Catholic News
- Cardinal Cupich defends award to Senator Durbin (Chicago archdiocese)
Responding to public criticism from Bishop Thomas Paprocki, Cardinal Blase Cupich has defended his decision to present a Lifetime Achievement Award from the Archdiocese of Chicago to Senator Richard Durbin. “Recently some have criticized the decision,” the cardinal acknowledged—not mentioning the name of Bishop Paprocki, in whose Springfield diocese Senator Durbin keeps his official residence. Bishop Paprocki has announced that the senator is barred from receiving Communion in that diocese, because of his outspoken support for unrestricted legal abortion. Cardinal Cupich countered, however, by saying: “Senator Durbin informed me some years ago that he had purchased a condo in Chicago, registered in a parish in the archdiocese and considers me to be his bishop,“ The cardinal said that he had opened a dialogue with Durbin about his political stands. Cardinal Cupich went on to say that “the consistent ethic of life is the recognition that Catholic teaching on life and dignity cannot be reduced to a single issue.” He said that Durbin would be honored for his work “to advance Catholic social teaching in the areas of immigration, the care of the poor, Laudato Si’, and world peace.” - Defense seeks recusal of prosecutor in 'trial of the century' appeal (AP)
Lawyers for defendants who are appealing their convictions in the Vatican’s “trial of the century” have asked for the recusal of the top Vatican prosecutor, Alessandro Diddi, saying that his involvement in coaching a key witness demonstrated an improper personal interest in the outcome of the case. The defense pointed to scores of email and text messages exchanged by Diddi and two women, Francesca Chaouqui and Genevieve Ciferri, who encouraged Msgr. Alberto Perlasca to alter his testimony and become a crucial witness against his former superior, Cardinal Angelo Becciu. The defense motion said that the messages “demonstrate a disturbing activity of evidence tampering.” The Vatican tribunal accepted the defense motion, and gave Diddi three days to respond. - Jerusalem Patriarch: 'never seen a moment so dark' (Vatican News)
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin-rite Patriarch of Jerusalem, says that “in 35 years, I’ve never seen a moment so dark” in the Holy Land. Cardinal Pizzaballa made the grim observation in a video message to a peace vigil organized by the Sant’Egidio community in Rome on September 22. He said that Christians should be prepared to help rebuild a community that has become dominated by “extremists on both sides.” He said: When the language of force fails, when this entire structure of violence collapses, we must be ready — to bring the strength of meekness so that all may inherit, in beauty and love, the land God has given us. - Bishop Paprocki protests Chicago archdiocese honor for Senator Durbin (Pillar)
Bishop Thomas Paprocki of Springfield, Illinois, has said that he is “shocked” that Senator Richard Durbin will receive a LIfetime Achievement Award from the Archdiocese of Chicago. In a public criticism of another prelate, Bishop Paprocki said that the decision by Chicago’s Cardinal Blase Cupich to honor Durbin, despite a pro-abortion voting record, “sows confusion about the seriousness of abortion and the integrity of Catholic witness in public life.” He urged Cardinal Cupich to reconsider that decision, saying: Honoring a public figure who has actively worked to expand and entrench the right to end innocent human life in the womb undermines the very concept of human dignity and solidarity that the award purports to uphold. Bishop Paprocki—in whose diocese Durbin lives—reminded The Pillar that the senator is barred from receiving Communion in that diocese because of his public stances in opposition to Church teaching. He observed that the US bishops have “clearly taught that support for abortion disqualifies individuals from receiving honors from Catholic institutions.” - Draw strength from Christ in asceticism, prayer, and the sacraments, Pope tells women religious (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV received participants in the general chapters of four religious institutes on September 22 and said that “the strength to remain faithful” in contemplation and apostolic service “comes from the same source: Christ.” “The Church’s experience over millennia teaches that the means by which we draw on the richness of his grace include asceticism, prayer, the sacraments, intimacy with God, his Word, and the things of heaven,” Pope Leo told members of the Sisters of Saint Paul of Chartres, the Salesian Missionaries of Mary Immaculate, the Discalced Carmelites of the Holy Land, and the Sisters of Saint Catherine, Virgin and Martyr. The Pontiff also told the Discalced Carmelite Sisters of the Holy Land that “what you are doing is important, through your vigilant and silent presence in places sadly torn apart by hatred and violence, through your witness of trusting abandonment to God, and through your constant entreaties for peace. We all accompany you with our prayers and, through you, draw close to those who suffer.” - Pope Leo outlines his vision of synodality as he opens Diocese of Rome's pastoral year (CWN)
In an address for the beginning of the Diocese of Rome’s pastoral year, Pope Leo XIV outlined his vision of synodality at the diocesan level. - Fighting approaches Gaza's Catholic parish, Jerusalem cardinal says (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Speaking via video, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem said that the fighting in Gaza City “is also approaching our area” of Holy Family Parish. “We are right in the heart of the old city, there is bombing, there is destruction, the internet comes and goes, communications are very problematic and are extremely important because they are the only link to the outside world,” said Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM. “Food is scarce and, in short, the situation remains very difficult.” Only ten of the hundreds of people who have taken refuge in the parish have heeded the Israeli military’s evacuation order. Even though everyone is “free to leave,” said the prelate, there are sick people who cannot leave, “and so we stay with them.” - Cardinal, in address to Pontiff, outlines challenges facing Diocese of Rome (Diocese of Rome (Italian))
In an address to Pope Leo XIV, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general for the Diocese of Rome, outlined the problems facing the diocese. “We feel dismayed not only by the many war scenarios that bloody our world but also by the many situations of suffering in Rome,” Cardinal Reina said on September 19, as the diocese opened its pastoral year. He listed the challenges facing the diocese: the distancing of young people from parishes, growing inequality and poverty, suburban crime, a housing crisis, and inadequate access to care for the poor and elderly. Cardinal Reina also referred to “a time that was not easy for our Diocese, marked by changes that led to fatigue and not a few misunderstandings”—a likely reference to the turmoil that followed structural and personnel changes made by Pope Francis. “In the face of all this, we still hear the answer indicated by the Master to the disciples who asked to send away the hungry and tired crowds: ‘Give them something to eat yourselves,’” said Cardinal Reina. “We have the duty to put this command into practice.” - Vatican 'foreign minister' laments violence against women, poverty, infanticide, abortion (Holy See Mission)
Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, took part in a UN meeting marking the 30th anniversary of the Beijing conference on women. Archbishop Gallagher lamented “a higher extreme poverty rate for women, obstacles to accessing or even exclusion of women from quality education, and their lower wages in the workforce ... Furthermore, the continued prevalence of violence against women and girls is deeply alarming.” “Violence is not limited to sexual exploitation and trafficking but includes also the practices of prenatal sex selection and female infanticide,” which “continue to result in the deaths of millions of ‘missing girls’ each year,” he said, adding: Access to prenatal care and skilled birth attendants, as well as to healthcare systems and infrastructure must increase, while false solutions such as abortion rejected. Indeed, protecting the right to life is essential, as it underpins all other fundamental rights. The 1995 Beijing conference occasioned Pope St. John Paul II’s Letter to Women, as well as diplomatic activity by the Holy See to prevent the enshrinement of an international right to abortion. - Papal encouragement for Indonesian Catholics in Rome (Dicastery for Communication)
On September 22, Pope Leo XIV received members of the Indonesian Catholic community in Rome, 75 years after the establishment of diplomatic relations between the Holy See and Indonesia, and a year after Pope Francis’s apostolic journey there. “The path of dialogue, the path of friendship, may be challenging, but it yields the precious fruit of peace,” Pope Leo said during the audience, which took place in Clementine Hall of the Apostolic Palace. “Dear friends, you show that it is possible to be both faithful Catholics and proud Indonesians, devoted to the Gospel and to building harmony in society.” Indonesia, a Southeast Asian nation of 282 million (map), is the world’s fourth most populous country and the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation. The nation is 78% Muslim, 13% Christian (3% Catholic), and 2% ethnic religionist. - Pope taking Tuesday breaks at Castel Gandolfo (Silere Non Possum)
Pope Leo has again traveled to Castel Gandolfo to spend a day at the summer papal residence, establishing a pattern of working at a more relaxed schedule on Tuesdays. The Pope has scheduled no meetings or audiences at the Vatican on recent Tuesdays, preferring to travel to Castel Gandolfo, spend the day, and return to Rome in the evening. Pope Leo’s choice to enjoy the slower pace at the summer residence contrasts sharply with the work pattern set by Pope Francis, who did not use the residence for summer vacations. The renewed visits by the Pontiff have provided a needed boom for the local economy, which relies heavily on tourism connected with the papal residence. - 'The quality of human life is not dependent on achievement,' Pope tells persons with ALS (Dicastery for Communication)
In a video message for the ALS Walk for Life in Chicago, Pope Leo XIV told those who suffer from the nervous system disease that “you have been given a very difficult burden to bear.” “Your sufferings, however, offer you an opportunity to discover and affirm a profound truth: the quality of human life is not dependent on achievement,” Pope Leo continued. “The quality of our lives is dependent on love. In your suffering, you can experience a depth of human love previously unknown.” Citing Pope St. John Paul II, as well as Jewish and Muslim sources, the Pope also paid tribute to researchers and caregivers, describing the latter as “the Good Samaritans of whom Jesus spoke.” - WCC announces peace week, calls for Israeli accountability (World Council of Churches)
Announcing its 2025 World Week for Peace in Palestine and Israel, the World Council of Churches (WCC) called for accountability for Israel. The World Council of Churches stated that the word “apartheid” is “the accurate way of describing the current actions of the Israeli Government in Gaza and the West Bank.” The WCC also urged “states, churches, and international institutions to impose consequences for violations of international law, including targeted sanctions, divestment, and arms embargoes.” 350 Protestant and Orthodox communities are members of the World Council of Churches, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Pope Francis made an ecumenical pilgrimage to Geneva in 2018 for the WCC’s 70th anniversary. - Pope does not believe Russians are willing to negotiate, German president says after papal audience (DPA)
Pope Leo XIV received President Frank-Walter Steinmeier of Germany on September 22. The president, who invited Pope Leo to visit Germany, said that “we cannot do without the Pope and the Vatican offering their help” to mediate international crises. The Pope “is prepared to throw his full weight” into mediating between Russia and Ukraine, “but he shares the analysis that so far, and at the present time, there is no willingness on the Russian side to engage in dialogue,” said the president. - Jesuit critic of order's direction meets with Pope (ACI Prensa (Spanish))
Pope Leo XIV received Father Julio Fernández Techera, SJ, rector of the Catholic University of Uruguay, in a September 20 audience. The priest told ACI Prensa that “it was a courtesy visit for the 40th anniversary of the university.” In recent years, the priest has criticized his own religious institute, the Society of Jesus, for its “deep decline” and has faulted it for its handling of abuse cases. The Society’s 2023 general report, he added, “could perfectly be worldview of a secular think tank linked to a left-wing political party or to a progressive NGO [non-governmental organization].” - Leo XIV receives Cardinal Sarah in private audience (National Catholic Register)
Pope Leo XIV received Cardinal Robert Sarah on September 22. It was the first such audience granted by Pope Leo to the 80-year-old prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. As is customary, the Vatican did not divulge the contents of the conversation. Cardinal Sarah referred to the audience in a September 22 repost on his X account, but without mentioning the topics of the conversation. - Leo XIV denounces violence, forced exile in Gaza (Dicastery for Communication)
At the conclusion of his September 21 Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV discussed the situation in Gaza. “I address, first of all, the representatives of various Catholic associations engaged in works of solidarity with the people of the Gaza Strip,” Pope Leo said. “Dear friends, I appreciate your initiative and many others throughout the Church that express closeness to our brothers and sisters who are suffering in that tormented land.” “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 Pope added. “The people need peace; those who truly love them work for peace.” The Pope’s denunciation of forced exile follows an Israeli evacuation order to the 1 million residents of Gaza City, as well as a proposal to relocate Gaza’s population. - The Gospel's justice 'challenges and refines human justice': papal jubilee address (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV addressed participants in the Jubilee of Justice in St. Peter’s Square on September 20 (video). “Tradition teaches us that justice is, first and foremost, a virtue, that is, a firm and stable attitude that orders our conduct according to reason and faith,” Pope Leo said. Citing the Catechism of the Catholic Church, the Pope said that “the virtue of justice, in particular, consists in the ‘constant and firm will to give their due to God and neighbor.’” Justice in the Gospel “does not take away from human justice, but challenges and refines it,” the Pope added. “It prompts human justice to go ever further, impelling it towards the pursuit of reconciliation. Evil, in fact, must not only be punished but also repaired, and to this end, it is necessary to look deeply at the well-being of individuals and the common good.” The Pope also spoke of “the reality of so many countries and peoples who ‘hunger and thirst for justice’ because their living conditions are so inequitable and inhuman as to be unacceptable.” Quoting St. Augustine, he said, “Without justice, the state cannot be administered; it is impossible to have law in a state where there is no true justice.” - Papal Angelus address: The Gospel challenges us to be good stewards (Dicastery for Communication)
During his September 21 Angelus address, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the parable of the unjust steward (Luke 16:1-13), the Gospel reading at the Mass of the day. The Pope told pilgrims gathered in St. Peter’s Square: Dear friends, the parable invites us to ask ourselves: how are we managing the material goods, the resources of the earth and our very lives that God has entrusted to us? We can follow the way of selfishness, placing wealth above all else and thinking only of ourselves ... Instead, we can recognize everything we have as a gift from God, to be managed and used as an instrument for sharing—to create networks of friendship and solidarity, to work for the common good, and to build a world that is more just, equitable and fraternal. “Let us pray to the Virgin Mary, that she may intercede for us and help us manage well, with justice and responsibility, what the Lord has entrusted to us,” the Pope concluded. - Pope Leo: May families be a sign of hope and spread the light of Christ (Dicastery for Communication (Spanish))
Pope Leo XIV reflected on the themes of jubilee, hope, and family as he received participants in a meeting organized by the Episcopal Conference of Latin America (CELAM), the Pontifical Academy for Life, and the John Paul II Institute. “May families,” Pope Leo said in his September 19 address, be a “silent song of hope, capable of spreading the light of Christ with their lives.” The Holy Family of Nazareth, the Pope added, is “the perfect model that God offers in response to the desperate cry for help of so many families. As we imitate it, our homes will be living torches of God’s light.” The Pontiff delivered his address in Spanish; the Vatican has not yet published an English translation. - More...