Catholic News
- Bishop's role is to serve the people, Pope emphasizes (Vatican Press Office)
Pope Leo XIV met on September 11 with bishops from around the world who have been ordained in the past year, and reminded them of “the gift you have received not for yourselves, but to serve the cause of the Gospel.” The Pope emphasized that “the bishop is a servant; the bishop is called to serve the faith of the people.” At times, he continued, that service requires a display of fortitude in leadership: The crisis of faith and its transmission, together with the hardships related to ecclesial belonging and practice, invite us to rediscover the passion and courage for a new proclamation of the Gospel. - 'Bombs on negotiations': Vatican newspaper condemns Israeli attack in Qatar (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
In a front-page article entitled “Bombe sul negoziato” [Bombs on the negotiations], L’Osservatore Romano condemned the Israeli airstrike on Hamas leaders attending peace negotiations in Qatar. The attack violated “every principle of international law,” wrote staff journalist Roberto Paglialonga. “After Israel’s raids on hospitals, tents of displaced persons, and people lined up for food in the [Gaza] Strip; after airstrikes on other countries and territories in the region—in the last few hours alone, Lebanon, Syria, the West Bank, and Qatar were simultaneously hit, not to mention the war unleashed with Iran last June—the bombs also rained down on negotiators.” Israel “wants to send a message to the Washington administration, when a draft truce proposal formulated by the White House itself was being discussed in Doha,” Qatar’s capital, Paglialonga continued. “Donald Trump’s United States risks going from a key player in the region to a supporting actor in Benjamin Netanyahu’s decisions.” - Cardinal Parolin: 'we are against all types of violence' (CNA)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican Secretary of State, issued a blanket statement against political violence on the day after the assassination of Charlie Kirk. “The Vatican stand is that we are against all types of violence,” the cardinal told reporters. “We think that we have to be very, very tolerant, very respectful of everybody, even though we don’t share the same view.” He did not directly address the shooting of the American political commentator. Cardinal Parolin went on to say that an absence of tolerance “will produce a really big problem inside the international community and the national community.” Pope Leo has not made a public statement on the shooting of Kirk. - Orthodox Patriarch of Constantinople explains 'primacy of service' (YouTube (French))
Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople spoke about his primacy in the Orthodox world as “a primacy of service and not of authority,” in a French television interview. The Ecumenical Patriarch explained: : It is a fact that the Patriarch of Constantinople enjoys certain privileges that other primates do not have. From this point of view, he is first without equals. These privileges belong only to the Ecumenical Patriarch and neither my predecessors nor I have ever used them to impose our will and our opinion on other Churches. But we have used these privileges to help other Churches in their daily life, especially when they encountered difficulties. In the same interview the Orthodox prelate said that he had “no intention” of reversing his decision to grant autocephaly (self-government) to the Orthodox Church of Ukraine. - Pope calls for prayer following Israeli attack in Qatar (CNS)
Following an Israeli airstrike on Hamas political leaders in Qatar (map), Pope Leo XIV called for prayer for peace. “In these moments, there is very serious news of an Israeli attack against some Hamas leaders, but in Qatar,” the Pope told reporters on September 9. “The whole situation is very serious ... We need to pray a lot.” - Seek what is beyond measure, Pope urges, quoting St. Augustine (Vatican News)
In a message to the 12th Latin American Congress on Science and Religion, Pope Leo XIV said that science and philosophy should look for ways to “rise above all things that can be measured, in order to behold the measure beyond measure.” The Pontiff was quoting from his beloved St. Augustine. - Cardinal Hollerich: Church need broader view of sexual morality (CNA)
Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich of Luxembourg said that he “would not define morality — especially sexual morality — as narrowly as the Church does today,” in an interview with an Austrian weekly. The Jesuit cardinal—who was named by Pope Francis as relator general of the Synod on Synodality—said that “the image of a tent needs to be expanded so that everyone can find space within it.” - Cardinal Parolin rues 'earthquakes' of depopulation, lack of vocations (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, traveled to Rieti, Italy, to celebrate the 800th anniversary of the dedication of its cathedral by Pope Honorius III. Recalling the 2016 earthquake that causes extensive damage in the region, Cardinal Parolin spoke in his September 9 homily of “other types of ‘earthquakes’ that still shake this territory”: the “continued depopulation of its centers,” the “exodus of young people,” the “lack of vocations,” and the “struggle to rebuild relationships in a rather fragmented territory.” Cardinal Parolin called on the faithful to reawaken their baptismal faith, to shun indifference, and to pray for vocations. He also encouraged young people to look to the examples of Saints Pier Giorgio Frassati and Carlo Acutis and become “healthy bearers of joy, witnesses of hope, of peace.” - Ukrainian Catholic leader welcomes efforts of 'coalition of the willing' (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
In his latest weekly video address, the head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church noted the recent efforts of the “coalition of the willing,” a group of nations allied with Ukraine. Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk “expressed heartfelt gratitude to all who are committed to ending the war, striving to halt the aggressor, and providing Ukrainians the opportunity to live peacefully and freely in their own homeland,” the Eastern Catholic church said in a statement. The Major Archbishop also described Ukrainian soldiers as “true peacemakers. They defend our land, paying for it with their own blood.” - Holy Land bishops, nuncio huddle to discuss looming Jerusalem property tax (Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
Archbishop Adolfo Tito Yllana, apostolic nuncio to Israel and apostolic delegate to Jerusalem and Palestine, attended a meeting of the Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land devoted to the Arnona, the Jerusalem municipal property tax. Churches have traditionally not paid the tax, but government officials are keen to enforce it. “All the churches will go bankrupt if we have to pay according to the law,” the CEO of the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem warned earlier this year. At the bishops’ meeting, Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, “underlined the critical moment now facing Catholic institutions,” the Latin Patriarchate said in a statement. “His Beatitude emphasized that the status quo regarding the Arnona tax has come to an end, and that change is inevitable.” - L'Osservatore Romano analysis: media, politicians overemphasize divisions in American society (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
The media and politicians overemphasize divisions in American society, according to an analysis published in the September 10 edition of the Vatican newspaper. In her article, “Nel cuore dell’America divisa” [In the heart of divided America], Amber Lapp of the Institute for Family Studies asked, “In a nation that perceives itself as increasingly divided, is there an exhausted majority, a majority of citizens who aren’t all that different from one another, as politicians and the media often portray them, leading them to believe they are?” “Certainly, in a nation as large as the United States, regional and cultural differences exist, but not all of these differences are as significant as they currently appear,” she said. “My concern is that they are exacerbated and entrenched by what we read and observe, and by how we see our leaders act.” “At the root of polarization is this fundamental human need for belonging, for love,” she added. - Iraqi archbishop: A decade after the Islamic State, we lift high the cross (Aid to the Church in Need)
A decade after the Islamic State ruled much of northern Iraq, Catholics and other Christians in Erbil are celebrating a five-day festival of the cross, ahead of the Feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross. “A decade ago, Daesh [the Islamic State] sought to erase Christianity from this land,” said Chaldean Catholic Archbishop Bashar Warda. “Today, the very same communities will raise the Cross high in public squares, in churches, and in joyful processions. What once was meant to be silenced has become a proclamation: faith has survived, and hope is stronger than death.” - Holy Land prelate reiterates call for 2-state solution (Fides)
Auxiliary Bishop Iyad Twal of Jerusalem described the two-state solution as “the only solution, if there is a desire to live in peace and justice.” “The alternative would be to build a state like in South Africa, that is, apartheid,” he told the Fides news agency. “But the land is very small. Either we live together, or there is no real solution.” Bishop Twal condemned the Israeli airstrike on Hamas leaders attending peace negotiations in Qatar as “bad news” and “a violation of international law. The entire world must understand that there is no justice for all in the Middle East and that we cannot continue living like this.” - Cardinal launches Earth Partner exhibit for Borgo Laudato Si' (Vatican News)
Cardinal Fabio Baggio, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, took part in a September 9 Vatican press conference inaugurating the Earth Partner Exhibition at Borgo Laudato Sì, the new ecological area at the papal residence of Castel Gandolfo. The Earth Partner Prize honors climate-focused art. The three-week exhibition features prize winners and finalists. “When we speak of salvation, we speak of integral salvation,” said Cardinal Baggio. “I want to recall Genesis, chapters 1 and 2, which calls us to have two awarenesses: the awareness that everything we enjoy is not our property, and the awareness that it is our responsibility to take care of it.” - Federal court: Vermont Christian school must be allowed to compete in interscholastic sports (Religion Clause)
The US 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that the religious-freedom rights of Mid Vermont Christian School were likely violated when the state’s principals barred it from taking part in interscholastic extracurricular activities. The court also ruled that the school must again be allowed to compete in interscholastic sports. In 2023, the school’s girls’ basketball team chose to forfeit a game rather than play against a girls’ team that included a biological male. The Vermont Principals’ Association retaliated by expelling the school from its membership. “The school believes that forcing girls to compete against biological males would affirm that those males are females, in violation of its religious beliefs,” wrote Judge Geoffrey Crawford. The judge, who was appointed by President Obama, cited the principals’ “hostility toward the school’s religious beliefs.” - US bishops announce Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops announced that its Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism has become a permanent Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation. “As we call for a genuine conversion of heart that will compel change at both individual and institutional levels, I invite all Catholics to join us as we carry forward this work to recognize and uphold the inherent dignity of every person made in the image and likeness of God,” said Archbishop Timothy Broglio, president of the bishops’ conference. - Heed Christ's last cry from the Cross, Pope tells audience (Vatican Press Office)
“On the cross, Jesus does not die in silence,” Pope Leo XIV reminded those in attendance at this regular weekly public audience. He cited the Gospel of St. Mark (15:37): “Jesus uttered a loud cry, and breathed his last.” That cry, the Pope said, expressed “everything: pain, abandonment, faith, offering.” To cry, he said, is not a sign of weakness but “a profound act of humanity.” The Pontiff went on to say: To cry out therefore becomes a spiritual gesture. It is not only the first act of our birth, when we come into the world crying: it is also a way of staying alive. One cries when one suffers, but also when one loves, one calls, one invokes. To cry out is saying who we are, that we do not want to fade away in silence, that we still have something to offer. - Pope creates new Chinese diocese (CNA)
Pope XIV has created a new diocese in China, the Diocese of Zhangjiakou, to be led by Bishop Joseph Wang Zhengui, who was consecrated on September 10. The new diocese covers the territory of the city of Zhangjiakou. But its creation—which involved the suppression of two smaller dioceses near Beijing—demonstrates the complexity of relations between the Vatican and China under the secret pact governing the appointment of bishops. The Chinese Patriotic Association had created a “Diocese of Zhangjiakou” in 1980, without the approval of the Holy See. And in formally creating the new jurisdiction, the Pope suppressed two dioceses: Xuanhua and Xiwanzi. The head of the Xuanhua diocese, Bishop Augustine Cui Tai, had been affiliated with the “underground” Church and repeatedly detained by Chinese government officials. At the age of 75, he is now presumably retired—although the Vatican announcement did not mention his status. (The Xiwanzi see was without a bishop at the time of its suppression.) The Vatican’s September 10 announcement of the new diocese and its bishop explains that this is “the completion of a process of ecclesiastical territorial modification initiated two months ago by Pope Leo XIV.” It does not address the question of whether Chinese officials were involved in that process. - Israeli military orders all Gaza City residents to evacuate; Pope contacts parish (BBC)
The Israeli military has ordered all residents of Gaza City to evacuate. The city is home to a Catholic church (Holy Family) and an Orthodox church (St. Porphyrius), and it is unclear how the priests will respond. Father Gabriel Romanelli, the pastor of Holy Family Parish, tweeted, “Today the Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, has been able to communicate with us. He asked how we were and how the situation was. Sending us his Blessing and praying for us and for Peace.” - Pope renews prayers for peace (Vatican News)
At his weekly public audience on September 10, Pope Leo XIV urged the faithful to pray for “the children of Ukraine, Gaza, and other regions of the world afflicted by war.” Earlier, the Pontiff had issued a more urgent plea for peace, having heard of an Israeli air strike against Hamas leaders in Qatar (see separate CWN headline story). Noting that the date was the National Day of Polish Victims of War, the Pope acknowledged Polish pilgrims in the audience. He also included a special word to Arabic pilgrims, in light of the continuing bloodshed in the Middle East: “I invite you to transform your cry in moments of trial and tribulation into a trusting prayer, because God always listens to his children and responds at the moment he deems best for us.” - More...