Catholic News
- 'Theology serves to proclaim the Gospel,' Pope tells theologians (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV received the members of two Italian theological faculties on March 2 and emphasized that “theology serves to proclaim the Gospel, hence it is an integral and fundamental part of the Church’s mission.” “Theological formation is not destined for a few specialists, but is a call addressed to everyone, so that every person may explore the mystery of faith and receive useful tools to carry out with passion the persevering commitment to a social and cultural meditation on the Gospel,” Pope Leo said to members of the Theological Faculty of Puglia and of the Theological Institute of Calabria. The Pontiff also called on the theologians to “do theology together,” by “leaving our safe harbor, going beyond our territorial and ecclesial boundaries, in encounter, in mutual listening and dialogue, in the communion between Churches that brings together resources, skills and charisms.” - Listen to Jesus and be willing to risk new decisions, Pope preaches (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV celebrated Sunday evening Mass at the Church of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Rome (video) and encouraged the faithful to be willing to risk new decisions, as Abraham did, and to listen to Jesus. - Pope, in parish visit, urges prayer for peace, warns against individualistic spirituality (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV visited the Church of the Ascension of Our Lord Jesus Christ in Rome on March 1 (video) and repeatedly called for prayers for peace. - Amid Iranian attacks, situation in Kuwait 'worsening day by day,' nuncio warns (Vatican News)
Three days after the commencement of the Iran conflict, Archbishop Eugene Nugent, apostolic nuncio to Kuwait, Bahrain, and Qatar, told Vatican News that the situation in Kuwait “is dramatic and worsening day by day.” “We are trying to remain calm, of course, but it is somewhat frightening,” said the nuncio, who is based in Kuwait. “We are all somewhat shocked by what is happening.” “Sadly, once a war begins, no one ever knows when it will end,” Archbishop Nugent added. “Everything is accelerating, but we must still try every avenue. A long war benefits no one and will benefit no one, especially in a region already tried by many conflicts.” - Remain calm and united in prayer, bishop urges faithful of Arab states (Apostolic Vicariate of Northern Arabia)
Following the commencement of the Iran conflict, the apostolic vicar of Northern Arabia called upon the faithful of Bahrain, Kuwait, Qatar, and Saudi Arabia to “remain calm, united in prayer, and attentive to the safety of everyone.” Bishop Aldo Berardi, OSST, also directed parish priests to “make the necessary decisions, with prudence and responsibility, to ensure the safety of the faithful.” - Disarmament is a 'moral imperative,' Vatican diplomat says (Holy See Mission)
Addressing a recent UN conference on disarmament, a Vatican diplomat said that “disarmament is a moral imperative, rooted in the recognition of the sacredness and dignity of every human life and the interconnectedness of the human family, not merely a political or strategic necessity.” Msgr. Daniel Pacho, one of the three undersecretaries of the Holy See’s Secretariat of State, discussed nuclear weapons, outer space, and the weaponization of artificial intelligence. The diplomat called on the international community to “overcome the persistent idea that peace can only be achieved through strength and deterrence. In fact, deterrence fuels proliferation and can fail, with potentially devastating consequences for humanity and future generations.” - US bishops back human-trafficking legislation (USCCB)
The chairmen of two committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops lent their support to the Enhancing Detection of Human Trafficking Act, sponsored by Rep. Tim Wahlberg (R-MI), and reiterated their support for the Frederick Douglass Trafficking Victims Prevention and Protection Reauthorization Act, sponsored by Rep. Chris Smith (R-NJ). “The Catholic Church is a steadfast voice against human trafficking and other forms of exploitation, as well as a longtime provider of services and pastoral care to victims of these crimes,” Archbishop Shelton Fabre, chairman of the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop Brendan Cahill, chairman of the Committee on Migration, wrote in their March 2 letter to members of the House of Representatives. The prelates called for “immediate action as a further step to counter the scourge of human trafficking in our country and beyond.” - London-area dioceses report largest Easter convert groups in 15 years (National Catholic Register)
The English archdioceses of Westminster and Southwark are reporting the largest number of conversions since 2011. The number of converts preparing for entry into the Church at the Easter Vigil “represents a 60% increase from 2025,” the Archdiocese of Westminster said in a statement. The Archdiocese of Southwark said that half of its 590 converts are age 35 or under. - India's bishops plead for peace (Catholic Bishops' Conference of India)
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (CBCI) today called for an “immediate commitment to peace and dialogue” in the Iran conflict. “Violence and conflict only breed further suffering and despair,” said Cardinal Anthony Poola, president of the CBCI. “We urge all global leaders to prioritize human dignity and work collaboratively towards an amicable resolution.” The bishops “invited the faithful across India to pray earnestly for peace in the world” and “encouraged all communities to unite in prayer, seeking divine grace to heal afflicted regions and restore harmony among peoples and nations.” - Vatican hosts seminar on AI and ethics (Vatican News)
The Secretariat for the Economy and the Office of Labor of the Apostolic See hosted “Potential and Challenges of Artificial Intelligence,” a March 2 seminar. During the seminar, Bishop Paul Tighe, one of two secretaries of the Dicastery for Culture and Education, said that AI is marked by volatility, uncertainty, complexity, and ambiguity. He expressed concern that a US-based AI company may have been subject to “government pressure to relax its ethical commitments regarding military and surveillance use.” - USCCB president warns of prospect of wider Middle East war, calls for diplomacy, prayer for peace (CWN)
Echoing Pope Leo XIV’s peace appeal, the president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called upon the parties in the Iran–United States conflict to halt the spiral of violence and return to negotiations. - WCC leaders, Pontiff agree that Christian faith should not be instrumentalized for political purposes (World Council of Churches)
Pope Leo XIV received the leaders of the World Council of Churches on February 28. “We wholeheartedly agreed upon the necessity to put Christ in the center to move us to visible unity,” Lutheran prelate Heinrich Bedford-Strohm said following the meeting. “We also agreed that a strong prophetic voice against the unscrupulous instrumentalization of Christian faith for political purposes is needed.” Pope Leo responded to the topics raised by the non-Catholic leaders “with profound wisdom, spirituality and compassion,” Bedford-Strohm added. “He reinforced what he has been saying all along about the need for visible Christian unity, recognizing the challenges this has even in the Roman Catholic Church because of different and diverse views.” 350 Protestant and Orthodox communities are members of the World Council of Churches, which is headquartered in Geneva, Switzerland. Pope Francis made an ecumenical pilgrimage to Geneva in 2018 for the World Council of Churches’ 70th anniversary. - Pope has not ruled out visit to Malta, nation's president says following audience (CWN)
President Myriam Spiteri Debono of Malta met with Pope Leo XIV on March 2 and said afterwards that the Pontiff has not ruled out a visit to the Mediterranean nation. - Pope exhorts Spanish seminarians to practice the presence of God (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV received seminarians from four Spanish dioceses on February 28 and advised them to practice the presence of God, lest they become like the barren fig tree mentioned by Christ (Luke 13:6-9). - Previously unpublished letter reveals Benedict XVI's reflections on prayer, future of faith (Catholic Herald)
The Catholic Herald today published an English translation of “Introduction: Thoughts on Christian Prayer,” a letter by Pope Benedict XVI written in 2021, the year before his death. The letter appears in the newly published Italian work La fede del futuro: Il futuro della Chiesa. - Halt the spiral of violence, Pope pleads following strikes on Iran (CWN)
Following the Israeli–United States strikes on Iran and Iran’s retaliatory attacks, Pope Leo XIV issued a “heartfelt appeal” to belligerents to halt the “spiral of violence.” - Cuba's foreign minister meets with Pontiff (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV received Bruno Rodríguez Parrilla, Cuba’s minister of foreign affairs, in a February 28 audience. - Controversial scholar withdraws from Notre Dame post [News Analysis] (CWN)
A heated controversy at the University of Notre Dame has apparently been resolved, with Susan Ostermann, who had been appointed to head the Liu Institute for Asia and Asian Studies, announcing that she would not accept the post. - Pope Leo issues new statutes for Pontifical Academy for Life (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV promulgated new statutes for the Pontifical Academy for Life, replacing the almost identical statutes issued by Pope Francis in 2016. - USCCB, in Supreme Court briefs, argues against Trump administration on turnback policy, birthright citizenship (CWN)
The United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) offered strong criticism of the Trump administration’s immigration policies in a pair of Supreme Court briefs. - More...