Catholic News
- Remain with Jesus in prayer, Pope emphasizes to new bishops (CWN)
In an address to participants in a formation course for 147 new bishops from around the world, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of remaining with Jesus in prayer. - Pope declares Guadalupan Jubilee Year; plenary indulgence for pilgrims (Desde la fe)
Pope Leo XIV has declared a Guadalupan Jubilee Year to commemorate the 50th anniversary of the dedication on the new Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City. The jubilee year begins on October 12 and concludes exactly one year later. Pilgrims who visit the basilica, pray the Our Father and the Creed, and take part in a liturgical act or spend time in prayer there can receive a plenary indulgence under the usual conditions (Confession, Communion, prayer for the Holy Father’s intentions). - Continue to promote culture of peace, Pope tells Catholic Nonviolence Initiative (CWN)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, sent a telegram in the Pope Leo’s name to participants in the inaugural conference of Pax Christi International’s Catholic Nonviolence Initiative. - Andorran PM says abortion to be legal by April, with or without Vatican support (Pillar)
Prime Minister Xavier Espot of Andorra said that abortion will be legal in the small nation by April, “whether the Holy See likes it or not.” Espot is the head of the principality’s government; the co-princes who serve as heads of state are the president of France and the bishop of Urgell, Spain. The approval of only one of the co-princes is needed for legislation to take effect. The nation of 85,000 (map) is 89% Christian (88% Catholic). - Cognitive impairment does not diminish human dignity, Vatican diplomat says (Holy See Mission)
A Vatican diplomat emphasized that diminished cognitive capacity does not diminish personhood. “A person is not defined by his or her consciousness, intellect, or abilities,” Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, Switzerland, said during a conversation with a UN official. “These qualities may weaken or even disappear, but the person’s dignity does not fade with them.” “Dignity is God-given,” the prelate added. “Dependence and frailty do not negate or obscure such dignity; rather, they are a manifestation of the human condition.” - English prelates urge action ahead of assisted suicide vote (CBCEW)
Archbishop John Sherrington, the Lead Bishop for Life Issues of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales, urged the faithful to contact members of Parliament ahead of a vote on assisted suicide legislation. “This is a really urgent matter,” said Archbishop Sherrington. “I’m concerned about vulnerable people, those who are living with disability who are concerned about it, and also the fear of coercion. I’m also very concerned that this Bill does not include an opt-out clause that would permit Catholic nursing homes, hospices, and others to be able to opt out of this legislation.” Several other English bishops also issued statements against the legislation. - English bishop seeks dismissal of rape charges (The Tablet)
At a court hearing yesterday, Bishop David Oakley of Northampton sought the dismissal of rape charges. A new court hearing has been scheduled for January. The prelate has been charged with two counts of rape of a girl under 16; the rapes allegedly took place in the early 2000s, when the prelate was a parish priest. Last month, Bishop Oakley was released on bail on condition that he does not contact the alleged victim or her family. - Upcoming Vatican conference to highlight new martyrs (CWN)
At a September 10 press conference (video), two Vatican officials and the founder of the Community of Sant’Egidio discussed an upcoming conference on 21st-century martyrs. - WCC leader calls for healing, reconciliation in Korea (World Council of Churches)
The general secretary of the World Council of Churches, a fellowship of 350 Protestant and Orthodox communities, addressed an ecumenical peace convocation in Seoul and called for healing and reconciliation on the Korean Peninsula. “Too many lives continue to be diminished by war, poverty, displacement, environmental destruction, and fear,” Rev. Jerry Pillay said in a September 9 sermon. “Decades of division have left families separated, communities fractured, and generations shaped by memories of conflict. Even where open warfare has ceased, the wounds of history remain.” - Vatican newspaper highlights plight of 'zombies' of Nairobi (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
L’Osservatore Romano devoted the most prominent article in its September 10 edition to drug-addicted youth who live on the streets of Nairobi, Kenya—youth sometimes referred to as “zombies.” “Don’t call them zombies,” Guglielmo Gallone began. “The children and youths of Nairobi who live on the streets, and who numb their hunger, the cold, and who knows what else by inhaling glue, gasoline, and other substances hidden inside small plastic bottles, are anything but the ‘zombies’ portrayed in so many online documentaries.” Gallone recounted his conversations with the young people and reported on the ministry of Father Renato ‘Kizito’ Sesana, a Comboni missionary who arrived in Nairobi in 2001. - Vatican, World Council of Churches discuss salvation, reconciliation (Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity)
Representatives of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity and the World Council of Churches gathered in Bossey, Switzerland, from September 1-3. According to a statement issued after the meeting, discussions touched on three themes: salvation and religious indifference, collective reconciliation, and religious freedom, peacebuilding, and Christian witness. 350 Protestant and Orthodox communities are members of the World Council of Churches, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. - Latin American Catholic organizations call for 'transformative dialogue' on extractivism (CWN)
Warning that “we are now dangerously close to tipping points in the climate and environmental crisis,” six ecclesial networks that work in Latin America called for “transformative dialogue” on extractivism. - Pope thanks Arab dialogue participants for efforts to promote harmony (Dicastery for Communication)
At the conclusion of his September 9 general audience, Pope Leo XIV thanked members of the Steering Committee of the Interreligious Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation in the Arab World for “your cooperation with the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Centre for Interreligious and Intercultural Dialogue” (KAICIID) and prayed that “your efforts to promote peaceful coexistence in the Arab region will indeed bear much fruit” “We wanted to meet the Pope during our gathering in the Eternal City to reaffirm our absolute dedication to interfaith dialogue as an indispensable path to achieving harmony, not only in the Middle East but everywhere,” said António de Almeida-Ribeiro, KAICIID’s secretary general. “Today, we stand here alongside representatives of the Coptic, Shiite, and Sunni worlds to bear witness that peace is not a utopia.” - Supreme Court declines injunction in Catholic mother's vaccine case (EWTN News)
The Supreme Court declined to issue an injunction sought by a Catholic mother that would temporarily halted enforcement of New York State’s vaccination requirements for her school-age child. The mother said that her beliefs “require me to categorically refuse vaccination for myself and for my children.” The state ended its vaccination religious exemption in 2019. The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith’s 2020 note on COVID vaccines discussed the morality of the use of vaccines derived from the tissue of aborted children. - Sri Lankan bishops call for probe into mass graves (Daily Mirror (Colombo))
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Sri Lanka called for an impartial investigation into the Chemmani mass graves. The graves date to 1995-96, when the army retook control of an area held by rebels during the Sri Lankan Civil War (1983-2009). In calling for an investigation, the bishops echoed a call made by priests and religious in Jaffna in July. - USCCB issues statement for 9/11 anniversary (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops issued a statement marking the 25th anniversary of the September 11 attacks. “As we pray for our nation’s continued healing, for the souls of all those lost on that day and the comfort of their families, let us implore the Holy Spirit to conform us, increasingly, into the image of Jesus, the Prince of Peace, and together build a civilization of love and universal fraternity,” said Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, president of the bishops’ conference. - Pope, at audience, offers rare greeting to Croatian pilgrims (Dicastery for Communication)
At the conclusion of his September 9 general audience, Pope Leo XIV offered his customary greetings to pilgrims who speak French, English, German, Spanish, Chinese, Portuguese, Arabic, and Polish—and then offered a rare greeting to Croatian pilgrims. “I joyfully greet the Croatian pilgrims, in particular the faithful of the Military Ordinariate in Croatia, accompanied by the Military Ordinary Bishop, Bishop Jure Bogdan, together with the priests,” Pope Leo said. “Dear friends, as you celebrate the Jubilee of the foundation of the Military Ordinariate, with this pilgrimage to the tombs of the Apostles Peter and Paul, you thank the Lord for all the gifts you have received.” “As a great family of believers, through your faith and your works, show the world and the society in which you live the face of the living Christ, who goes out to meet everyone who seeks him with a sincere heart,” the Pope continued. “May the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary always accompany you on your journey. I cordially bless you all. May Jesus and Mary be praised!” - Ukrainian Greek Catholics thank Pontiff for support (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Participants in a youth ministry gathering of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church (UGCC) met with Pope Leo XIV at his September 9 general audience and thanked him for his support. “Our challenge is to strengthen and nurture the faith and spirituality of young Ukrainians fleeing their homeland, seeking to lighten the burden of sorrow weighing on their souls,” said Father Roman Dermush, deputy director of the UGCC’s youth ministry commission. “In this regard, we thanked the Pontiff for his tireless closeness to our people in their suffering, a solidarity that helps us, too, to heal the visible and invisible wounds of the individual.” - Indianapolis archbishop grants Mass dispensation amid ICE detention fears (OSV News)
Archbishop Charles Thompson of Indianapolis, Indiana, granted a dispensation from Sunday Mass attendance to “those who have reasonable grounds to fear being detained, separated from their families, or subjected to intimidation due to the tightening of immigration enforcement measures,” even if they possess the appropriate legal documentation.” The dispensation expires on September 30. - Pope to preside over assembly of Diocese of Rome (Diocesi di Roma (Italian))
The Diocese of Rome announced that Pope Leo XIV will preside over the annual diocesan assembly, which will take place in the Lateran Basilica on the evening of September 18. The assembly “will officially open the new pastoral year,” said Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome and archpriest of the Lateran Basilica. “Each parish community will be invited to participate with its own representation, so that the Assembly can express the face of the entire diocesan family.” - More...