Catholic News
- Vatican diplomat decries hate speech, says it 'cannot claim the protection of liberty' (Holy See Mission)
A Vatican diplomat said that the inviolable dignity of every human person, created in the image of God, leads to the “moral imperative to reject every form of intolerance, discrimination, and hate speech that wounds the human family and undermines the conditions for peaceful coexistence.” “Hate speech—whether directed against individuals or communities on the basis of their religion, ethnicity, nationality, or any other characteristic—contradicts the commandment to love one’s neighbor, poisons public discourse, inflames division, and too often prepares the ground for violence and persecution,” Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said yesterday at a UN conference (part 1, part 2). “Freedom of expression is a fundamental right that must be protected. Yet this freedom carries corresponding responsibilities,” he added. “Speech that deliberately incites hatred or violence cannot claim the protection of liberty; rather, it erodes the very conditions in which genuine freedom can flourish.” Archbishop El-Kassis’s statement yesterday was his first since his appointment as Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations. In 2018, one of his predecessors, Archbishop Bernardito Auza, also decried hate speech but warned that some governments were using regulations against “hate speech” and “hate crimes” as pretexts for “discriminatory or repressive measures against those, for example, who defend the dignity of every human life or uphold the dignity of marriage and the family.” Likewise, in 2023, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s Secretary for Relations with States and International Organizations, told the UN General Assembly that “the term ‘hate crime’ or ‘hate speech’ is now being used subjectively and manipulated to keep people from expressing their religious beliefs, equating the practice of religion to violence. This purposefully dishonest, politically motivated agenda, especially egregious in the West, must end.” - Nigerian bishop says over 200 churches have been destroyed in his archdiocese (The Guardian (Lagos))
A Nigerian bishop said that over 200 churches have been destroyed in his archdiocese since the beginning of the Boko Haram insurgency in 2009. “We are surviving today as a diocese by the grace of God,” Auxiliary Bishop John Maiduguri Bakeni of Maiduguri preached on September 16, as he recalled the courage of the martyrs Saints Cornelius and Cyprian. “Our churches are full at every Mass,” Bishop Bakeni added. “Guns are being shot and bombs are exploding, but Catholics remain in the churches.” - New Vatican Note proclaims success of dialogue [News Analysis] (CWN)
A Journey of Hope, the new Vatican note on the growth of interfaith dialogue since Vatican II, acknowledges that “it is important to remember that ‘dialogue’ is not a magic formula.” But if it is not treated as magical, the word “dialogue”—which appears 129 times in the 60-paragraph document—is unquestionably the leitmotif of the Vatican message. - South Korean bishops, Protestant communities speak out against abortion pill (National Right to Life)
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea and the United Christian Churches of Korea issued separate statements against a South Korean government proposal to legalize abortion pills during the first nine weeks of pregnancy. The bishops’ conference expressed “deep concerns, as this measure would only institutionalize abortion in an ‘orderly’ manner, without changing its fundamental nature, while allowing a disregard for life to be more deeply rooted in our society.” South Korea, a nation of 51.5 million (map), is 32% Christian, 25% Buddhist, 15% ethnic religionist, 14% new religionist, and 11% Confucian. It has the world’s lowest birth rate. - Cardinal Reina calls on Rome's parishes to evangelize amid family breakdown, housing crisis (Vatican News)
Cardinal Baldassare Reina, vicar general of His Holiness for the Diocese of Rome and archpriest of the Lateran Basilica, said that Rome’s parishes need to reach out to fallen-away Catholics and evangelize. “What I frequently ask priests to do is to pay close attention to those who, for various reasons, no longer set foot in our parishes” Cardinal Reina said in a September 17 interview. “Unfortunately, because of the way our communities are structured, we often focus on the people who come to church.” “But the Kingdom of God goes beyond the boundaries of the parish, and the Lord Jesus is very clear in the Gospel in giving his disciples, and us today, a missionary mandate that embraces everyone,” he added. Cardinal Reina also discussed the breakdown of the family, drug addiction, and homelessness. “Housing poverty is becoming increasingly serious: market forces are driving prices beyond the reach of people on an average salary,” he said. “And in a household where only one person works, they cannot even afford to pay the rent.” - Cardinal Cupich: AI presents 'unique challenges and serious threats' (Chicago Catholic)
Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago warned that AI “presents unique challenges and serious threats, and the Holy Father calls each one of us and society as a whole to act responsibly.” Cardinal Cupich wrote in a September 17 newspaper column: We must candidly ask questions such as: What safeguards will protect children who may develop parasocial relationships with AI chatbots? The anticipated job displacement cannot be ignored, as this too could have profound effects on labor. What limits should govern AI in surveillance, biological research and warfare? How do data-center projects strain water and energy resources, and how do they affect the communities that host them? The Church “neither opposes AI in general, nor mistakes it for a panacea,” he added. “Relying on ‘the algorithm’ cannot become a moral alibi. Human beings remain accountable for decisions affecting people’s livelihood, freedom, health, environment or life.” - Bishop Barron appointed to US international religious freedom commission (US Commission on International Religious Freedom)
President Donald Trump nominated three new members of the United States Commission on International Religious Freedom, including Bishop Robert Barron of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota. Other bishops who have served on the commission include Theodore McCarrick (1999-2001), Bishop William Murphy (2001-03), and Archbishop Charles Chaput (2003-07). Father Thomas Reese, S.J., served as a commission member (2014-18) and chairman (2016-17). - Altar destroyed, statue smashed in Bari chapel (OIDAC Europe)
An altar was destroyed, and a statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary smashed, in a cemetery chapel in Bari, Italy. The Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe reported that an empty tabernacle and priestly vestments were stolen in the attack. - USCCB publishes 'faith before politics' handout (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published “The Call to Put Faith Before Politics,” a one-page handout. “By putting faith before politics, Catholics can help bring the light of the Gospel into our communities to build a more just and merciful world,” the handout begins. “In a time of deep political division, many Christians face an old temptation: to put political affiliation first and faith second.” The USCCB posted the resource on its website on September 15. - Beautification of Oregon parish designed by prominent Modernist architect sparks controversy (The Architect's Newspaper)
A campaign to beautify the current interior of an Oregon parish has sparked controversy. Christ the King Catholic Church in Milwaukie, Oregon, was designed in 1980 by prominent Modernist architect Pietro Belluschi. “The current proposed ‘beautification’ plans ignore the significance of the legacy, history and heritage of” the parish, said Anthony Belluschi, the architect’s son. The parish, founded in 1959, first produced a diocesan seminarian in August 2026. - Holy See deplores continued production, use of cluster munitions (Holy See Mission)
A Vatican diplomat said that the Holy See “deplores the fact that cluster munitions, which have devastating long-term consequences for victims and land, continue to be produced, stockpiled, transferred and, even more concerning, used in armed conflicts.” “These weapons create wounds that damage the very fabric of life, harming not only individual persons and communities, but also their broader network of relationships with the whole human family,” Archbishop Ettore Balestrero, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer to the United Nations and other international organizations in Geneva, said on September 14, as he addressed a UN conference. Archbishop Balestrero called on all nations to adhere to, and implement, the Convention on Cluster Munitions, a 2008 treaty. 112 states are parties to the treaty; China, Russia, and the United States are among the nations that have not adhered to it. - Pope Leo: New martyrs are 'stars that shine out in the darkness of selfishness and oppression' (CWN)
Those who died in witnessing to their faith during this century are “like stars that shine out in the darkness of selfishness and oppression,” Pope Leo XIV said during a September 16 audience. - Syriac Catholic Church synod begins process of deposing Patriarch (Pillar)
The senior bishop of the synod of bishops of the Syriac Catholic Church initiated the process of deposing Patriarch Ignatius Joseph III Yonan, who has led the Eastern Catholic church since 2009. On August 29, Pope Leo XIV amended the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches to grant Eastern Catholic synods the authority to remove Patriarchs and Major Archbishops when communion between the church’s head and synod has been “seriously and irreparably damaged.” The Pillar reported that “dissatisfaction among Syriac bishops has reportedly centered around Youssif’s refusal to convene governing synodal meetings for the Eastern Catholic Church, despite repeated requests from bishops over the past three years.” Under the procedures outlined in the papal letter, an Eastern Catholic synod may request the resignation of the Patriarch or Major Archbishop. If he refuses to resign, the synod may depose him by a two-thirds vote—but only if the Roman Pontiff consents. - Cardinal Fernández: Interreligious dialogue does not entail hiding one's Christian identity (Vatican News)
Commenting on the new Vatican document on interreligious dialogue, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith said that dialogue does not entail downplaying one’s identity. Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández recalled that Pope St. John Paul II “emphasized the urgency of combining the strongest sense of identity with the greatest openness to dialogue.” “Truly, authentic dialogue is at the same time a form of ‘proclamation,’ since, precisely within the dialogue, each person must clearly show the other their own identity and strive to reveal it in all its beauty and harmony,” Cardinal Fernández added. - Pope encourages prayer for young people through intercession of St. Stanislaus Kostka, St. Aloysius Gonzaga (CWN)
At the conclusion of his September 16 general audience, Pope Leo XIV encouraged Polish pilgrims to ask St. Stanislaus Kostka (1550-1568) and St. Aloysius Gonzaga (1568-1591) to intercede for young people. - Turn to Our Lady of Sorrows, Pope says in rare greeting to Slovak pilgrims (Dicastery for Communication (multilingual))
At the conclusion of his September 16 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, in Slovak, to pilgrims from Slovakia. The Pontiff stated: I cordially greet the 20th national pilgrimage of the Ordinariate of the Armed Forces of the Slovak Republic, led by the Military Ordinary and the representatives of the Slovak public institutions, with their families. Yesterday in Slovakia you celebrated the Feast of Our Lady of Sorrows, who is your principal patroness. Always renew your faith through veneration of the Mother of Jesus. Confidently implore her help to bear witness to Christian values in everyday life, and invoke her maternal intercession for the advent of a world of justice, fraternity and peace. I bless you from my heart. Praise be to Jesus Christ! - US bishops establish AI task force, meet with tech company representatives (USCCB)
The administrative committee of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) established a Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence, the USCCB announced yesterday. Bishop Oscar Cantù of San Jose, California, will chair the task force, whose members have not been announced. Members of the administrative committee also met yesterday with representatives of technology companies. “The dialogue focused on ways to keep any system of Artificial Intelligence at the service of humanity and the urgent need to address the real and present dangers such technology present,” said Chieko Noguchi, the USCCB’s executive director of public affairs. “Recent events have only emphasized the great need for action by everyone involved.” - Cardinal Parolin urges Catholics not to emigrate from the Holy Land (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, urged Catholics not to emigrate from the Holy Land. Deacon Diab Roshrosh, O.F.M., oversees youth ministry at the Basilica of the Annunciation in Nazareth. Now on pilgrimage to Rome and Assisi with 40 of the parish’s young adults, Deacon Roshrosh said that he met with Cardinal Parolin on September 16, and that the prelate “urged us to stay, not to leave our land because of the tragic conflict gripping it, and to bear witness to a human identity that follows the example of Saint Francis.” The pilgrims from Nazareth also met briefly with Pope Leo at his general audience, during which the Pontiff greeted them: I greet the Arabic-speaking faithful, especially those from the Parish of the Annunciation in Nazareth. We are called to respect each person, and to care for one another, in order to build a more humane world. May the Lord bless you all and always protect you from all evil. - Cardinal Koch: Judaism is the 'mother soil from which Christianity sprang' (Vatican News)
The prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity described Judaism as “the mother soil from which Christianity sprang.” “One cannot be a good member of the family without appreciating and loving one’s mother,” Cardinal Kurt Koch said in an interview devoted to the new Vatican document on interreligious dialogue. “This means that it is impossible to be a disciple of Jesus Christ and, at the same time, an anti-Semite.” Cardinal Koch called for a “deeper understanding of the profound unity between the Old and New Testaments—within Christian thought and in the Church’s liturgy.” The prelate added that “many Christians find themselves in a painful tension between their bond with the Jewish people and their ethical obligation toward those suffering in Gaza, especially the civilian victims. We must speak honestly with one another about this new situation.” - Vatican dicasteries publish document marking 60 years of interreligious dialogue (CWN)
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity, and the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue today published a document commemorating the six decades of interreligious dialogue that followed Nostra Aetate, the Second Vatican Council’s Declaration on the Relation of the Church to Non-Christian Religions. - More...