Catholic News
- Supreme Court allows resumption of mail delivery of abortion pill for indefinite period of time (CWN)
The United States Supreme Court, in a 7-2 decision, permitted the mail delivery of the abortion pill mifepristone to resume for an indefinite period of time—effectively overturning an appellate court decision issued two weeks ago. - Put people, not capital, at the center, Pope tells Italian bankers (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV received a group of leaders and employees of Italian banks this morning and encouraged them to put people at the center of their concerns. - Persevere in the practice of the faith, Pope Leo tells Confirmation candidates (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV received Confirmation candidates from the Archdiocese of Genoa, Italy, this morning and exhorted them to persevere in the practice of the faith. - Pope Leo, seeking to overcome obstacles to dialogue, calls Coptic Orthodox Pope (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV called Pope Tawadros II, the head of the Coptic Orthodox Church, on May 15, in an effort to overcome obstacles to dialogue. - Pope celebrates funeral Mass for Cardinal Tscherrig, preaches that Christ was his hope (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Cardinal Paul Emil Tscherrig’s funeral Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica on May 15 (video) and recalled the prelate’s episcopal motto, “Spes mea Christus” (My Hope, Christ). - Pope Leo to visit France in September, Vatican confirms (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV will visit France from September 25 to September 28, the Holy See Press Office announced this morning. - Cardinal Czerny establishes Vatican AI commission (CWN)
The Holy See Press Office announced today that Cardinal Michael Czerny, S.J., the prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, has established the Inter-Dicasterial Commission on Artificial Intelligence. - Armenian Christian leader to visit Vatican (CWN)
The Holy See Press Office announced today that Aram I, head of the Catholicosate of the Great House of Cilicia, will visit the Vatican next Monday and Tuesday. - Cardinal Fernández: Vatican is preparing document on transmitting the faith (National Catholic Register)
Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, told the National Catholic Register yesterday that the dicastery is preparing a text on the transmission of the faith, in consultation with the Dicastery for Evangelization and the world’s episcopal conferences. “Preparing a text on the transmission of the faith today clearly requires moving beyond a European or Italian framework and drawing on the breadth, variety and richness of the universal Church,” said Cardinal Fernández. The document, he added, “cannot be a text that offers unique recipes or one-size-fits-all solutions, but it must acknowledge the full scope of the issue and propose some paths that might inspire everyone in some way.” - Let us strive for full unity, Leo XIV writes to Coptic Orthodox Pope (CWN)
In a letter to Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II for the Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship (May 10), Pope Leo XIV said that “at a time when our world is afflicted by so many conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, Christians must, more than ever, strive for full unity so that we may bear witness together to the Prince of Peace.” - Pope Leo: 'The rule of law, crime prevention and criminal justice must advance together' (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV said today that “the Holy See is firmly convinced that the rule of law, crime prevention and criminal justice must advance together in unity.” The Pontiff made his remarks in an address to participants an interparliamentary conference on combating organized crime and drug trafficking. “The Holy See wholeheartedly supports every initiative that seeks to establish an effective, just, humane and credible criminal justice system capable of preventing and countering the production and the trafficking of illicit drugs,” Pope Leo continued. “Recognizing that true justice cannot be satisfied with punishment alone, such efforts must likewise embrace approaches marked by perseverance and mercy, aimed at the re-education and full reintegration of offenders into the fabric of society.” The Pope added, “The same respect for the inherent dignity of every person, including those who have committed crimes, precludes the use of the death penalty, torture, and every form of cruel or degrading punishment.” - Bishop Conley analyzes Iran war in 'Just War 101' (National Catholic Register)
In an article entitled “Just War 101,” Bishop James Conley of Lincoln, Nebraska, analyzed the Iran war, as well as the “legal/ethical conflict between Anthropic (developer of the popular ‘Claude’ AI system) and the Department of War.” Catholics cannot accept “consequentialist and utilitarian” arguments, Bishop Conley wrote. “There are certain standards for which we stand, regardless of consequences. Period.” - Reject constitutional amendment, Zimbabwe's bishops urge (The Zimbabwean)
The bishops of Zimbabwe called upon the nation’s parliament to reject a constitutional amendment that would end direct presidential elections. Characterizing the amendment as a threat to “the moral and institutional foundations upon which national life rests,” the bishops’ conference “several provisions of [the amendment] undermine foundational constitutional principles, weaken institutional independence, diminish direct democratic participation, and erode constitutional safeguards against the concentration and abuse of power.” - Priestly ordinations continue to decline in South Korea (The Chosun Ilbo)
Seventy-seven priests were ordained in South Korea in 2025—down from 90 in 2024, 118 in 2022, 147 in 2019, and 185 in 2017. The Sunday Mass attendance rate also fell from 25% in 2015 to 15% in 2025. - Pope recalls Our Lady of Fátima's message of peace (CWN)
At the conclusion of his May 13 general audience, Pope Leo XIV recalled Our Lady of Fátima’s message of peace. - Belize diocese opposes national school-based HPV vaccination campaign (Diocese of Belize City and Belmopan)
The sole diocese in the Central American nation of Belize announced its opposition to a nationwide school-based HPV vaccination campaign. “The Church affirms the value of the HPV vaccine and recognizes that it is ethically acceptable” but opposes the school-based campaign, the Diocese of Belize City and Belmopan stated on May 14. “The Church’s concerns are not about the vaccine itself, but about proportionality, parental rights, informed consent, and the sensitive moral context surrounding a sexually transmitted infection.” - 'Truth and Love can never be separated,' Minnesota archbishop writes pastoral letter to families (Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis)
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, said in a pastoral letter to families that “we know that Truth and Love can never be separated.” He explained: For both to be authentic, they must find unity in the One who is both Truth and Love: only Jesus. I am told that parents often feel pressure from peers and even from professionals to “love” their children by affirming all their choices. But not all choices can be affirmed. The dignity of the person is what we affirm. The immeasurable offer of grace that Jesus is constantly offering is what we affirm. Likewise, His open invitation to return to Him whenever we have sinned, and then to return again and again, is what we need to affirm. We witness to this by our own acceptance of our limitations, our own reliance on the grace that leads to conversion, our own willingness to grow from mistakes. This more nuanced approach to parenting is far too rare in our relativistic society. - Vatican newspaper draws attention to jihadist terror in Mozambique (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
In a prominent front-page article in its May 13 edition, L’Osservatore Romano drew attention to the brutal Islamist insurgency in Mozambique. “Recent violence in the north of the country has targeted missionaries and civilians—often farmers or miners—setting fire to homes and causing thousands of new displacements,” the newspaper reported. Citing a Le Monde article, Ilaria De Bonis wrote that “the targets are exclusively the defenseless—specifically small village churches, missionaries living alongside the impoverished and their families, and society’s most marginalized and vulnerable members.” “Nevertheless, the root cause of this violence—as our missionaries in Mozambique have maintained for years—is not religious hatred per se (though that certainly serves as an aggravating factor),” De Bonis added. “Rather, it stems from a complex mix of economic and political motives—not least the destabilization triggered by the foreign appropriation of the region’s surface and subsurface natural resources.” - Pope, in address at Sapienza University, calls for commitment to life and ecology (CWN)
This morning, Pope Leo XIV made a pastoral visit to Sapienza University of Rome, where he delivered a wide-ranging address (video 1, video 2). - 'Truth in charity' is an academic community's vocation, Pope writes in message to Bolivian university (CWN)
In a message marking the sixtieth anniversary of the San Pablo Bolivian Catholic University, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the university’s motto, Veritas in Caritate (Truth in Charity). - More...