Catholic News
- Pray that the Church will always be a school of humility, Pope Leo tells pilgrims (Dicastery for Communication)
Reflecting on the Gospel reading of the day (Luke 14:1.7-14), Pope Leo XIV spoke during his August 31 Sunday Angelus address about the vainglorious competition for attention and Jesus’ teaching on humility. “Dear friends, today let us pray that the Church will always be a school of humility for everyone, a home where all are welcome, a place where rivalries are set aside and where Jesus still speaks to us and teaches us to imitate his own humility and freedom,” he told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “Mary is truly the Mother of that home; it is to her that we now pray.” - Pope laments recent Russian attacks in Ukraine, renews plea for peace (Dicastery for Communication)
Without using the word “Russia,” Pope Leo XIV lamented recent Russian attacks in Ukraine as he renewed his call for peace. “Sadly, the war in Ukraine continues to sow death and destruction,” Pope Leo said on August 31, at the conclusion of his Sunday Angelus address. “Even in recent days, bombings have struck several cities, including the capital Kyiv, causing numerous casualties. I renew my closeness to the Ukrainian people and to all the injured families.” The Pope then asked everyone “not to give in to indifference, but to draw close to them through prayer and concrete gestures of charity.” He added: I strongly reiterate my urgent appeal for an immediate ceasefire and a serious commitment to dialogue. Now is the time for those responsible to renounce the logic of weapons and take the path of negotiation and peace, with the support of the international community. The voice of weapons must be silenced, while the voice of fraternity and justice must be raised. - Promote workers' dignity amid AI's rise, USCCB committee chairman writes in Labor Day statement (USCCB)
The chairman of the US bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development issued a Labor Day statement calling for renewed prayer and action, amid AI’s rise, “to building a future in which every worker finds dignity, security, and purpose.” After praising AI’s potential positive benefits, Archbishop Borys Gudziak warned that “in patient care, there is a risk that AI could attempt to replace human compassion, or supplant human expertise in medical evaluation. In many industries, a number of workers could lose their jobs, impacting families and communities.” “We must advocate for the responsible use of technology, robust protection for those vulnerable to exploitation, a social safety net that allows people to avoid the cycle of poverty, and fair treatment of all workers,” he added. “The government should address the challenges of AI with a sound legal and regulatory framework.” - Leo XIV: Prayer for care of creation is 'more important and urgent than ever' (Dicastery for Communication)
At the conclusion of his August 31 Sunday Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV described the World Day of Prayer for Creation (background) as “more important and urgent than ever.” “Ten years ago, in harmony with Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew I, Pope Francis established this Day for the Catholic Church,” Pope Leo told pilgrims in St. Peter’s Square. “This is more important and urgent than ever, and this year’s theme is ‘Seeds of Peace and Hope.’” “Together with all Christians, we celebrate it throughout this ‘Season of Creation,’ which lasts until 4 October, the Feast of Saint Francis of Assisi,” the Pope continued. “In the spirit of the Canticle of Brother Sun, which he composed 800 years ago, we praise God and renew our commitment not to ruin his gift, but to care for our common home.” - Pakistani churches, homes inundated by floods; 1.5 million displaced (Fides)
Massive flooding in Pakistan’s Punjab province (map) has displaced 1.5 million people and “inundated houses and buildings, including churches, and farmland,” a Capuchin Franciscan friar told the Fides news agency. “The Christian communities are trying their best, but this is the worst flooding in decades, and resources are inadequate,” said Father Qaiser Feroz, OFM Cap. “Approximately 25 million cannot go to school and will not be able to do so for who knows how long.” “The Church stands with the affected families with prayers and actions,” said Archbishop Benny Mario Travas, president of Caritas Pakistan. “Caritas Pakistan has launched relief programs, and we ask all our faithful, local and international partners for their continued support.” “The refugees are Muslims and Christians, it makes no difference; we are helping the poor, the disadvantaged, and the desperate,” added Amjad Gulzar, executive director of Caritas Pakistan. - Plead with God to stop 'pandemic of arms': papal prayer for child victims in Minnesota, elsewhere (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV recalled the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting (CWN coverage), Pope Leo XIV said on August 31 that “our prayers for the victims of the tragic shooting during a school Mass in the American State of Minnesota include the countless children killed and injured every day around the world.” “Let us plead God to stop the pandemic of arms, large and small, which infects our world,” Pope Leo said to pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square. “May our Mother Mary, the Queen of Peace, help us to fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah: ‘They shall beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks’” (Is. 2:4). - Pontiff mourns victims of African migrant shipwreck (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV mourned the victims of the shipwreck of a boat carrying migrants from Mauritania (where slavery is common) to the Canary Islands (map). “Our hearts are also wounded by the more than 50 people who died and the 100 or so still missing following the shipwreck of a boat carrying migrants attempting the 1,100 km [700 mile] journey towards the Canary Islands, that capsized off the Atlantic coast of Mauritania,” Pope Leo told pilgrims on August 31. “This deadly tragedy is repeated every day all over the world,” the Pope continued. “Let us pray that the Lord will teach us, as individuals and societies, fully to put into practice his words: ‘I was a stranger and you welcomed me’ (Mt 25:35). We entrust all our injured, missing and dead, everywhere, to our Savior’s loving embrace.” - Listen with the ears of your heart: papal video message to US Augustinians (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV sent a video message to the Augustinians of the Province of Saint Thomas of Villanova as they honored him with the Saint Augustine Medal. “In one of his sermons, St. Augustine encouraged his listeners: ‘Do not have your heart in your ears, but your ears in your heart,’” Pope Leo said in his message, recorded during his summer stay in Castel Gandolfo and released by the Vatican on August 29. The Pope asked, “What do we need to do in order to practice how to listen with the ears of our heart?” and reflected: The world is full of noise, and our heads and hearts can be flooded with many different kinds of messages. These messages can fuel our restlessness and steal our joy. As a community of faith, striving to build a relationship with the Lord, may we strive to filter the noise, the divisive voices in our heads and hearts, and open ourselves up to the daily invitations to get to know God and God’s love better. When we hear that loving, reassuring voice of the Lord, we can share it with the world as we strive to become one in him. - Greek Orthodox Patriarch denies report of Gaza evacuation order (Orthodox Times)
The Greek Orthodox Patriarch of Jersualem denied a Times of Israel report that the Israeli army ordered the evacuation of the Church of St. Porphyrius, one of three Christian churches in Gaza. Patriarch Theophilos III said that “the abbot currently has no information; neither the authorities nor the military have approached him.” Three hundred civilians have taken refuge in the church compound. Patriarch Theophilos said that “they are struggling greatly because it is extremely difficult for them to obtain food, other essential items, and medicines. There is a real hardship.” - Kidnapped Irish missionary released in Haiti (BBC)
Gena Heraty, an Irish missionary in Haiti who was kidnapped on August 3, has been released from captivity. Heraty, the director of Sainte-Hélène orphanage, was abducted along with seven colleagues and a child. They, too, have been released. - September papal prayer intention: for our relationship with all of creation (Pope's Worldwide Prayer Network)
The September papal prayer intention, disseminated by the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network (formerly known as the Apostleship of Prayer), is “let us pray that, inspired by Saint Francis, we might experience our interdependence with all creatures who are loved by God and worthy of love and respect.” Papal prayer intentions are announced a year in advance and are customarily retained by the new Pontiff following his predecessor’s death. - Background: World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation (CWN)
In 2015, Pope Francis established September 1 as the annual World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation in the Catholic Church. Pope Leo XIV has written a message for the day entitled “Seeds of Peace and Hope“ (CWN coverage). - Cardinal Parolin reiterates papal Gaza appeals, says Vatican in contact with Trump administration (Vatican News)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, spoke with journalists about Gaza on August 27, reiterating Pope Leo XIV’s calls for a ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid, and opposition to the forced displacement of the population. Cardinal Parolin also said that the Holy See is in regular contact with the Trump administration about Gaza and expressed hope that the visit of the Israeli foreign minister to Washington will produce concrete results. - Evangelization springs from personal relationship with Christ, Pope says (Vatican News)
Effective evangelization means “to bear witness to what has been contemplated, to the encounter one has had with the God of life,” Pope Leo XIV said on August 29, at an audience with members of the St. Andrew School of Evangelization. The Pope told the group that evangelization begins with a personal relationship with Christ, which then leads to the initiative to bring others to Him. Noting the day’s feast of St. John the Baptist, the Pope encouraged the group to “contemplate the lives of the saints who, like John the Baptist, have been faithful followers of Jesus Christ, manifesting Him in words and works of goodness.” - Vatican cardinal, newspaper react to Minneapolis church shooting (CWN)
The prefect of the Holy See’s Dicastery for Culture and Education sent a telegram to Archbishop Bernard Hebda of St. Paul and Minneapolis following the Annunciation Catholic Church shooting, which claimed the lives of two innocent victims and left 18 injured (CWN coverage). - Jerusalem Christians: 'A genocide is taking place in Gaza' (Society of Jesus)
A Jersualem Voice for Justice, an organization of Christians in Jerusalem, strongly condemned Israeli actions in Gaza. The organization’s most prominent members are Patriarch Michel Sabbah (the retired Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem) and Archbishop Attallah Hanna (the current Greek Orthodox archbishop). “A genocide is taking place in Gaza and risks spreading to other parts of Palestine too,” said the signatories of the organization’s most recent statement. “Ethnic cleansing in Gaza, through the systematic destruction of houses, hospitals and educational institutions, advances from day to day.” “Similar practices are applied in the West Bank, through the violent attacks by Israeli settlers with the complicity of the Israeli army,” they continued, adding: Houses are demolished, whole villages destroyed and their inhabitants made homeless; thousands of prisoners are under administrative detention without any legal protection; people are killed and wounded, olive trees are burnt, harvests destroyed, herds of sheep and cattle killed or stolen, private property looted. - Sweeping reorganization of Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (Vatican Press Office)
Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil of Ernakulam-Angamaly, India, the head of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church since 2024, enacted a sweeping reorganization of the Eastern Catholic church. The Major Archbishop erected four new ecclesiastical provinces and assigned an eparchy (diocese) to a preexisting province, all with the consent of the church’s Synod of Bishops, and following consultation with the Apostolic See. The reorganization of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church (CNEWA profile) follows a recent agreement that sought to bring an end to an acrimonious liturgical dispute within the church. - Pope pays tribute to St. Augustine (@Pontifex)
Pope Leo XIV, a member of the Order of Saint Augustine, paid tribute to the saint on August 28, his feast day. “The life of Saint Augustine, and his call to servant leadership, reminds us that we all have God given gifts and talents,” Pope Leo tweeted. “Our purpose, fulfilment, and joy comes from offering them back in loving service to God and our neighbor.” - Ukraine takes legal step to restrict Moscow-affiliated Orthodox group (CWN)
The Ukrainian government has released an official finding that the Ukrainian Orthodox Church (UOC) is "affiliated with a foreign religious organization, the activities of which are prohibited in Ukraine." - USCCB publishes brief document on nuclear weapons, environmental health (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops has released a two-page text, “The Perilous and Lasting Impacts of Nuclear Weapons on Environmental Health.” The document, released on August 26 and described as a backgrounder, has four sections: “Effects of Nuclear Weapons in the United States,” “Policy Efforts to Restore Right Relationships,” “Nuclear Power,” and “Church Teaching.” It concludes with a prayer for the end of nuclear weaopns. - More...