Catholic News
- Vatican tribunal rules against listing 'credibly accused' priests (Pillar)
The Vatican’s top canonical court has reportedly ruled that the release of lists of priests who have been “credibly accused” of sexual abuse can be a violation of the priests’ rights. According to a report in the Italian daily La Repubblica, the Roman Rota ruled in favor of an American priest who sued a religious order for publishing his name on a list of “credibly accused” priests. Such a decision, which could be subject to appeal, could challenge to policies of the many dioceses and religious orders that have released “credibly accused” lists. The Vatican has not confirmed the report of the Roman Rota’s decision. The case reportedly was brought by a priest who said that the listing of his name damaged his reputation without providing him an opportunity to defend his good name. Last September, the Vatican Dicastery for Legislative Texts issued a caution on the release of “credibly accused” lists, emphasizing the right of those accused to the presumption of innocence. The dicastery acknowledged that a listing could be justified in order “to avoid any danger or threat to individuals or to the community,” but argued forcefully against posting such lists “for alleged reasons of transparency.” - Cardinal Fernandez explains Vatican approach to apparitions, revelations (Vatican News)
Speaking at a conference on mysticism, being held at the Pontifical Urban University, Cardinal Victor Fernandez said that while recognizing the “freedom of the Spirit” to act in many different ways, the Church is slow to give official recognition to supernatural phenomena because the messages associated with them might be misunderstood as “revealed Word.” Cardinal Fernandez pointed out that in the past 50 years, the Vatican has approved about 3,500 beatifications and canonizations, usually involving the recognition of a miraculous event in support of each cause. Yet over the same period of time, he added, the Church has only given full formal approval to the three or four cases involving supernatural events. Even in the cases when the Church does give formal approval to reported revelations or apparitions, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith remarked, they remain matters of “private devotion,” not required belief. More typically, he said, the Vatican will issue a statement expressing no obstacle to devotion, without giving a final verdict on the authenticity of the revelations. - Pope plans special consistory of cardinals in January (National Catholic Register)
Pope Leo XIV plans a special consistory of cardinals, to take place on January 7-8. The Vatican Secretariat of State sent a message to all the world’s cardinals on November 6, telling them to expect a summons to the consistory. A special consistory is an unusual event, ordinarily called to discuss an important event. At the last such consistory, in August 2022, the cardinals discussed the reorganization of the Roman Curia. The topic of the January meeting has not been disclosed. However, at meeting leading up to the conclave that elected Pope Leo, several cardinals suggested more frequent meetings, noting their responsibilities as advisers to the Pontiff. For several years, under Pope Francis, the College of Cardinals had not met as a body except at consistories for the elevation of new cardinals. - Strip away non-essential structures, Pope tells Italian religious superiors (Dicastery for Communication)
Addressing participants in the general assembly of the Italian Conference of Major Superiors, Pope Leo XIV called for “a continuous stripping away of structures and attachments that are non-essential or even harmful to the full realization today of the original mission inspired by the founders.” “To this end I would like to recall, in particular, the importance of encouraging, in the forms of governance, a fruitful alternation in responsibilities and offices, avoiding static situations that risk favoring rigidity and sclerosis,” Pope Leo said. The Pope also cited “three important attitudes” listed in the synod on synodality’s final document: “ecclesial discernment, care in decision-making processes, and a commitment to accountability and evaluation of one’s actions and their results and methods.” - Tanzanian prelate decried post-election violence (Vatican News)
Archbishop Jude Thaddeus Rwa’ichi of Dar es Salaam condemned the violence that broke out after general elections in Tanzania. At a November 9 Mass, celebrated for the victims of the violence—which has claimed hundreds of lives—the archbishop said that the bloodshed “does not reflect the true face of Tanzania even a little bit. It has no explanation. It is an abomination before God.” - Holy See reiterates position on gender (Holy See Mission)
The Holy See recently welcomed the outcome document of the 16th Ministerial Conference of the United Nations Trade and Development (UNCTAD) and, in doing so, stated: The Holy See reiterates its position regarding the term “gender.” The Holy See underlines that any reference to “gender” and related terms contained in any document that has been or that will be adopted by this Ministerial Conference or used within or adopted by the intergovernmental machinery of UNCTAD is to be understood as grounded in the biological sexual identity that is male or female. - Help young people counter Internet addiction: papal message (Dicastery for Communication)
In a video message to the 7th National Conference on Addictions, held in Rome, Pope Leo XIV warned against excessive Internet use “that often leads to addictions with negative consequences for health, such as compulsive gambling and betting, pornography, and almost constant presence on digital platforms.” Young people are often “not encouraged to strive for a righteous and beautiful life; they have the tendency to withdraw into themselves,” Pope Leo said. “State institutions, voluntary associations, the Church and society are called upon to perceive among these young people a cry for help and a deep thirst for life, to offer an attentive and supportive presence that invites them to make an intellectual and moral effort, and helps them to forge their will.” - Protestant minister, Vatican newspaper editor welcomes DDF document on Mary (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Marcelo Figueroa, the Presbyterian minister who edits the Argentine edition of the Vatican newspaper, welcomed Mater Populi Fidelis, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s new doctrinal note on some Marian titles (CWN coverage). In “Uno sguardo protestante ed ecumenico” [A Protestant and Ecumenical Perspective], Figueroa said that the document “opens up courageous and solid paths of ecumenical Marian theology in Protestant and Catholic circles.” “From a Protestant perspective, the fact that the document preserves and favors titles such as Mother of Mercy, Hope of the Poor, Mother of Believers, Spiritual Mother, and Mother of the Faithful People, while questioning and challenging others such as Co-Redemptrix and Mediatrix, is very encouraging and gives rise to hope,” he added. - Vatican releases documentary, 'Leo from Chicago' (Vatican News)
The Vatican’s Dicastery for Communication has released “Leo from Chicago,” a 52-minute documentary on Pope Leo XIV. Yesterday’s release of the documentary follows the release, in June, of “León de Perú.” - Indian Christians mark Dalit Liberation Sunday (UCANews)
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) and the National Council of Churches in India marked November 9 as Dalit Liberation Sunday, with the theme, “The Jubilee of Hope Begins at the Margins.” (India’s Dalits were once more commonly known as “untouchables.”) “Despite a legal ban, the caste system remains deeply embedded in our society, shaping how we relate to one another, how we worship, and how we live out our Christian faith,” said Father Vijay Kumar Nayak, secretary of the CBCI Office for Dalits and Lower Classes. “It tears apart the Body of Christ and silences the voices of the poor.” - Pope Leo pays tribute to late Cardinal Duka, 'intrepid proclaimer of the Gospel' (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Cardinal Dominik Duka, OP, of Prague, as “a pastor forged in the faith and an intrepid proclaimer of the Gospel,” following his death at the age of 82. As he entrusted the late prelate’s soul to the Divine Mercy, Pope Leo also thanked God for “his intense pastoral work, recalling with admiration his courage in the period of persecution when, deprived of his freedom, his following of Christ never faltered.” - Vatican spokesman takes stock of first 6 months of new pontificate (Vatican News)
Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication, has written an editorial marking the first six months of Leo XIV’s pontificate. In “Six months with Pope Leo XIV: A united and open Church, a sign of peace for a world wounded by hatred,” Tornielli said that “a common thread runs through his magisterium: a Church that is a sign of unity and communion, becoming leaven for a world in need of reconciliation in the midst wars, hatred, and violence.” - Church marks 1st Day of Holiness in the Particular Churches (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
In a 2024 letter, Pope Francis asked that particular churches (dioceses) observe November 9 as a day of commemoration of their own saints, blesseds, venerables, and servants of God. Writing in the Vatican newspaper, Father Alberto Royo Mejía, an official of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, notes that “some episcopal conferences have embraced the proposal with the publication of pastoral guides.” - 10,000 attend Jubilee of the World of Work (Vatican News (Italian))
An estimated 10,000 pilgrims attended the Jubilee of the World of Work on November 8. The event, originally scheduled on May 1-4, was postponed because of the death of Pope Francis and the pre-conclave meetings of cardinals. Addressing the pilgrims who attended his November 8 jubilee audience, Pope Leo said that “work must be a source of hope and life, allowing the expression of individual creativity and capacity for good.” He added, “I hope for a collective commitment from institutions and civil society to create valid employment opportunities that offer stability and dignity, ensuring especially that young people can realize their dreams and contribute to the common good.” - 'If you want to cultivate peace, care for creation,': papal message to UN climate change conference (Dicastery for Communication)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, delivered a message from Pope Leo XIV to participants in COP30, the 30th annual UN climate change conference. “If you want to cultivate peace, care for creation,” Cardinal Parolin said. “While on the one hand, in these difficult times, the attention and concern of the international community seems to be mostly focused on conflicts among nations, on the other hand, there is also an ever growing awareness that peace is also threatened by a lack of due respect for creation, by the plundering of natural resources and by a progressive decline in the quality of life because of climate change.” “May all the participants in this COP30 commit themselves to protecting and caring for the creation entrusted to us by God in order to build a peaceful world,” Cardinal Parolin concluded. “I assure you of the prayers of the Holy Father as you make important decisions at this COP30 for the common good and for the future of humankind.” Separately, Cardinal Parolin said in an interview that the world is running out of time to address the climate-change crisis. - Pope compares AI to Industrial Revolution in importance for society (Vatican Press Office)
In a message to a Vatican conference on artificial intelligence (AI) and medicine, Pope Leo XIV described AI a “new technological development that is comparable to the Industrial Revolution in some respects, but is more pervasive.” Regarding the application of AI to medical purposes, the Pontiff said that “it is imperative that human dignity and the common good remain resolute priorities for all, both individuals and public entities.” - Dig deep foundations to reach the rock of Christ, Pope preaches at Lateran Basilica (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass at the Basilica of Saint John Lateran yesterday as the Church throughout the world celebrated the feast of the anniversary of its dedication. - Dicastery leaders meet with Pontiff (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Leo XIV met on November 10 with the top officials of the Roman Curia. The Vatican did not disclose the topic(s) discussed at the meeting. Apart from Archbishop Filippo Iannone, who was named by Pope Leo to be prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops—the office that the Pontiff himself had led—all the other prefects of the Roman Curia are holdovers from the reign of Pope Francis. Shortly after his election, Pope Leo confirmed them in their positions donec aliter provideatur—that is, unless or until he makes other arrangements. - Bangladesh: police arrest suspect after bombing of cathedral (CNA)
Homemade bombs were detonated on November 7 at the Catholic cathedral in Dhaka and another nearby Catholic church in the capital city of Bangladesh. The bombs exploded during the night, and although both churches suffered significant damage, no one was injured. Police arrested a suspect, a member of a banned political party. - Pope, at Jubilee audience, pays tribute to Blessed Isidore Bakanja, Congolese martyr (CWN)
In the eighth special jubilee audience of 2025, Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to Blessed Isidore Bakanja (c. 1887-1909), a Congolese martyr. - More...