Catholic News
- Pope calls for 'dialogue in truth and love' upon Dame Mullally's installation as Archbishop of Canterbuy (CWN)
Dame Sarah Mullally was installed as Archbishop of Canterbury on March 25. As Archbishop of Canterbury, Dame Mullally is primate of the Church of England and first among equals in the Anglican Communion. - Persian Gulf bishop says Iran responded 'legitimately' to attacks by Israel, US (AsiaNews)
The bishop who leads the Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia said that the decision of Israel and the United States to begin the Iran war was “based on revenge” and that Iran responded “violently,” albeit “legitimately.” Bishop Aldo Berardi, O.SS.T., whose territory covers Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia, told AsiaNews that Israel and the United States “said they wanted to reach a deal, then they bombed and killed (Iran’s) political and religious leader (Ali Khamenei). People understand that (Iran) is now trying to defend itself.” Bishop Berardi said that residents of the Persian Gulf states “are wondering why, despite the money spent on protection, bases, and weapons, we have been attacked so hard” by Iran. “At first, it was thought that (the war) could be over in a week,” the prelate continued; he said that Iran responded “violently,” albeit “legitimately.” - Pope calls for free and informed culture of organ donation, warns against commodification of the body (Dicastery for Communication)
Addressing participants in a meeting organized by the Italian National Transplant Center, Pope Leo XIV recalled that “seventy years ago the first Italian donation took place, when Blessed Don Carlo Gnocchi asked for his corneas to be removed after his death and transplanted into two very young patients cared for by his charity, enabling them to see again.” “Just a few weeks after Don Gnocchi’s gesture, Pope Pius XII offered some initial moral guidance on these issues, recognizing the legitimacy of removal for therapeutic purposes, respecting the dignity of the human body and the rights of the people involved,” Pope Leo continued, as he recalled the teaching of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and statements by St. John Paul II and Pope Francis. Before thanking the medical professionals for their work, Pope Leo cautioned that “vigilance is always necessary to avoid any form of commodification of the human body and ensure that transplants are governed by fair and transparent criteria.” The Pontiff added: I encourage institutions and the voluntary sector to continue their work of providing information and raising awareness, so that a culture of donation may grow that is ever more informed, free and shared, capable of recognizing in this gesture a sign of solidarity, fraternity and hope. - Head of Bosnia's government meets with Pontiff, discusses rights of Croats (@KristoBorjana)
Pope Leo XIV received Borjana Krišto, the head of Bosnia and Herzegovina’s government, on March 26, two weeks after the Pontiff received the nation’s three-member collective head of state. Krišto said that in a social media post that she was honored to meet with the Pope “ahead of Holy Week and Easter. We discussed equality, institutional stability, and the rights of Croats in Bosnia and Herzegovina. Grateful for the Holy See’s support and extended an invitation to visit.” Krišto subsequently met with Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations. According to a Vatican statement, the parties discussed “the situation of the Catholic community” and “certain outstanding matters in Church–State relations,” as well as the enlargement of the EU. Krišto also discussed a meeting with Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness. The Vatican statement made no mention of Krišto’s meeting Cardinal Parolin. Bosnia and Herzegovina, a Balkan nation of 3.7 million (map), is 50% Christian (40% Orthodox, 10% Catholic) and 46% Muslim. Pope Francis made an apostolic journey to Sarajevo, the nation’s capital, in 2015. - Vatican Bank names new president (National Catholic Register)
The Institute for the Works of Religion, colloquially known as the Vatican Bank, announced that François Pauly will succeed Jean-Baptiste Douville de Franssu as president of its Board of Superintendence. Pauly has been chairman of Compagnie Financière La Luxembourgeoise, a private investment company, since 1995, and has served on numerous corporate boards, according to his LinkedIn profile. Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, president of the IOR’s Commission of Cardinals, praised de Franssu for his 12 years of work as the bank’s president. - Portugal's bishops, religious institutes conclude abuse compensation process (CWN)
Portugal’s bishops and religious institutes announced the conclusion of their abuse compensation process. - USCCB spokeswoman says 'human dignity and national security are not in conflict' (The Atlantic)
Commenting for an article subtitled “Trump’s second term has transformed the priorities of the American Catholic hierarchy,” the spokeswoman of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops pushed back against the assertion that the bishops are treating immigration enforcement as “morally suspect by default.” “The bishops have emphasized repeatedly that human dignity and national security are not in conflict,” said Chieko Noguchi, the USCCB’s executive director of public affairs. “Both are possible if people of good will work together.” - Report examines Catholic radio in the US (Pew Research Center)
“About a quarter” of AM and FM radio stations in the United States are religious radio stations, and 8% of them are Catholic, according to a new report by the Pew Research Center. “17% of all religious radio stations in the Midwest are Catholic stations, as are 12% of religious stations in the Northeast and 9% of those in the West,” according to the report. “By contrast, just 5% of all religious stations in the South are Catholic stations.” The report found that Catholic stations placed much greater emphasis on talk-radio shows and much less emphasis on music than Protestant stations do. The authors added: There is quite a bit of overlap in the books of the Bible that are mentioned on Catholic and non-Catholic radio. The Gospels of Matthew, Luke and John, and the Hebrew scriptures of Psalms, Genesis, Exodus and Isaiah are among the 10 most-mentioned books of the Bible on both types of stations. But at the time this study was conducted, listeners were far more likely to hear references to the Book of Revelation on non-Catholic radio than on Catholic radio. - Cardinal McElroy, St. Louis archbishop weigh in on surge of conversions (New York Times)
Reporting on the surge in conversions to the Catholic faith in dioceses across the nation, The New York Times interviewed two bishops and several converts. Archbishop Mitchell Rozanski of St. Louis said that “in our age of uncertainty, and in our age of great anxiety, is a thirst and hunger for God and stability that faith brings to people’s lives.” “I think technology has isolated us from one other. I think that Covid just really magnified that isolation,” he added. “We are realizing many of the ills of our society, particularly anxiety and depression, come about from that isolation.” Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington also offered comments: Bishops are buzzing about the surge, and confounded by what is behind it. “Of course we think the Holy Spirit is,” Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington said. “But we are kind of stymied.” ... “‘What is your number? What is your number?’” Cardinal McElroy recounted a huddle of bishops asking one another between sessions at a recent conference. - Vatican newspaper highlights clown's work in war zones (CWN)
The Vatican newspaper devoted the most prominent article in its March 26 edition to the work of Marco Rodari, a clown known as Il Pimpa, who attempts to bring joy to children in war zones. - Archbishop Fulton Sheen to be beatified in September (Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation)
Bishop Louis Tylka of Peoria, Illinois, announced that Venerable Fulton Sheen will be beatified on September 24 in St. Louis, at The Dome at America’s Center. Cardinal Luis Antonio Tagle, one of the two pro-prefects of the Dicastery for Evangelization, will preside at the beatification Mass. “This is a moment of immense grace for the Church—especially for us in the Diocese of Peoria, where Archbishop Sheen was born, ordained, and first served as a priest,” said Bishop Tylka. “His life and ministry continue to inspire countless people to know and love Jesus Christ more deeply. Through his preaching, teaching, and personal witness, he brought the light of faith to millions, calling each of us to a deeper devotion to the Eucharist and to Our Blessed Mother.” The beatification of Archbishop Sheen (1895-1979) was postponed in 2019 amid concern about the possibility that he might be linked to the assignment of abusive priests during his brief tenure as bishop of Rochester, New York (1966-1969). The diocese filed for bankruptcy in 2019 and agreed to a $246-million settlement last year. - Russian attack damages historic Catholic monastery in Lviv (CWN)
Russia launched a drone attack on the Ukrainian city of Lviv, far from the frontline of the Russo-Ukrainian war, and damaged the historic Bernardine church and monastery. - Be generous to those attached to the traditional Latin Mass, Cardinal Parolin tells French bishops (CWN)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, encouraged the bishops of France to develop “concrete proposals” that will allow for the generous inclusion of persons attached to the traditional Latin Mass. - DDF outlines characteristics of the Anglican heritage in ordinariates (Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith)
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith published a document listing the characteristics of the Anglican patrimony preserved in the Church’s ordinariates for former Anglicans. The characteristics, developed in conversation with the bishops who govern the three ordinariates, include A Distinctive “Ecclesial Ethos” Evangelization Through Beauty Direct Outreach to the Poor Pastoral Culture The Family and the Domestic Church Scripture and Preaching Spiritual Direction and the Sacrament of Penance - The Church's hierarchy is of divine institution, Pope emphasizes in audience on Vatican II (CWN)
Continuing his series of Wednesday general audiences on the Second Vatican Council and its documents, Pope Leo XIV emphasized on March 25 that the Church’s hierarchy is divinely instituted and not of human origin. - Australian prelate named prefect of Dicastery for Legislative Texts (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Leo XIV named Bishop Anthony Randazzo of Broken Bay, Australia, as prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, one of the 16 dicasteries of the Roman Curia. The Pontiff also raised him to the dignity of an archbishop. Archbishop Randazzo succeeds Archbishop Filippo Iannone, O. Carm., who was appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops in September. Born in 1966, Randazzo (bio) was ordained a priest of the Archdiocese of Brisbane in 1991. He studied canon law at Pontifical Gregorian University and worked for the Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith for five years. After becoming a seminary rector, he was named auxiliary bishop of Sydney in 2016 and bishop of Broken Bay in 2019. Randazzo was also appointed apostolic administrator of the Personal Ordinariate of Our Lady of the Southern Cross in 2023. In that capacity, he approved the online publication of the Ordinariate’s Daily Office. At a press conference during the 2024 session of the synod on synodality, Bishop Randazzo said that “a small minority, with a large powerful Western voice, are obsessed with pushing” the issue of women’s ordination to the diaconate. - Pope encourages Christian organization dedicated to dialogue with Muslims (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV offered encouragement to the Programme for Christian-Muslim Relations in Africa (PROCMURA), which describes itself as the “one and only Pan-African Christian organization with a specific focus on Christians’ constructive relations with Muslims in witness and for peace and peaceful co-existence.” “In a world increasingly marked by religious radicalization, division, and conflict, your common witness shows that it is possible to live and work together in peace and harmony, despite cultural and religious differences,” Pope Leo said to a delegation from the organization, during a March 25 audience. - Pope Leo praises spiritual adoption of unborn children (CWN)
At the conclusion of his March 25 general audience, Pope Leo praised the practice of spiritual adoption of unborn children. - Pope, in world prayer day message, reflects on interior dimension of vocation (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV reflected on the “interior dimension of vocation, understood as the discovery of God’s free gift that blossoms in the depths of our hearts,” in his message for the 63rd World Day of Prayer for Vocations. - Mothers' Call representatives meet with Pontiff (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Women who belong to Mothers’ Call met with Pope Leo at his March 25 general audience in St. Peter’s Square. “On the Solemnity of the Annunciation of the Lord, and just a few days before Holy Week, we embrace Mary’s free ‘yes’ as an example to follow amidst the difficulties of everyday life—to defend all the families of the Middle East and to build a future of peace,” said Catherine Shomali and Hyam Tannous, one an Israeli Christian and the other a Palestinian Christian. Shomali and Tannous were joined by 15 other women who belong to the organization, which has organized barefoot peace marches in 30 countries. Fifty Ukrainian mothers also met with the Pontiff. - More...