Good News in the Catholic Church

A bit of good news for me is that I have rediscovered the APOSTOLIC EXHORTATION DILEXI TE OF THE HOLY FATHER LEO XIV TO ALL CHRISTIANS ON LOVE FOR THE POOR issued on 4th October 2025 (full text here) - I was travelling for several weeks at the time and somehow it passed me by. It's referenced in Pope Leo's recent MESSAGE OF HIS HOLINESS POPE LEO XIV FOR THE TENTH WORLD DAY OF THE POOR (which can be found here), and realising that I wasn't properly aware of Dilexit te I decided to read it, an exercise which I have found very edifying.

Heroic Witness of Ugandan Martyrs Hailed for Church’s Growth in Africa (ACI Africa)

The Representative of the Holy Father in Canada has attributed the growth of the Catholic Church in Africa to the heroic witness of the Ugandan Martyrs, noting that the sacrifice of the martyrs continues to inspire generations of Christians on the continent and beyond... Archbishop Ivan Jurkovič reflected on the significance of the young Christians who were killed for their faith in the late nineteenth century. “These martyrs are the first saints to be canonized in modern Africa and have thus been an encouragement and reason for the growth of the Church on the continent,” he said...

New study examines growing interest in Catholic faith (Vatican News)

A national U.S. study finds growing interest in Catholic faith driven by the search for truth, purpose and community...

There was some interesting discussion online about why Catholicism is having a moment, and I think the strongest argument is that Catholicism is well suited for the current age of social media.

1. First of all, it's large, so it's not split up. That gives you what, in marketing terms, they would call "mindshare."
2. Catholicism is very visual, and so now that the internet is driven more by images and videos than by text, the fancy clothing and the pretty churches really matter.
3. The Pope just works on social media. Nobody knows who the most important Baptists are. Nobody knows who the most important Evangelicals are. Besides, they're very caught up in politics, but the Pope punches through all that very effectively. Having a single focal point and having him be American really works on social media.

The result is that, when you go online now (and going online is the most important way that people discover things), Catholicism has a lot of prominence it didn't have in previous decades in the United States.

Humanitarian award will honour North Cork priest who saved thousands of lives during World War II (Echo Live)

The Hugh O’Flaherty Memorial Society is searching the globe for worthy nominations for an in international humanitarian award in the name of the Catholic priest who, while in Rome helped around 6,500 Jews and Allied soldiers escape the clutches of the Nazis. The award is dedicated to the life of the late Monsignor Hugh O’Flaherty, who followed a long and continuing tradition of humanitarian service by Irish people, both overseas and at home. In Nazi-occupied Rome during 1943-44, the 'Rome Organisation' he created, provided refuge and assistance to the hunted and oppressed. It is almost certain that thousands would otherwise have faced imprisonment and, in many cases, almost certain death. Throughout the period of occupation, Kiskeam-born Msgr O’Flaherty, and his many colleagues were under death sentence by the Gestapo if captured...

The Legacy of Papua New Guinea's elderly missionaries (Vatican News)

After long service and dedication in the missions, the elderly retired missionaries who served in Papua New Guinea and are now back in Europe continue to tell an extraordinary story of faith, sacrifice, and unwavering love for the people of Papua New Guinea. Fr. Christian Sieland, the director of Pontifical Mission Societies in Papua New Guinea, visited them and shares how their humility and commitment to inculturation of decades of service remain a lasting inspiration for today's Church...

Longford priest reflects on parish life to brushes with death in Zambia and Zimbabwe in new book (Longford Live)

‘Come here a second till I tell you’ is the intriguing title of a book, by Fr Pat Lennon... Fr Pat, in his preface, explains the title. He certainly has many stories to tell: multiple hair-raising stories of brushes with death; his journey through priesthood; his experiences while working on the missions in both Zambia and Zimbabwe, along with many memories from his parish ministry in Carrick-on-Shannon, Athlone, Ballinahown, Ardagh and Dromard/Drumlish... Fr Pat moves from features on parish life in Ireland to harrowing accounts of his life in Zambia and in famine-stricken Zimbabwe, ruled at the time with an iron fist by Robert Mugabe... the book records the very vast array of experiences and circumstances in which priests are called upon to offer help and support to parishioners, as well as mediate in difficult situations...

There's still life left in us old missionaries all over the world! Reminds me of a quote from an Irish missionary, Bishop Donal Raymond Lamont, who was Bishop of Umtali, Zimbabwe, from 1953-1981:

"The modern missionary should be all things to all men. Not only in the spiritual sense, as St. Paul speaks, but in a more worldly one too. He should be a tinker, tailor, butcher, baker, and candlestick maker. In fact, he should be everything" (link).

While many international donors are pulling back, Ireland’s missionary network is proving unusually resilient (Irish Independent)

An Irish NGO that represents 77 missionary groups has provided €13.5m in aid to 344 projects, helping some of the world’s poorest people last year, despite widespread global aid cuts. Misean Cara’s latest annual report shows 51 missionary organisations were involved in the 2025 programme, which delivered health, education, climate-resilient livelihoods and emergency support to over one million people across the Global South. This was done at a time when many international donors have cut their funding following the lead of the US, which scaled down overseas aid by billions under the Trump administration. This resulted in global aid budgets suffering their sharpest fall on record, down 23.1pc year on year. However, despite the massive drop in international humanitarian aid, Misean Cara’s projects enabled nearly 983,000 people to gain access to healthcare, clean water and sanitation; over 71,000 households improved their livelihoods, with 84pc reporting better food security; and more than 118,000 people enrolled in education, with 98pc staying a full year...

Queen Camilla hears Catholic Sisters' witness from the world's frontlines (Vatican News)

Following a meeting with Queen Camilla at Clarence House, representatives of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) share how Catholic Sisters worldwide continue to protect vulnerable women and girls through their work against human trafficking, in conflict zones, and in communities affected by climate change...