Catholic News
- 'Mary is the dawn of a different day,' Pope preaches at Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV traveled yesterday to the Basilica Shrine of Our Lady of Good Counsel in Genazzano, Italy, where he unveiled a fresco and celebrated the Mass of the Feast of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary last evening (video). - Indonesia's bishops rue corruption (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Amid anti-corruption protests in Indonesia, bishops and priests have spoken of the need for the Church to assume a prophetic but apolitical role. The bishops’ “concerns include corruption, inequality, and the fragility of public ethics, the deterioration of the quality of democracy, and the risk that public policies may be oriented more toward the interests of elites than the common good,” the Vatican newspaper reported. “Christian prophecy—the bishops observe—does not consist in taking the place of politics, but in reminding politics of its ultimate goal: service to the individual and the community, and the courage to denounce whatever wounds human dignity, corruption, injustice, inequality, the abuse of power, and indifference toward the most vulnerable,” the article added. - Vatican diplomat: Women should play a much greater role in peace processes (Holy See Mission)
A Vatican diplomat called for efforts to foster women’s leadership to promote a culture of peace. Addressing a UN forum on the topic, Msgr. Robert Murphy, interim chargé d’affaires of the Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the United Nations, said that “the essential contribution of women to building and sustaining peace is to be reaffirmed.” “Women can and should play a much greater role in all these processes which are intended to heal societies fractured by violence and chaos,” Msgr. Murphy continued. “However, achieving this requires actions that enable women to exercise their leadership.” - Ukrainian Catholic leader reflects on AI, risk of dehumanization (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
The head of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church said in an interview that “it is essential that artificial intelligence not replace human beings, nor be used against human dignity.” Major Archbishop Sviatoslav Shevchuk warned that “it is imperative that human beings not become slaves to the fruits of their own culture, to what they themselves have created.” “What artificial intelligence will never be able to do is to love,” he added. “We must still become ‘human’ with a capital ‘H.’ And this happens when we contemplate the face of God or speak with Him. For we are made in the image of God.” - Lay pastoral coordinator murdered in Philippines (Fides)
A lay pastoral coordinator of a Philippine parish was murdered on August 31. Eduardo Balindres was shot multiple times by unknown assailants in Matalam (map), which is located in a region where both Islamist and Communist rebels have been active. Bishop José Colin Mendoza Bagaforo of Kidapawan condemned the murder, warned against revenge, and said that “those responsible for the killing must answer through the proper process of law and justice.” - 10,000 pro-lifers fill London's streets at March for Life (Catholic Herald)
A record 15 bishops joined the estimated 10,000 participants in the March for Life UK on September 5. “We want to say today that human life matters, that every life matters, from first moments of conception to natural death, and we’re doing that joyfully, with great confidence and with great love,” said Archbishop John Wilson of Southwark. - Patriarch, Notre Dame launch Jerusalem peace research initiative (Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem)
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, O.F.M., the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, yesterday inaugurated Within Your Gates in conjunction with the University of Notre Dame. The Patriarchate said that the interdisciplinary research initiative will “bring together scholars and practitioners from different faith traditions and disciplines to engage with Jerusalem’s universal mission and its significance not only for those who reside within the Holy Land but for all humanity.” “The mission of earthly Jerusalem is to become the image and mirror of heavenly Jerusalem, a prophecy and promise of that universal reconciliation and peace which God desires for the whole human family,” said Cardinal Pizzaballa. “It is to this mission that we must return.” - USCCB publishes brief text on AI (USCCB)
The U.S. bishops’ conference published a one-page document, “10 Essential Steps for Keeping Artificial Intelligence at the Service of Humanity,” on September 3. The steps include “Safeguard the Inherent Dignity of All Human Life,” “Protect Children and the Vulnerable,” and “Promote the Dignity of Work.” - Avoid 'extremes' in liturgical inculturation, Vatican official tells new bishops (Fides)
One of the two undersecretaries of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments told 49 newly appointed bishops to avoid “extremes” liturgical inculturation. Bishop Aurelio García Macías said on September 4: We must not be afraid of cultures, neither must we idealize them. We must not be afraid of diversity, neither must we sacrifice communion. We must not stifle the authentic creativity of the Spirit, neither must we confuse it with arbitrariness. We must not turn the liturgy into a museum of immutable forms, neither must we turn it into a permanent laboratory. Bishop García also told the new bishops to avoid unnecessary innovation, syncretism, and folklore. Syncretism, he said, is a “particularly sensitive issue in areas where traditional religions remain culturally very much alive.” - German Catholic, Protestant leaders deplore AfD victory (Deutsche Bischofskonferenz)
The chairman of the German bishops’ conference, joined by the leaders of the Lutheran church and the ecumenical Arbeitsgemeinschaft Christlicher Kirchen (Association of Christian Churches), issued a statement today deploring the landslide victory of the Alternative for Germany (AfD) party in the Saxony-Anhalt state election. “Our worst fears have been realized, but the result must be accepted,” said Bishop Heinrich Wilmer, S.C.J., of Münster and the two other Christian leaders. “The churches are particularly concerned about the coexistence and cooperation of the people in Saxony-Anhalt, and especially about respecting the God-given human dignity that belongs unconditionally to everyone. This concern also extends to the free and democratic order in Saxony-Anhalt.” “We will closely observe and critically monitor the political actions of the future state government,” the Christian leaders vowed. “We will not look away, and we will not remain silent when human dignity is violated, our democracy is jeopardized, or the rule of law is undermined.” Bishop Wilmer, Rt. Rev. Kirsten Fehrs, and Rev. Christopher Easthill also acknowledged that “the election result shows how great the dissatisfaction and the loss of trust are. This must be taken seriously.” Founded in 2013, the AfD party has faced strong criticism for its positions on immigration and Islam. - Pope Leo XIV to Vatican families: 'Families give life and love' (Vatican News)
Pope Leo XIV met with hundreds of Vatican employees and their families on the evening of September 5. Quoting Pope St. John Paul II, he told them that “the family is the mirror in which God sees Himself.” Giving life and giving love, the Pope continued, are the two “greatest miracles” of family life. “I want to thank all of you, your families, for this great miracle that you are.” - Vatican official: Marriage is a vocation to be proclaimed to young people (Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life)
In a recent Italian-language address, the undersecretary of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life reflected on the “de-matrimonialization” of society. Gabriella Gambino’s “reflection highlighted the need to rediscover marriage not only as a private choice of the couple, but as a reality with specific familial, social, and legal significance and, for Christians, as a vocation and a sacrament,” the dicastery stated in an English-language summary. “At the heart of the talk lies the witness of families: for young people, in fact, it is not enough to hear others speak about marriage; rather, they need to encounter married couples capable of demonstrating, through their own lives, that fidelity, commitment, and self-giving are still possible.” - Liechtenstein's parliament backs abortion (Vatican News)
In a 13-12 vote, Liechtenstein’s parliament voted to permit abortion during the first 12 weeks of pregnancy. In a separate 13-12 vote, the parliament voted not to permit a public referendum on abortion. Prince Hans Adam II is the nation’s leader; in 2004, he turned over day-to-day governing power to Hereditary Prince Alois. The crown prince has said he will veto the measure. “The unborn child possesses an intrinsic and inalienable dignity from the beginning and therefore deserves the same protection afforded to every human life,” said Bishop Benno Elbs, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Vaduz. The prelate also called for “a society in which every child is welcomed and every mother and father receive the support they need to make the right decision for their child.” The nation of 41,000 lacks a maternity ward. - Vatican newspaper reviews Cardinal Sarah's new book on Gregorian chant (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
The Vatican newspaper published a positive review of a new book on Gregorian chant by Cardinal Robert Sarah, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments. The reviewer, Francisco de Jesús Maria Espinosa Garay, O.S.B. Oliv., said that “for Sarah, Gregorian chant comes from God, and silence allows for its creation because it springs from silence and leads back to it, to meditation. Indeed, unlike noise or loud music, Gregorian chant draws one inward and brings happiness, happiness ‘in God.’” - Leading Canadian, Mexican, US bishops hold fraternal meeting (USCCB)
The presidents of the Canadian and Mexican bishops’ conferences, joined by the vice president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) and two other prelates, met in Cuernavaca, Mexico, “to share their realities, to listen to one another and to discern paths of collaboration for the mission of the Church in North America,” according to a USCCB statement. The bishops discussed “human mobility and the question of migration, the dignity of the human person in the age of artificial intelligence, evangelization, and the possibilities of pastoral collaboration among the Churches in Mexico, in the United States and in Canada,” according to the eight-page statement, dated September 4. - Ghana's bishops call for restraint following chief justice's remarks (Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference )
The president of the Ghana Catholic Bishops’ Conference called for restraint after the nation’s chief justice made remarks interpreted as favoring the current administration, and critical of the previous administration. Bishop Matthew Kwasi Gyamfi of Sunyani said that “judicial independence is not only a matter of actual impartiality; it also depends on the visible, unmistakable appearance of impartiality. A judge, and especially the head of the Judiciary, must be, and must be seen to be, above the partisan contest.” At the same time, “calls for his resignation on this basis alone strike us as disproportionate to the offense,” said Bishop Gyamfi. “The same standard of restraint must be asked of every public office holder, regardless of who occupies it or which party is in government.” - Maine's Supreme Court, in divorce case, restricts mother's religious influence on child's upbringing (Religion Clause)
Citing a child’s fear, anxiety and panic attacks associated with a Protestant church’s teachings, the Maine Supreme Court upheld a lower court ruling restricting a divorced mother’s religious influence on the child’s upbringing. Ruling in favor of the divorced father’s request to restrict his ex-wife’s influence, the court stated: Calvary Chapel teaches the Bible “verse by verse, chapter by chapter.” This entails sermons that include ... “quite vivid description[s]” of Hell.... [The church’s pastor] testified that he preaches about the “Second Coming of Christ,” which will involve “seven years of . . . pure hell on earth under the persecution of ... the Antichrist” for those who have not “accept[ed] the terms of God.” The child has experienced fear and anxiety associated with these teachings. The child has asked [her father, Mathew] Bradeen a lot of questions about Heaven and Hell and about why Bradeen and his other child would not be in Heaven with her. The child has left notes around Bradeen’s house because she fears that the Second Coming is approaching. - Bose monastery hosts conference on St. Pachomius (Monastery of Bose)
The ecumenical monastery of Bose, Italy, is devoting its 32nd International Ecumenical Conference on Orthodox Spirituality, which begins tomorrow, to the theme of “Abba Pachomius, at the Origins of Community Life.” The Vatican newspaper described the annual gathering as among the most significant of its kind. St. Pachomius (c. 290-346) wrote the earliest extant rule for monks. The monastery stated that the saint’s significance “lies not so much in the simple fact of having brought monks together in a communal life, but rather in having created a complex structure that encompassed multiple monasteries, both male and female, subject to a single common rule, and in having developed a spiritual discipline founded on obedience to the Scriptures, which emphasized the value of charity, shared responsibility, vigilance, mutual forgiveness, and fraternal service.” - L'Osservatore Romano highlights Cambodian 'villages of hope' (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
The Vatican newspaper devoted the most prominent article in its September 5 edition to what it described as “villages of hope”: six temporary villages built for Cambodians displaced by the 2025 Thailand-Cambodia conflict. “In Cambodia, thousands of people displaced by the war with Thailand are waiting to return to their home areas,” the newspaper reported. “In the meantime, they have started living again.” - USCCB publishes Stella Maris chaplain list (USCCB)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops published a list of priests, deacons, and others who minister as Stella Maris chaplains at over three dozen of the nation’s ports. Stella Maris, Latin for “star of the sea,” is the official name of the Apostleship of the Sea, the Church’s ministry to seafarers. - More...