarity in a new bishop of Rome. And it seems to be shaping his priorities right from the start. Pope Leo XIV mentioned forms of the word “missionary” twice on the balcony overlooking St. Peter’s Square shortly after his election. He called on Catholics “to proclaim the Gospel without fear, to be missionaries.” And later, he said: “Together, we must look for ways to be a missionary Church”... His experience as a priest and bishop, therefore, is not just in his native country and not just in Rome. “I think that although he’s an American he has a kind of universal ecclesiastical perspective”... All popes encourage evangelizing, but Pope Leo will have an unusual personal understanding of how missions work... “He understands that the missions to Asia and to the Global South are very important. That’s where the Church is growing. He may well encourage missions to Europe, as well”... "the time in Peru would have given him a very different self-understanding as well as understanding of many other things”... His experience as a foreign missionary resonated with Pope Francis... That missionary experience apparently attracted his fellow cardinal-electors, including Cardinal Robert McElroy, the archbishop of Washington, who during a post-conclave press conference in early May 2025 called Rome “the city of the great missionaries of Christianity — Peter and Paul.” “And in a very real sense, Cardinal Prevost, in his life, has been at its core a missionary, in every way,” Cardinal McElroy said. “And in the great missionary tradition of the Church, but also in his own life, as a missionary within in his family, within his religious community, within the parishes where he served, in the diocese where he served, and now for the world”...

One label which I have not yet seen attached to Pope Leo XIV is "migrant". He's not just the descendant of migrants, as most US nationals are or as Pope Francis was in Argentina, but he himself is a migrant. As a missionary, he left his home country and travelled to a strange foreign land where he lived and worked, learned the language, identified himself with the local people and culture, and eventually gained citizenship and a position of public leadership. He was not a refugee fleeing from war, oppression or economic hardship, but like many other people throughout the world he decided to go and play a positive role in another country. I can identify with that, as I am also a missionary who left my own country fifty years ago to settle, live and work in another continent, and I'm still here, as Leo would no doubt still be in Peru if he hadn't been called to Rome in 2023 and made Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.

The term "migrant" has become a pejorative in many right wing circles in the Global North, but it's worth remembering that many migrants, whether missionaries or people seeking to be part of the economy in another country, play a very positive role in their new host country, just like Archbishop Robert Prevost did before becoming pope. And of course any non-Italian Bishop of Rome is automatically a migrant, living and working outside their country of birth for the rest of their lives. Maybe John Paul II, Benedict XVI, Francis, and eventually Leo XIV, should become the patron saints of immigrants!

Where Leo XIV Has Already Marked A Break From Pope Francis: Ukraine
Stefano Stefanini | 13 May 2025

... The Pope’s call for peace cites the conditions necessary to achieve it: “justice … for the beloved Ukrainian people,” and the release of the hostages alongside “relief for the exhausted civilian population” of Gaza.

Strong points. They do not take anything away from the guiding, evangelical vision of peace as a universal good, but they show a Pontiff aware of the concrete obstacles on the way to getting there. And those obstacles must be removed.

... On Monday, Pope Leo spoke by telephone for the first time with Zelensky, who invited him to visit Kyiv.

... true leaders, earthly or religious, admire but do not imitate. In Pope Leo, what emerges immediately is the makings of a true leader, up to the test of facing such a tragically earthly event as war itself. If, on Ukraine, Pope Francis appeared to say, at least initially, that to have peace it may be necessary to turn the other cheek, Pope Leo XIV says “that’s enough slaps now.” ...

https://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/where-leo-xiv-has-already-marked-a-break-fr...

Pope Leo on media and evangelization. Full 2012 interview.
Catholic News Service | May 10, 2025
VIDEO BY: Robert Duncan
INTERVIEW BY: Francis X. Rocca

In 2012, Catholic News Service asked then-Father Prevost to read the full text of the intervention he had prepared for the Synod of Bishops on the New Evangelization. Afterward, we posed questions related to the themes of his presentation. While the questions have been abbreviated, his answers are included here in full.

Transcript... {mass media ... how teach people to be critical thinkers (at 7:15)}

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QXVkJ5TQi1s

As a young priest in Peru, Pope Leo XIV survived a bomb threat and charmed locals (Reuters)

a young jeans-wearing missionary from Chicago with broken Spanish, landing in Peru at a time when the country was being torn apart by internal conflict... "He had this aura that spoke to people. People flocked to him"... Camacho recalled traveling to the adobe mud-brick churches that dot the region with Prevost, sometimes walking on foot, sometimes on horseback, carrying crucifixes and ceremonial wine. He remembered Prevost asking altar boys for help with words in Spanish, taking them on trips to beaches, and hiring karate, swimming and basketball coaches to keep the town's youth away from crime. "He came here when he was really young, but we thank that young man who walked with us, played basketball in the arena and would take us to the beach for the weekend"... Fidel Alvarado, a priest in the Chulucanas diocese, was a 20-year-old student in the seminary when he met Prevost. He recalled a bomb destroying the church door, and threats made to the priests, with Prevost and the other North American priests being told to leave in 24 hours or they would be killed. But they stayed, said Alvarado. "What convinced them to stay was the people, they had traveled around and felt the love of the people," he said... Locals Reuters spoke to kept saying the same thing about Prevost - that he was like a "shepherd that smelled of the sheep," meaning he was very close to his congregation. "He always spoke to us about the value of community, which is part of the beauty of Saint Augustine," Alvarado said...

Jerusalem patriarch, back in Holy Land, reflects on conclave, 'inconceivable' Gaza situation (NCR)

The importance of continuity and diversity as well as the issues of war and peace were a main topic of conversation for the 133 cardinals as they gathered to vote in the conclave May 7-8, said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, Latin patriarch of Jerusalem... Pizzaballa said the discussion around the situation in Gaza and Ukraine took an important place in the conclave conversations, but he noted that there are currently more than 50 conflicts in the world that also need to be remembered. "The cardinals are coming from all over the world. There were cardinals from South Sudan, where the situation is not very different," he said. "Everyone brought their concerns, and war and pursuit of peace was central. You can't talk about theology … without mentioning (life.) The life of the church is not separate from the life of the world. It is very present." While the church will not be involved in political discussions, it "can't be silent" and needs to speak out and advocate for peace, he said. He called the situation in Gaza "inconceivable." "We can't understand this and we can't accept this. We call on all people to resolve this conflict in a different way," he said. "Starvation is not solving the situation, it is only making it worse. This is not acceptable. It is no way to resolve a conflict, it is only creating hate"...

A pope of communion: Leo XIV and the Francis legacy (Tablet)

The first pope from the United States has made it clear he will build on the ‘precious legacy’ he inherited from Francis – but it is clear too that his style of leadership will be very different... in weight and numbers, the cardinal-electors were no longer mostly European but Asian, Latin-American and African. Francis had broken that mould, captivating the world with a new way – missionary, pastoral, humble, not stuck in the sacristy but out with the people, whose proclamation showed forth “God’s style.” For most of the cardinals, this was the way indicated by the Second Vatican Council. They wanted more of that... Many media narratives, focused on a supposed doctrinal divide between “liberals” and “conservatives,” missed this deeper evangelising choice at stake... What they wanted was clear from the cardinals’ communiqués: a teacher of humanity, a shepherd with the face of a Samaritan Church, a leader who was collegial and synodal. Clearly, the search was on for another Francis, but not a photocopy. It needed to be someone with experience of the universal Church, preferably multilingual; an evangeliser-in-chief who could speak to hearts; a statesman who could build fraternity in a world at war; and a governor who could get to grips with the Vatican... The post-Francis Pope, in other words, needed to be in his mould, but giving his reform and teaching institutional expression, rooted in the Church through “synodality, lived in close connection with episcopal collegiality”... The one who knew about that experience and those gifts was Francis, who – I now realised – had over the years quietly prepared Prevost to succeed him... Bergoglio would have seen something of his younger self in Prevost... Bishop Prevost’s key role during Covid... people remember him above all for being there, for being unafraid to visit them and hear from them and show them his closeness at a time of fear and loss... Those at his tables in the Synod assemblies of October 2023 and 2024 say he spoke little, listened deeply and intervened incisively. At a Synod press conference, he spoke of wanting more synodal processes for selecting bishops and synodal structures that allowed bishops to hear from their people; every diocese, he said, needed a pastoral council. He defended the African bishops’ response to Fiducia Supplicans, the document on blessing of people in same-sex unions, as not a rejection of the teaching authority of the Pope but a reflection of cultural context, highlighting the importance of the teaching authority of the local bishops’ conference. Looking back, it is easy now to see the strategic wisdom of Francis bringing Prevost to Rome when he did – with enough time to see how the Curia works, and to be seen, but not so long for him to be dragged into its dysfunctions. In his role as prefect, he was at once brought into contact with the world’s hierarchy, and at the two Synod assemblies took part in the Church’s most universal and diverse gatherings in history... the vaticanisti did not see Prevost as papabile because he was from the United States. Francis knew better... missionary, close to his people, a builder of communion. The pastor of the people has become Pope of the people, as the cardinals wanted, and he has slipped into this new incarnation with spectacular ease... a native English-speaker Pope, the first since the twelfth-century Hertfordshire Pope, Adrian IV. But the genius of Leo is that he is more a product of Peru than of the US: the second Latin-American Pope is the first Pope of the Americas, as the Vatican refers to the whole continent, north and south, where half of the world’s Catholics live... He was clear: his own pontificate would be a continuation of the “precious legacy” of Francis. He asked the cardinals to commit themselves anew to the reforms of the Second Vatican Council, which Francis had “masterfully and concretely set forth” in Evangelii Gaudium. He highlighted, in particular, the return to the primacy of Christ in proclamation, the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community, growth in collegiality and synodality, attention to the sensus fidei, and popular piety; loving care for the least and the rejected; and courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world... The Leonine era begins officially with the inauguration Mass tomorrow. But it already feels like the Franciscan era has been reborn and extended in new and exciting ways.

Pope Leo XIV, First Pontiff in Modern History with Firsthand Knowledge of Africa

Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost, the newly elected 267th Pontiff, who has taken the Papal name Leo XIV, is beginning his Papacy with firsthand knowledge of Africa. Unlike his predecessors, Pope Leo XIV has already been to Eastern, Western, Southern, Northern, and Central Africa in person. As he begins his Pontificate, he has been in Kenya at least six times and in neighbouring Tanzania more than five times...

Testimony of South Africa's Cardinal Elector on Pope Leo XIV's Election

Stephen Cardinal Brislin of the Catholic Archdiocese of Johannesburg in South Africa has shared his experience of the May 8 election of Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the 267th Pontiff, describing the moment as “extraordinarily interesting”... the moment each Cardinal elector stepped forward to pledge obedience and loyalty to the new Holy Father was especially serene. “It was a beautiful moment. The Holy Father greeted each of us personally, smiling with serenity. I believe this calm, humble spirit will mark his pontificate”... “We weren’t choosing a successor to Pope Francis per se, but a successor to Peter,” the Cardinal said, and explained, “There must be continuity in fidelity to Jesus Christ, the teachings of the Church, and with the pastoral priorities Pope Francis so deeply embodied: mercy, compassion, justice, and peace.” The Cardinal also spoke about the awareness that was shared among the Cardinal electors on the need to be cautious about what’s said in the media and on social platforms. Such platforms, he said, were not to influence the decisions of the Conclave. “A few days before the conclave, I stopped looking at social media altogether. It was becoming disturbing — even slanderous,” the Cardinal further recounted...

Both from ACI Africa

"I stopped looking at social media altogether. It was becoming disturbing — even slanderous". So I'm not the only one who finds some of the social media activity around the papacy disturbing and scandalous!

John, Thank you very much for this thread. I regret that I did not learn about Pope Francis until after his passing. With this thread, you have provided an opportunity for this not to happen to me again, and to learn about the personality and missions of the current Pope!

>43 Whisper1:

Thanks. I pray that all of us will get to know about Pope Leo XIV, and that he will be a good shepherd not only of the Catholic Church, but like Francis before him, someone respected and loved globally by people of all faiths and none.

Cardinal Tagle reflects on Pope Leo XIV as a missionary shepherd (Vatican News)

The Pro-Prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization speaks with Vatican News about Pope Leo XIV, shares his spiritual experience of the conclave, and reflects on the legacy of Pope Francis nearly a month after his passing... "He has a deep and patient capacity for listening and engages in careful study and reflection before making a decision. The Pope expresses his feelings and preferences without imposing them. He is intellectually and culturally well-prepared, but without showing off. In his relationships, Pope Leo brings a calm warmth, shaped by prayer and missionary experience"... "a conclave is a liturgical event - a time and space for prayer, for listening to God’s Word, the stirrings of the Holy Spirit, the groanings of the Church, humanity and creation, for personal and communal purification of motivations, and for worship and adoration of God, whose will must reign supreme. Both Pope Francis and Pope Leo were elected on the second day. The conclave teaches us, our families, parishes, dioceses, and nations that communion of minds and hearts is possible if we worship the true God"... "I believe that his human, cultural, religious and missionary background will give a unique face to his ministry. But this is true of all Popes. The Petrine ministry of strengthening brothers and sisters in the faith in Jesus, the Son of the living God, remains the same—but each Pope lives and exercises it through his unique humanity. Pope Leo’s multi-continental and multi-cultural background will surely help him in his ministry and benefit the Church. The people of Asia love the Pope as Pope, whichever country he comes from. He is loved not only by Catholics, but also by other Christians and followers of non-Christian religions"... "My heart is gladdened by the numerous testimonies given by the Catholic faithful, non-Catholic Christian communities and members of non-Christian religions about the teaching and legacy of Pope Francis. I hope these testimonies continue to grow and be “gathered” as part of our understanding not only of Pope Francis but also of the Petrine ministry. For my part, I would highlight his gift of humanity—of being human to others—which marked his Pontificate"...

>46 brone:

Thanks for posting your views on both Frances and Leo.

Prevost must guarantee the Unity of the Catholic Church which is seriously threatened by deep divisions and doctrinal fragmentations reaching the point of virulence

I would say yes and no. Of course Leo, like any pope, is the focal point for the unity of the Catholic Church. But when I look at the global, universal Catholic Church, particularly in Africa, Asia and Latin America where around 60% of the world's Catholics live and where the Church is vibrant and fast-growing, I do not see "deep divisions and doctrinal fragmentations" - these are found only amongst a very small number of Catholics mainly in the USA, and also a few in UK, France and one or two other nations. The vast majority of Catholics appear to be content with the Church as it is now and as it is developing, and I don't see it being "seriously threatened". It is true, though, that these dissidents are virulent, vitriolic even, in their attacks on the Church and particularly the previous pope, who in contrast was much loved by the majority of Catholics (and non-Catholics). Hopefully the new pope, while having spent much of his life imbibing the life of the Church in the Global South, as a US citizen might be better equipped to handle these dissidents than Francis was.

Might be worth repeating again the recent words of Cardinal Cristobal López Romero, Archbishop of Rabat: "Unity isn't created by the Pope, it's created by all of us. He is there as a sign and centre of unity, but it's up to each of us whether we join or not... If I separate, it won't be the Pope's fault" (link).

Catholic Women in Nigeria Urge Pope Leo XIV to Champion Global Reconciliation, End Wars During Pontificate

Catholic women leaders in Nigeria have urged Pope Leo XIV, the 267th Pontiff, to use his papacy to foster reconciliation, champion peace efforts globally, and help end ongoing wars, particularly the conflict between Russia and Ukraine... leaders of key Catholic women groups made passionate appeals to the Holy Father, calling on him to prioritize peace and justice in his global agenda... the need for the new Pope to focus on healing divisions both within the Church and across the world. “The Holy Father should use his position as the Vicar of Christ to promote reconciliation within the Church and globally. The Church today needs unity, healing, and renewed attention to the marginalized”... Expressing optimism about the new Pope's style, she added, “From his body language and early actions, we can see that he is approachable and grounded. We expect him to follow in the humble footsteps of Pope Francis and even go further in championing justice and peace. The world is truly in need of a shepherd like him”...

Religious Leaders in Mauritius Laud Election of Pope Leo XIV as “a moment of spiritual renewal with global significance”

Religious leaders in the Indian Ocean Island nation of Mauritius have described the election of Pope Leo XVI as a moment of spiritual renewal with global significance, noting that the election marks a new chapter not only for the Catholic Church but also for interfaith relations around the world... “His (Pope Leo XIV’s) accession to the pontificate marks a moment of spiritual renewal with global significance. We pray that his spiritual leadership continues to inspire values of compassion, justice, and peace, and that he brings hope to those seeking comfort and moral guidance in today’s complex world,” the religious leaders say... “The Council of Religions reaffirms its commitment to promoting harmony among all faiths”...

Catholic Theologian Optimistic that Pope Leo XIV will Pay “special attention” to Church Leadership in Africa

Fr. Stan Chu Ilo, the Coordinating Servant of PACTPAN underlined the need for the Church in Africa to be an example for governments on how to lead. He underlined the need for the new Pontiff to pay particular attention to “the quality of men who are chosen to lead local Churches” in Africa, where he said Christian faith is growing exponentially. “It is important that the new Pope pays a special attention to political and religious leadership in Africa”... He added, “Yes, the Church in Africa is growing. But the question is, is our leadership in the Catholic Church across the board growing in a more positive institutional culture, building structures, systems and processes of accountability and transparency and even succession plans?” “How is the leadership of the Catholic Church in Africa serving as a mirror for the corrupt politicians in the wider society so that they can look at what is happening in the Catholic Church and see an example of how they can lead,” the Nigerian Theologian said. He underlined the need to pay attention to the quality of men and women chosen to lead Catholic institutions including hospitals, universities, and Catholic social agencies. “We need to have transformative servant leaders who can lift our gaze beyond imprisoning walls of the present and serve as beacons of light that our people can look toward and find the path that God is calling them and do it with courage and determination,” Fr. Stan said... “For the first time, we have a Pope who is a global citizen. He is well-travelled having visited more than 50 countries already. He understands the way the world and Africa functions.” Cautioning against having impractical expectations from the newly appointed Holy Father, Fr. Stan said, “It is not so much what the Pope will do for Africa, but rather what we theologians and Church leaders in Africa want to do for Africa that Pope Leo can support as our spiritual leader and an ally”... Theologians in Africa always support the Holy Father in his pontificate. “We promise to sustain, like Pope Francis asked us to do in 2022 (in a meeting with African college students), robustly engaged theological and pastoral conversations across every aspect of our ecclesial life in order to suffice the voices of Africa and the fruits of the eschatological reign of God,” he said.

All from ACI Africa

Pope asks to define principles, norms, and guidelines for Latin rite priests accompanying Eastern rite Catholics arriving in the West (Zenit)

English translation of the Pope’s words.

Thai Buddhist scholar reflects on Pope Leo XIV’s call for peace, unity (Vatican News)

As Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Mass of Inauguration of his pontificate in St. Peter’s Square on Sunday, Dr. Boonchuay Doojai, a respected voice from Thailand’s interfaith community, offered a thoughtful reflection on the new Pope's call to peace and unity... “By choosing the name Leo XIV, he signals a return to the bold social teachings of the Church—emphasizing justice, dialogue, and unity to heal the global divisions of our time”... The new Pope’s first public message in Italian, rather than English, and his greeting in Spanish for his former community in Peru offered insight into his inclusive and pastoral priorities, he noted. “His first words—La pace sia con tutti voi! or ‘Peace be with you!’—echoed the Catholic liturgy but were clearly intended as a universal call for peace in a world marred by conflict... Pope Leo XIV renewed his appeal for peace in regions ravaged by war, echoing the final public words of his predecessor, Pope Francis. “His voice still rings in our ears—soft, but always full of courage”...

Pope Leo XIV: Now is the time for dialogue and building bridges (Vatican News)

On the day after the Mass for the Inauguration of his Petrine Ministry, Pope Leo XIV greets delegations from non-Catholic Churches, ecclesial communities, and other faith traditions, recalling his predecessor’s commitment to ecumenism and interreligious dialogue...

Pope Leo XIV calls for ‘love’ to triumph over hatred and violence (Tablet)

Pope Leo XIV spoke out against hatred and violence and indicated the direction his papacy will take – one of love under the authority of the charity of Christ... Pope Leo spoke of the “self-sacrificing love” of St Peter. “Peter must shepherd the flock without ever yielding to the temptation to be an autocrat, lording it over those entrusted to him,” he said. “It is never a question of capturing others by force, by religious propaganda or by means of power. Instead, it is always and only a question of loving as Jesus did”...

In First Personnel Appointments, Pope Leo XIV Replaces Chancellor of Rome's John Paul II Marriage, Family Institute (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV, in one of his first personnel appointments, on Monday named Cardinal Baldassare Reina grand chancellor of the Pontifical Theological Institute John Paul II for Marriage and the Family, replacing Archbishop Vincenzo Paglia, who turned 80 on April 20. Reina, 54, is vicar general of the Diocese of Rome since 2024. As part of that role, he is also grand chancellor of the Pontifical Lateran University, the home of the John Paul II Institute. Pope Leo’s May 19 appointment of Reina as grand chancellor appears to be a return to the former practice of linking the leadership of the institute to the vicar general of Rome. This practice had been changed under Pope Francis, who named Paglia to the role in 2016...

Fact Check: Did Pope Leo XIV Give a 36-minute Speech Praising Burkina Faso's Interim President Ibrahim Traoré? (ACI Africa)

A 36-minute video purporting to show Pope Leo XIV reading a statement denouncing colonialism and praising Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the 37-year-old leader of Burkina Faso, has garnered nearly a million views on YouTube as of Monday... The video is entirely fake and admits as much in its own description on YouTube — but that hasn’t stopped thousands of viewers from being misled... In reality, however, a disclaimer in the video’s description, posted by the channel Pan-African Dreams, explicitly describes the video as “a work of fiction inspired by the life of Ibrahim Traoré”... A YouTube-required label on the video also notes that it contains “Altered or synthetic content: Sound or visuals were significantly edited or digitally generated.” The video is by no means the first AI-generated, fake video of the newly elected Pope Leo to make the rounds online...

>53 brone:

On the other hand it could just be that he has reached the age of eighty and it's time to retire, and returning the office to the post of Vicar General of the diocese rather than to a specific individual.

Pope Leo XIV prays at tomb of St. Paul (Vatican News)

On Tuesday afternoon, Pope Leo XIV visited the Basilica of St. Paul outside the Walls, the Roman church traditionally believed to hold the saint’s remains...

One great missionary praying at the tomb of another great missionary!

Pope Leo XIV’s first General Audience: Love does not calculate (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV holds his first Wednesday General Audience and reflects on Jesus' parable of the sower, stressing that God “does not wait for us to become the best soil”... While parables are taken from everyday life, their goal is to convey something more profound. They encourage us all to “raise questions within us; they invite us not to stop at appearances”...

Pope appoints religious sister secretary of dicastery for religious (NCR)

In his first appointment of a top-level official of the Roman Curia, Pope Leo XIV named Sr. Tiziana Merletti, a canon lawyer, to be secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Merletti, a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor, succeeds Consolata Missionary Sr. Simona Brambilla, whom Pope Francis appointed prefect of the dicastery in January. Brambilla is the first woman to head a Vatican dicastery...

Pope Leo XIV: 'Christ is our Saviour, and in Him, we are one family' (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV praises the important global efforts of the Pontifical Mission Societies, marveling that they are "effectively the 'primary means' of awakening missionary responsibility among all the baptized and supporting ecclesial communities in areas where the Church is young...

Moscow Auxiliary Bishop: Church in Russia ‘struck by Pope’s push for peace’ (Vatican News)

In Russia, many people were moved by Pope Leo XIV’s words on peace spoken from the central balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica on May 8, the evening of his election to the papacy. “We were struck by his appeal for disarmed, disarming peace, a simple yet penetrating concept that he repeated in his subsequent addresses. That has generated hope,” noted Bishop Dubinin. Speaking to Vatican News, the Auxiliary Bishop of the Archdiocese of the Mother of God in Moscow said many Russians appreciated his emphasis on unity. “The Pope repeated that word no fewer than eight times during the homily at the Eucharistic celebration marking the start of his Petrine ministry,” he said. “It was an important exhortation not only for our Church but for all of society.” Dialogue, solidarity, and missionary zeal were other key themes from Pope Leo XIV that resonated immediately, according to Bishop Dubinin. “Ultimately, they draw a line of continuity with Pope Francis’s pontificate—and that gives us great consolation and new impetus,” he said, calling it a balm that soothes the wounds of a local Church tested by conflict and that continues to pray unceasingly for a complete cessation of hostilities. Bishop Dubinin highlighted that the Russian Church seeks to remain above partisan divisions precisely because its parishes exemplify “diverse nationalities, cultural backgrounds, and viewpoints.” “In this situation, the Church shares with the people all their pains and sufferings,” he said. “We deeply feel the impotence of not being able to change events directly, but we trust in Pope Leo XIV’s action, guided by the Holy Spirit”...

“God did it for us”, Catholic Archbishop in Ghana Hails Pope Leo XIV as God’s Gift, Urges Spiritual Solidarity “always” (ACI Africa)

Archbishop Gabriel Charles Palmer-Buckle of Ghana’s Cape Coast Archdiocese has called on the people of God in Africa to embrace the May 8 election of Robert Francis Cardinal Prevost as the 267th successor of St. Peter, describing the decision of the Cardinal Electors as God’s gift to the Church... “We welcomed the new Pope with gratitude to God because with 1.4 billion people praying… the Lord God did it for us and gave us a new Pope,” the Ghanaian Catholic Archbishop said... “Our duty, in my opinion, is to pray for him always as the Church prayed for the first Pope, Peter.” Archbishop Palmer-Buckle invited the people of God in Africa to “listen to the voice of God through the new Pope, and as sheep of Christ… follow him, to know, his voice and his teaching to God and the Father… in the light of the Holy Spirit”...

Fact Check: Has Pope Leo XIV Appointed Guinean Vatican-based Cardinal Sarah His “Special Envoy”? (ACI Africa)

Is the May 19 YouTube post claiming that Pope Leo XIV has appointed Guinean-born Robert Cardinal Sarah his Special Envoy to “a newly created position” of the Holy See, authentic? ... Verdict: The multiple falsehood and the internal inconsistencies combine to make the May 19 YouTube post on Cardinal Sarah fake; it should not be taken seriously. It is possible that Pope Leo XIV will create new offices and positions. He is yet to take that path. Similar to the 36-minute video purporting to show Pope Leo XIV reading a statement in response to Captain Ibrahim Traoré, the 37-year-old leader of Burkina Faso, ACI Africa has rated the 21-minute May 19 YouTube post on Cardinal Sarah and a purported newly created Vatican position as a false claim.

Indian Ocean Catholic Bishops Pledge “full collaboration” with Pope Leo XIV in His Petrine Ministry (ACI Africa)

Members of the Episcopal Conference of the Indian Ocean (CEDOI) have pledged their full collaboration with Pope Leo XIV in his ministry as the successor of St. Peter... “Thank you for having responded to the Lord’s call by putting yourself at the service of the people of God and assuming such a great responsibility,” the Catholic Church leaders say. They add, “Be assured, Holy Father, of our full collaboration in your mission as pastor of the Catholic Church in the service of proclaiming the Gospel, even in the most remote islands.” “You can count on our prayer, our loyalty, and our fraternal support,” the Catholic Church leaders in Comoros, Mauritius, Mayotte, Reunion, and Seychelles say...

Pope Leo XIV Assures South Sudan of Solidarity, Evokes Memories of Pope Francis’ Closeness with War-Torn Country

Pope Leo XIV has assured South Sudan of his spiritual closeness with the country that continues to reel in violence, evoking memories of the late Pope Francis who always longed for peace in the African country... This special closeness is what Stephen Ameyu Martin Cardinal Mulla of South Sudan’s Catholic Archdiocese of Juba reminded Pope Leo XIV when he had the chance to shake the new Pope’s hand following his May 8 election as the 267th Pontiff... He said that with Pope Francis’ death, South Sudan had “lost an advocate”, and reminded those fighting in the country to lay down their weapons of violence in honor of the late Holy Father...

Pope Leo XIV Thanks Pontifical Mission Societies for Devotion to Communion, Universality

Pope Leo XIV delivered an address to the Pontifical Mission Societies on Thursday thanking its members for living the Church’s call to evangelize to all nations with a spirit of communion and universality in union with the pope... “As societies committed to sharing in the missionary mandate of the pope and the college of bishops, you are called to cultivate and further promote within your members the vision of the Church as the communion of believers, enlivened by the Holy Spirit, who enables us to enter into the perfect communion and harmony of the blessed Trinity,” the pontiff said to those present at the morning meeting. “This dimension of our Christian life and mission is close to my heart and is reflected in the words of St. Augustine that I chose for my episcopal service and now for my papal ministry: ‘In Illo uno unum’ — Christ is our savior and in him we are one, a family of God, beyond the rich variety of our languages, cultures, and experiences,” he added...

Both from ACI Africa

Bridge Builder: How Robert Prevost became Leo XIV (Commonweal)

After burying Pope Francis, the cardinals chose another pope from the Americas to follow in his path, proving both that the “change of era” inaugurated by Francis is here to stay and that Latin America would still be a key source for the universal Church. Leo XIV is from the south suburbs of Chicago, “the descendant of immigrants, who in turn chose to emigrate,” as he put it to the Holy See ambassadors on May 16. He was referring to the decades he spent as a missionary and bishop in Peru. This is why the first U.S.-born pope is also the second from South America... elected after only four ballots, on the afternoon of the second day of the conclave. As they emerged from the conclave, the cardinals were delighted, as if they had stumbled on a pearl of great price. They spoke of the atmosphere inside: the lighthearted peace in the Sistine Chapel, the sense of fraternity and unity back at the Santa Marta. They remarked on the freedom from the pressures and distractions of the internet that allowed them to settle prayerfully on the one man among them whom they believe God had chosen. They described how moving it had been to watch Prevost as his name was read out, over and over... once Prevost was elected—and on this the cardinals are unanimous—he was remarkably calm, wholly at peace. Over the next few days, Rome was struck by how effortlessly Prevost became Leo. What convinced the 133 cardinals, it turned out, had not been a great speech, but rather the way Prevost carried himself: he was humble, direct, synodal, and pastoral. Prevost would be a pope in the tradition of Francis, yet different in ways the cardinals regarded as necessary. They sought three particular qualities in the next pope. First, they wanted someone with experience of the universality of today’s Church, someone familiar with its breadth and complexity. Second, they were looking for someone who could bring the peace of Christ to the divisions within the Church and in the world at large. Third, they needed someone who could govern firmly but also in a more collegial manner than Francis did. The more they got to know Prevost, the more he emerged as the one who fit that profile... it was the pope as pontifex maximus, or “supreme bridge-builder,” that became a key topic for the cardinals in the ten days of private meetings prior to the conclave. He said Leo’s brief address from the loggia of St. Peter’s after his election was virtually a summary of their discussions. Peace was his theme, the disarming peace of Christ. Leo called for “a Church that builds bridges and encourages dialogue…a synodal Church”...

It seems that the pope has now appointed Cardinal Sarah as a "special envoy", but with a very specific task, not the wide-ranging position which the "fake news" cited in >57 John5918: was suggesting.

Guinean Vatican-based Cardinal Sarah Appointed Special Envoy to 400th Anniversary of Apparitions of St. Anne in France (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Guinean-born Robert Cardinal Sarah as his Special Envoy to the liturgical celebrations on the occasion of the 400th anniversary of the apparitions of St Anne to the Yvon Nicolazic in France...

Call to hear ‘cry of the earth’ on tenth anniversary of Laudato Si’ (Tablet)

‘I encourage you to keep building bridges,’ said Pope Leo in a video message to participants at an international conference on ecological debt and public hope. Pope Leo XIV marked the tenth anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ on Sunday, describing it as “extraordinarily popular, inspiring countless initiatives and teaching everyone to listen to the twofold cry of the earth and of the poor”... he went on to endorse “the Laudato Si’ Movement and all those who carry this commitment forward”. Pax Christi International and its Catholic Nonviolence Initiative said that “this special anniversary is a moment to raise hope and renew our commitment to ecological conversion through active nonviolence”, while various Justice, Peace and Integrity of Creation (JPIC) bodies echoed the Pope’s message...

>62 brone: anthropogenic global warming, another hotly debated subject of our times

It's not "hotly debated", it is actually widely accepted throughout most of the world, including in Europe and of course in the Global South which is disproportionately affected by it. It's certainly not "hotly debated" by scientists and those who know what they are talking about, although it may be debated by right wing political ideologues. If you could cite a source for your "50% of USA Catholics" it would be helpful.

>64 brone:

I repeat the "hot debate" is political, not scientific. I don't know where you got your figures of 97% and 3%, which I certainly never used, and I still don't know where you got your 50% of US Catholics. Could you cite a poll or research or whatever from which you got those statistics, please?

Pope Leo XIV: Before Being Believers, We are Called to Be Human (ACI Africa)

the Holy Father recalled that the parables of the Gospel offer an opportunity “to change perspective and open ourselves up to hope.” The lack of hope, the pontiff explained, is sometimes due “to the fact that we fixate on a certain rigid and closed way of seeing things,” and the parables “help us to look at them from another point of view.” He then recalled that Jesus proposes this parable to “a doctor of the law,” who asks him: “Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?” (Lk 10:25-37), and then Jesus invites him to love his neighbor... Leo XIV then added that “life is made up of encounters, and in these encounters, we emerge for what we are. We find ourselves in front of others, faced with their fragility and weakness, and we can decide what to do: to take care of them or pretend nothing is wrong.” He recalled that the priest and the Levite went down that same road and didn’t stop to help him. “The practice of worship does not automatically lead to being compassionate. Indeed, before being a religious matter, compassion is a question of humanity! Before being believers, we are called to be human,” he emphasized. The pope pointed out that “haste, so present in our lives, very often impedes us from feeling compassion. One who thinks his or her journey must be the priority is not willing to stop for another”... “religiosity does not enter into this. This Samaritan simply stops because he is a man faced with another man in need of help”...

>65 John5918: "I still don't know where you got your 50% of US Catholics. Could you cite a poll or research or whatever from which you got those statistics, please?"

Here are some relevant numbers, I think:

https://www.pewresearch.org/short-reads/2023/09/28/the-pope-is-concerned-about-c...

>67 cpg:

Ah, thank you. It's always easier to have a meaningful conversation when one has some context and completeness about statistics.

That articles appears to say that 57% of both Catholics and the US population in general believe that climate change is "either an extremely or very serious problem", leaving somewhat less than 50% believing that it isn't. Given that "views among Catholics differ, reflecting similar splits in the wider American population. U.S. adults overall who are 49 or younger, Democratic, or identify as a race or ethnicity other than non-Hispanic White are generally more likely than those who are 50 or older, Republican, or non-Hispanic White to express concern about climate change", my contention that it is a political rather than a scientific debate seems to be justified. The whole article is interesting in that it shows how the different demographic groups within Catholicism feel about different issues, and it reinforces my oft-stated belief that there is no stereotypical "US Catholic". Certainly most of the US Catholics whom I know personally would fall into the "progressive" category, but I understand there are also a lot who follow brone's path. Overall it would seem that "Generally speaking, U.S. Catholics are politically evenly divided" between Republican and Democrat, and again many of their religious views seem to mirror their political ideologies.

Traditionalist hopes for the old rite will be among Pope’s early challenges (Tablet)

The reforms to the Roman rite marked the greatest changes to worship in the Catholic Church in centuries… It was Benedict’s hope that the ordinary and the extraordinary forms would not only co-exist without stoking division, but mutually enrich each other. Francis hoped to restore unity to the celebration of the Roman rite while allowing occasional use of the pre-Vatican II Missal as a “pastoral concession”. How Leo steers between the hopes of his predecessors and the prayers of the worshippers at the shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Covent Garden will be among the trickiest challenges of his papacy...

Funny, decluttering the other day, my son came across my pre-Vatican 2, olive-wood bound missal, a "souvenir" my dad brought back from Palestine during his UN Peacekeeper days. After I briefly explained how to navigate it -- not THAT different except for the Latin beside the English -- my son added it to the pile of things he would take. Not sure if because of connection to his grandfather or its very oldness (65 years!).

I didn't tell him we girls occasionally wore Kleenex on our heads, if we found ourselves in church without a hat. THAT would have blown his mind, I bet! :D

Peace Possible by "acknowledging, understanding, and surmounting" Disagreements: Pope Leo XIV (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Friday stated that authentic peace “takes shape from the ground up” when the differences and conflicts they entail “are not set aside but acknowledged, understood, and surmounted.” Pope Leo began his address to members of various peace movements, whom he received May 30 at the Vatican, with the same words he greeted the faithful when he was elected on May 8: “Dear brothers and sisters, peace be with you!”... The Holy Father recalled that, on that occasion a year ago, Pope Francis reiterated that building peace begins by “standing alongside victims, seeing things from their point of view.” This approach, according to Leo XIV, “is essential for disarming hearts, approaches, and mentalities, and for denouncing the injustices of a system that kills and is based on the throwaway culture.” He particularly noted “the courageous embrace” between Israeli Maoz Inon, whose parents were killed by Hamas, and Palestinian Aziz Sarah, whose brother was killed by the Israeli army. Both were present at today’s audience. “That gesture remains as a testimony and sign of hope,” he added. “The path to peace demands hearts and minds trained in concern for others and capable of perceiving the common good in today’s world,” the pope continued. He pointed out that the path to peace involves everyone and that it “leads to the fostering of right relationships between all living beings.” In an age like our own, “marked by speed and immediacy,” Leo XIV emphasized the need to “recover the patience required for this process to occur.” In this context, he explained that “authentic peace takes shape from the ground up, beginning with places, communities, and local institutions, and by listening to what they have to tell us. In this way, we come to realize that peace is possible when disagreements and the conflicts they entail are not set aside but acknowledged, understood, and surmounted.” The pope therefore urged the peace movement members to promote dialogue with all and to maintain “the creativity and ingenuity born of a culture of peace,” with projects that simultaneously inspire hope. The Holy Father lamented that “all too much violence exists in the world”... “Above all,” the pontiff continued, they need the witness of men and women “who embody a different and nonviolent way of living.” He therefore noted that victims who reject revenge become “the most credible agents of nonviolent peacebuilding processes.” “Nonviolence, as a method and a style, must distinguish our decisions, our relationships, and our actions,” he added...

It's good to see Leo echoing Francis in that last sentence. Even the choice of words, "Nonviolence, as a method and a style" calls to mind Francis' 2017 World Day of Peace message, "Nonviolence: a Style of Politics for Peace". A very clear message.

Pope at Mass: Life of priests must be transparent and credible (Vatican News)

Pope Leo invited all priests to model their lives after Jesus by binding themselves to the real world, since the people they serve “are flesh and blood.” “Consecrate yourselves to them—without separating, isolating, or turning the gift you’ve received into a privilege,” he said. “Pope Francis often warned us about this, because self-centeredness extinguishes the fire of the missionary spirit.” Pope Leo XIV noted the Church is outward-looking by her very nature, reflecting Jesus’ own life, passion, death, and resurrection which is made present at every Mass they will celebrate... Looking to St. Paul’s ministry, the Pope said priestly ministry is one of stewards, not overlords, since the “mission belongs to Jesus” and no one is called to replace Him. As they become priests, they are invited to make room “for the faithful and for every creature in whom the Risen One draws near and loves to surprise us.” Pope Leo then emphasized St. Paul’s words to the community of Ephesus: “You know how I lived the whole time I was with you.” Ours, he said, should be “a life that is transparent, visible, credible! We live among the people of God so that we may stand before them with a credible witness.” Only together can Christians rebuild the credibility of “a wounded Church, sent to a wounded humanity, within a wounded creation,” he said...

>74 John5918: My husband slept in this morning, so we have been listening to the special service for the Austrian Methodist Church Conference on line. This included installing a new pastor for one of the parishes. The bishop's commission on her sounded very like what Pope Leo said above.

Pope Leo: Families are the cradle of humanity’s future (Vatican News)

On Sunday morning, St. Peter’s Square was filled with families for the concluding Mass in honor of the Jubilee of Families, Children, Grandparents and the Elderly. Pope Leo XIV presided over the celebration and, in his homily, he reflected on the family as a source of communion and faith...

Traditionalist hopes for the old rite will be among Pope’s early challenges (Tablet)

The reforms to the Roman rite marked the greatest changes to worship in the Catholic Church in centuries… It was Benedict’s hope that the ordinary and the extraordinary forms would not only co-exist without stoking division, but mutually enrich each other. Francis hoped to restore unity to the celebration of the Roman rite while allowing occasional use of the pre-Vatican II Missal as a “pastoral concession”. How Leo steers between the hopes of his predecessors and the prayers of the worshippers at the shrine of the Blessed Sacrament in Covent Garden will be among the trickiest challenges of his papacy...

I find that an interesting sentence. "It was Benedict’s hope that the ordinary and the extraordinary forms would not only co-exist without stoking division, but mutually enrich each other". It's a sentiment that one can't really object to, but sadly the reality was different and Benedict's hope was not fulfilled. The antecedent rite of the Mass became a rallying point for those who objected to the Church's magisterium as expressed in Vatican II, and fostered disunity rather than unity in diversity.

Pope's June prayer intention: 'That the world might grow in compassion' (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV releases his first monthly prayer intention for the month of June, inviting the faithful to pray "that each one of us might find consolation in a personal relationship with Jesus, and from His Heart, learn to have compassion on the world"...

Pope Leo, in first month, makes a break in style from Francis (Reuters)

In his first month, Pope Leo has taken a very different approach to his predecessor Francis. Leo, the former Cardinal Robert Prevost, has led some two dozen public events since he was elected as the first U.S. pope on May 8 but not made notable appointments, nor announced plans for foreign trips, nor said where he will live at the Vatican. It's a stark contrast to when Francis, originally from Argentina, was selected as the first pope from the Americas in March 2013... Two of Leo's long-time associates told Reuters they expect the 69-year-old Pope to take a deliberative approach to the challenges facing the Catholic Church and may require months before making major decisions... He has frequently praised his predecessor in his first weeks. He has also repeated some of Francis' main themes, and has echoed the Argentine pontiff's emotional appeals for an end to the wars in Gaza and Ukraine. But the two men have different temperaments... "Leo is much more focused and methodical and not inclined to hasty decisions"...

Millions honor Uganda martyrs as Pope Leo's vision inspires pilgrimage of hope (NCR)

Singing hymns and waving palm branches, barefoot pilgrims flooded the Uganda Martyrs Shrine at Namugongo on June 2. They completed long, dusty treks from across East Africa to honor the Uganda martyrs, 22 young Catholic converts executed in the late 19th century for refusing to renounce their faith. The annual pilgrimage, held June 3, has grown into one of the largest religious gatherings on the African continent. But this year, under the new papacy of Pope Leo XIV — the first U.S. pontiff and a champion for the church's marginalized — the celebrations took on renewed urgency and global resonance. "In Pope Leo, we see someone who understands the church in Africa and respects our witness," said Sr. Edgalda Tumwichirize of the Little Sisters of St. Francis of Assisi, who walked over 50 miles from her convent in central Uganda. "The Uganda martyrs remind us to stand firm in truth and justice, even at great cost. Their story speaks to the whole world." From 1885 to 1887, King Mwanga II of Buganda ordered the execution of dozens of young Christian converts, including the 22 now-sainted Catholic martyrs, many of them teenagers. Their deaths galvanized Catholic missions across Africa, and their memory continues to inspire generations of believers. This year's Martyrs Day was marked by the theme: "Pilgrim of Hope — Oh Lord, Let Me See Again," drawing connections between the martyrs' courage and today's struggles with injustice, poverty and exclusion... Leo's call for the global church to rediscover the spiritual wealth of peripheral communities had deeply resonated with many in Uganda. "We feel truly seen... For a long time, Africa has been viewed as merely a source of vocations and numbers. Now, our faith story is finally being recognized as central to the church's future"...

I made the piligrimage to the Uganda Martyrs' shrine at Namugongo, albeit not barefoot, nearly fifty years ago on 3rd June 1976. That was the year Archbishop Emmanuel Nsubuga was appointed as Uganda's first ever cardinal, and he came straight from Rome to Namugongo, so it was a particularly momentous occasion. Having recently arrived in Uganda from Britain, where Catholics were a small and modest minority, this was my first experience of a huge open-air Mass, with massive crowds and jubilant singing, a national celebration as well as a religious one. Anglicans also celebrate the same feast day, as both Catholic and Anglican men and boys were murdered at the same time and, as mentioned in a post this week in the Inter-religious dialogue thread in this group, Muslims were also murdered during the same period of religious oppression.

A comment from a retired Canadian missionary regarding Pope Leo XIV in a newsletter he sends to friends and benefactors:

I dare to ask myself, “He, an American turned Peruvian, what does he think in his heart of the current occupant of the White House?” In the face of Trump's follies, I imagine him smiling, and thinking like Mary in her Magnificat: “The Almighty has a habit of overturning the established order: he will end up sending the rich away empty-handed, toppling the potentates from their thrones, scattering the superb.”

Ugandan-born Catholic Priest in U.S. Appointed Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux Diocese in Louisiana

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Mons. Simon Peter Engurait, a native of Uganda’s Tororo Catholic Archdiocese, as Bishop of Houma-Thibodaux Diocese in Louisiana in the U.S...

The Pope has appointed an immigrant to be the new bishop of a US diocese. An interesting choice in the current political climate in the USA.

In Phone Call with Russian President Vladimir Putin, Pope Leo XIV Appeals for Russia to "favour peace, dialogue"

Pope Leo XIV spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin in a phone call Wednesday afternoon. “The pope made an appeal for Russia to take a gesture that would favor peace, emphasizing the importance of dialogue to create positive contacts between the parties and seek solutions to the conflict,” Holy See Press Office Director Matteo Bruni said in a statement. Bruni told members of the press that the Holy Father appealed to the Russian leader about the humanitarian situation in Ukraine and advocated for the facilitation of aid into affected areas. The two leaders also discussed Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi’s efforts to facilitate prisoner exchanges. “Pope Leo made reference to Patriarch Kirill, thanking him for the congratulations received at the beginning of his pontificate, and underlined how shared Christian values can be a light that helps to seek peace, defend life, and pursue genuine religious freedom,” Bruni added... “Gratitude was expressed to the pontiff for his readiness to help settle the crisis, in particular the Vatican’s participation in resolving difficult humanitarian issues on a depoliticized basis”...

Both from ACI Africa.

And here are comments on the new pope from the Department of Theology and Religion at the University of Durham, which happens to be my old alma mater:

A moment of both novelty and continuity... Pope Leo XIV’s first address touched on many of his predecessor’s most important themes. He spoke of building bridges, dialogue, and closeness to those who suffer. Above all his mention of a ‘synodal church’ suggests a commitment to continuing an initiative Francis began. The ‘synod on synodality’ is the most significant development in the Catholic Church since the 1960s. It now looks as though this process begun under Pope Francis, which could transform the culture of Catholicism, will continue under Pope Leo...

Not Francis 2.0: Cardinals’ first impressions of Pope Leo XIV (America Magazine)

The cardinals who elected Pope Leo XIV weren’t looking for a carbon copy of Francis—or for someone who would depart dramatically from Francis in tone and style. They wanted a pastor: a missionary, humble and credible, and a man of deep listening... The cardinals repeatedly mention Pope Leo’s missionary identity, his capacity for deep listening and his humility. But above all, they emphasize his credibility. “Synodality was the last baby born in the Francis pontificate... and they want that baby to grow up”...

Pope Leo XIV at Pentecost: The Holy Spirit "teaches us to walk together in unity" (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday urged Catholics to embrace the Holy Spirit as a source of freedom and grace, addressing a crowd of tens of thousands during his first Pentecost as pope and calling on the faithful to adopt “the way of the Beatitudes” to spread the Gospel message... The pontiff said the concept of synodality “demands that we each recognize our own poverty and our riches, that we feel part of a greater whole, apart from which everything withers, even the most original and unique of charisms.” “All creation exists solely in the form of coexistence, sometimes dangerous, yet always interconnected,” the pope said, citing the late Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’. “And what we call ‘history’ only takes place as coexistence, living together, however contentiously, but always together.” Leo noted that “where there is the Spirit, there is movement, a journey to be made.” The Holy Spirit, he said, “teaches us to walk together in unity”...

Called to be human (Vatican News)

"Before being believers, we are called to be human." This is one of the central passages of Pope Leo XIV's catechesis given on Wednesday, May 28, at his weekly General Audience in the Vatican... This idea was already noted in 1959, with prophetic clarity, by then Fr. Joseph Ratzinger, then a young professor of fundamental theology at the University of Bonn. In his essay “The New Pagans and the Church” ("Die neuen Heiden und die Kirche," 1958–59), reflecting on the transformed conditions of secularized societies, he wrote the following about missionary witness, "The Christian must rather be a joyful person among others, a neighbor where he cannot be a Christian brother"... "I also think," the future Pope Benedict XVI added, "that in his relations with his non-believing neighbor, he should be above all and precisely a man—not someone who annoys with constant conversion attempts and preaching... he must not be a preacher, but rather, in beautiful openness and simplicity, a man." Fr. Ratzinger understood clearly how the Church is born and reborn, namely from the witness of men and women drawn to Christ, able to bear witness to Him through their lives—in compassion, in being companions along the journey of anyone they meet. On the other hand, the future Pope Benedict XVI was already well aware of the illusion of trying to halt the decline of Western Christianity by retreating into a fortress, reducing faith to traditionalism, to an identity glue for group membership, or to an ideology supporting certain political projects. It is this, ultimately, that is the key to mission, namely the strength of the announcement in our epochal change: people called first and foremost to be human, open and compassionate. Christian men and women who do not feel superior to others, knowing that often it is the “distant ones,” those we regard as “impure,” who bear witness to compassion, just like the Good Samaritan of the Gospel.

Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine: I shared with Pope Leo our hope and sorrow (Vatican News)

The Apostolic Nuncio to Ukraine, Archbishop Visvaldas Kulbokas, speaks to Vatican News following his first audience with Pope Leo XIV in the Vatican, reflecting on "the very consoling encounter, full of prayer," and reflects on the dramatic situation in the war-torn country...

The Church "will always defend the sacred right to believe in God": Pope Leo XIV (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV received papal representatives at the Vatican on Tuesday, reminding them that the Church “will always defend the sacrosanct right to believe in God” and that this life “is not at the mercy of the powers of this world”...

Pope names Chinese bishop as he keeps historic Vatican-Beijing accord (BBC)

Pope Leo XIV has appointed the first Chinese bishop of his papacy, signalling that he will continue a historic agreement that sought to improve relations between the Vatican and China. Both sides have hailed the appointment of Fuzhou Auxiliary Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan as an affirmation of their commitment to the 2018 accord, which was reached under the late Pope Francis... The Pope's move shows a "willingness to support reconciliation instead of antagonism", Michel Chambon, a research fellow at the Asia Research Institute in Singapore who has written extensively about the Catholic Church, told Reuters news agency. In September 2018, Pope Francis recognised seven bishops appointed by China. The Vatican also posthumously recognised an eighth bishop who died the year before...

Tonight is the big Summernight Concert of the Wiener Philharmoniker. This takes place in the grounds of Schönbrunn palace.

Apparently one of the leaders of the orchestra was in Rom, and had an audience with the pope. He asked for a blessing on this concert, and prayers for good weather. "Auf dem Papst ist verlass." - You can depend on the pope.

BTW the programme of the concert has been changed, and it is being dedicated to the victims and families of the mass shooting on Tuesday.

Why we need the Eastern Churches, in Pope Leo XIV’s own words (Catholic World Report)

Pope Leo has already, in the first few weeks of his pontificate, pointed to a few ways the Western lung can find inspiration for its Eastern counterpart... the beauty of Eastern Catholic liturgies, which have preserved their transcendent mystery... they have also maintained traditional forms of asceticism... the ascetic tradition leads to personal transformation in prayer... Finally, as the Church discerns a proper approach to synodality, an ancient practice of episcopal governance, Leo looks again to the East as a model...

Pope Leo to return to practice of ‘imposing’ pallium on new archbishops (Catholic Review)

Pope Leo XIV will revive a tradition begun by St. John Paul II in 1983 by personally placing a pallium around the shoulders of recently named archbishops. The pallium, a 3-inch-wide woolen band with 14-inch strips hanging down the front and the back, is a liturgical vestment that symbolizes both unity with the pope and service to the people of God...

Pope Leo continues Vatican's solidarity with Ukraine (Vatican News)

A truck loaded with humanitarian aid has arrived in Kharkiv, one of the Ukrainian cities most severely affected by recent Russian attacks. The Papal Almoner reaffirms the unwavering commitment of the Holy See to bring the Pope’s charity to those in need...

‘You Are My Hope’: Pope Leo XIV’s Message for 9th World Day of the Poor (Vatican News)

As the Church prepares to mark the Ninth World Day of the Poor on Sunday, 16 November 2025, Pope Leo XIV issues a message centred on the theme: “You are my hope”, and expresses his hope that this Jubilee Year may encourage the development of policies aimed at combatting forms of poverty both old and new...

Pope Leo welcomes athletes to Vatican for Jubilee of Sport (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV continues his predecessor’s Saturday Jubilee audiences, focusing on St Irenaeus as a witness of hope as he welcomes athletes to St Peter’s Basilica for the Jubilee of Sport...

Pope Leo: May Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui inspire peace in Africa (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV recalled the holiness and prayerfulness of newly-Blessed Floribert Bwana Chui on Monday. "This African martyr, in a continent rich in youth, shows how they can be a leaven of peace—unarmed and disarming. This Congolese layman highlights the precious value of the witness of laypeople and young people"... In his remarks, the Pope posed the question, "Where did a young man draw the strength to resist corruption, so entrenched in the prevailing mindset and capable of any violence?"... Pope Leo XIV noted that Blessed Floribert lived the spirituality of the Community of St. Egidio, which, he recalled, the late Pope Francis used to summarize with three “P’s”: prayer, poor, peace...

Pope Leo XIV: Bishops must not turn gaze from the poor (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV meets with the Bishops of Madagascar during their Jubilee pilgrimage to Rome, and urges all Bishops to recall that the poor are at the center of the Gospel...

Al Pacino becomes first film star to meet Pope Leo XIV (Guardian)

Al Pacino has become the first major celebrity to have an official audience with the newly elected pope. The actor, 85, met the pontiff at the Vatican on Monday. He is currently in Italy shooting a film...

Pope Leo XIV Mourns Death of Sudan’s Catholic Priest, Expresses Spiritual Closeness with Nigeria’s Deadly Attack Victims (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV has expressed sorrow following the passing on of a Catholic Priest in Sudan’s Diocese of El-Obeid after he sustained serious injuries during a deadly bomb attack on June 12 in the country’s El Fasher City. In his address at the Sunday, June 15 Angelus Prayer, Pope Leo XIV also extended his spiritual closeness to victims of a deadly massacre in Nigeria, and called for dialogue, justice, and peace in regions torn by persistent violent conflicts. The Holy Father said his thoughts were with the people of God in the Republic of Sudan, a nation in Northeast Africa that has been “torn apart by violence for over two years.” “I was saddened to receive the news of the death of Father Luke Jumu, Parish Priest of El Fasher, who was a victim of a recent bombing,” the Holy Father said, referring to the Sudanese Priest who sustained severe injuries when a shell bomb struck his residence, shattering his legs. He added, “I offer the assurance of my prayers for him and all the victims, and I renew my appeal to warring parties to stop the violence, protect civilians, and engage in dialogue for peace”...

Pope Leo XIV Calls for Responsibility, Dialogue to End Escalating Israel-Iran Violence (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV renewed the Church’s calls for nuclear disarmament and peaceful dialogue one day after Israel launched missile strikes on Iran. The Holy Father spoke of his growing concerns for the Middle East... “The situation in Iran and Israel has seriously deteriorated,” the pope told pilgrims inside St. Peter’s Basilica. “At such a delicate moment, I wish to strongly renew an appeal to responsibility and reason.” “Our commitment to building a safer world free from the nuclear threat must be pursued through respectful encounters and sincere dialogue,” he insisted. Leo XIV said it is the “duty of all countries” to initiate “paths of reconciliation” and promote solutions — founded on justice, fraternity, and the common good — to build lasting peace and security in the region. “No one should ever threaten another’s existence,” he said...

'We transmit the faith with Jesus at the center,' Pope Leo XIV tells Italian Bishops (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV invites Italy's Bishops to embrace their primary responsibility of proclaiming and transmitting the faith, while always keeping Christ at the forefront, urging them to cultivate peace and work together...

"We must not get used to war": Pope Leo XIV Says in Call for Peace (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on June 18 renewed his strong call for peace, urging people to not “get used to war.” Addressing pilgrims at the end of Wednesday’s general audience, the pontiff lamented that “the Church is brokenhearted at the cry of pain rising from places devastated by war.” In particular, he focused on the conflicts in Ukraine, Iran, Israel, and Gaza. “We must not get used to war!” he exclaimed from St. Peter’s Square at the Vatican. In this context, he emphasized that “the temptation to have recourse to powerful and sophisticated weapons needs to be rejected.” He then cited the Second Vatican Council noting that in modern warfare, “every kind of weapon produced by modern science is used in war, the savagery of war threatens to lead the combatants to barbarities far surpassing those of former ages.” “For this reason, in the name of human dignity and international law, I reiterate to those in positions of responsibility the frequent warning of Pope Francis: ‘War is always a defeat!’” the pontiff said, quoting his predecessor. Finally, he also recalled the words of Pope Pius XII, who reiterated that “nothing is lost in peace. Everything may be lost in war”...

Father Robert became a priest 43 years ago, just steps from the Vatican

Pope Leo XIV commemorates today the anniversary of his priestly ordination in the Chapel of Saint Monica, which overlooks Piazza del Sant’Uffizio in the Vatican, and which was assigned to him as his titular church when he became a cardinal in 2023...

Pope Leo: ‘Polyphony is a metaphor of faith guided by the Holy Spirit

Pope Leo XIV receives members of a Foundation and choir marking the 500th anniversary of the birth of the great composer and organist, Giovanni Pierluigi da Palestrina whose music continues to nourish the Church and the liturgy today...

Both from Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV: Always remember those persecuted for their faith (Vatican News)

Never forget those persecuted for their faith, and never cease your efforts to bring them consolation...

Watch the documentary: "León de Perú" (Vatican News)

The Editorial Directorate of the Dicastery for Communication presents the documentary, “León de Perú”, featuring footage that retraces the mission of Robert Francis Prevost in Peru...

Pope Leo approves decrees for more than 170 martyrs (Vatican News)

The Pope authorizes several decrees including a Spanish diocesan priest, more than 100 martyrs, a seminrian, and four servants of God...

A church grows in Africa, but where are its saints? (NCR)

Across Africa, many Catholic faithful have long yearned for the Catholic Church to fully recognize the spiritual heroes who've shaped their communities... Now, with the election of Pope Leo XIV, many African Catholics might see a renewed opportunity. Could this be the turning point? For decades, African Catholics have felt their saints have been sidelined. The continent is home to some of the fastest-growing Catholic populations, yet very few modern Africans have been declared saints... The issue isn't a matter of holiness since African candidates have shown extraordinary faith. But compared to Europe, where many sainthood causes benefit from institutional support, funding and access to the Vatican, Africa faces unique challenges. Canonization is a complex and costly process. It requires documentation, verification of miracles and years of advocacy. Local dioceses may lack the resources to keep these causes moving forward. In the end, many African Catholics feel like their voices and stories have been left on the margins of a church they have helped to grow globally. That's why Leo's arrival brings renewed hope. Before ascending to the papacy, the pope had spent years serving as a missionary and later as a bishop in Peru. His ministry was shaped by walking with marginalized communities and uplifting local cultures in the Global South. This background gave him a deep sensitivity to the spiritual richness outside the traditional centers of power in the church. For African Catholics, his lived experience should offer something more than sympathy — it promises solidarity. This pope's understanding of the faith expressed in different cultural contexts, and his closeness to communities often overlooked by the institutional Church, make him a uniquely positioned leader. There are good reasons to believe he could finally give stalled African sainthood causes the attention they deserve...

Pope urges Church to foster a culture that does not tolerate abuse (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV sends a message on the occasion of a Peruvian theatre performance honouring investigative journalist Paola Ugaz, and calls for a culture that does not tolerate any kind of abuse in the Church and for the defence of press freedom. He praises journalists who expose abuse, stating that silencing them threatens democracy and undermines the Gospel's call for justice and truth...

Christ is God’s Answer to Humanity’s Hunger: Pope Leo XIV on Corpus Christi Solemnity (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday called on the faithful to “share the bread”— a sign of the gift of divine salvation — to “multiply hope and to proclaim the coming of God’s Kingdom” as he presided for the first time as pope over Mass for the Solemnity of Corpus Christi. On the feast when the Catholic Church especially celebrates the mystery of the Eucharist —namely, the Real Presence of Jesus Christ in the consecrated bread and wine — the pontiff declared: “Christ is God’s answer to our human hunger, because his Body is the bread of eternal life: Take this and eat of it, all of you!”... In his homily, Leo XIV reflected on the meaning of the Eucharist and the value of sharing...

Pope Leo XIV Appoints New Members to Vatican Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life, Including Five from Africa

Pope Leo XIV has appointed new members to the Vatican Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life (ICLSAL), including two Archbishops, two Bishops, and a Priest serving in Africa. In the latest appointments made public on Tuesday, June 24, by the Holy See Press Office, the Holy Father appointed Cristóbal Cardinal López Romero of the Catholic Archdiocese of Rabat in Morocco, Archbishop Jude Thaddaeus Ruwa’ichi of Tanzania’s Catholic Archdiocese of Dar-es-Salaam, Bishop Thulani Victor Mbuyisa of South Africa’s Catholic Diocese of Kokstad, Bishop Tesfaye Tadesse Gebresilasie, Auxiliary Bishop of Ethiopia’s Catholic Archdiocese of Addis Ababa, Zambia-born Fr. Stanley Lubungo, Superior General of the Society of Missionaries of Africa (White Fathers/MAfr.). as members of the Vican Dicastery headed by Sr. Simona Brambilla...

Bear Witness to Christ's "tenderness, mercy": Pope Leo XIV

On June 24, Pope Leo XIV urged hundreds of seminarians from around the world to bear witness to the “tenderness” and “mercy” of Christ in a “world where ingratitude and the thirst for power often prevail.” He also asked that formation centers for future priests be “a school of affectivity” that teaches them to love as Jesus did...

Both from ACI Africa

>96 John5918: I wonder how many women (and men) in the Vatican Dicastery, headed by Sr. Simona Brambilla, a Pope Francis appointment?

Be "firm and decisive" in Dealing with Scandal, Sexual Abuse: Pope Leo XIV to Bishop Pilgrims at Vatican (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday called bishops to be firm and decisive in dealing with scandal and sexual abuse, linking vigilance against abuse to living a chaste life. Speaking to over 400 bishops from 38 countries in St. Peter’s Basilica, the pope also emphasized the importance of pastoral prudence, poverty, and synodality in the ministry of a bishop. “Together with material poverty, the life of the bishop is also marked by that specific form of poverty, which is celibacy and virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven”... Following his reference to their personal chastity, the pope asked the bishops, when dealing with abuse, especially abuse of minors, to fully respect the Church’s current regulations... Evangelical poverty, as lived by the bishop, “is a simple, sober, and generous lifestyle, dignified and at the same time suited to the conditions of the majority of his people,” the pontiff said...

Pope to ROACO: May Eastern Churches bear witness amid pain of conflict (Vatican News)

As the Reunion of Aid Agencies for the Oriental Churches (ROACO) holds its annual meeting in Rome, Pope Leo XIV met with participants on Thursday, June 26, in the Vatican. In his address, the Pope praised their efforts to provide material and spiritual support for the faithful of Eastern-rite Catholic Churches, calling the organization’s mission “a proclamation of joy.” He thanked the charitable organizations and their benefactors for sowing “sowing seeds of hope in the lands of the Christian East,” which he lamented have been devastated in recent years by wars and a “cloud of hatred.” “For many people, poor in means but rich in faith, you are a light that shines amid the dark shadows of hatred,” he said. Pope Leo noted that oppression and misunderstanding have arisen historically even within the Catholic community, which at times has failed to appreciate the value of Eastern Christian traditions. He expressed his desire for the Eastern rites to be better known within the Catholic Church, suggesting courses be held in seminaries and Catholic universities to inform Latin-rite Catholics about our Eastern brothers and sisters. “There is also a need for encounter and the sharing of pastoral activity,” he said, “since Eastern Catholics today are no longer our distant cousins who celebrate unfamiliar rites, but our brothers and sisters who, due to forced migration, are our next-door neighbors.” The Pope highlighted Eastern Christians’ “sense of the sacred, their deep faith confirmed by suffering, and their spirituality, redolent of the divine mysteries”. Pope Leo went on to recall the violence ravaging the Christian East with “diabolical intensity previously unknown,” noting that some ROACO members were unable to come to Rome for the annual meeting due to the conflict in the Middle East. “Our hearts bleed when we think of Ukraine, the tragic and inhumane situation in Gaza, and the Middle East, ravaged by the spread of war,” he said. Every individual, added the Pope, must examine the causes of these conflicts and seek to resolve them, while rejecting explanations that are manipulative or false. “It is truly distressing to see the principle of ‘might makes right’ prevailing in so many situations today, all for the sake of legitimizing the pursuit of self-interest,” he said...

Pope Leo XIV Urges Warring Nations Across The World to Choose Diplomacy Over Weapons (AMECEA)

In the past weeks, the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has raised concerns due to the ongoing conflicts in the world, stressing that, “There are no distant conflicts when human dignity is at stake.” Pope Leo XIV spoke these words in response to a world where conflict seems to multiply faster than peacemakers can respond. From the bombed streets of Gaza to the rural villages of Nigeria, from the lands of Sudan to the territories of Myanmar. His message is packed with the accumulated grief from countless nations, communities, and individuals. In his appeal to the global community, Pope Leo XIV has painted a picture of a world where human suffering has become a commonplace for “alarming news” from one region to another. “Today more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace,” the Pope declared, “This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict"... Each conflict, says the Pontiff, represents not just a political failure but a moral catastrophe that diminishes all of humanity. “War does not solve problems,” the Pope said, “on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal.” This perspective frames conflict not as a means to an end, but as a generational debt on human progress. “No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, or stolen futures,” he said, adding that the economic metaphor is deliberate: what appears to be a military investment is a debt that future generations will pay. He calls for nations to “chart their futures with works of peace, not with violence and bloodstained conflicts.”

Pope Leo XIV Urges Warring Nations Across The World to Choose Diplomacy Over Weapons (AMECEA)

In the past weeks, the Holy Father Pope Leo XIV has raised concerns due to the ongoing conflicts in the world, stressing that, “There are no distant conflicts when human dignity is at stake.” Pope Leo XIV spoke these words in response to a world where conflict seems to multiply faster than peacemakers can respond. From the bombed streets of Gaza to the rural villages of Nigeria, from the lands of Sudan to the territories of Myanmar. His message is packed with the accumulated grief from countless nations, communities, and individuals. In his appeal to the global community, Pope Leo XIV has painted a picture of a world where human suffering has become a commonplace for “alarming news” from one region to another. “Today more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace,” the Pope declared, “This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict"... Each conflict, says the Pontiff, represents not just a political failure but a moral catastrophe that diminishes all of humanity. “War does not solve problems,” the Pope said, “on the contrary, it amplifies them and inflicts deep wounds on the history of peoples, which take generations to heal.” This perspective frames conflict not as a means to an end, but as a generational debt on human progress. “No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, or stolen futures,” he said, adding that the economic metaphor is deliberate: what appears to be a military investment is a debt that future generations will pay. He calls for nations to “chart their futures with works of peace, not with violence and bloodstained conflicts.”

At Ordination of First African Priests as Pontiff, Pope Cautions against “superficial models of Success, prestige” (ACI Africa)

At his second Priestly Ordination since his Papal Inauguration, during which, as Pope, he ordained the first African Deacons as Priests, the Holy Father has cautioned the Clergy against “questionable and superficial” ideals of “success and prestige”... “The world too often proposes models of success and prestige that are questionable and superficial. Do not be seduced by them,” the Holy Father cautioned the 32 Priests-elect. He urged them to “look to the solid example and the fruits of the apostolate, often hidden and humble, of those who served the Lord and their brothers and sisters with faith and dedication.” “Treasure these riches,” he told the Priests-elect, and added, “Starting from the communities of the early Church, the Church has raised up and known among her Priests martyrs, tireless apostles, missionaries, and champions of charity,” from whom they can learn and draw inspiration...

“Lord of the World.”: Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV Recommend This Book, Which Warns of a World Without God (ACI Africa)

The last three popes — Benedict XVI, Francis, and Leo XIV — have on more than one occasion recommended reading Lord of the World, the dystopian science fiction novel written by Robert Hugh Benson in 1907. This apocalyptic novel depicts the consequences of a society that turned its back on God and presents a social critique of the customs of the West, which has succumbed to capitalism and socialism. Benson, an Anglican cleric who eventually converted to Catholicism and was ordained a priest in 1904, proposes a reality in which “the forces of secularist materialism, relativism, and state control triumph everywhere.” This work, praised by the last three popes, also describes the arrival of the Antichrist as a charismatic personality but who also promotes ideals destructive to society...

>102 brone:

I've already bought it. After being recommended by three popes in a row it must be worth a glance, and anyway it was only 73p on Kindle.

Robert Hugh Benson 1871-1914 That makes more sense.

BTW, Gutenberg has 15 of his books, but not that one.

Pope Leo XIV at Angelus: May unity be forged in witness and forgiveness (Vatican News)

On the Feast of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV highlights the enduring call to Christian unity, grounded in the shared witness of martyrdom and the transformative power of forgiveness...

Pope reaffirms commitment to full communion with Orthodox Church (Vatican News)

Addressing a delegation from the Ecumenical Patriarchate on the Solemnity of Saints Peter and Paul, Pope Leo XIV reiterates his commitment to respectful dialogue and collaboration aimed at restoring full visible communion...

Pope Leo XIV Warns New Archbishops Against Pastoral Plans that Repeat Without Renewing (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV warned new archbishops on Sunday against following “the same old pastoral plans without experiencing interior renewal and a willingness to respond to new challenges.” Speaking on the Solemnity of Peter and Paul — saints recognized by the Catholic Church as pillars of the faith and venerated as patrons of the city of Rome — the pope also called for maintaining ecclesial unity while respecting diversity. “Our patron saints followed different paths, had different ideas and at times argued with one another with evangelical frankness. Yet this did not prevent them from ... a living communion in the Spirit, a fruitful harmony in diversity,” the pope said...

From a Pax Christi e-mail, 2nd July 2025:

Pope Leo XIV’s first words to the world were, “Peace be with you all!” From the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica, he spoke of Christ’s peace as “unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering.” In just a few weeks, our new pope has appealed for peace more than twenty times.

Remarkably, Pope Leo has already mentioned “nonviolence” with a forceful clarity about the transformative power it can be. Addressing a peace group in Italy, the pope offered a message to all of us:

“Above all, children and young people need the witness of people who embody a different and nonviolent way of living. From local and everyday situations up to the international order, whenever those who have suffered injustice and violence resist the temptation to seek revenge, they become the most credible agents of nonviolent peacebuilding processes. Nonviolence, as a method and a style, must distinguish our decisions, our relationships and our actions.”

But Pope Leo went further: “If you want peace, prepare institutions of peace.” All of our institutions—not only the political, but educational, economic, and social ones—must be reoriented towards a culture of peace. In this, each of us must remain “committed and present” as “a leaven of unity, communion and fraternity.“

For 80 years, Pax Christi International has striven to build such institutions of peace and to advance nonviolence, not merely as an ideal, but as a practical way of living that transforms ourselves, our communities, and our world. We welcome Pope Leo XIV’s affirmation of our long-held belief that choosing nonviolence is the most courageous and effective path towards lasting peace, and it is a constitutive part of our Christian faith.

Pope: God’s creation is not a battleground for vital resources (Vatican News)

In his Message for the 10th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Leo XIV quotes extensively from Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato si’, denouncing environmental and social injustice and noting that God’s creation is not intended to be a battleground for vital resources...

Duplicate post due to patchy internet connection.

Pope Leo XIV will celebrate a Mass for the Care of Creation on July 9

On July 9, 2025, Pope Leo XIV will celebrate the first “Mass for the Care of Creation”, with a new formulary of the Roman Missal, produced by the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development and the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and presented Thursday, July 3, during a press conference at the Vatican. The Pope will celebrate this private Mass during his holiday with the staff of the “Borgo Laudato Sì” (“Laudato Sì Village”), an educational center located in the Papal residence in Castel Gandolfo. With this new formulary "the Church is offering liturgical, spiritual and communal support for the care we all need to exercise of nature, our common home. Such service is indeed a great act of faith, hope and charity”, Cardinal Michael Czerny, Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development said during the press conference. This Mass dedicated to taking care of creation “calls us to be faithful stewards of what God has entrusted to us – not only in daily choices and public policies, but also in our prayer, our worship, and our way of living in the world”...

‘Holy Father, we’re sinking’: Archbishop of the Pacific meets with Pope Leo

Perhaps the biggest problem in the region is climate change, which has led to rising sea levels—a particularly severe problem for low-lying Pacific islands—as well as increased ocean temperatures and a rise in extreme weather events. Archbishop Jimenez met privately with Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday, a few days after receiving the pallium. Just beforehand, he said, he received a message from a colleague in Tuvalu: “Please tell the Holy Father that we are sinking.” In the event, climate change did feature heavily on the agenda at the Archbishop’s meeting with the Pope, as did migration. The Archbishop stressed the close relation between the two phenomena, noting that many Pacific Islanders are being forced to emigrate to Australia. “There’s a tension,” he said, “because you want to cling on to your roots, because this is home. On the other hand, you have no choice but to leave, because your home is slowly being covered by water. But you always have that longing for home"...

From Vatican News

Pilgrimages "vital" for Christians' Life of Faith: Pope Leo XIV (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday said pilgrimages play an essential role in the life of faith as they help a Christian to be better united to Jesus Christ and discern God’s purpose for us in life...

Pope Leo and the Nonviolent Way Forward (Pax Christi International)

In light of the overriding message of peace Pope Leo XIV has shared with the Church and the world throughout his young pontificate, it is clear why his very first words as he stood on the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica were: “Peace be with you all!” By echoing Jesus’ blessing bestowed after the Resurrection on his disciples (Lk 24:3; Jn 20:19), Leo made unmistakably clear that peace is at the heart of the Gospel, peace is at the core of the mission of the Church, and peace will be central to his papacy. This centrality has been dramatically confirmed almost daily since then. The cause of peace has incessantly figured in the general audiences, addresses, and statements of the new pontiff. Against the backdrop of mounting war – but also, as he has said, “terrorism, human trafficking, widespread aggression” – Leo has affirmed the late Pope Francis’ stalwart call for nonviolent alternatives, while bringing this vision newly forward in his own way, from, for example, comments on athletics (“sport is a way to build peace, because it is a school of respect and loyalty, which increases the culture of encounter”), astrophysics (“through your pursuit of knowledge, each of you can contribute to building a more peaceful and just world”) and the work of the media (“Let us disarm words and we will help to disarm the world”). But his call for peace has also, like that of his predecessor, relentlessly denounced the terror of war in Ukraine, Myanmar, Israel, Gaza, Sudan, and other nations. Pope Leo declared, “In today’s dramatic scenario of a piecemeal third world war, as Pope Francis stated many times, I too address the world’s leaders, repeating the ever-timely appeal: ‘Never again war!’” He has also stated, “The wars plaguing our world are a tragic sign of indifference. Let us invoke the Spirit of love and peace, that he may open borders, break down walls, dispel hatred and help us to live as children of our one Father who is in heaven.” (There are 196 references to war in Pope Leo’ addresses and Vatican News reports since his becoming pope.) But Pope Leo is not simply condemning specific wars. He has emphasized that “we must reject the paradigm of war,” indicating that our task in this time is not simply to hope for peace but to “prepare institutions of peace” and to build a “culture of life, dialogue, mutual respect.” In this spirit, he has pointed to nonviolence as key to achieving this alternative paradigm, by emphasizing the need for “witnesses of a different, nonviolent life style” and “credible protagonists of nonviolent processes of peacebuilding.” “Nonviolence as a method and as a style must distinguish our decisions, our relationships, our actions,” the pope has declared...

Full text of ADDRESS OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV TO THE MOVEMENTS AND ASSOCIATIONS OF THE “ARENA OF PEACE” (VERONA)

Nonviolence: The distinguishing mark of our actions (Pax Christi International)

Pope Leo XIV’s first words were: “Peace be with you… This is the peace of the Risen Christ, an unarmed and disarming peace, humble and persevering. It comes from God, God who loves us all unconditionally.” What could this mean? Many of us wondered. What pathways were being pointed to and opened up for the Church?... What might it look like to live in this way of peace, and therefore in fidelity to our human dignity?... The call is clear: to make active nonviolence the distinguishing mark of our actions. This is the essence of Christian love. This is what it means to live in accordance with our shared human dignity. Nonviolence becomes a positive expression of reverence for life and dignity...

Pope Leo XIV celebrates first ‘green Mass’ after calling out greed that fuels climate injustice (euro news)

Pope Leo XIV held what has been dubbed the first “green” papal Mass on Wednesday, using a new set of prayers imploring care for God’s creation. The Mass, in the gardens of the Vatican’s new ecological educational centre at the papal summer estate in Castel Gandolfo, indicated a strong line of ecological continuity with Pope Francis, who made environmental protection a hallmark of his pontificate. The private Mass was celebrated for the Laudato Si centre, named for Francis’ 2015 environmental encyclical, in which the first pope from the Global South blasted the way wealthy countries and multinational corporations had exploited the Earth and its most vulnerable people for profit...

Pope Leo XIV: Artificial Intelligence Developers, Users Share Responsibility to Promote Good of Humanity (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday said developers and users of artificial intelligence (AI) are jointly responsible for ensuring innovations uphold human dignity and the common good in his message to participants of the 2025 AI for Good Summit taking place in Geneva, Switzerland. "Although responsibility for the ethical use of AI systems begins with those who develop, manage and oversee them, those who use them also share in this responsibility,” the Holy Father said...

Pope Leo calls for prayers for peace and those suffering due to war (Vatican News)

Following the catechesis of Sunday's Angelus, Pope Leo XIV called on everyone to pray for peace and to remember all who are suffering due to violence and war and find themselves in need. The words echoed what he had expressed earlier in his homily during the Mass over which he presided on Sunday morning at the parish of Saint Thomas of Villanova when he spoke about the wounded man in the parable of the Good Samaritan and how violence and poverty destroy dreams and lives...

>115 brone:

I'm confused. Cardinal Pietro Parolin is Secretary of State, not Cardinal Víctor Manuel "Tucho" Fernández. So what is the relevance of the latter?

Israeli strike on Gaza church kills three and injures priest Pope Francis called daily (Guardian)

An Israeli strike has hit the only Catholic church in Gaza, killing three people and injuring 10 others including the parish priest, who used to receive daily calls from the late Pope Francis... Pope Leo XIV said in a telegram sent by the Vatican’s secretary of state in his name that he was “deeply saddened to learn of the loss of life and injury caused by the military attack” and that he was renewing his calls for an immediate ceasefire...

>118 brone:

Thanks for that clarification. Accurate facts help me to understand a situation. Certainly the two cases you mention are concerning.

Fr Capella's case has been widely reported in the Catholic media (eg here and here) after first being reported by InfoVaticana a week ago. It seems he has been appointed to a minor clerical position within the huge Vatican bureaucracy, without any pastoral duties nor contact with the public. For me it highlights a wider issue for ex-convicts who have served their prison time and "paid their debt to society", to use a clichéd phrase, not only in the Church but in society at large. Are they for ever to carry the stigma of their crime, or can they be rehabilitated? But in this case it was probably unwise to give him a titled position, however insignificant, given the nature of his crime and the fact that paedophilia has often been covered up in the past.

I presume the other case that you refer to is the Archbishop of Toulouse's appointment of Fr Dominique Spina, a priest who served a five year prison sentence for rape of a minor thirty years ago, as diocesan chancellor and episcopal delegate for marriage, also widely reported in the Catholic media this week (eg here and here). This, I think, is more serious as he has not been appointed to a minor and faceless internal role but to a position of public leadership within the diocese.

A third case to which you often refer is that of Fr Marco Rupnik, where I think the length of time it has taken for the Church to finalise its investigation and report on him and to come to a decision is concerning. As posted elsewhere in this group, it seems it may now be moving towards a conclusion

I think all three of these cases suggest that there are those within the Church who have not yet fully grasped the import of sexual abuse. Fortunately, out of the more than four hundred thousand Catholic priests in the world, these cases are rare, and have rapidly declined since most dioceses have put in place robust safeguarding measures. But one exception is one too many, and three is worrying, so one hopes that corrective action will be taken, to include raising awareness amongst those who make such decisions.

Pope Leo asks Netanyahu to end ‘tragic’ Gaza war after church strike (Tablet)

Pope Leo asked Benjamin Netanyahu to seek a ceasefire in Gaza in a telephone conversation after a strike on the only Catholic church in Gaza. The Israeli prime minister called the Pope on Friday after fire from an Israel Defence Forces (IDF) tank hit the Holy Family Church on Thursday morning, killing three people and injuring others including the parish priest. Caritas Jerusalem identified the dead as the parish’s 60-year-old janitor Saad Salameh and two women in a tent where the agency was providing support: Fumayya Ayyad, 84, and Najwa Abu Daoud, 69. They were killed by shrapnel from a shell that exploded close to the church roof. The IDF said the strike was a mistake. A statement from the Vatican following Netanyahu’s call said the Pope “repeated his appeal for a renewed push for negotiations, a ceasefire and an end to the war”, and “reiterated the urgent need to protect places of worship and, especially, the faithful and all people in Palestine and Israel”. “He again expressed his concern about the tragic humanitarian situation of the population of Gaza, whose children, elderly and sick are paying an agonising price,” it said...

"Charity doesn’t go on vacation": Pope Leo XIV Sends Food to Families in Ukraine (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV once again expressed his closeness to the people of Ukraine by sending packages of food destined to families who have suffered from the Russian army’s recent onslaught of attacks... With this much-needed aid, which follows the aid sent in June, the Holy Father renews his gesture of solidarity with the victims of the bloody war that began in February 2022. Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, the papal almoner, told Vatican News that “charity does not go on vacation” and that Pope Leo XIV asked them to “act as quickly as possible”...

Pope Leo XIV to move forward with Vatican reforms, says Cardinal (Tablet)

Pope Leo will announce reforms to the Roman Curia in the autumn, Archbishop of Westminster Cardinal Vincent Nichols has predicted, saying that one of the reasons the Pope was elected was that he knew the Church’s administration from the inside. And according to the Cardinal, discussions among cardinals at the time of the Pope’s election in May focused on the continuing problems of the Curia... Cardinal Nichols, who was one of the 133 cardinal electors who chose Cardinal Robert Prevost to be the next Pope, said that the General Congregations held with both the cardinal electors and the cardinals too old to vote, highlighted the qualities they believed the next Pope needed – and Prevost clearly had them all. They believed that the successor to the throne of Peter needed to evangelise – and Prevost was a member of a missionary order; he need intellectual ability – and Prevost was a scholar; that he needed to be aware of the world’s needs – and Prevost as leader of his own Augustinian order twice had travelled the world; that he was a pastoral leader – he had been bishop of a poor diocese; and he had curial experience – he had been prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops from 2023. “I do think nobody else had all that experience... so that is why the voting {in the conclave} did not take long”... Early signs are that Pope Leo is intending to continue the reforms of his predecessor who was keen to diversify the make-up of the Curia, ensuring it reflected the Church more strongly, by appointing representatives from across the globe, rather than just the West, and increasing the appointments of women...

Pope Leo sends message to Byzantine Catholics in United States (Vatican News)

As the third Metropolitan Assembly of the Byzantine Catholic Archeparchy of Pittsburgh kicks off, the Pope shares how their meeting is “a visible sign of communion in the Church"... In his message, the Pope highlighted the Assembly’s theme, Come, let us worship and bow before Christ, saying it “offers a precious opportunity to grow in unity and to reaffirm your commitment to the Lord”...

Pope Leo XIV Prays by Name for Gaza Parish Strike Victims, Renews Plea for Ceasefire (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday prayed by name for the victims of a deadly Israeli strike on the only Catholic parish in Gaza, decrying the “barbarism of the war” as he renewed his call for an immediate ceasefire... He named the dead — Saad Issa Kostandi Salameh, Foumia Issa Latif Ayyad, and Najwa Ibrahim Latif Abu Daoud — and said, “I am especially close to their families and all the parishioners”...

>123 brone: Apollo 11 anniversary: Pope Leo XIV speaks with astronaut Buzz Aldrin (Vatican News)

Fifty-six years after Apollo 11 landed on the moon, Pope Leo XIV spoke Sunday evening with astronaut Buzz Aldrin, reported the Holy See Press Office on Telegram. NASA launched Apollo 11, the first manned mission to land on the Moon, on 16 July 1969. On 20 July, Neil Armstrong became the first human to walk on the Moon, and Buzz Aldrin, also on the spaceship, became the second. In the statement, the Press Office continued, "He shared with him the memory of a historic achievement—a testimony to human ingenuity—and, using the words of Psalm 8, together they reflected on the mystery of Creation, its greatness, and its fragility." Before ending the call, Pope Leo blessed the astronaut, his family, and his collaborators. Following the conversation, Buzz Aldrin wrote on social media, "Anca and I were grateful and touched to receive the highest blessing from His Holiness, Pope Leo XIV on the 56th Anniversary of the Apollo 11 moon landing. What an honor! We prayed for good health, long life, and prosperity for all humankind. #PopeLeoXIV." For the anniversary of the 1969 moon landing, after the Pope recited the midday Angelus, he had visited the telescopes and instruments in the Domes of the Vatican Observatory at Castel Gandolfo...

Indeed it is good to see Pope Leo continuing these little human gestures which his predecessor Francis had been so good at. His generous remembrance of the moon landings and his interest in the Vatican Observatory is perhaps also a signal that this pope, again like his predecessor, is not a fan of anti-science conspiracy theories.

Pope condemns arms trade as he returns to Vatican (Vatican News)

“We must encourage everyone to leave weapons behind, and to leave behind the money-making that is behind every war." Those were the Pope’s words to journalists as he left his summer residence in Castel Gandolfo this evening... “Many times, with the arms trade, people become just tools without any value,” he stressed, adding that we must "constantly insist on the dignity of every human being, Christian, Muslim, people of every religion. We are all God's children, created in God's image,” he continued. “So we will continue this effort”...

Looks like Pope Leo might also be continuing his predecessor's custom of informal conversations with journalists.

A Church at the crossroads (Tablet)

In what direction will Pope Leo XIV take the Catholic Church? And who will follow his lead?... Slowly but surely, a picture emerged of Robert Francis Prevost: a native of Chicago whose mosaical roots chronicle the very best of the United States; a missionary who went off to Peru, whose formative experiences with the people there taught him what it means to be a pastor; a son of St Augustine who would inherit the keys of St Peter. Leo’s election as the 267th leader of the Catholic Church is a study in contrasts. The demure American pope versus the bombastic US president. The Vatican outsider who spent just a few years in the Roman Curia before taking control of the entire operation versus an entrenched bureaucracy eager to maintain its power. The humble Peruvian pastor versus the pomp and circumstance many still associate with the papacy... Those who have worked closely with Robert Prevost describe someone who is discreet, calm, thoughtful and unpretentious, emotionally adroit, an attentive listener, respectful of other views, a bridge-builder and peace-maker. His personality and leadership style are well suited to the kind of collaborative leadership that tends to drive change today... “To all your brothers and sisters of Rome, Italy, of all the world, we want to be a synodal Church,” he told the crowd... “If Francis wanted a more synodal Church, I suspect Leo XIV wants a more synodal papacy”... Cardinal Prevost fully supported inviting women into governance positions in the Curia...

Pope Leo sends greetings to the Pax Christi USA national conference

In the midst of the many challenges facing our world at this time, including widespread armed conflict, division among peoples, and the challenges of forced migration, efforts to promote nonviolence are all the more necessary... Jesus continues to send his followers into the world to become creators of peace in their daily lives. In parishes, neighborhoods, and especially on the peripheries, it is all the more important for a Church capable of reconciliation to be present and visible... I pray in a particular way that your gathering will inspire all in Pax Christi USA to work to make their local communities into “houses of peace” where one learns how to defuse hostility through dialogue, where justice is practiced and forgiveness is cherished...

Pope encourages Pax Christi to continue to promote nonviolence

In a message to participants in Pax Christi USA’s annual National Assembly, Pope Leo says “efforts to promote nonviolence are all the more necessary” in a world facing the challenges including war, division, and forced migration...

Pope: You cannot call God your Father if you preserve a cruel heart

Pope Leo addresses the faithful gathered in St Peter's Square for his Angelus and reminds them of the significance of the Our Father prayer, stressing that the Lord is always there for you, but adding that you must be transformed by his goodness...

Both from Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV gives priests 3 tips to build a solid Catholic formation on ‘rock’

Pope Leo XIV offered three brief suggestions to two groups of priests he met at the Vatican on Friday morning, saying a “solid and integral formation” is essential for all Catholic faithful but especially for those who give Christian formation... The Holy Father’s first suggestion to build a rock-solid formation was to cultivate a “friendship with Jesus”... The Augustinian pope’s second suggestion for Catholic formators was to live an “effective and affective fraternity” with others. “It is necessary to learn to live as brothers within the presbyterate as well as in religious communities and with our bishops and superiors,” he said... his third and final suggestion: “to share the mission with all the baptized.” The pope said priests should not view themselves as “lone leaders” or live their ordained ministry with a “sense of superiority” but to be pastors who are “immersed in the reality of the people of God.” “During the first centuries of the Church, it was usual for all the faithful to be like missionary disciples and to commit themselves personally to evangelization,” Leo explained. “The ordained ministry was at the service of this mission shared by all.” “Today, we feel strongly that we must return to this participation of all the baptized in witnessing to and proclaiming the Gospel,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV Urges "full respect for humanitarian law" in Gaza

Pope Leo XIV called for peace negotiations and respect for humanitarian law in Gaza, 10 days after an Israeli strike caused the death of three people at the only Catholic church in the enclave. “I renew my heartfelt appeal for a ceasefire, for the release of hostages, and for the full respect for humanitarian law,” the pope said... Leo called on the parties in all conflicts around the world to recognize the God-given dignity of every person and “put an end to all actions contrary to it”...

Both from Vatican News, plus the following from ACI Africa:

How Pope Leo XIV Can Influence Catholic Church’s New Social Media Missionaries

The Vatican welcomes more than a thousand social media influencers to Rome this week for an event intended to shape a new generation of Catholic missionaries — those sharing Christ on the internet. An active social media user, Pope Leo XIV is ready to help the Church navigate the fraught world of internet evangelization. Before becoming pope, then-Father Robert Prevost identified social media’s potential for evangelization, but he warned about the anti-Christian messages dominating Western media and the tendency to exalt exhibition over the mystical. “I think the Church needs to be sophisticated, if you will, also in terms of the use of the social networks that are available to us"...

Pope Leo XIV: A change of course is needed on environment (Vatican News)

The increasingly grave “environmental devastation that is occurring” is profoundly challenging people’s consciences....There is an “urgency” to address this by “all of humanity..." The Pope explained to the young people that “in the face of pollution and climate change, the loss of biodiversity, the deterioration of life and social degradation, global inequalities, the lack of drinking water and access to energy for many populations, an ecological education is essential for everyone to reverse the order of things”... “Only an inner conversion makes possible the change of habits and mentality that leads to a new way of living in communion with the environment,” Pope Leo affirmed...

Leo XIV: Don’t be discouraged in your faith journey, God is always there to sustain you (CNA)

Speaking to a group of catechumens from France, Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday explained that baptism “gives us life” to renounce a “culture of death,” which is so prevalent in today’s society...

"War does not solve problems, but rather it amplifies them and produces deep wounds in the history of people that take generations to heal. No armed victory can compensate for the pain of mothers, the fear of children, the stolen future. May diplomacy silence the weapons! May nations chart their futures with works of peace, not with violence and bloodstained conflicts!” (Pope Leo XIV, post-Angelus, June 22, 2025)

>132 brone:

"War does not solve problems" is not a "quip", it is a very profound and courageous counter-cultural policy statement by our American pope, particularly when taken in the context of the whole quote about diplomacy and charting the course of nations. Too many nations and non-state actors view war as just one amongst many routine diplomatic tools on the menu to achieve their political aims, or to "solve problems". It isn't. While it may provide some apparent short term political gains, and certainly benefits the world's arms manufacturers, it does not resolve the root causes of the problems and almost inevitably leads to more violence.

Who knows whether some members of this congregation would have survived if there has been an armed guard outside? What's more likely is that the armed guard would have been killed, after possibly killing one or two of the attackers, and that the rest of the victims would still have been killed.

You apparently believe that violence "sure does solve problems for Islamic State sponsored terrorists". It doesn't. It just creates more problems for them as well as for the people they are attacking. And I don't believe they are "trying their best to rid Africa of Catholics". Rather they are reacting to a complex series of problems, including poor governance, oppression, violent state security organs, poverty, ethnic and religious dynamics, and age-old transhumant pastoralist versus settled agriculturalist conflicts. They've chosen the wrong path - violence - and they've been radicalised by a particular brand of extremist Islam, but "ridding Africa of Catholics" (or of people of a different ethnic group or of settled agriculaturalists), apart from being unachievable, will not solve their problems and both they and their opponents will continue to suffer.

Edited to add: And here is another illustration of how complex these conflicts are. Aid cuts will push Nigerians into arms of Boko Haram militants, WFP warns (BBC)

"It will be much easier for militants to lure youths to join them and spiral insecurity across the whole region," Trust Mlambo, head of operations in the area for WFP, told the BBC...

In other words, many of the militants are not extremist Islamists trying to rid Africa of Catholics, they are unemployed, impoverished, starving, ill-educated and disillusioned youths who see few prospects of advancement and so are lured into joining miltant groups which offer them a sense of belonging and purpose, and allow them to survive by looting. And, as I mention in >134 John5918: below, many are also forcibly recruited.

Pope’s August prayer intention: For mutual coexistence

Pope Leo XIV releases his prayer intention for August, 2025, inviting us to pray “that societies avoid internal conflicts due to ethnic, political, religious or ideological reasons” and encouraging us to “seek paths of dialogue” and “respond to conflict with gestures of fraternity”...

Pope to young pilgrims: “Your voices will be heard to the ends of the earth"

At the opening of the Jubilee of Youth, the Holy Father welcomes young people to St. Peter’s Square, inviting them to pray for peace: “Let us walk together with our faith in Jesus Christ”...

Both from Vatican News

Pope Leo's call to “respond to conflict with gestures of fraternity” brings to mind another African conflict with religious and ethnic overtones, in northern Uganda. This one ran for a couple of decades and also featured many of the complex dynamics which I mentioned in >133 John5918:, including a radicalised and distorted religious component, in this case Christian. While the Ugandan army, at times with huge US backing after arbitrarily declaring the Lord's Resistance Army an international "terrorist" group, mounted huge military operations which served no purpose except to turn more people against the government and set up the army as just another violent armed group rather than a guarantor of security, Catholic Archbishop John Baptist Odama and his ecumenical and interfaith colleagues regularly risked their lives going out into the bush to meet the insurgents, treat them as human beings, and offer "gestures of fraternity”. It worked. There are many testimonies of young fighters (often forcibly recruited as child soldiers, then radicalised, dehumanised and terrorised into carrying out violent acts) responding positively to this show of fraternity and eventually summoning up the courage to escape from the armed group and be rehabilitated and reintegrated into society. Although formal peace talks collapsed around 2008, in fact the LRA rapidly petered out after that. This is a conflict I have experienced, studied and written about (I won't advertise my book here!)

>135 brone:

Are those your words or are you quoting someone without crediting them? I'd be interested to learn exactly how such opinions mirror the views of those today who primarily regard scripture, the Church, and the Catholic Faith as essentially human historical constructs, and how they go hand in hand with barely disguised insistence that the Church always requires the wholesale adaptation to whatever happens to be the Zeitgeist.

>137 brone: his disdain for the progressive Church

That's an interesting take on St John Newman, as many would argue that he was a unifying figure between "conservatives" and "progressives".

Pope to bestow one of Catholic Church's highest honors on Anglican convert John Henry Newman (NCR)

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday decided to declare St. John Henry Newman a “doctor” of the church, bestowing one of the Catholic Church’s highest honors on the deeply influential 19th century Anglican convert who remains a unifying figure among conservatives and progressives... Newman experts said the decision to add the British theologian to their ranks was deeply significant, given Newman's contribution to Christian understanding of conscience, truth and education — and his near-universal appeal to progressives and conservatives alike... If back then Newman was the perfect unifying figure for a polarized church, he is even more so now, for a new pope who has made unity a core priority of his pontificate... Newman was one of the founders of the so-called Oxford Movement of the 1830s, which sought to revive certain Roman Catholic doctrines in the Church of England by looking back to the traditions of the earliest Christian church. But he gave up a brilliant academic career at Oxford University and the pulpit of the university church to convert to Catholicism. As a Catholic, he became one of the most influential theologians of the era, bringing elements of the Anglican church into his new faith tradition...

Pope Leo XIV gets rock star welcome from young Catholics at huge vigil (Guardian)

More than 800,000 pilgrims cry and cheer as pontiff arrives at open-air youth prayer event outside Rome...

In Message to SECAM, Pope Leo XIV “confident” Africa’s “local churches will remain tangible signs of hope” (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged Catholic Bishops in Africa and Madagascar to strengthen their commitment to building local Churches that serve as visible and concrete expressions of Christian hope, unity, and reconciliation across the continent... The Holy Father encourages the Catholic Bishops in Africa to be instruments of unity in divided societies, hoping it will inspire them “to promote unity, particularly in society fractured those parts of polarization.” In this way, the Holy Father says he is “confident that your local churches will remain tangible signs of hope for all people”...

From sunset to daybreak: Friendship can change the world (Vatican News)

Andrea Monda, the Director of L'Osservatore Romano, reflects on the message of Pope Leo XIV at the Prayer Vigil for the Jubilee of Youth. Over a million young people filled the vast expanse of Tor Vergata to spend an evening with Pope Leo XIV during the Jubilee Vigil for Youth and to take part in the Mass celebrated by the Holy Father on Sunday morning, 3 August...

Pope Leo XIV Expresses His "profound sorrow" Over Death of Migrants in Shipwreck off Yemen (ACI Africa)

In a new gesture of closeness to the victims of irregular migration, Pope Leo XIV expressed his “profound sorrow” for the sinking of a boat off the coast of Yemen in which at least 76 migrants on their way to Saudi Arabia died. Most of the passengers were Ethiopian nationals. In a telegram signed by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the pontiff entrusted “the many migrants who have lost their lives to the loving mercy of Almighty God.” In the message, addressed to the apostolic nuncio in Yemen, Archbishop Christophe Zakhia El-Kassis, the pope also invoked “divine strength, consolation, and hope for the survivors, emergency workers, and all those affected by this tragedy”...

Pope: May the Hiroshima anniversary serve as a call to pursue peace (Vatican News)

In a message on the occasion of the 80th anniversary of the Hiroshima bombing, Pope Leo XIV urges the international community to renew its commitment to pursue lasting peace for our whole human family. “Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity and betray the dignity of creation, whose harmony we are called to safeguard” Pope Leo XIV said in a message addressed to Bishop Alexis Shirama of Hiroshima, and read by the Apostolic Nuncio, Archbishop Francisco Escalante Molina during the celebration of Mass for Peace in Hiroshima. Marking 80 years since the nuclear bombing by US forces of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki during World War II, in which between 150,000 and 246,000 people died, the Pope said the “the two cities remain living reminders of the profound horrors wrought by nuclear weapons”... The Pope recalled the reiterated appeal of his predecessor, Pope Francis: “War is always a defeat for humanity” and noted that true peace demands “the courageous laying down of weapons, especially those with the power to cause an indescribable catastrophe.” “Nuclear arms offend our shared humanity and also betray the dignity of creation, whose harmony we are called to safeguard,” he said. Quoting Pope Francis, the Pope said that in a time “of mounting global tensions and conflicts", Hiroshima and Nagasaki stand as symbols of memory that, he said, "urge us to reject the illusion of security founded on mutually, assured destruction.” Instead, he continued, “we must forge a global ethic rooted in justice, fraternity and the common good”...

Pope Leo XIV Ranks Most Favorable among 14 Figures Making Headlines: New Gallup Poll (ACI Africa)

Results of a new Gallup poll reveal that Americans have a much more favorable view of Pope Leo XIV than a number of other prominent U.S. and global figures. The polling company surveyed 1,002 adults living in all 50 states and the District of Columbia... The participants were asked from July 7–21 if they have a “favorable” or “unfavorable” opinion of 14 figures making headlines in the news. The results of the survey found that Americans have the most positive image of Pope Leo XIV among the newsmakers, with the majority (57%) reporting they have a “favorable” perception of him. Pope Leo also had the lowest “unfavorable” rating with only 11%... Pope Leo had an overall net-favorable score of 46, well ahead of the other most favorable leads including Zelenskyy, who had an 18-point net score — 28 points behind Pope Leo; and Bernie Sanders, who had an 11-point score, 35 points less than the pope. Pope Leo’s positive figures closely match Pope Francis’ ratings when he first assumed the role of pope in 2013. He was viewed favorably by 58% of participants and unfavorably by 10%. The results are also similar to Pope Benedict’s in 2005, which were 55% favorable and 12% unfavorable. The Gallup reports found that all three pontiffs earned above-average support from American Catholics in their initial ratings, with Pope Leo viewed favorably by 76%, Francis by 80%, and Benedict by 67%. Pope Leo does differ from his predecessors in that his favorable rating is higher among liberals (65%) than conservatives (46%), whereas Benedict and Francis were viewed more favorably by conservatives than liberals in their initial ratings... Overall, the first American-born pope has a large appeal in the United States. Unlike the political figures in the poll, he is viewed more favorably than unfavorably by all political parties but is liked more by Democrats than by Republicans...

A Baptist theologian hopes for renewal in Pope Leo's service to all Christians (NCR)

As a Baptist ecumenical theologian who serves as co-secretary for the Baptist-Catholic dialogue joint commission, I am keenly interested in how the pope, whomever he may be, might live into the hope that the papacy could be of service to all Christians. This hope was articulated by Pope John Paul II in Ut Unum Sint and reiterated last year in the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity study document on "The Bishop of Rome"...

Pope Leo XIV Calls on Participants in III Pan African Congress to Strengthen “family of local Churches” (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV has sent out a strong message of solidarity with participants in the ongoing III Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society, and Pastoral Life, urging those gathering in Ivory Coast’s city of Abidjan to continue making the local Churches in their respective countries places where members feel loved and supported... the Holy Father underlined the importance of building a network of support for Church members, especially on the continent that he said faces “its own set of particular difficulties”... “Africa, like other parts of the world, faces its own set of particular difficulties. And faced with these challenges, and the perception that things do not change, it is easy to become despondent. However, it is precisely the role of the Church to be the light of the world, a city set on a hill to be a beacon of hope for the nations,” Pope Leo XIV said. “While each one of us is called to nurture our own personal relationship with God, at the same time through our baptism, we are united as sons and daughters of our heavenly father. Therefore, we have certain responsibilities to look after each other,” he added...

Pope Leo welcomes Venetian inmates on Jubilee pilgrimage

Three inmates from Venice’s Santa Maria Maggiore Prison are among a group of pilgrims received by Pope Leo on Thursday at the Vatican. The group's Jubilee pilgrimage of almost 500 kilometers included traversing the final hundred kilometers, from the Italian town of Terni to Rome, on foot. The pilgrims were accompanied to the audience by the Patriarch of Venice, Archbishop Francesco Moraglia; and prison chaplain Father Massimo Cadamuro, along with other archdiocesan officials...

Pope to celebrate Mass, share lunch with the poor in Albano on August 17

Pope Leo XIV will visit with the poor assisted by the Diocese of Albano, celebrating Holy Mass on Sunday, August 17, and then joining them for lunch after the Angelus...

These two articles from Vatican News are a sign that Pope Leo shares his predecessor's concern for the marginalised, the poor, and prisoners.

Two Augustinians, Two Chairs, One Body in Christ (National Catholic Register)

Formed by the same Augustinian community, Pope Leo XIV and Servant of God Father Bill Atkinson show how sanctity is forged in both hidden suffering and visible leadership...

St. Augustine’s Impact on First 3 Months of Pope Leo XIV’s Pontificate (ACI Africa)

In that first urbi et orbi message, delivered on May 8, the Holy Father expressed the words that would mark the beginning of his pontificate: “I am an Augustinian, a son of St. Augustine, who once said, ‘With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.’ In this sense, all of us can journey together toward the homeland that God has prepared for us.” Over the last three months, Pope Leo has cited his spiritual father, St. Augustine, on multiple occasions, establishing a pastoral approach deeply rooted in the Augustinian tradition... Pope Leo XIV has taken every opportunity — through his speeches, audiences, and homilies — to offer valuable teachings inspired by St. Augustine of Hippo... One of the recurring themes in Pope Leo XIV’s teaching during these first months has been the importance of unity in Christ... The heavenly homeland... A faith lived with humility and compassion...

Pope expands rights for parents working in the Vatican (Vatican News)

The Vatican has published a new Rescript, signed by the Prefect of the Secretariat for the Economy and approved by the Holy Father, that introduces several new measures regarding paternity leave, the rights of parents with children who are incapacitated or have a severe disability, and the granting of family allowances...

Pope Leo XIV Approves Measures Benefiting Families of Vatican Employees (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV has approved a series of measures that benefit Vatican employees, expanding paternity leave, the rights of parents with disabled children, and granting family subsidies...

In Pope Leo XIV’s first 100 days, a calm papacy that avoids controversy comes into focus (PBS)

As Robert Prevost marks his 100th day as Pope Leo this weekend, the contours of his pontificate have begun to come into relief, primarily where he shows continuity with Francis and where he signals change. Perhaps the biggest takeaway is that after 12 sometimes turbulent years under Francis, a certain calm and reserve have returned to the papacy. Leo seems eager above all to avoid polemics or making the papacy about himself, and wants instead to focus on Christ and peace. That seems exactly what many Catholic faithful want, and may respond to what today’s church needs. “He’s been very direct and forthright … but he’s not doing spontaneous press hits”... Leo has certainly gone out of his way in his first 100 days to try to heal divisions that deepened during Francis’ pontificate, offering messages of unity and avoiding controversy at almost every turn. Even his signature issue — confronting the promise and peril posed by artificial intelligence — is something that conservatives and progressives alike agree is important. Francis’ emphasis on caring for the environment and migrants often alienated conservatives... Leo, though, has cemented Francis’ environmental legacy by celebrating the first-ever ecologically inspired Mass. He has furthered that legacy by giving the go-ahead for the Vatican to turn a 430-hectare (1,000-acre) field north of Rome into a vast solar farm that should generate enough electricity to meet Vatican City’s needs and turn it into the world’s first carbon-neutral state. He has fine-tuned financial transparency regulations that Francis initiated, tweaked some other decrees to give them consistency and logic, and confirmed Francis in deciding to declare one of the 19th century’s most influential saints, John Henry Newman, a “doctor” of the church... Leo has eased into his new job slowly, deliberately and quietly, almost trying not to draw attention to himself... At 69, he seems to know that he has time on his side, and that after Francis’ revolutionary papacy, the church might need a bit of a breather... Leo has insisted he is first and foremost a “son of St. Augustine”... Leo is also very much a product of the Francis papacy... Prevost, who hails from Chicago, spent his adult life as a missionary in Peru, eventually becoming bishop of Chiclayo. “He is the incarnation of the ‘unity of difference,’ because he comes from the center, but he lives in the peripheries”... Leo encapsulated in “word and gesture” the type of missionary church Francis promoted...

Pope Leo plans to make his Vatican home a flat share with friars (Times)

The break with tradition would reflect his background as a member of the Augustinian order...

Pope Leo XIV Calls Theologians to Find "balanced synthesis" Between God’s Law and Human Freedom (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday invited participants attending the 17th International Congress of Moral Theology in Colombia to reflect on the world’s challenges and conflicts in light of divine revelation revealed through Jesus Christ... Leo expressed his hope that the international congress will give theologians an opportunity to “find a balanced synthesis” between “the laws of God” and the “dynamics of man’s conscience and freedom” in the spirit of St. Alphonsus Maria de’ Liguori. According to the Holy Father, the Italian saint and Church doctor was a “visible sign of God’s infinite mercy” who assumed a “charitable, understanding, and patient attitude” toward others...

Pope Leo XIV Calls for a "great cultural conversion" in His Greeting to Rimini Meeting (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV called for “faith, hope, and charity to be translated into a great cultural conversion” in a message for the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, which will be held in Rimini, Italy, in the coming days. The Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, launched in 1980, offers an extensive program of activities (political, economic, cultural, etc.) that brings thousands of people from various religions and walks of life each year during the last week of August to the town of Rimini on Italy’s Adriatic coast. The initiative was inspired by what Luigi Giussani, founder of the ecclesisal movement known as Communion and Liberation, calls the elemental experience, an innate desire for truth, beauty, and justice present in the heart of every human being and which constitutes the basis for dialogue and encounter between people of different faiths and cultures...

Pope: Social justice cannot depart from Gospel or turn to violence (Vatican News)

In a message to participants in the Peruvian Church’s Social Week, Pope Leo XIV recalls the love the saints bore for the image of God in all people, and urges those who work for social justice to avoid turning to violence or sinning against charity...

Pope at lunch with the poor: We are God’s most beautiful creation (Vatican News)

Before sharing a lunch with the poor supported by Caritas Albano in the Gardens of the Pontifical Villas, the Pope explained that each one of us is made in the image of God, and that “we can find God’s presence in everyone”...

Pope Leo: Christians must give shared witness to humanity's suffering (Vatican News)

In his message of greetings to participants in the 2025 Ecumenical Week in Stockholm, Pope Leo XIV reaffirms that "in our world bearing deep scars of conflict, inequality, environmental degradation, and a growing sense of spiritual disconnection," it is crucial for Christians to continue working and praying together...

Pope Leo says there is hope for Ukraine, but work and prayer are needed (Vatican News)

“There is hope, but we still need to work hard, pray hard, and truly seek the way forward, to find peace,” Pope Leo said Tuesday evening, in response to questions from journalists concerning negotiations for an end to the war in Ukraine. Regarding possible talks with certain leaders, he said “someone” hears him "continuously,” adding, “We pray and try to move forward"...

Pope Leo and the witness of the Algerian martyrs (Vatican News)

In his message to the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples, currently taking place in Rimini, Italy, Pope Leo XIV drew attention to the exhibition on the martyrs of Algeria, through whom , he said, “the Church’s vocation shines forth: to dwell in the desert in deep communion with all humanity, overcoming the walls of mistrust that divide religions and cultures, fully imitating the incarnation and self-giving of the Son of God.” The Pope underlined that “this way of presence and simplicity” is “the true path of mission.” It is a precious and particularly meaningful reminder, not only for those gathered in Rimini, but for the whole Church. Mission, he insisted, is never “a form of self-display, in opposition of identities, but the gift of self, even to the point of martyrdom, by those who adore day and night, in joy and in tribulation, Jesus alone as Lord.” The exhibition on the Algerian martyrs movingly shows how they gave themselves completely to the people among whom they lived: simply by sharing life with them in every way, bearing witness through fraternity, friendship, closeness, and practical help. Without seeking the spotlight, without worrying about numbers, without trusting in carefully planned strategies.

This is clear in a homily by Bishop Pierre Claverie, martyred in 1996. Shortly before being killed by Islamic fundamentalists, he was asked why he remained in Algeria despite the daily risk to his life. He replied: “Where is home for us? We are there because of this crucified Messiah. For no other reason, for no other person! We have no interests to defend, no influence to maintain…We have no power, but we are there like at the bedside of a friend, of a sick brother, in silence, holding his hand, wiping his forehead. Because of Jesus - because it is he who suffers, in that violence that spares no one, crucified again in the flesh of thousands of innocents.” He went on: “Where should the Church of Jesus be - which is itself the Body of Christ - if not first of all there? I believe the Church dies precisely when it is not close enough to the cross of Jesus…The Church is mistaken, and deceives the world when it presents itself as one power among others, as an organisation - even a humanitarian one - or as a spectacular evangelical movement. It may shine, but it does not burn with the fire of God’s love.” It is a sharp and sobering judgement: the Church dies when it drifts away from the cross of Jesus, when it becomes worldly and turns itself into an NGO, when it chases political and economic power, when it relies on numbers, when it imagines that evangelisation is simply repeating the name of Jesus Christ at every opportunity, instead of taking up the challenge of following him in the concreteness of life, in radical choices, in service to the least. The Church dies when it turns the proclamation of faith into a show, when it thinks it can shine with its own light, forgetting that it can only reflect the light of Another. The witness of the Algerian martyrs - so far from the self-centred protagonism of today - offers a challenge and a reminder of the essence of the Gospel, a sign of contradiction. It is telling that at the close of his message to the Meeting, Pope Leo XIV recalled Pope Francis and his teaching: the option for the poor is, before anything else, a theological category - not merely a cultural, sociological, political or philosophical one. For God “chose the humble, the little ones, the powerless, and from the womb of the Virgin Mary became one of them, to write his story into our history. True realism, then, is that which includes those who see from another point of view, who grasp aspects of reality invisible from the centres of power where the weightiest decisions are made”...

Forgive me for quoting the above at length, but these words really struck me.

Pope Leo XIV Urges Catholic Legislators to Look to Augustine’s "City of God" (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday urged Catholic lawmakers to draw inspiration from St. Augustine’s “City of God” as they navigate shifting global politics, warning against reducing the idea of human flourishing to mere wealth or consumer comfort... the pope called on parliamentarians to ensure that “power is tamed by conscience and law is at the service of human dignity.” “Authentic human flourishing is seen when individuals live virtuously, when they live in healthy communities, enjoying not only what they have, what they possess, but also who they are as children of God”...

The Vatican was looking for an improved Francis model, and just might have found one in Leo XIV (Globe and Mail)

The cardinal electors intentionally chose a prelate who is not Francis. They did not choose an anti-Francis; they wanted a custodian, not an innovator; they wanted a stabilizer. In short, they wanted an improved Francis model. Whereas Francis humanized the papacy, simplified its trappings, eschewed its solemn splendour, and popularized the papal personality, Leo has revised much of the older style with its raiment and regal bearing, and disports himself with a dignity of gait and manner reminiscent of Pope Paul VI. The ebullience of the Argentine has been replaced with the reserve of the American. This is not to suggest that Leo is lacking in personal warmth – those who know him all attest to his natural humility and native kindness in attending to them one-on-one – but the charismatic leadership of Francis is not replicated by the new Bishop of Rome. Leo is a canon lawyer by training – the first such pope in over a century – and that professional formation speaks to the way he approaches the challenges facing the church... Reflecting his legal education, Leo’s natural disposition is to move with caution and a steady hand: forensic, deliberative and risk-averse... Mathematics and canon law shape Leo’s thinking... The parochial nature of Leo’s early years is, however, greatly offset by the hands-on experience he had for two decades as a missionary. His canon law background was supplemented by his vast pastoral experience... Leo, a trusted confidant of Francis, offers the prospect of restoration and continuity. He departs from the Francis style, but retains a commitment to the Francis projects. His approach is understated rather than theatrical; he will not undo what Francis began, but will mitigate, with that practised Vatican subtlety honed over centuries, the troublesome elements that threaten to fracture rather than unify... Leo, by contrast, inclines to the affirmation rather than the exhortation mode. He befriends rather than berates. But there will come a time when he will need to make hard decisions about the reforming agenda of his predecessor, and although he may have a reformer’s instinct, he has yet to evidence a reformer’s zeal. Francis’s prophetic commitment to what he called synodality – a new way of being as a church – entails more than a safe endorsement of synodality as a new attitude or style. It means substantive and history-altering changes that require more than a papal blessing...

Pope Leo XIV: Jesus Challenges Presumption of Those Who Think They are Already Saved (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that Jesus calls Christians to enter through the narrow gate and challenges the presumption of those who assume they are already saved... Jesus, the pope said, “did not choose the easy path of success or power; instead, in order to save us, he loved us to the point of walking through the ‘narrow gate’ of the cross.” There are times when following the Lord, he added, will require “making difficult and unpopular decisions, resisting our selfish inclinations, placing ourselves at the service of others, and persevering in doing what is right when the logic of evil seems to prevail”... Pope Leo said that Jesus calls into question what he described as “the security of believers” and added that the Lord’s words about the “narrow gate” are “meant primarily to challenge the presumption of those people who think they are already saved, who perform religious acts and feel that is all that is needed”...

Pope Leo XIV on the Insurgency in Mozambique: Do not Forget “these brothers and sisters of ours” (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV has expressed his closeness with victims of violence in Mozambique, praying for the end of the war that has left thousands dead and hundreds of thousands internally displaced and in a worsening humanitarian crisis...

"Let there be peace!": Book of Pope Leo XIV’s Discourses to be Published August 27 (ACI Africa)

On Aug. 27 the Vatican will publish a compilation of Pope Leo’s discourses from the first months of his pontificate in a book signed by the pontiff titled “Let There Be Peace! Words to the Church and the World.” According to the Vatican publishing house, the 160-page volume, which will be published in Italian, English, and Spanish, “is a valuable book: It collects the first discourses of Pope Leo XIV, through which we can better understand the pontiff through his own words.” The book’s title underscores the Holy Father’s emphasis on calling for peace, which began from the very moment of his election on May 8, when he exclaimed from St. Peter’s: “Peace be with you all! Dear brothers and sisters, these are the first words spoken by the risen Christ, the Good Shepherd who laid down his life for God’s flock. I would like this greeting of peace to resound in your hearts, in your families, among all people, wherever they may be, in every nation and throughout the world. Peace be with you! It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally”...

Pope demands ‘collective punishment’ end in Gaza as 10 more die of hunger (Guardian)

Ten Palestinians including two children have died from starvation in the last 24 hours, health authorities in Gaza said on Wednesday, as Pope Leo XIV demanded that Israel stop its “collective punishment” of the population in the besieged territory... As humanitarian conditions continued to worsen, the pope called for a suspension of hostilities. “I beg for a permanent ceasefire to be reached, the safe entry of humanitarian aid to be facilitated and humanitarian law to be fully respected,” Leo said. He referred to international law and its “prohibition of collective punishment, indiscriminate use of force and the forced displacement of the population”...

Pope’s theme for 2026 World Day of Peace: ‘Peace be with you all’ (Vatican News)

“Peace be with you all: Towards an ‘unarmed and disarming’ peace” is the theme for the annual celebration dedicated to universal peace, held on January 1, the liturgical Solemnity of Mary, the Mother of God. The theme, noted the press release, “invites humanity to reject the logic of violence and war, and to embrace an authentic peace based on love and justice.” On the evening of his election to the papacy on May 8, 2025, and on several other occasions since then, Pope Leo XIV appealed for peace with a characteristic phrase—“unarmed and disarming”—to characterize the type of peace he hopes for the world. “This peace must be unarmed, that is, not based on fear, threats or weapons,” noted the press release. “And it must be disarming, capable of resolving conflicts, opening hearts and generating mutual trust, empathy and hope.” “It is not enough to call for peace,” it said. “We must embody it in a way of life that rejects every form of violence, whether it be visible or systemic”...

Pope Leo Prays for Victims of "terrible tragedy" in Minneapolis Catholic School Shooting (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday said he was offering prayers for the victims of the Minneapolis Catholic school shooting, one he described as an “extremely difficult” and “terrible” tragedy... Also on Wednesday, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement lamenting the loss of life in the deadly shooting... Numerous other U.S. bishops responded to the tragedy as well...

Pope: May the Church always be a school of humility, welcoming all (Vatican News)

In his reflections before leading the Sunday Angelus, Pope Leo prays that the Church may always be "a school of humility" in following Jesus' example, as well as "a home where all are welcome", where rivalries are set aside... the importance of humility, openness to others and a culture of encounter... in every culture sitting at table together can be a sign of peace, communion, sharing and encounter... genuine encounter is not always easy...

Pope Leo XIV meets Father James Martin at the Vatican (CNA)

Pope Leo XIV met in a private audience with Jesuit Father James Martin at the Vatican on Monday. Martin, who is in Rome to lead a jubilee pilgrimage for his LGBTQ ministry, Outreach, also had one-on-one audiences with Pope Francis on at least two occasions... Martin wrote: “I was honored and grateful to meet with the Holy Father this morning in an audience in the Apostolic Palace and heard the same message I heard from Pope Francis on LGBTQ people, which is one of openness and welcome: ‘Todos, todos, todos.’ I found the pope serene, joyful, and encouraging”...

Pope’s support for the Chagossians echoes far beyond the Vatican’s walls (Observer)

The Observer went to Rome with a delegation of the islands’ exiles for a rare audience with Leo XIV. What they heard was a politically important message for victims of injustice and invasion around the world. “All peoples, even the smallest and weakest, must be respected by the powerful in their identity and their rights, in particular the right to live on their land; and no one can force them into exile.” The words were spoken by Leo XIV on Saturday 23 August in the intimacy of the Vatican’s Hall of Popes. They were addressed to a delegation of Chagossians who had travelled from Mauritius and Britain to attend a personal audience with the pope...

Pope asks Augustinians to promote unity throughout the Church and the world (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Holy Mass at the Church of St Augustine in Rome, for the opening of the General Chapter of the Augustinian Order, urging his brothers and sisters to pray for the gift of listening, being humble and promoting unity...

Pope Leo XIV Assures Persons Affected by Deadly Landslide in Sudan’s Darfur Region “his spiritual closeness” (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV has expressed his spiritual solidarity with all persons affected by the August 31 landslide that reportedly wiped out Tarsin village in Sudan’s Central Darfur region, killing at least 1,000 people. In a Tuesday, September 2 telegram addressed to Bishop Yunan Tombe Trille Kuku Andali of Sudan’s Catholic Diocese of El Obeid, the Holy Father says he “was deeply saddened to learn of the devastation caused by the landslide” and assures “everyone affected by this disaster of his spiritual closeness.” “Praying especially for the eternal rest of the dead, for those who mourn their loss, and for the rescue of the many persons still missing, His Holiness offers encouragement to the civil authorities and emergency personnel in their ongoing relief efforts,” the telegram that the Vatican Secretary of State, Pietro Cardinal Parolin, signed reads in part...

Pope's prayer for September: Respecting, protecting God's creation (NCR)

Participating in the ecumenical Season of Creation, Pope Leo XIV's prayer intention for the month of September is "for our relationship with all of creation." In his monthly video, distributed Sept. 2 by the Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network, Leo prays to God: "Help us to discover your presence in all creation, so that, in fully recognizing it, we may feel and know ourselves to be responsible for this common home where you invite us to care for, respect and protect life in all its forms and possibilities." The Season of Creation, a time of Christian prayer and commitment to safeguarding the earth, runs from Sept. 1 through the Oct. 4 feast of St. Francis of Assisi, patron saint of ecology. After reciting the Angelus prayer Aug. 31, Leo called on Catholics to join him in marking the Sept. 1 World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. He told people gathered for the Angelus prayer that Pope Francis had established the day of prayer for Catholics, accepting an invitation Orthodox Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople had made to all Christians. The Orthodox Church began the observance in 1989, including ecological responsibility in their Sept. 1 liturgical feast of creation, which ponders the mystery of God creating all things. Marking the day of prayer "is more important and urgent than ever," Leo said, adding that the theme, "Seeds of Peace and Hope" will be contemplated throughout the Season of Creation...

From Leo's lips to God's ear. Amen

Borgo Laudato si’: Pope Leo XIV to launch new ecological and spiritual chapter (Vatican News)

The Papal Villa and lush gardens in Castel Gandolfo, located about 25 kilometres southeast of Rome, is an expansive complex of buildings and gardens that overlook Lake Albano. Originally, the site belonged to Emperor Domitian’s villa but was acquired by the Holy See and has historically served as the summer residence for Popes. This week, Pope Leo XIV will officially inaugurate much of the Castel Gandolfo property as the Borgo Laudato si’ ecology project. The 135-acre initiative will now offer, in various languages, an hour’s guided tour of the gardens, farmland, Laudato si’ educational centre, restaurant and marketplace to international tourists and visitors. The educational centre, on the one hand, will be open especially for day or long-stay visitors, diocesan and parish groups, the religious, priests, Bishops, school children, universities, vulnerable communities and delegations of episcopal conferences who might wish to replicate the model. Of interest will be courses specifically designed for the business world, targeting CEOs and industry leaders. Nevertheless, reiterated Borgo Laudato sì Management Director, Fr. Manuel Dorantes, everyone is welcome to the centre...

Pope at Audience: ‘I thirst’ is Jesus' cry for love and relationship (Vatican News)

At the weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV reflects on Jesus’ final words on the Cross, and recalls that human fragility “is a bridge towards heaven”...

Pope Leo XIV: Caring for Creation is our vocation (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV on Friday inaugurated the Laudato si’ Village (Borgo Laudato sì) at Castel Gandolfo, describing it as a “seed of hope” and a tangible model for ecological conversion... “Care for creation is truly a vocation for every human being. We are creatures among creatures, entrusted with the responsibility to care for all that the Creator has made,” he said. He highlighted that the Borgo Laudato si’ is intended to be a “living laboratory” of faith and sustainability. “What we see today is a synthesis of extraordinary beauty, where spirituality, daily life, and technology dwell together in harmony. It is a place of closeness and convivial proximity, and a seed that can bear fruits of justice and peace,” the Pope said...

Peace comes from dialogue, not 'walls and barbed wire,' pope says (NCR)

The future Christians hope for and must build "is not one of walls and barbed wire, but one of mutual acceptance," Pope Leo XIV told young adult Catholics from more than a dozen Mediterranean countries. Coming from different cultures, speaking different languages and representing both Latin-rite and Eastern Catholic churches, the young people "are proof that dialogue is possible, that differences are a source of wealth and not a motive for opposition and that the 'other' is always a brother or sister and never a stranger, or worse, an enemy," the pope said... With dialogue, acceptance and tolerance, he said, "the spiritual heritage of the great religious traditions born in the Mediterranean can continue to be a living ferment in this area and beyond, a source of peace, of openness to others, fraternity and of the care for creation." "Those very religions have been, and at times continue to be exploited in order to justify violence and armed conflict," he said. "We need to reject these forms of blasphemy that dishonor God's holy name, and to do so by the way we live our lives. We are called to cultivate prayer and spirituality, together with action, as sources of peace and points of encounter between traditions and cultures." Too often, Leo said, peace is just a slogan. "To be a peacemaker is no easy matter: it forces us out of our comfort zones of distraction and indifference and may well be resisted by those who have an interest in perpetuating conflicts," he said. But the pope encouraged the young people: "Do not be afraid. Be sprouts of peace where the seed of hatred and resentment is growing; be weavers of unity where polarization and enmity prevail; be the voice of those who have no voice to ask for justice and dignity; be light and salt where the flame of faith and the taste for life are fading." "Do not give up if someone does not understand you," the pope said. As St. Charles de Foucauld, a French hermit murdered in Algeria in 1916, used to say, "God also uses contrary winds to bring us to port."

Pope: Saints call us to look to God, make masterpieces of our lives (Vatican News)

Addressing over eighty thousand faithful filling Saint Peter’s Square on Sunday for the Mass with the canonization of Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis, Pope Leo XIV says the examples of these two young Saints invite all of us, especially young people, to direct our lives upwards to God and make them masterpieces of holiness, service, and joy...

Andrea Bocelli: Pope Leo XIV is ‘a beacon to guide us in these complex times’ (CNA)

Following the inauguration of the Laudato Si’ ecological village, Italian singer Andrea Bocelli highlighted “the honor of singing before the Holy Father” and said he felt at that moment “the power of divine providence and a renewed serenity in celebrating the universal Church” under the guidance of its “new and steadfast pastor,” Leo XIV... “When, together with my son Matteo, we intoned ‘Dolce Sentire’ — a prayer that evokes the sacredness and harmony of creation — I felt, as I had not in a long time, the strength of divine providence and a renewed serenity in celebrating the universal Church, which in Pope Leo XIV has found a new and steadfast shepherd, a beacon to guide us through these complex times.”

Pope Leo: ‘Peace, not conflict, is our most cherished dream’ (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV reaffirms the Catholic Church’s commitment to walk the path of peace with other religions, in a message to an interreligious conference in Bangladesh...

Pope Leo calls on new bishops to be builders of bridges (Vatican News)

Pope Leo tackled numerous themes on Thursday, 11 September, during a question-and-answer session at the conclusion of his audience with newly appointed bishops in the Synod Hall at the Vatican. According to a statement from the Holy See Press Office, Pope Leo continued his reflection on “the challenges and issues” new bishops “face at the beginning of a new ministry, such as fears, feelings of unworthiness, and the different expectations each had for their lives before their calling”... The Pope also invited them to reflect on the universality of the Church, and to bear witness in the world, renewing contact with men and women who grapple with questions about the meaning of life and of evil. “Ready-made answers, learned 25 years ago in seminary, are not enough,” Pope Leo affirmed. One must be persevering disciples, not frightened by the first difficulty, pastors close to the people and to priests, merciful yet firm, even when judgment is required, capable of listening and dialogue, not just giving sermons. Synodality, he added, is not a pastoral method but “a style of Church, of listening and of a common search for the mission to which we are called.” “Be builders of bridges,” he urged them, able to enhance the role of the laity in the life of the Church, promoting their integration, and serving a “disarmed and disarming” peace, because “peace is a challenge for all!” The Holy Father also addressed the issue of inappropriate conduct by clergy, which must be dealt with promptly. Such conduct cannot be filed away, he said, but must be addressed, with a sense of mercy and true justice, towards the victims and towards the accused”...

Protecting Minors Commission President presents safeguarding report to Pope (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV received the President of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors XIV, Archbishop Thibault Verny, Archbishop of Chambéry, in the Vatican on Friday... to present the Second Annual Report on Policies and Procedures for Protection in the Church. This report, established at the initiative of Pope Francis in 2022, aims to assess the safeguarding capacities of local Churches, offering practical recommendations based on the concrete experiences of various ecclesial regions...

Pope Leo XIV: Inappropriate behavior of the clergy ‘cannot be kept in a drawer’ (CNA)

In a meeting with bishops appointed in the last year, Pope Leo XIV exhorted them to address issues related to inappropriate behavior on the part of the clergy: “They can’t be put away in a drawer”... Pope Leo XIV also emphasized the value of the pastoral and human experience acquired in a local Church, which must be developed in a new ministry that puts bishops in touch with the universality of the Church. The pope emphasized to the new bishops the value of witness and the ability to stay in touch with the world as they respond to questions that people are asking today about the meaning of life and evil in the world. “The answers learned 25 years ago in the seminary are not enough”... Regarding synodality, the Holy Father — who headed the Dicastery for Bishops — explained that it is not a pastoral method but rather “a style of Church, of listening and of common search for the mission to which we are called.” “Be builders of bridges,” he said. He also asked them to value the role of the laity, integrating it into the life of the Church and to an “unarmed and disarming” peace because “peace is a challenge for all!”...

Pope Leo XIV tells World Meeting on Human Fraternity to welcome migrants, care for poor (CNA)

Pope Leo XIV spoke out on Friday against what he called the business of wars, while condemning attitudes of rejection and indifference toward migrants and the poor, as he received some of the participants in the third edition of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity at the Vatican... In his remarks, the pontiff reflected on the need for fraternity and reconciliation in a world where wars “shatter the lives of young people forced to take up arms; target defenseless civilians, children, women, and elderly people; devastate cities, the countryside, and entire ecosystems, leaving only rubble and pain in their wake.” The pope decried the plight of many “migrants who are despised, imprisoned, and rejected, among those who seek salvation and hope but find walls and indifference.” He also lamented that, on many occasions, the poor are “blamed for their poverty, forgotten and discarded, in a world that values profit more than people”...

"Leo from Chicago," Vatican media’s documentary on Pope Leo XIV's United States roots (Vatican News)

With a glance at Pope Leo’s childhood, family ties, friendships, studies, formation, vocation, first steps in consecrated life, social commitment, sporting passions, and food preferences, Leo from Chicago offers an in-depth and, in many ways, previously unseen portrait of Pope Leo XIV. This documentary, produced by the Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication in collaboration with the Archdiocese of Chicago and the Apostolado El Sembrador Nueva Evangelización (ESNE), retraces the history and roots of the Pope in his native land: the United States...

Pope Leo reflects on nature of theology in address to theologians (Vatican News)

Participants in an International Seminar on “Creation, Nature, Environment for a World of Peace” have reflected “on issues of urgent relevance, which are very close to my heart,” Pope Leo XIV said on Saturday... While highlighting the importance of the themes of environmental sustainability and care for creation, Pope Leo emphasized that “an effort to improve the environmental and social conditions of our world requires the commitment of everyone”... Theology, he said, “is indeed a constitutive dimension of the missionary and evangelizing action of the Church.” In this perspective, an “outgoing” theology, “theology in uscita”, that “combines scientific rigour and a passion for history,” that is fully incarnated, is necessary, he added... the Pope pointed to the examples of Saints Augustine and Thomas Aquinas, and, more recently, Blessed Antonio Rosmini, who understood theology as a science tempered by wisdom. “Theology is therefore this wisdom that opens broader existential horizons, dialoguing with the sciences, philosophy, art, and the whole of human experience,” the Pope said. He went on to highlight the Social Doctrine of the church as “a significant witness of the knowledge of faith at the service of man, in all his dimensions, personal, social, and political, insisting that, in the “complex world” of artificial intelligence, “it is necessary to refer to an anthropological vision that ground ethical action” to help answer the question, What does it mean to be human? What is his infinite dignity? The Holy Father went on to invite theologians “to cultivate a theology founded on the personal and transforming encounter with Christ, and aimed at incarnating itself in the concrete circumstances of today’s humanity.” He encouraged dialogue...

Pope Leo XIV Urges Theologians to Defend Creation and Human Dignity in Artificial Intelligence Age (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Saturday urged Catholic theologians to embrace a “theology of wisdom” capable of addressing urgent global challenges, from environmental crises to the ethical questions posed by artificial intelligence (AI)...

The Pope: Let us overcome hatred and violence (Vatican News)

The role of the Pope, his many commitments, the public dimension even of a phone call, and then peace—the very peace invoked since his first appearance from the Loggia of Blessings, which is “the only answer” in this world scarred by conflicts and “pointless killings.” And then: his appeal for dialogue, synodality as an “antidote” to polarizations, and finally a reference to his U.S./Peruvian ‘identity’ and who he we will be rooting for during the upcoming World Cup. These are some of the topics covered in a series of excerpts, previewed by Crux and El Comercio, from Pope Leo XIV’s interview with Crux journalist Elise Ann Allen, the first interview he has granted since his election...

Catholics and leaders worldwide send Birthday Wishes to Pope Leo (Vatican News)

The universal Church and men and women of goodwill across the globe rejoice as Pope Leo XIV celebrates his birthday...

Pope: Martyrs can unite Christians of different backgrounds (Vatican News)

At the Commemoration of Martyrs and Witnesses of the Faith in the 21st Century, Pope Leo joins representatives of Christian denominations and communities in remembering the examples of the martyrs, whose hope was based on Christian values rather than violence...

Synodality is ‘antidote’ to polarisation says Pope Leo XIV (The Tablet)

Synodality can address ‘some of the greatest challenges that we have in the world today’ the Pope says in interview... he defined his predecessor’s synodal process as an attitude of openness and understanding, meaning each Church member has a voice and a role to play. “It’s an attitude which I think can teach a lot to the world today,” he said... He condemns the “useless killing” of people on both sides of the Russia-Ukraine conflict in particular but others also. “I think people have to somehow be wakened up to say, there’s another way to do this.” But he also talks of the importance of the Vatican maintaining a neutral position. “We have to continue to remind ourselves of the potential that humanity has to overcome the violence and the hatred that is just dividing us more and more. We live in times when polarisation seems to be one of the words of the day, but it’s not helping anybody. Or if it’s helping anyone, it’s very few when everyone else is suffering.” It is important to work out why the world has become so polarised, he continues. “The crisis of 2020 and the pandemic certainly had an effect on all of this, but I think it began further back…Perhaps in some places the loss of a higher sense of what human life is about would have something to do with that, which has affected people on many levels. The value of human life, of the family, and the value of society. If we lose the sense of those values, what matters anymore?” And he criticises the widening gap between rich and poor...

Pope to Augustinians: Keep love at the centre of religious life (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV meets with Augustinians at the conclusion of their General Chapter and invites them to place love at the centre of their religious life...

Pope at Audience: Trust in God's timing and grace (Vatican News)

During his weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV reflects on Holy Saturday, and calls on the faithful to always trust in God's power to operate in their lives, even when the wait may feel long and hope may seem lost...

Pope Leo holds first audience for Armenian Catholicos Karekin II (Vatican News)

Karekin II, Catholicos of All Armenians, was received in audience by Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday morning, the first meeting between the two. Since his election twenty-five years ago, Catholicos Karekin has met with St. John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis...

Pope Leo encourages religious to always read the signs of the times (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV has encouraged men and women religious to remain rooted in their charism while remaining attentive to the signs of the times, reminding them that their founders were able to respond with courage and discernment to the needs of their day... In his discourse, the Pope dwelled on the importance of community life in religious vocation, on obedience as an act of love, and on how vital it is for the religious to be open to the signs of the times...

Pope Leo XIV: My Priority is the Gospel, Not Solving the World’s Problems (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV said his primary role as leader of the Church is confirming Catholics in their faith and sharing the Gospel with the world, not resolving global crises... Leo also said he was “trying not to continue to polarize or promote polarization in the Church”... “I don’t see my primary role as trying to be the solver of the world’s problems. I don’t see my role as that at all, really, although I think that the Church has a voice, a message that needs to continue to be preached, to be spoken and spoken loudly,” he said... In the extensive interview, the first U.S.-born pontiff explained how he plans to tackle divisive issues in the Church, including his approach to LGBT debates, the possibility of women deacons, synodality, and the Traditional Latin Mass. Leo said he is aware that the Church’s teaching on sexual morality is a highly polarizing topic, and though he welcomes everyone in the Church, he does not intend to make changes — at least not anytime soon. Signaling his intention to be in continuity with Francis’ open approach, he said “everyone’s invited in, but I don’t invite a person in because they are or are not of any specific identity.” “People want the Church doctrine to change, want attitudes to change. I think we have to change attitudes before we even think about changing what the Church says about any given question,” he said. “I find it highly unlikely, certainly in the near future, that the Church’s doctrine in terms of what the Church teaches about sexuality, what the Church teaches about marriage, {will change},” he said. “The individuals will be accepted and received,” the pontiff added, reiterating the importance of respecting and accepting people who make different choices in their lives... “I think that the Church’s teaching will continue as it is, and that’s what I have to say about that for right now,” he said... “Perhaps there are a lot of things that have to be looked at and developed at this time before we can ever really come around to asking the other questions. … We’ll walk with that and see what comes,” he said. Leo described synodality, Francis’ program for wider consultation on Church governance and teaching beyond the hierarchy, as “an attitude, an openness, a willingness to understand” and a process “of dialogue and respect for one another” that could take different forms...

It's a long and rich interview; well worth reading the whole of the above article.

Synodality is ‘antidote’ to polarisation says Pope Leo XIV (Tablet)

Synodality can address ‘some of the greatest challenges that we have in the world today’ the Pope says in interview...

Pope Leo XIV – made in Peru (Tablet)

But in 1985 – Dios es bueno – while still working on his doctorate, he is dispatched to Peru. And there, even though his basic character remains, the pastor in Prevost begins to come alive, along with a passion for a vision of the Church rooted in the Latin American reception of the Second Vatican Council. He was set alight in that first year in Chulucanas, in northern Peru, the base of the mission that the Chicago Augustinians had taken on in the early 1960s, in one of the poorest and least developed areas in the country. They created a prelature under a bishop Leo describes as prophetic, John McNabb OSA. At first Prevost was horrified. It was the apogee of Shining Path, the Maoist guerrilla movement notorious for its ferocious scorched-earth tactics and fundamentalist ideology; ordinary Peruvians, especially in rural areas, were caught in the crossfire of terrorism and the army’s brutal counter-terrorist response. No one was spared the explosions, power cuts and gun battles, nor the hyper-inflation and economic meltdown. Foreigners – including missionaries – faced death threats and kidnappings. Prevost, arriving after floods had wrecked the roads, asked God what on earth he was doing there. The answer came in a bout of typhoid fever. He was rushed to a clinic, the only time in his life he has been in hospital. There his shell cracked, and from it life emerged. Prevost felt God telling him to get over it and get on with it. “I’m going to give it my all,” he promised, and after that – he tells Allen – never looked back... Chulucanas was the first diocese in Latin America to adopt the New Image of the Parish, which sounds a lot like an 1980s version of the synodal, pastoral vision of the Francis era, even using the same language of participation, communion and mission. Prevost soaked it all up and put it into practice. “All that we are hearing about today in the talk about synodality,” Leo tells Allen, “we were doing in the 1980s in Chulucanas”... it was all about moving away from what Leo calls “an individualist spirituality and privatised piety in which I pray to God, go to Mass, and hope that God saves me” and about “us becoming an authentic ecclesial communion in order together to give witness to the presence of Christ in the world”. In this, says Leo, Latin America remains a beacon to the rest of the Church. He tells Allen “there are still parts of the Church that have not lived the renewal of Vatican II” and that it is time to ask why. In this, Leo sounds like other Latin American bishops, who often describe how the Church in Europe and North America lit the fuse of Vatican II but then retreated into the sacristy and the old clerical model, while Latin America, a bystander at the Council itself, went on to nurture its fire... Leo describes his way of leading as “not primarily hierarchical”. He gathers people and allows them to feel heard. “The truth belongs to everyone: it’s not mine or yours, but is of all of us, and we have to seek it together,” he tells Allen, quoting Augustine. But he is prepared to be decisive. “Some might say I’m bold, others might say crazy; but I’m prepared to go ahead.” Allen’s witnesses show how his gentleness and calm demeanour conceal a steely resoluteness... Leo is not the first Pope with baggage from his past in relation to abuse, but the first whose baggage is as a courageous reformer... His promotion of lay leaders, especially women, to key diocesan roles – his pastoral vicar was a layman – as well his support for popular devotions, backing for human rights, practical emphasis on social justice and focus on the peripheries all came as a shock to a diocese governed for 30 years by Spanish Opus Dei bishops... But it is clear that Leo is following in the path of the Latin American Church’s reception of Vatican II, which Francis universalised in his pontificate. Leo’s programme may be to build bridges and bring peace. But Allen’s meticulously documented story of Prevost in Peru shows he will at the same time continue the Francis upheaval, even if more patiently, quietly, and strategically.

The above is another one that's well worth reading in full if you can get past the Tablet's paywall!

More than eight in 10 US Catholics have favourable impression of Pope Leo XIV (Tablet)

A survey from the Pew Research Center found that 84 per cent of all US Catholics have a favourable impression of Pope Leo XIV. Among Catholics who attend Mass weekly or more often, his approval rating rises to 95 per cent. Just 77 per cent of Catholics who seldom or never attend Mass expressed a positive opinion of the Pope, while four per cent of Catholics said they have an unfavourable opinion of the Pope and 11 per cent indicated they had never heard of him... Among non-Catholics, 31 per cent said they had never heard of Pope Leo but 56 per cent expressed a positive opinion of him...

>170 brone:, >173 brone:

I think it's been clear from the outset that Leo would continue Francis' trajectory. All the Cardinals who have spoken about the Conclave which elected him have basically said that was their intention. However they chose a pope who will perhaps do so less dramatically than Francis and who might handle the divisions and polarisation in some sections of the Church better than his predecessor. Thanks be to God.

Pope invites Rome Diocese to promote pastoral ministry that welcomes all (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV addresses the clergy and faithful of the Diocese of Rome during an assembly at the Basilica of St John Lateran, inviting the Church of Rome to walk alongside the people of God with "a pastoral ministry that is supportive, empathetic, discreet, non-judgmental, and able to welcome everyone”... he upheld the ongoing synodal process initiated by Pope Francis, and invited clergy, religious, and lay faithful present "to go forward in synodality, communion, co-responsibility, and mission"... Pope Leo also spoke of what he called an “emergency of formation,” urging parishes and communities to become “generative” - places that nurture faith and reach out to those who have drifted away. He underlined the importance of integrating issues that affect society and younger generations into parish life, including social justice, peace, migration, the care of creation, mental health, and the challenges of addiction. “We cannot be specialists in everything,” he said, “but we must reflect on these realities, listening to the many competencies our city can offer”...

Forgiveness Fundamental to Justice: Pope Leo XIV to Legal Professionals at Jubilee (ACI Africa)

Forgiveness is fundamental to the virtue of justice, Pope Leo XIV said to thousands of legal professionals gathered in Rome for the Jubilee of Workers of Justice on Saturday. “It is the power of forgiveness, which is proper to the commandment of love, that emerges as a constitutive element of a justice capable of combining the supernatural with the human,” the pope said... Leo, who has a doctorate in Church law, explained that the evangelical virtue of justice is not a distraction from human justice, but “questions and redesigns it: It provokes it to go even further, because it pushes it towards the search for reconciliation.” “Evil, in fact, must not only be punished, but also repaired, and to this end, a profound gaze toward the good of individuals and the common good is necessary,” he urged Church and civil lawyers, judges, and others who work in the legal environment. “This is an arduous task, but not impossible for those who, aware that they are performing a more demanding service than others, are committed to leading an irreproachable life,” the pope added...

That line "but also repaired" strikes me as a recognition of the need for restorative justice to balance the more widespread retributive and punitive forms of justice.

"Those who truly love them work for peace": Pope Leo XIV on Palestinians (ACI Africa)

Those who really love the people living on the Gaza Strip will work to achieve peace in the Holy Land, Pope Leo XIV said on Sunday in his Angelus message. The pontiff expressed his closeness to all those “suffering in that tormented land”... Leo also thanked the Catholic associations who are helping the people of the Gaza Strip: “Together with you and with the pastors of the Churches in the Holy Land, I repeat: there is no future based on violence, forced exile, or revenge. The people need peace; those who truly love them work for peace,” he said...

Reading the Leo pontificate: 5 takeaways from the pope's wide-ranging interview (NCR)

1. Pope Leo gives interviews... 2. The US pope will challenge US bishops... "People can't say, like they did about Francis, 'He doesn't understand the United States, he just doesn't see what's going on,' " Leo said. "I think that's significant in this case"... 3. Leo's vision of the church is forged in synodality... 4. An apostle of administration... 5. Hosting dialogue while holding doctrine... Unity has emerged as one of Leo's defining priorities. He has touched on the theme time and again in his early remarks as pope, and it seems he will continue to place a premium on it when engaging with thorny doctrinal questions. In the interview, Leo expressed openness to ongoing conversations around topics such as LGBTQ+ inclusion, the role of women in the church, and the reception of pre-Vatican-II liturgy. But he also made clear that such conversations will not result in a change of church teaching, at least immediately...

Priest builds church with his own hands in Chiclayo, Peru, Pope Leo XIV’s former diocese (CNA)

When a priest says he’s building a church, a school, or some other project, he usually means he’s ultimately responsible for the construction, not that he’s the one who is actually building it. But that isn’t the case for Father Javier Cajusol Villegas, who is building a church with his own hands in a poor area of ​​the Diocese of Chiclayo, Peru, where Pope Leo XIV was bishop... The priest clarified that the construction work, while he enjoys it, does not take precedence over his priestly ministry, which remains fundamental in his life. “Little by little, I have been getting better {at construction work} without neglecting my vocation. So it’s a tough second job: that of a bricklayer, which requires strength and skill; and caring for the faithful,” he shared. Cajusol, who was ordained 28 years ago, emphasized that what is essential for him is “not to neglect caring for the faithful, administering the sacraments, pastoral care by visiting homes, and talking with the people”...

Not very common, perhaps, but nevertheless I know many missionaries who have been involved in building churches with their own hands.

Pope Leo: Recognition of Palestine helps, but dialogue is broken (Vatican News)

Asked about the recognition of Palestine as a state, the Holy Father reaffirmed, “The Holy See recognized the two-state solution some time ago. That is clear: we must seek a path that respects all peoples.” Regarding that recognition, he added, “It could help, but right now there is no real willingness to listen on the part of the other side; dialogue is broken.” Concerning the situation in Gaza, he explained: “Thank God, the parish is fine, although the incursions are getting closer and closer... This afternoon I got in touch with them.” The journalists also asked him about the Russian incursions: “Someone is seeking an escalation. It’s getting more and more dangerous. I continue to insist on the need to lay down arms, halt military advances, and return to the negotiating table.” In that context, he emphasized that “If Europe were truly united, I believe it could do a lot”...

First American bishop appointed by Pope Leo emerges as a new voice of the Catholic Church (PBS)

Bishop Michael Pham, appointed by Pope Leo as the first U.S. bishop under his papacy, has emerged as a new voice of the Catholic Church. Through his own story of survival as a child refugee from Vietnam, he’s stepped into the national spotlight, showing up at immigration courts to support families caught in the current crackdown... When I came in as I grew up in the '80s, there's so much of openness to welcome to me and to people that I have seen and known. Today, it's a challenge. People look at you with different eyes in a sense, how much they're willing to welcome you... We are called to journey with the people and to care for the people from the periphery. And these people are in need, and we need to act upon what we say. I just can't sit and not doing anything about it. So long as it's the value of God or the lives that people and opposed to the Gospel values, then we need to speak up...

Another migrant US bishop, incidentally, like Bishop Simon Peter Engurait of the Houma-Thibodaux diocese.

Pope Leo urges Catholics to pray daily Rosary for Peace in October (Vatican News)

Catholics across the globe will unite to pray the Rosary for peace in war-torn lands, especially during the month of October, which the Church dedicates to the Holy Rosary...

Pope at Audience: Jesus redeems darkest places of human existence (Vatican News)

Jesus’ descent into the “underworld” on Holy Saturday – after His Crucifixion and before the Resurrection – “is the most profound and radical gesture of God’s love for us,” Pope Leo XIV said in his catechesis at Wednesday’s General Audience... The Holy Father explained that in this context, the underworld is “not so much a place as a condition, where life is depleted, and pain, solitude, guilt, and separation from God and others reign.” Descending into hell, Jesus entered “into the very house of death to empty it and free its inhabitants, taking them by the hand one by one”... Pope Leo emphasized that “this descent of Christ” relates not only to the past, but is relevant today: Jesus, who entered into the underworld that is the state of the dead, can likewise into “the daily hell of loneliness, shame, abandonment and the struggle of life… to bear witness to the love of the Father”...

Pope Leo XIV Reaffirms 2-state Solution for Holy Land, Warns of Escalating War in Ukraine (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV renewed the Holy See’s support for a two-state solution in the Holy Land and voiced concern over rising tensions in Ukraine, speaking with reporters Tuesday before returning from Castel Gandolfo to the Vatican. “The Holy See has supported the two-state solution for many years,” the pope recalled, pointing out that the Vatican formally recognized Palestine in 2015 with the signing of the Comprehensive Agreement. “The Holy See recognized the two-state solution some time ago. That is clear: We must seek a path that respects all peoples”...

Cardinal Rys: With curial appointments expected, pope prioritizes listening over haste (NCR)

Referring to the pope's organizational style, "it's clear that he's the kind of person who feels comfortable in the structure of such an organized work. I don't get the impression that he's someone who feels very comfortable when he needs to be spontaneous — he can certainly react immediately — but he prefers to have time, to give himself that time, not to act hastily, to seek opinions as widely as possible," Rys said... Rys stressed that there are many priorities on the desk of the pope, including world peace to which "he's very committed." What is needed in this sphere, the cardinal said, is "a truly Christian narrative, because it's not even found in the mouths of Christians." "This is a burning topic, which I also think everyone expects him to not limit himself to just some statements — that won't be enough today." Rys, who leads the Polish bishops' Council for Religious Dialogue, said that "reviving ecumenical dialogue ... can be an instrument of unity in the world" and is also a task for Leo. "What I know for sure is that we, the churches, must start speaking the Gospel" in a world as it is, the cardinal said...

Vatican struggles against spread of ‘deepfake’ images of Pope Leo XIV (CNA)

The Vatican’s communications team said it has reported hundreds of accounts, mostly on YouTube, posting fake, AI-created videos — called deepfakes — of Pope Leo since the start of his pontificate. But it’s an uphill battle with new accounts, videos, and images appearing as quickly as others are removed. “We are witnessing the exponential proliferation of a series of YouTube channels with fake videos, all similar to one another, some speaking in the voice of Leo XIV, others in that of his translators, still others in the third person. All use artificial intelligence to make the pope say things he never said,” the Dicastery for Communication said in a statement to CNA...

King Charles to meet Pope Leo on rearranged Vatican visit (BBC)

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will meet Pope Leo XIV as part of a state visit to the Vatican in October. A previous official visit to the Vatican was postponed earlier this year because of the poor health of the pontiff's predecessor, Pope Francis. The King and Queen paid a brief private visit to Pope Francis in April on their 20th wedding anniversary, in what proved to be one of the late pope's last meetings with a high-profile visitor before he died later that month. The rearranged visit, announced by Buckingham Palace, will emphasise the friendly relations between the Catholic Church and the Church of England, of which the King is supreme governor...

In his first major announcement, Pope Leo names Italian bishop to lead powerful Vatican office (Reuters)

Pope Leo named a relatively unknown Italian cleric on Friday to lead the Vatican office responsible for selecting Catholic bishops around the world, in the first major appointment of the pontiff's nearly five-month tenure. Archbishop Filippo Iannone, 67, has largely led a behind-the-scenes career in Church law. He will take charge of the Vatican's Dicastery for Bishops, which advises the pope on the priests in the 1.4-billion-member Church who should be bishops...

Pope at Jubilee Audience: Faith of simple people guides the Church (Vatican News)

As catechists from around the world gather in Rome, Pope Leo XIV holds a special Jubilee Audience, saying the ‘sensus fidei,’ the faith of the simple people for the things of God, propels the Church along new paths...

Pope at Mass: Catechists accompany our faith journey throughout life (Vatican News)

At Mass for the Jubilee of Catechists, Pope Leo XIV praises those who seek to accompany others in the faith, and invites all Christians to help one another learn to believe, hope, and then love...

Jubilees of Missions and Migrants to be celebrated Rome (Vatican News)

The Jubilee of the Missionary World and the Jubilee of Migrants will bring tens of thousands of pilgrims from over 100 countries to Rome from October 4–5, with events including a Mass with Pope Leo XIV, international prayer gatherings, and the Festival of Peoples...

Pope Leo signs first exhortation, ‘Dilexi te,’ focused on love for the poor (America Magazine)

Pope Leo XIV this morning, Oct. 4, signed his first major document, an apostolic exhortation called “Dilexi te” (“I have loved you”), which will focus on love for the poor. The Vatican said it will be published next Thursday, Oct. 9, and emphasized that Leo signed it on the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, whose embrace of poverty is well known... this new document, begun under Francis and completed by Leo, emphasizes the call to believers to love the poor as Jesus did. It is hardly surprising that Pope Leo should devote his first major document to the poor. Since his ordination in 1982 he has spent almost half of his priestly life, some 20 years, working as a missionary among the poor in Peru. Moreover, the fact that an early draft of the exhortation had been prepared during the last part of Francis’ pontificate, opened the path for Leo to complete it...

One can't serve God and money, pope says on day he signs text on poverty (NCR)

The Jubilee Year requires making a choice: serving God and justice or money and inequity, Pope Leo XIV said, marking the Jubilee of Migrants and the Jubilee of the Missions. "We pray to be a church that does not serve money or itself, but the kingdom of God and his justice," he said during a special audience in St. Peter's Square Oct. 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi. It was the same day that the pope also signed his first apostolic exhortation, Dilexi Te ("I Have Loved You"), which will be released Oct. 9. The document is expected to focus on poverty and the poor. Vatican Media footage of the pope signing the text in the library of the Apostolic Palace showed the first page of the Table of Contents in Italian with chapters dedicated to St. Francis of Assisi, "The cry of the poor," "Ideological prejudices," "God chooses the poor," "Jesus, the poor Messiah," "A church for the poor," "The true riches of the church" and more...

Pope Leo broadcasts a daily prayer for the US people on TikTok. He acknowledged a comment I left with a “Like.”
One degree of separation 😁

>186 John5918:

APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION DILEXI TE OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV TO ALL CHRISTIANS ON LOVE FOR THE POOR

I've had the chance to read through it quickly and here are a couple of initial reactions. The fact that he has chosen this subject for his first major teaching document is hopefully indicative of his future trajectory, and is not surprising given his background as a Peruvian and a missionary. I'm immediately struck by his affirmation in #7 of the preferential choice (option) for the poor, which echoes both liberation theology and Catholic Social Doctrine. Also in #10 his commitment to removing the social and structural (systemic) causes of poverty. Chapter Three's title "A Church for the Poor" is also indicative, and has a sub-section entitled "Accompanying migrants". In Chapter Four the Holy Father reflects positively on both the Church’s Social Doctrine and Vatican II and again reflects on "Structures of sin that create poverty and extreme inequality". A timely and challenging document.

Archbishop Broglio: Pope Leo understands the Church in the U.S

Following the first formal meeting of Pope Leo XIV with the leadership of the U.S. Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Archbishop Timothy Broglio speaks of the American bishops’ unity with the Holy See and its shared mission to proclaim the Gospel amid polarization and social challenges... “He certainly knows that reality and has grown up in it,” {Archbishop Broglio} noted. “The refrain that ‘they don’t understand us over here’ doesn’t fit anymore, because he certainly does understand us.” At the same time, Archbishop Broglio underlined that the U.S. bishops have always maintained close communion with the Bishop of Rome. “The bishops and the Church in the United States as a whole have always been very closely allied to the Pope, with a desire to work in unity with him,” he said, adding, “We have been very faithful to Peter, very anxious to hear Peter’s voice and to follow it”... “We talked about the challenges we face when people align themselves more quickly with political positions than with the message of the Gospel,” Archbishop Broglio said. “I took home some good lessons from the Holy Father about that very subject,” he said. Migration, he added, was a topic close to both the Pope’s heart and that of the U.S. bishops. “We are a country of migrants,” he said, noting, “That has been, some might view it as our trial, but also our greatest strength”... The archbishop also reflected on the spirit of collaboration between the Holy See and the U.S. episcopate. He recalled a letter about the issue of migration that Pope Francis had sent to the bishops and how the bishops had reacted and welcomed it: “That letter represents a clear example of collegiality—of Peter working with the apostolic college to bring the Gospel message home,” he noted. “I was grateful we could use that letter to preach the Gospel to our brothers and sisters in the United States,” he said. Turning to the theme of polarization, Archbishop Broglio echoed Pope Leo’s frequent appeals for unity. “What unites us is the Gospel of Jesus Christ,” he said. “Every bishop is ordained to be an effective preacher of the Word of God. Sometimes there’s a tendency to listen to other voices, but the bishop of the diocese and the Holy Father for the universal Church are really the voice that speaks of Jesus Christ,” he reiterated. He acknowledged the diversity among U.S. bishops but highlighted their unity of purpose: “We try to give space for bishops to speak their mind, but in the end, when we speak to our people, we strive to speak with a united voice.” “It’s not enough to preach the truth,” we must also find a way to preach it so that people can accept it, the archbishop affirmed... “I will take back the fact that the Pope loves us very much, that he understands us, and that he wants us to work harder to make the Gospel come alive,” he said, adding, “We have to help our brothers and sisters recognize that the truth of the Gospel surpasses any other sort of division that might separate us”...

Pope Leo visits Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development

Pope Leo XIV pays a visit to the headquarters of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, and blesses a sculpture called "The Tree of Human Dignity"...

Pope on Oct 7 anniversary: We must learn to dialogue again

Pope Leo XIV discusses Hamas’ attack on Israel two years ago, and what has happened since, saying that his upcoming trip to Turkey and Lebanon aims to bring a message of peace to the Middle East. “These have been two very painful years. Two years ago, 1,200 people were killed in a terrorist attack. We must think about how much hatred exists in the world and begin to ask ourselves what we can do. In two years, around 67,000 Palestinians have been killed. We must reduce hatred, we must rediscover the ability to dialogue, to seek peaceful solutions”...

All from Vatican News

Pope Leo at Jubilee Mass:
“Let us take care to avoid any exploitation of the faith that could lead to labelling those who are different — often the poor — as enemies, ‘lepers’ to be avoided and rejected.”

https://www.vatican.va/content/leo-xiv/en/homilies/2025/documents/20251012-giubi...

And here I thought Pope Leo had a TikTok account. He was showing up in my feed, but his daily prayer seemed oddly repetitive.
The account Prayers of Leo is all AI generated

https://www.tiktok.com/@popeleoprays?_t=ZT-90YhBqhhbtG&_r=1

>192 2wonderY: I was a sucker for FB reels showing animals and people protecting one another. Finally dawned on me that they were fake. In one clever take, dog chased bear away from tiny child on porch only to return transformed as a bear!!

Pope Leo XIV Introduces Significant Reform to Holy See’s Investments (ACI Africa)

Last week, Pope Leo XIV introduced a significant reform to the financial architecture of the Holy See. With the motu proprio Coniuncta Cura, (“Shared Responsibility”) the Holy Father revoked the exclusive right that the Institute for Works of Religion (IOR by its Italian acronym) — popularly known as the “Vatican Bank” — had until then for investment management, opening the door to the use of other foreign financial intermediaries if deemed more efficient or appropriate. The new regulations do not seek to remove investments from the Vatican purview but rather to open the possibility of management to accredited financial intermediaries...

Pope Leo condemns climate change critics (BBC)

Pope Leo XIV has hit out at those who minimise the "increasingly evident" impact of rising temperatures in his first major statement on climate change. Reiterating the words of his predecessor Pope Francis, the new pontiff lambasted critics who "ridicule those who speak of global warming". The Pope's remarks, at a speech in Castel Gondolfo near Rome, will be seen as an implied criticism of US President Donald Trump, who last month called climate change a "con". Pope Leo also called for greater action from citizens the world over on climate change, saying there was no room for indifference or resignation...

Pope Leo XIV Meets Clergy Abuse Survivors at Vatican (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV on Monday met with members of an international organization of clergy abuse survivors and advocates at the Vatican. Four victims and two advocates from Ending Clergy Abuse (ECA) — a coalition representing clergy sexual abuse survivors from more than 30 countries — had an hourlong conversation with Leo on Oct. 20. According to participants, it was the first time during his pontificate that the pope met with survivors of abuse. Gemma Hickey, ECA board president and survivor of clergy abuse, said that “this was a deeply meaningful conversation. Today we all felt heard”...

Seven New Saints Canonized by Pope Leo XIV (EWTN)

On Sunday, October 19th, in Saint Peter’s Square, Pope Leo presided over the Eucharistic celebration with the rite of canonization of seven new saints of the Catholic Church. Ignatius Maloyan, Peter To Rot, Vincent Maria Poloni, María Carmen Rendiles Martínez, Maria Troncatti, José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, and Bartolo Longo were elevated to sainthood in a moving ceremony that highlighted the universality of the Church... “The primary requirement was for the group to be international, ensuring that the new saints represent the universal Church’s holiness by coming from various regions around the world”...

Pope: In this age of communication, nobody can say 'I did not know' (Vatican News)

Pope Leo on Thursday paid homage to journalists who are working on the front lines of conflict. “If today we know what is happening in Gaza, Ukraine, and every other land bloodied by bombs, we largely owe it to them.” As he addressed members of MINDS International—a global network of leading news agencies—the Pope described these "extraordinary eyewitness accounts" as the "culmination of the daily efforts of countless people who work to ensure that information is not manipulated for ends that are contrary to truth and human dignity.” In a world marked by violent conflict and misinformation, the Pope called on media professionals to recognize the risks their colleagues take to ensure the world stays informed—and to honour their sacrifices by upholding the highest standards of integrity and truth...

Holy See renews calls for abolition of death penalty (Vatican News)

The Holy See calls for universal abolition of the death penalty, noting that the unchallengeable, God-given dignity of every human person is immutable from conception to natural death...

The Math That Predicted the New Pope (Scientific American)

A decades-old technique from network science saw something in the papal conclave that AI missed... Where every known method of divination seemed to fail, a group of researchers at Bocconi University in Milan found a hint in a decades-old mathematical technique, a cousin of the algorithm that made Google a household name... The researchers then applied techniques from a branch of math called network science to rank cardinals on three measures of influence within the network. Prevost, known by most analysts as an underdog and now known as Pope Leo XIV, ranked number one in the first measure of influence, a category called “status.” An important caveat is that he didn’t break the top five in the other two measures: “mediation power” (how well a cardinal connects disparate parts of the network) and “coalition building” (how effectively a cardinal can form large alliances). Whether this “status” metric can shed light on future elections (papal or otherwise) remains to be seen. The study authors weren’t expressly trying to predict the new pope, but rather they hoped to demonstrate the importance of network-based approaches in analyzing conclaves and similar processes. Even so, their success in this instance combined with the widespread applicability of their method’s mathematical underpinnings make it a model worth understanding...

Pope to those who guide the fate of peoples: have the courage to disarm (Vatican News)

Pope Leo invited the faithful to “persevere tirelessly in praying for peace, a God-given gift that we must strive to receive and to which we must make a strong commitment.” Insisting that we should never let the Jesus' words “fall to the ground,” the Pope highlighted His words in the Garden of Gethsemane, before the Passion, “Lay down your sword,” in a passionate appeal for disarmament. He noted once again that “peace is unarmed and disarming. It is not deterrence but fraternity; it is not an ultimatum, but dialogue.” Peace, the Pope said, “will not come as a result of victories over the enemy, but as the fruit of sowing justice and courageous forgiveness.” “‘Lay down your sword’ is a message addressed to the powerful of the world, to those who guide the fate of peoples: have the courage to disarm,” Pope Leo continued, adding, “At the same time, it is an invitation to each one of us to recognize that no idea, faith, or policy justifies killing. We must first disarm our hearts because unless we have peace within ourselves, we cannot give it to others”...

Catholics must build a more humble church, seeking truth together, pope says (NCR)

The supreme rule in the Catholic Church is love, which compels all of the faithful to serve, not to judge, exclude or dominate others, Pope Leo XIV said. "No one should impose his or her own ideas; we must all listen to one another. No one is excluded; we are all called to participate," he said in his homily during a Mass in St. Peter's Basilica Oct. 26. "No one possesses the whole truth; we must all humbly seek it and seek it together," he said...

Pope Leo: The message of 'Nostra aetate' remains as urgent as ever (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV presides at “Walking Together in Hope,” a celebration of 60 years of “Nostra aetate”, the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on Interreligious Dialogue...

A milestone of dialogue: Sixty years of 'Nostra aetate' (Vatican News)

Signed on 28 October 1965 by Pope St Paul VI, the conciliar declaration "Nostra aetate" set the foundations for a culture of encounter and dialogue in the name of peace for all peoples...

Pope: Opioid crisis, cruelty toward migrants are new social ills (NCR)

The current abuse of vulnerable migrants is not the legitimate exercise of national sovereignty, Pope Leo XIV said, but rather it represents a serious crime being committed or tolerated by the government. "Ever more inhuman measures are being adopted — even celebrated politically — that treat these 'undesirables' as if they were garbage and not human beings," he said without mentioning any specific country during an address to so-called popular movements meeting at the Vatican Oct. 23. "States have the right and the duty to protect their borders, but this should be balanced by the moral obligation to provide refuge," he said. For Christians, the pope said, God is love, and he "creates us and calls us to live as brothers and sisters"...

Pope: ‘Synodality presents itself as a promising path forward’ (Vatican News)

Pope Leo addresses the Catholicos Patriarch of the Assyrian Church of the East and the Members of the Joint Commission for the Theological Dialogue between the Catholic Church and the Assyrian Church of the East. In his discourse, he praises the progress the two Churches have made on their path of dialogue...

Pope Leo dialogues with Synod teams and participants (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV meets and dialogues with members of Synodal teams and participatory bodies here for their Jubilee pilgrimage from 24 to 26 October 2025...

Church in Africa “gift of life”: Pope Leo XIV at Jubilee of Synodal Teams and Participatory Bodies (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV has recognized with appreciation Africa’s vibrant faith and missionary dynamism, describing the Church on the continent as “a gift of life” to the entire Universal Church...

>196 John5918: Should the Pope call JD Vance in for a private conference?

>197 2wonderY: It wouldn't hurt.

>199 brone:

I haven't had a chance to read it yet as I'm travelling, but I think co-redemptrix has always been a controversial term and has attracted a lot of scholarly theological debate through the ages. But I'd be surprised if Pope Leo has removed the description of Mary as Theotokos. I note that the US Conference of Catholic Bishops has written approvingly of this development.

Mary was not co-redeemer, Vatican says amid spread of cult of the Madonna (Guardian)

Pope Leo has instructed Catholics not to refer to Mary as having helped her son Jesus save the world from damnation, amid the spread of an exaggerated worship of the Madonna, often on social media, that has emboldened claims of apparitions, weeping statues and self-styled prophets. A decree from the Vatican’s doctrinal office approved by the pontiff says Jesus alone saved humanity from hellfire and therefore Catholics must not call Mary the “co-redeemer” or “co-redemptrix”, ending a long-running debate among church scholars that has even divided popes. It says Jesus saved the world through his sacrificial death on the cross and that while Mary paved the way for the redemption by giving birth to him, she was not a “co-redeemer”. The late Pope Francis was vehemently against calling Mary a “co-redeemer”, saying in 2019 that it was “foolishness” because “she never wanted to take anything for herself from her son”. His predecessor, Benedict XVI, also opposed the title...

Vatican Nixes Use of ‘Co-Redemptrix’ As Title for Mary (National Catholic Register)

In a preface to the note, Cardinal Fernández wrote that the document responds to questions the dicastery received in recent decades about Marian devotion and certain Marian titles, and clarifies which are acceptable...

Mary, mother of Jesus and all believers, is not co-redeemer, Vatican says (USCCB)

With the approval of Pope Leo XIV, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a long document on the titles of love and respect Catholics have for Mary and her motherly assistance to believers, but it also explained the problems with referring to Mary as "co-redemptrix" or "co-mediatrix" with Christ...

And here is the full text of the document, Mater Populi Fidelis (“Doctrinal Note on Some Marian Titles Regarding Mary’s Cooperation in the Work of Salvation”)

>199 brone:'s doubts about Theotokos are laid to rest, eg ## 9 and 11, as I suspected. It's quite a dense and technical theological document which bears careful reading, but I don't find that it diminishes the role of Mary in any way; rather it increases the depth of our understanding about her.

Inside the conclave, Part 1: How an American missionary became Pope Leo XIV (NCR)

"I do remember there was quite a contrast between the meals we were served during the conclave, which were rather simple, and for an Italian kitchen, which is universally exalted for its variety and creativity, rather plain. And then I noticed that the evening of the 8th, after we had done our job, there was a very lovely meal served," {Cardinal} Tobin said. "I could only conclude they didn't want us to get too comfortable"...

And talking of Vatican documents: Vatican to Release New Document on Polygamy at End of November (ACI Africa)

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith will publish a new document on marriage in the context of ongoing discussions about polygamy in Africa. The document, titled “We Two: In Praise of Monogamy. Doctrinal Note on the Value of Marriage, Exclusive Communion, and Mutual Belonging,” will be released at the end of November... Matteo said the work is connected to a request made during the Synod on Synodality for African bishops to prepare a statement on polygamy. African bishops themselves, he noted, asked the Holy See for guidance on the issue. The Synods on the Family in 2014 and 2015 — though largely dominated by questions of divorce and remarriage — also saw significant interventions from African bishops on the pastoral challenges of polygamous marriages...

There was some confusion amongst many in Africa as to why issues around divorce, remarriage and same sex unions appeared to dominate Catholic conversations on irregular unions while the equally important issue of polygamy scarcely got a mention. It's good to see the Vatican remedying this omission.

Pope Leo XIV is infuriating MAGA Catholics (Economist)

Concern for the poor and the planet rubs some the wrong way...

Pope Leo to missionaries: 'We must do the will of the Father' (Vatican News)

In his message to the 17th National Missionary Congress, currently taking place in Mexico, Pope Leo XIV urges missionaries to proclaim hope in Christ in our times marked by social divisions, poverty, and the challenges posed by new technologies... “We must be ready to put our hands into the dough of the world! It is not enough to talk about flour without getting our hands dirty; we must touch it”... “The extraordinary richness of the peoples of these lands—their languages, symbols, customs, and hopes—intertwined with the faith until the Gospel took root in their hearts and blossomed in unique works of holiness and beauty.” This was, he adds, “a dawn of faith that God gave to the Church as a sign of perfect inculturation”...

A missionary pope speaking to his missionary sisters and brothers.

Pope Leo XIV Plans to Hold Major Meeting of Cardinals in January (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV is planning to convene an extraordinary consistory of cardinals in early January, the theme of which is not yet known... the Vatican Secretariat of State said that “Holy Father Leo XIV has in mind to convene an extraordinary consistory for the days of Jan. 7 and 8, 2026”... News of the meeting comes after cardinals at this year’s conclave complained about a lack of meetings and collegiality under Pope Francis...

New Book Recounts Anecdotes from Pope Leo XIV’s Life, Including the Day He was Reported Dead (ACI Africa)

His voice reveals, above all, the gratitude he feels toward his friend, Pope Leo XIV. From this friendship, forged over more than three decades, comes the Spanish-language book “From Robert to Leo,” published by Mensajero, in which Armando Lovera, originally from Iquitos, Peru, recounts various little-known episodes from the pontiff’s life, like the day many parishioners in Trujillo, Peru, thought that Father Robert Prevost had died...

Pope’s Türkiye visit an opportunity to “revive" the spirit of Vatican II (Vatican News)

Bishop Paolo Bizzeti, former Apostolic Vicar of Anatolia, speaks to Vatican News about the Pope’s upcoming apostolic journey to Türkiye, a “mosaic” of different religious communities...

Pope Leo XIV: Build the Church on the Solid Foundations of Christ, Not on Worldly Criteria (ACI Africa)

At the Basilica of St. John Lateran on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV urged Christians to build the Church on “solid foundations” rooted in Christ rather than on “worldly criteria” that demand immediate results and overlook the value of patience and humility...

Pope Leo: We are brothers and sisters all (Independent Catholic News)

During the General Audience yesterday, Pope Leo stressed the importance of fraternity in our lives and described it as something "deeply human". He said that even though today's wars, tensions, and conflicts make fraternity seem difficult, without it, "we would not be able to survive, grow, or learn." Reflect on the death and resurrection of Christ and how living this paschal spirituality in our daily lives "imbues life with hope and encourages us to invest in goodness," Pope Leo highlighted how this helps us nurture fraternity, which is "without a doubt one of the great challenges for contemporary humanity, as Pope Francis saw clearly"...

Pope Leo XIV: Children and adolescents are vulnerable to AI manipulation (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV warns that young people and children could easily be manipulated by artificial intelligence and insists that 'safeguarding minors' dignity cannot be reduced to policies' and requires 'digital education' when addressing participants in the “The Dignity of Children and Adolescents in the Age of Artificial Intelligence” Conference on Thursday in the Vatican...

Pope at General Audience: Without fraternity, we cannot survive (Vatican News)

In his catechesis, Pope Leo highlights the importance of fraternity in our lives and describes it as something "deeply human". He explains that even though today's wars, tensions, and conflicts make fraternity seem difficult, without it, "we would not be able to survive, grow, or learn"...

>206 brone:

The Church never officially adopted the term Co-Redemptrix , and its "precise meaning has" not previously "been establsihed by theologians"; it has always been controversial and unclear. It's true that it has been used at certain times in certain circumstances by some theologians and some popes, but defining it theologically is certainly not an "attack against Tradition". And as I have said above, far from "dethroning the Most Blessed Virgin" this document is actually deepening our understanding of and respect for Mary, and does nothing to "wound the Catholic soul". It is not driven by ecumenism, although it does help to clarify one of the issues which divides us from our sisters and brothers in other ecclesial communities.

Pope Leo’s road map for the Church (Tablet)

Six months after Pope Leo XIV’s election, it is clear that the long period when the Catholic Church was rooted in European culture ended with the papacies of John Paul II and Benedict XVI. Francis and now Pope Leo have opened a new global, postmodern era...

A reflection by a Catholic Church historian which is well worth reading.

Pope Leo XIV: ‘We can no longer tolerate structural injustices’ (Vatican News)

“We can no longer tolerate structural injustices in which those who have more always have more, and, conversely, those who have less become increasingly poor”. This is what Pope Leo XIV writes in the previously unpublished Introduction to his new book, in Italian, La forza del Vangelo. La fede cristiana in 10 parole (The Power of the Gospel: The Christian Faith in 10 Words), which will be published on 20 November by the Vatican Publishing House (Libreria Editrice Vaticana)...

Pope Leo XIV gifts 62 indigenous artefacts to Canadian Bishops (Vatican News)

Meeting with representatives of the Canadian Catholic Bishops’ Conference, Pope Leo XIV gifts 62 artefacts from the Vatican Museums’ collection originally from indigenous communities in Canada, as a sign of dialogue and respect, which the Canadian Bishops affirm they will properly safeguard and preserve...

Pope at Mass: World leaders must heed cry of the poor—no peace without justice (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass to mark the Jubilee of the Poor, and urges leaders of nations to listen to the cry of the poorest, saying they remind us that there can be no peace without justice...

Pope Leo XIV Shares Lunch with More Than 1,300 People in Need at the Vatican (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV had lunch on Sunday with more than 1,300 people experiencing poverty and social exclusion, gathering with them in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall for a festive meal marking the World Day of the Poor. The hall was transformed into a vast dining room for the occasion... As on similar occasions in past years, the Vatican, through the papal almoner Polish Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, invited a group of transgender people from the Roman seaside town of Torvaianica... In a special effort to highlight dignity and respect, the Vatican provided full table service with proper dishes, flatware, and table linens—avoiding plastic or disposable materials. Organizers said the aim was not only to offer a meal but to create an experience of welcome and care for each guest...

>214 brone:

As usual you don't cite a source. The only English story I can find about Eleuterio (Lute) Vázquez Gonzáles is this story published more than a year ago. It suggests that he abused underaged girls. It highlights systemic weaknesses in the way sexual abuse is handled in a number of Latin American dioceses, and goes on to add that it's "rather hard to understand why, all of the sudden, this case from a rather rural diocese in Northern Peru receives the attention it is drawing from media that, for the most part, dismisses the very possibility of giving voice to victims of clergy sexual abuse, much less to victims in Latin America, and even less when said victims are, as in this case, females who do not provide yet another chance for that media to play on the idea of clergy sexual abuse as related to the very existence of gay priests... One aspect on this case is how U.S. Conservative media use the victims of clergy sexual abuse as pawns in their own game against Pope Francis. If there was a legitimate interest in the clergy sexual abuse crisis, there are plenty of dioceses facing numerous accusations that would deserve the time and effort put these days in Chiclayo... In that regard, even if Prevost made mistakes in his former diocese, and I am sure he did, I would be unwilling to use him as the worst case in Latin America..."

I would hesitate to dismiss the ongoing harm, pain, trauma and "real wounds" still being experienced in many parts of the world by "historic" abuse such as colonialism and the "Doctrine of Discovery".

The poor of the world are generally those who don't have the opportunity to "work from paycheck to paycheck". Let's thank God that some people do have a regular income, and let's pray for those who don't while at the same time working for a more just world in which everyone gets to eat decent meals.

“My prayers are with families in Kivu,” Pope Leo XIV Prays for Victims of Christian Persecution in DR Congo

Pope Leo XIV has expressed his spiritual closeness with countries where Christians are persecuted and prayed for families that have lost their loved ones in the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC), where attacks targeting Christians are said to be emerging. In his address after the Angelus on Sunday, November 16, the Holy Father acknowledged receiving reports about persecution in countries such as the DRC, in Mozambique, in Nigeria, as well as in Sudan where Christians have been targeted. “Christians today are still suffering from discrimination and persecution in various parts of the world. In particular, I think of Bangladesh, Nigeria, Mozambique, Sudan and other countries from which we often hear news of attacks on communities and places of worship,” he said...

Pope Leo XIV Laments Distortion of the Gospel for "particular interests"

Pope Leo XIV lamented that there are cultural spaces where the Gospel is “distorted by particular interests” during a meeting with the Catholic Biblical Federation at the Vatican on Monday...

Both from ACI Africa

>218 brone:

In my own village in Kenya we now have mass about once a month, as the priest comes from the main parish about 30 km away along a bad dirt road before rushing off for mass in another chapel twice that distance away. In Sudan I once lived in a parish the size of Belgium with outstation chapels up to 100 km away. There were no roads and no parish vehicles, just swamp and bush and civil war, and the priests were lucky to visit some of the outstation chapels for mass once a year, on foot or hitching rides on lorries and canoes and wading chest deep through crocodile-, snake- and bilharzia-infested swamps. Lay catechists are the backbone of the Church, leading prayers and catechesis in their villages in the absence of a priest. So "priestless Sundays" are and have been the norm for Catholics all over Africa, Asia and Latin America (hence the Amazonian bishops asking Rome to allow the ordination of elderly married men, viri probati, so that their people can receive the Eucharist regularly) for a very long time. It's not a new dynamic introduced by Pope Francis or Leo or any of the other bishops you refer to. What is changing is that the Church in Europe and north America is now beginning to face the same adverse priest-people ratio as the rest of the world where most of the world's Catholics live.

Pope Leo XIV Says Missionaries "become a presence everywhere of the whole Church" (ACI Africa)

Reflecting on the missionaries’ service of “carrying the redeeming word of the Gospel to the ends of the earth,” the pope pointed out that the great missionaries remind us that inculturation is not a superficial matter, “because it springs from the desire to dedicate oneself to the land and the people we serve.” “Your unique service is arduous and therefore requires a heart burning for God and open to all people; it demands study and skill, self-denial and courage; it grows in trust in Jesus and in docility to the Church, which is expressed through obedience to superiors,” he said. .. In particular, he focused his attention on those living in contexts of hardship, conflict, and poverty, where moments of discouragement are common: “Precisely in these efforts, remember that the Church sustains you in prayer: Therefore, strengthen your priestly identity by drawing strength from the sacraments, from fraternal communion, and from constant docility to the Holy Spirit,” he counseled them... “The great missionaries remind us, in fact, that inculturation is not a folkloric superficial attitude, because it is born from the desire to dedicate oneself to the land and the people we serve,” he explained...

Pope Leo threw a rave celebration

https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZTrJfNcVA/

I looked for confirmation that this really occurred. Besides social media postings, all I found was someone lamenting it

https://adventmessenger.org/pope-leo-xiv-gives-his-apostolic-blessing-to-the-bed...

>221 2wonderY:

I can imagine similar outraged headlines in the 18th century when upstarts such as Bach and Mozart began composing masses in the new, popular musical style!

Pope at Audience: We must lend our voice to those who have none (Vatican News)

During his weekly General Audience, Pope Leo XIV reminds the faithful that God calls on us, as people of faith, to offer our voices to help those in need and to protect the environment...

Pope at Jubilee Audience: Peace calls for taking a stand where human dignity is trampled (Vatican News)

During his Jubilee Audience on Saturday morning, Pope Leo XIV reflects on Servant of God, Dorothy Day, an American Catholic, who dedicated her life to doing good work in the early 20th Century, underscoring that like her, Christians are to promote peace by actively defending and protecting human dignity...

Who knew it would take an American pope to remind us of the value of art and good taste? (Guardian)

Anti-AI and pro-beauty, Leo XIV has proved an unlikely custodian of culture – and a patron of meaningful work in a world of algorithmic slop...

Pope Leo: Choirs are called to be a sign of the Church’s unity (Vatican News)

On the Jubilee of Choirs, Pope Leo XIV celebrates Mass, urging choristers to live their ministry as a sign of ecclesial unity, singing “in unison” as a people walking together in faith. He notes that liturgical music must foster communion, helping the whole Church journey forward...

Pope Leo issues Apostolic Letter 'In unitate fidei' on Nicaea Anniversary (Vatican News)

Ahead of his upcoming Apostolic Journey to Türkiye, Pope Leo issues the Apostolic Letter 'In unitate fidei' on the 1700th Anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, broken down into 12 points, with the hope of "encouraging the whole Church to renew her enthusiasm for the profession of faith"...

Pope Leo XIV Urges Christians to Move Beyond Outdated Theological Disputes (ACI Africa)

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...

Pope Leo XIV calls for release of kidnapped students and priests (africanews)

At Sunday prayers, Catholic Pope Leo XIV called for the immediate release of students and priests kidnapped in recent days in Nigeria and Cameroon. Some 315 students and teachers were abducted on Friday at the St Mary High School in Nigeria’s Niger state. Meanwhile, six Catholic priests were kidnapped from the Archdiocese of Bamenda in Cameroon, and a Baptist pastor was abducted in the same region. Speaking in St Peter’s Square on Sunday, the Pope said he had “learned with immense sadness the news of the kidnappings of priests, faithful, and students”. "I feel deep sorrow, especially for the many abducted boys and girls and their anguished families,” the pontiff said. He appealed for their immediate release, calling on the “the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to secure their liberation”. Finally, the Pope invited everyone to pray that churches schools might never be the target of violence. “Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours, that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope"...

Pope Leo XIV Decries Kidnapping of Catholic Priests in Nigeria, Cameroon, Urges “immediate release of hostages” (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV has expressed sorrow over the recent kidnappings of Catholic Priests, Christians, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon, urging authorities to act swiftly to secure their freedom...

Edited to add: I have just read In unitate fidei and I find it an inspiring catechesis on the Nicene Creed and its implications.

Vatican defends monogamy against polygamy, polyamory (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...

Catholics told one spouse is enough in new decree approved by Pope Leo (Independent)

The Vatican has issued a new decree, approved by Pope Leo, reaffirming its stance that Catholics should commit to one spouse for life. The Holy See’s top doctrinal office told the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics on Tuesday that a singular commitment is paramount, explicitly discouraging multiple sexual relationships. The decree specifically criticised the practice of polygamy, including among its own members in Africa. It reiterated the Vatican’s belief that marriage is a lifelong commitment between one man and one woman. The document, which did not discuss same-sex relationships, focused on the "richness and fruitfulness" of traditional marriage, encouraging Catholics to find one spouse and become committed to them. "Every authentic marriage is a unity composed of two individuals, which requires such an intimate and totalising relationship that it cannot be shared with others," the decree stated. It added: "Since (marriage) is a union between two people who have exactly the same dignity and the same rights, it demands exclusivity"...

The original Italian document, UNA CARO Elogio della monogamia can be found here but I haven't seen an English translation yet. It's good that the Church has issued a definitive document on polygamy, but I hope it really will address the "pastoral challenges" and advise pastors on how to deal with the very real and widespread issue of existing polygamous marriages.

Pope Leo XIV to visit Turkey and Lebanon in first foreign trip of his papacy (BBC)

Pope Leo XIV is beginning the first foreign trip of his papacy. Over the next six days he will first visit Turkey for an historic Christian anniversary. He will then visit Lebanon just days after Israeli airstrikes on its capital, Beirut. Visits to both countries had originally been planned by the late Pope Francis, but the overarching theme – building bridges – is one Pope Leo has made his own from the moment he stepped onto the balcony of St Peters Basilica after his election in May. In the first six months of his papacy, he has conveyed a sense of being extremely measured, even cautious. But on this trip, his powers of diplomacy will be closely scrutinised. A key moment of the trip will take place in the Turkish town of Iznik, the site of the ancient city of Nicaea. Pope Leo and leaders of other Christian traditions will gather to mark the anniversary of an ancient council that took place there 1,700 years ago. In 325 AD, among other key decisions, more than 200 bishops at the council affirmed the belief that Jesus was the son of God, eventually leading to what's known as the Nicene Creed. Eastern and Western branches of Christianity later dramatically split, but during this trip there will be messages of togetherness and healing divisions. In Turkey the Pope will also visit the Blue Mosque, as both his immediate predecessors Pope Francis and Pope Benedict XVI had done. He will have meetings with other religious leaders in a gesture of inter-religious dialogue before flying on to the second leg of the trip...

Pope Leo on first foreign trip says future of humanity at stake from conflict (BBC)

Pope Leo XIV has warned that the world should not give into "a heightened level of conflict on the global level", at the start of his foreign trip in Turkey. "The future of humanity is at stake, said the Pope, urging President Recep Tayyip Erdogan to act as a source of stability because of the need to promote dialogue and stability. The Pope will mark a historic Christian anniversary during his visit to Turkey, before heading to Lebanon days after Israeli airstrikes on its capital, Beirut. The visits had been planned by late Pope Francis, but their main theme of building bridges was embraced by Pope Leo from the moment he stepped on the balcony of St Peter's Basilica after his election in May...

Pope Leo rejects ‘might is right’ at start of first foreign visit (Tablet)

Pope Leo XIV opened his first international trip on Thursday with a call for unity, renewed dialogue and a rejection of division and violence... In his speech, the Pope rejected the mentality of “might is right”, calling for a renewed “culture of encounter” to respond to the “globalisation of indifference”. Justice and mercy, he said, must guide political and social life. He also warned that artificial intelligence risks entrenching existing inequalities because it “simply reproduces our own preferences”. He appealed for cooperation to “repair the damage already done to the unity of our human family”. Recalling his predecessor’s description of today’s conflicts as “a third world war fought piecemeal”, Pope Leo warned: “We must not give in to this! The future of humanity is at stake.” He said the Vatican seeks to work with all nations committed to the integral development of each person...

Pope Leo: Theology must explore all aspects of human science (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV encourages theologians to apply their reflection to all other sciences, so that people may better understand how to confront the challenges that face the Church and humanity...

Why Nicaea matters now (Tablet)

This week Pope Leo XIV and the Ecumenical Patriarch of Constantinople, Bartholomew I, are making a joint pilgrimage to Nicaea to mark the 1,700th anniversary of the first ecumenical council and the formulation of the statement of faith shared by Christians of the Western and Eastern Churches. But what a creed is and how it should be used is often misunderstood... we misunderstand creeds when we think of them as isolated texts, rather than as texts that are intended to be interpreted within networks of theological commitments, and networks of scriptural texts... the Nicene Creed quickly came to serve as a cipher for many things it does not – could not – explicitly state. In this sense, I suggest, we might think of Nicaea’s Creed as the most fundamental exercise in the structuring and crystallising of the Christian imaginative universe... In the last decades of the 100s AD we see emerging various versions of the “rule of faith”. These “rules” summarise those earlier narratives and, using the same imagery, draw out basic principles in the context of controversies besetting the Christian community... During the period between the late 100s and the early 300s, we see the gradual emergence of local statements of faith used in catechesis and baptism, local creeds, that look very similar although their wording differs a little. But how do these creeds function? Well, we have a number of surviving sermons in which bishops interpret these creeds for the catechumens who are to be baptised... These creeds are thus ciphers, in the sense that they contain terms that stand in for fuller explanations, reminders of broader, deeper theological explanations. During the fourth century, as Christians came gradually to treat Nicaea’s Creed as a providentially given universal creed, we find it used in very similar ways...

>233 John5918:

Turkey unveils rare and ancient Christian fresco during the pope’s visit
Ragip Soylu | 27 November 2025

"... In Ankara, {Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan} presented {Pope Leo XIV} with a tile depicting Jesus as the Good Shepherd. The tile is a replica of a fresco excavated in the city of Iznik, at an archaeological site dating to the early Byzantine period.

One of the main reasons for the pope’s visit to Turkey is to commemorate the 1,700th anniversary of the First Council of Nicaea, which was held in what is now Iznik.

... only known early Christian-era example of its kind outside Italy ... dated to the third century CE

... The newly discovered scene portrays a beardless young Christ in a simple tunic, carrying a ram with large horns on his shoulders, flanked symmetrically by two goats..."

https://www.middleeasteye.net/news/turkey-unveils-rare-christian-artefact-during...

Homeless mother given ‘key’ to new apartment by Pope Leo XIV (EWTN)

At 35 weeks pregnant Nadia Howlader became homeless, living on the streets of Sydney, Australia, but all of that changed when she was given a key to a new apartment by Pope Leo XIV on Nov. 16 on the ninth World Day of the Poor. Continuing a tradition begun by Pope Francis last year to combat homelessness and bring hope to vulnerable families during the 2025 Jubilee year of Hope in 13 countries, Pope Leo blessed 13 keys — one of which symbolized the key to Howlader’s new apartment in a Sydney suburb, faciliated by the St. Vincent de Paul Society of Australia. Howlader, and her daughter Alisha, traveled to Rome with members of the society for an audience with the pope where she received the blessed key from Pope Leo and thanked him for the generous gift. The “13 Houses” campaign was inspired by the St. Vincent de Paul Society’s patron, St. Vincent de Paul, and his decision in 1643 to use an endowment from French King Louis XIII to build 13 small houses near the Vincentian headquarters in Paris to care for abandoned children. The 13 countries included in the project this year are Syria, Australia, Brazil, Cambodia, the Central African Republic, Chile, Costa Rica, Italy, Senegal, Tanzania, Tonga, the United Kingdom, and Ukraine...

Pope: Nicaea invites Christians to unity in face of violence, conflict (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV prays with leaders of various Christian Churches in Nicaea, modern-day Iznik, Türkiye, and invites all Christians to follow the paths of fraternal encounter, dialogue, and cooperation...

Pope Leo XIV Marks Nicaea Anniversary, Urges Christians to Overcome Divisions (ACI Africa)

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... “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”...

At Mass in Turkey, Pope Leo XIV Calls for Catholic, Ecumenical and Interreligious Unity (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV marked the start of Advent on Saturday with an appeal for unity and peace, telling thousands gathered for Mass in Istanbul that Christians “journey as if on a bridge that connects earth to Heaven,” keeping their eyes “fixed on both shores” until they are united “in the house of the Father”... the prophet’s vision of peace: “They shall beat their swords into plowshares… neither shall they learn war any more.” The pope said the message is especially urgent today, calling the Church to be a sign of reconciliation in a world marked by conflict... Turning to the theme of bridges, Leo noted that the logo for his visit to Turkey features the Bosporus Bridge, which joins Asia and Europe. He said the image points to three essential “bridges of unity”: within the Catholic community, in relations with other Christians, and in dialogue with other religions. The pope highlighted the four Catholic traditions present in Turkey—Latin, Armenian, Chaldean, and Syriac—calling them “a catholicity that unites.” Unity, he said, “needs care, attention, and maintenance.” Quoting Christ’s prayer “that they may all be one,” he appealed again for Christian unity and encouraged believers to be peacemakers...

Pope Leo urges Lebanese leaders to make peace highest priority (Guardian)

Pope Leo has urged political leaders in Lebanon to make peace their highest priority in a forceful appeal as he is visiting the country, which remains a target of Israeli airstrikes, on the second leg of his first overseas trip as Catholic leader. Leo, the first US pope, arrived in Beirut on Sunday from a four-day visit to Turkey where he said that humanity’s future was at risk because of the world’s unusual number of bloody conflicts, and condemned violence in the name of religion. Addressing a presidential palace chamber packed with politicians and religious leaders from Lebanon’s many sects, he opened his speech by repeating the words of Jesus: “Blessed are the peacemakers.” Using the word “peace” more than 20 times during his speech, Leo said Lebanon must now persevere with peace efforts despite facing a “highly complex, conflictual and uncertain” regional situation...

Pope Leo finds his voice on first foreign trip (BBC)

Pope Leo XIV has arrived in the Lebanese capital Beirut a week after Israeli air strikes hit the Lebanese capital. For a man known for being measured and careful in what he does, it seems quite the statement to land in a country so affected by conflict in what is his first foreign trip. The Pope has already spent three days in Turkey and, watching his diplomacy at close quarters, we are learning a little more about how he intends to carry out his duties as both spiritual leader and head of state of Vatican City. Pope Leo's interactions with journalists are gentle and softly spoken, and his words always appear thought out and deliberate. His predecessor, Pope Francis, often spoke at length to reporters, sometimes very passionately and from the heart. But sometimes that meant his aides had the job of risk management... As a statesman leading the Vatican, he can often appear to be in listening mode, but on this trip, Pope Leo has shown that he can still issue some strong statements. Standing next to Turkey's President Recep Tayyip Erdogan, he decried powerful countries flexing their economic and military might, blaming that for heightened levels of conflict around the world and saying "the future of humanity is at stake". At an event marking 1,700 years since a hugely significant Christian council in what is now the Turkish city of Iznik, he said: "We must strongly reject the use of religion for justifying war, violence, or any form of fundamentalism or fanaticism." On the plane from Istanbul to Beirut, when addressing the decades old conflict between Israel and the Palestinians, he said the only solution had to include a Palestinian state... The Pope himself has described the purpose of his visit to both Turkey and Lebanon as to be "a messenger of peace"... Even Hezbollah, the Shia Muslim political party and militia considered a terrorist organisation by countries including the UK and US, conveyed its greetings. In an open letter, the group talked of a "full welcome" and "deep appreciation" for the Pope's "honourable presence"... He has certainly cast himself as a bridge-builder; between peoples, faiths, Christian denominations and even closer to home, becoming pope as he did at a time when divisions between progressive and traditionalist Catholics appeared to be growing... Unlike Pope Francis he does not seem like a man looking to shake things up quickly, but Pope Leo has shown on his first foreign trip that he is finding his voice on the world stage.

In battered Lebanon, an ancient Christian community awaits the new pope (CNN)

The congregation on this cool late November evening was modest in number but their voices rang out as they sang hymns – including one in Syriac, a dialect of Aramaic, the language Jesus is believed to have spoken. Christianity in Lebanon is almost as old as Christianity itself. Yet the community, with roots so deep in this land, increasingly feels its grip slipping. In recent decades many Christians have left, for the United States, Canada, Europe, South America, Australia and elsewhere. The last papal visit to Lebanon was in May 2012 by Benedict XVI. Since then, the Lebanese – Christian and Muslim alike – have been through a failed revolution, an economic collapse, the Covid-19 pandemic, the catastrophic Beirut port blast and another war with Israel. Lebanon has 18 officially recognized faiths and sects. Every event here has a sectarian angle. Pope Leo’s visit is no exception... The Shia pose the most potent challenge to Christian power in Lebanon, a fact not lost on anyone here. Yet nothing is simple. Hezbollah has formed coalitions with Christian parties in the past. Politics makes strange bedfellows... On an almost daily basis, Israeli warplanes and drones strike Lebanon... Hezbollah for its part has not fired on Israel since the ceasefire went into effect on November 27 last year. In Beirut, the joke is that the US-brokered ceasefire means Hezbollah must cease, and Israel can fire...

Pope Leo XIV to Lebanese Youth: Love, Not Retaliation, is the Real Answer to Evil (ACI Africa)

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... 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”... “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”...

Pope Leo XIV Calls Lebanon to Stand up, Be a Home of Justice and Fraternity (ACI Africa)

Beirut heard a different kind of voice on Tuesday morning. In a city still marked by the sounds of the 2024 escalation between Hezbollah and Israel, Pope Leo XIV urged Lebanon to rise above violence and division. “Lebanon, stand up. Be a home of justice and fraternity. Be a prophetic sign of peace for the whole of the Levant,” he said at a Mass attended by about 150,000 people at Beirut Waterfront...

Pope Leo prays for healing, justice and peace at Beirut blast site (Tablet)

‘The path of mutual hostility and destruction in the horror of war has been travelled too long, with the deplorable results that are before everyone’s eyes. We need to change course, we need to educate our hearts for peace!’...

Brother of Beirut explosion victim speaks ahead of Pope Leo IV’s visit to blast site (CNA)

As part of his visit to Lebanon, Pope Leo XIV will pray at the site of the Aug. 4, 2020, Beirut port explosion — the largest nonnuclear blast in modern history. For William Noun, the brother of a victim, this initiative is crucial and a continuation of what Pope Francis began... The destruction was not limited to lives, infrastructure, and finances. It also crushed the morale of an already-exhausted population as they watched their capital collapse in front of their eyes. Yet the tragedy drew significant international solidarity, including strong support from the Vatican. Immediately after the explosion, Pope Francis sent a donation of 250,000 euros ($295,488) to the Church in Lebanon to support emergency relief and recovery efforts. His support continued in the years that followed. In the summer of 2024, Francis met at the Vatican with relatives of the Beirut port victims...

Pope Leo prays at tomb of Saint Charbel Makhlouf (Vatican News)

Every year, thousands of pilgrims, Christians and Muslims alike, travel to Annaya, Lebanon to pray at the tomb of Saint Charbel Makhlouf. This morning, December 1, Pope Leo XIV was among them... In his own address, delivered in French, the Pope reflected on St. Charbel—“who lived hidden and silent, yet whose fame spread throughout the world”. The Pope said the hermit had been “shaped by the Holy Spirit” to teach “prayer to those who live without God, silence to those who live amid noise, modesty to those who live for appearances, and poverty to those who pursue riches”... “We ask for peace,” he said. “We implore it especially for Lebanon and for the whole Levant. But we know—and the saints remind us—that there is no peace without the conversion of hearts”...

I've previously posted about Saint Charbel Makhlouf (شربل مخلوف) elsewhere in this group (cf here #177) in the context of inter-faith dialogue. In other threads I've also mentioned Muslims and Christians praying together in Lourdes and during a Marian festival in Tunisia. It's more common than the mainstream western media would have us believe!

Pope Leo XIV's distinctiveness begins to show (NCR)

Pope Leo XIV's first foreign trip evidenced profound echoes of his predecessor, Pope Francis. Still, we are also starting to see points of difference emerge as well. As Chicago Cardinal Blase Cupich said at the press conference the U.S. cardinal-electors held the day after Leo's election: "I think it's important to remember that when we have the appointment of a bishop in the church, we don't talk about a replacement, we talk about a successor. ... That is what we {the cardinal electors} were looking for as well." Leo is not Francis 2.0. Leo is Leo... To be clear, Leo is continuing the path charted by Francis, and indeed by the 1962-65 Second Vatican Council. There was also more harmony between Francis and the other postconciliar popes than his critics allowed or his champions acknowledged. But Leo is a different person. He never had the experience of exile that Francis did. Leo, unlike Francis, was trained as a canonist. And, perhaps most importantly, Leo is an Augustinian not a Jesuit. After 11 years of Ignatian insights, which were a great blessing, Leo now brings Augustinian insights into almost every talk. The Catholic faith is the richer for being reminded of what these two great saints have to teach us!...

Pope Leo urges against US incursion of Venezuela as he warns Western countries to be ‘less fearful’ of immigrants (CNN)

Pope Leo has said he believes the United States needs to find “another way” in handling the situation in Venezuela, warning against any military incursion and saying it would be better to pursue dialogue or apply economic pressure. “It seems there is the possibility that there be some activity, even an operation to invade Venezuelan territory,” Leo, who spent several years as a missionary and bishop in Peru, told reporters on board the papal plane returning to Rome from Beirut on Tuesday. “I truly believe that it is better to look for ways of dialogue, maybe pressure, including economic pressure, but looking another way to change, if that is what they want to do in the United States”... Leo also called for Europe and North America to be “a little less fearful” when it comes to immigrants of different faiths. Asked about Catholics who see Islam as a “threat” to Christianity in Europe, Leo said he is aware of people’s fears, but said they are often “generated by people who are against immigration and trying to keep out people who may be from another country, another religion, another race.” Instead, Leo said his visit to Turkey and Lebanon underlined that “dialogue and friendship between Muslims and Christians is possible” citing Lebanon as a country which teaches friendship between Christians and Muslims. He said the lessons from Lebanon need to be “heard in Europe or North America, that we should perhaps be a little less fearful and look for ways of promoting authentic dialogue and respect”...

Pope ends Middle East trip with plea to reject violence, open chapters to peace (NCR)

Before some 150,000 people along Beirut's waterfront Dec. 2, the pope said the people of Lebanon are called "to not be discouraged, to not give in to the logic of violence and the idolatry of money, and to not resign ourselves in the face of the spreading evil." At the end of Mass, Leo issued an appeal to political and social leaders in all countries marked by war: "Listen to the cry of your peoples who are calling for peace!"...

He left for Turkey and Lebanon as Pope Leo; he came back as Pontifex (OSV)

Pope Leo left the Vatican on Nov. 27 as Bishop of Rome. By the time he touched back down on Italian soil Dec. 2, he had emerged unmistakably as Pontifex — the bridge-builder...

The West should be ‘less fearful’ of Islam, says Pope (The Tablet)

‘One of the great lessons that Lebanon can teach to the world is showing a land where Islam and Christianity are both respected, and that there is a possibility to live together, to be friends.’ Pope Leo said that Lebanon can offer Europe and North America a lesson in dialogue and friendship between Christians and Muslims...

Pope Leo XIV Among the Most Viewed and Searched on Wikipedia and Google in 2025 (ACI Africa)

The profile of Pope Leo XIV is among the most viewed pages on the digital encyclopedia Wikipedia, and his names — both the one he took upon beginning his pontificate on May 8 and his given name, Robert Francis Prevost — are among the most searched terms globally on Google during 2025. The Wikimedia Foundation, which supports Wikipedia, presented on Dec. 2 its list of “most read articles” in English. Pope Leo XIV in English holds fifth place...

Apparently he was beaten by Charlie Kirk, "Deaths in 2025", Ed Gein and Donald Trump (link). I've vaguely heard of the first (wasn't he a politician recently assassinated in the USA?), but I had to look up Ed Gein.

>244 John5918: Charlie Kirk not a politician, but he was assassinated while speaking on a college campus.

Pope Leo on AI: new generations must be helped, not hindered (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV highlighted how “new generations must be helped, not hindered, on their path to maturity and responsibility,” especially when it comes to their relationship with new technologies and artificial intelligence... “The ability to access vast amounts of data and information should not be confused with the ability to derive meaning and value from it,” the Pope explained, adding that “The latter requires a willingness to confront the mystery and core questions of our existence, even when these realities are often marginalized or ridiculed by the prevailing cultural and economic models.” “The well-being of society,” he continued, depends on young people’s “ability to develop their talents and respond to the demands of the times and the needs of others, with generosity and freedom of mind”...

‘Peace Be With You!’ First Full-length Book by Pope Leo XIV Set for February Release (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV will offer his “vision for peace, unity, and reconciliation” in his first full-length book to be published in February 2026. The Holy Father’s book, “Peace Be With You: My Words to the Church and to the World,” is set to be published in English and Spanish on Feb. 24... The title of the book recalls the first words spoken by the risen Christ, which also were Leo’s first words as pontiff: “Peace be with you”... The book includes sermons and addresses delivered since his election on May 8, 2025, according to the publisher... “Together, these texts reflect the new pope’s vision and priorities: the primacy of God, communion within the Church, and the global pursuit of peace,” the release said. “{Leo} has repeatedly emphasized the humility required of leadership, stating: ‘To disappear so that Christ remains, to make himself small so that he may be known and glorified’”...

Pope Leo XIV Urges ‘continued dialogue’ after receiving Zelenskyy in Castel Gandolfo (ACI Africa)

Pope Leo XIV received the president of Ukraine, Volodymyr Zelenskyy, in audience today at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo, the Holy See announced in a statement. The meeting, described as "cordial," focused on the situation of the war in Ukraine and the prospects for the diplomatic initiatives currently underway. During the conversation, the Holy Father reiterated “the need to continue the dialogue” and renewed his “pressing desire” that diplomatic efforts might lead to “a just and lasting peace,” according to the statement released by the Vatican. The meeting also addressed particularly sensitive humanitarian issues. During the discussions, reference was made to the “prisoners of war” situation and the urgency of “guaranteeing the return” of Ukrainian children separated from their families and illegally deported to Russia was emphasized...

Pope Leo meets with Ukrainian President Zelenskyy (Vatican News)

Pope Leo XIV welcomes Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to the papal residence at Castel Gandolfo to discuss the war in Ukraine and the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia...

Pope: Cultural diplomacy can build bridges and overcome prejudices (Vatican News)

Marking the 100th anniversary of the Pontifical Institute for Christian Archaeology, Pope Leo XIV invites students and faculty to engage in cultural diplomacy, serve as a tool for ecumenism through their work and be a reminder of Europe’s Christian roots...

>251 brone: Leadind Catholic outlets are not reporting these coverups

I've seen both allegations reported in Catholic and Anglican outlets.

Pope: At Christmas, let music be a ‘dwelling place for the soul’ (Vatican News)

Pope Leo meets with artists and organisers involved in the Vatican’s Christmas Concert, saying that the festive period reminds us that God comes to meet us “at the very heart of our small human stories”...

Pope Leo XIV Voices Concern Over Renewed Fighting in Eastern Congo, Urges Dialogue (ACI Africa)

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... “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...

Pope prays for victims of Sydney attack: ‘Enough with antisemitic violence!’ (Vatican News)

Nativity scenes and Christmas trees are “signs of faith and hope”, Pope Leo said on Monday, inviting the faithful as they contemplate them to “ask the Lord to renew within us the gift of peace and fraternity”. The Holy Father went on to ask for prayers for all those suffering due to war and violence, especially victims of the terrorist attack against the Jewish community in Sydney on Sunday, whom he entrusted to the Lord. “Enough with these forms of antisemitic violence!” Pope Leo said. “We must eliminate hatred from our hearts”...

Pope criticizes prison overcrowding during special Mass for inmates, guards and families (NCR)

ope Leo XIV criticized prison overcrowding and insufficient inmate rehabilitation programs on Sunday as he celebrated a special Mass for detainees, guards and their families in the final event of the Vatican's 2025 Holy Year. The Vatican said an estimated 6,000 people signed up to participate in the weekend pilgrimage, including representatives from big detention facilities in Italy and prison volunteers, wardens and prison chaplains from 90 countries. Included were a few groups of inmates who received special permission to participate, according to the Italian penitentiary chaplain's association. In his homily, Leo acknowledged the oftentimes poor conditions prisoners face even in wealthier countries. He called for a sense of charity and forgiveness to prevail for prisoners and those responsible for guarding them. "Here, we can mention overcrowding, insufficient commitment to guarantee stable educational programs for rehabilitation and job opportunities," he said, adding that patience and forgiveness are needed. "On a more personal level, let us not forget the weight of the past, the wounds to be healed in body and heart, the disappointments, the infinite patience that is needed with oneself and with others when embarking on paths of conversion, and the temptation to give up or to no longer forgive," he said...

Pope thanks UISG for bearing testimony to Gospel at frontiers of mission (CNA)

In a letter sent on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the founding of the International Union of Superiors General, Pope Leo XIV urges women religious to be “pilgrims and missionary disciples of hope,” to heal the wounds of those they encounter...

'He's not ours anymore': Pope Leo XIV's brother on seeing a pope in the making (NCR)

This is the second segment of NCR's interview with John Prevost, the brother of Pope Leo XIV, conducted at his parish in New Lenox, Illinois, as part of the series "Looking for Leo in History." In this installment, John reflects on the years after his brother left home, from his brother Robert's time in the minor seminary and missionary life in Peru to his transition into the papacy...

Pope Leo XIV entrusts pontificate to the Virgin of Guadalupe (Vatican News)

On Dec. 12, Pope Leo XIV presided over his first Mass on the solemnity of Our Lady of Guadalupe, whom he asked to come to his aid “so that she may confirm in the one true path that leads to the blessed Fruit of your womb all those who have been entrusted to me”...

Pope Leo replaces New York's Cardinal Dolan in shake-up of US Church (Reuters)

Pope Leo replaced Cardinal Timothy Dolan as leader of the Catholic Church in New York, the Vatican announced on Thursday, sidelining a prominent U.S. Church figure in a major shake-up of the country's Catholic leadership. Leo, the first U.S. pope, appointed a relatively unknown cleric from Illinois, Bishop Ronald Hicks, to replace Dolan as leader of the nation's second-largest Catholic diocese, home to some 2.8 million Church members. Dolan, Archbishop of New York since 2009 and a former president of the U.S. Catholic bishops' conference, offered to resign in February upon turning 75, as required by Church law... Hicks, 58, gave some remarks in Spanish before speaking in English. He said he has a "great heart" for the Latino community as a former missionary in Latin America. Hicks also repeated an earlier endorsement of the U.S. Catholic bishops condemnation of President Donald Trump's immigration crackdown. He said the U.S. should protect its borders but "also be a country that upholds human dignity, respect, (and) treating each other well". Hicks, leader of the Church in Joliet, Illinois, since 2020, has several similarities to Pope Leo. They are both originally from south Chicago suburbs but spent years as missionaries - Leo in Peru while Hicks in El Salvador. "(Leo) is elevating to the most prominent American see an Illinois native very much like himself"... Dolan is seen as a leading conservative among the U.S. bishops, who have become more divided in recent years amid deepening political polarization in the country...

Pope Leo XIV strengthens legal protections for employees of the Vatican and Holy See (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...

Pope Leo summons world's cardinals for key assembly to help him govern church (NCR)

Pope Leo XIV has summoned the world's cardinals for two days of meetings to help him govern the church, the Vatican said Dec. 20, in the clearest sign yet that the new year will signal the unofficial start of his pontificate. The consistory, as such gatherings are called, will be held Jan. 7-8, immediately following the Jan. 6 conclusion of the 2025 Holy Year... Leo's first few months as pope have been dominated by fulfilling the weekly Holy Year obligations of meeting with pilgrimage groups and celebrating special Jubilee audiences and Masses. Additionally, much of his time has been spent wrapping up the outstanding matters of Pope Francis' pontificate. As a result, the January consistory in many ways will mark the first time that Leo can look ahead to his own agenda following his May 8 election as the first American pope. It is significant that he has summoned all the world's cardinals to Rome... The Vatican said Dec. 20 that Leo's first consistory "will be oriented toward fostering common discernment and offering support and advice to the Holy Father in the exercise of his high and grave responsibility in the government of the universal Church"...

Pope Leo appoints Queens pastor as Palm Beach bishop, and Vietnam-born priest as auxiliary in Phoenix (NCR)

Pope Leo XIV has accepted the resignation of Bishop Gerald Barbarito of Palm Beach, Florida, and named as his successor Fr. Manuel de Jesús Rodríguez... The same day, the pope appointed the auxiliary bishop of Phoenix — Msgr. Peter Dai Bui, currently vicar for the clergy in the capital of Arizona, assigning him the titular see of Ausafa... Born in the Dominican Republic, Rodríguez was ordained to the priesthood July 3, 2004... In Phoenix, the church is gaining a Vietnam-born auxiliary bishop. Dai Bui was born on Jan. 11, 1970, in Phú Quoc, Vietnam...

Perhaps a more interesting headline in these polarised times would be "Pope appoints two migrants as bishops in the USA"!

The "most valuable" Gift to Give this Christmas, According to Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV told the young people of Italian Catholic Action that they can perform a simple gesture that would be the best gift this Christmas: make peace. “Before the holy night of Christmas, think of someone with whom you can make peace,” the pontiff urged members of the organization, founded in 1868, which has established itself as one of the main lay organizations of the Church in Italy. “It will be a gift more valuable than those you can buy in stores, because peace is a gift that is truly found only in the heart,” he added.He said peace is the “Catholic action par excellence,” because it is “the gesture that transforms us as witnesses of Jesus, the redeemer of the world”...

Pope Leo XIV: May all children of the world live in peace! (Vatican News)

Reflecting on the figure of Saint Joseph on the Fourth Sunday of Advent, Pope Leo XIV recalls the virtues he lived of piety, charity, and mercy that educate the heart to encounter Christ and our brothers and sisters. As we await the birth of the Saviour, he encourages us to be "a welcoming manger, a hospitable home, a sign of God’s presence" and that all children may live in peace...

Pope: Even as Jubilee ends we remain pilgrims of hope (Vatican News)

As the Jubilee Year draws to a close, Pope Leo XIV reminds the faithful that its deepest gift endures. Hope, he says, continues to shape the Church’s journey, calling all to remain pilgrims who generate life and renewal...

Pope offers gentle critique of Vatican culture in Christmas greeting reminiscent of past (NCR)

Pope Leo XIV urged Vatican cardinals on Monday to put their ambitions of power and personal interests aside, as he followed in Pope Francis' footsteps and used a Christmas greeting to gently criticize his closest collaborators. "Is it possible to be friends in the Roman Curia?" Leo asked the cardinals and bishops who make up the Curia, as the Holy See bureaucracy is known. "To have relationships of genuine fraternal friendship?" The fact that Leo asked the question suggests that the American pope knows well that the Curia remains a difficult and sometimes toxic workplace, one that Francis would often eviscerate in his annual Christmas addresses. Leo didn't repeat Francis' more biting critique... But the underlying message remained. Leo, who was very close to Francis and worked in the Vatican for two years before his election, didn't shy away from Francis' tradition of using the Christmas occasion to urge Vatican bureaucrats to examine their consciences and change their ways for the good of the church. "At times this bitterness finds its way among us as well, when, after many years of service in the Curia, we observe with disappointment that certain dynamics — linked to the exercise of power, the desire to prevail, or the pursuit of personal interests — are slow to change," Leo said. "Amid daily toil, it is a grace to find trustworthy friends, where masks fall away, no one is used or sidelined, genuine support is offered, and each person's worth and competence are respected, preventing resentment and dissatisfaction"... He called Monday for Vatican bureaucrats to work to forge communion within the church and beyond...

Pope Leo XIV Urges "more missionary" Roman Curia, Warns against Internal Divisions (ACI Africa)

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”...

In Apostolic Letter, Pope Leo XIV Calls for Renewed Priestly Formation, Fraternity, and Mission (ACI Africa)

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”...

Pope Leo expresses ‘great sadness’ at Russian rejection of truce calls (Guardian)

Pope Leo XIV has called for a global truce on Christmas Day, expressing “great sadness” that “apparently Russia rejected a request” for one. “I am renewing my request to all people of good will to respect a day of peace – at least on the feast of the birth of our saviour,” Leo told reporters at his residence near Rome... Among the things that cause me great sadness is the fact that Russia has apparently rejected a request for a truce.” Referring to conflicts in general, Leo said: “I hope they will listen and there will be 24 hours of peace in the whole world”...

>262 John5918: Try again on date the Orthodox celebrate Christmas -- 6, 7 Jan 2026?

Pope Leo asks for 24 hours of peace worldwide at Christmas (Vatican News)

“I once again make this appeal to all people of good will: that, at least on the feast of the birth of the Saviour, one day of peace may be respected": This was the appeal launched by Pope Leo XIV in view of the Christmas holidays, on Tuesday 23 December, from Castel Gandolfo...

Pope Leo: Announce the joy of Christmas, a feast of faith, charity, and hope (Vatican News)

During the Christmas Mass during the Night on the Solemnity of the Nativity of the Lord, Pope Leo XIV encourages us to announce "the joy of Christmas" and to celebrate it as "a feast of faith, charity and hope"...

Pope Leo calls for kindness to strangers and the poor in Christmas message (Guardian)

Pope Leo has told Christians that the Christmas story should remind them of their duty to help the poor and strangers. In his Christmas Eve sermon, the pope said the story of Jesus being born in a stable because there was no room at an inn showed followers that refusing to help those in need was tantamount to rejecting God himself. Leo, who has made care for immigrants and the poor key themes of his early papacy, said Jesus’ birth showed God’s presence in every person as he led the world’s 1.4 billion Catholics into Christmas at a mass in St Peter’s Basilica. “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,” said the pope during the solemn service, attended by about 6,000 people inside the basilica...

And may I wish all the members and readers of this LT Christianity group a happy and holy Christmas and a peaceful and blessed new year.

Pope Leo urges 'courage' to end Ukraine war in first Christmas address (BBC)

Pope Leo has urged Ukraine and Russia to find the "courage" to hold direct talks to end the war during his first Christmas remarks to crowds in St Peter's square. He called for an end to conflicts around the world during his Urbi et Orbi address, which is traditionally delivered by the pontiff on Christmas Day to worshippers gathered in Vatican City. Speaking about Ukraine, the Pope said: "May the clamour of weapons cease, and may the parties involved, with the support and commitment of the international community, find the courage to engage in sincere, direct and respectful dialogue"...

Pope Leo XIV highlights Gaza, Yemen, migrants in first Christmas Urbi et Orbi message (Vatican News)

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... 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”...

At Christmas Day Mass, Pope Leo XIV Says Wars Fed by Falsehoods Send Young People to Their Deaths (ACI Africa)

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... 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”...

>266 brone:

St. Stephen: Visiting the Spot Where the First Martyr Died (ACI Africa)

If “Good King Wenceslas” is one of the Christmas hymns you look forward to each year, you probably know which saint is celebrated today — St. Stephen, the first person to die for the risen Christ. Roman Catholics celebrate his feast on Dec. 26, while Eastern Catholics honor him one day later, on Dec. 27... Famously, Stephen was stoned to death near the Damascus Gate in Jerusalem for proclaiming his faith in Jesus. Today, near the site of Stephen’s martyrdom, a grand Catholic church and convent have stood since the year 1900. A chapel of one form or another memorializing Stephen’s martyrdom has existed at the site since at least the fifth century... Numerous popes have reflected over the years on the importance of St. Stephen in the life of the Church.

Pope Leo XIV: Christians Have No Enemies, Only Brothers and Sisters (ACI Africa)

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”...

Pope Leo sends aid to Ukraine for Holy Family Sunday (Vatican News)

Three lorries carrying one hundred thousand food packets that, with a little bit of water, become energy-rich soups with chicken and vegetables: A “small gesture” from Pope Leo XIV that offers vital relief for Ukrainian families who, on the occasion of Holy Family Sunday in Nazareth on 28 December, will receive humanitarian aid from the Vatican...