Catholic News
- 3 million people welcome Pope Leo to Peru (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV returned to Peru, where he ministered as a missionary and later as a bishop, and encouraged the nation’s leaders to listen to others and serve the common good. - Pope preaches to 2 million in Luján, calls for journey from reconciliation to mission (CWN)
At his final Mass in Argentina, Pope Leo XIV preached to two million people outside the Marian shrine of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. - 'Begin your lives anew,' Pope tells prisoners (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV visited the Federal Penitentiary Complex in Buenos Aires (video) and called on prisoners to “begin your lives anew.” - Legislation against conversion therapy threatens fundamental rights, English bishops' conference warns (CBCEW)
The social justice chairman of the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of England and Wales warned that a bill targeting conversion therapy threatens fundamental rights. “The Bill defines ‘conversion practices’ as conduct towards someone which intends to make a person have, or not have, a particular sexual orientation or transgender identity, or make them believe they have or do not have such an identity,” said Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool. “This Bill proposes to extend the legal definition of abusive practices in ways that threaten a person’s fundamental rights, including freedom of religion or belief and freedom of expression,” the prelate continued. “The legislation will also create uncertainty around lawful pastoral care by the Church, family life and open conversations that can take place in a range of social settings.” - US bishops call for extension of Haitians' Temporary Protected Status (USCCB)
The chairmen of two committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops called on senators to pass S.4814, which would extend Temporary Protected Status (TPS) for Haitians in the United States. “We pray that, in its remaining weeks, the current Congress, along with the incoming 120th Congress, will devote more attention to the situation facing both Haitian families in the United States, especially those who have recently been stripped of their legal protections, and the human tragedies unfolding in Haiti itself,” Bishops Brendan Cahill and A. Elias Zaidan wrote in a November 10 letter. In June, the Supreme Court ruled that the Trump administration has the authority to end temporary protected status (TPS) for Haitians and Syrians whom an earlier Secretary of Homeland Security had permitted to live temporarily in the United States—in the Haitians’ case, since the 2010 earthquake there; in the Syrians’ case, since 2012, because of repression under then-President Bashar al-Assad. - Cistercian named archbishop of Barcelona (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV appointed Bishop Octavi Vilá Mayo, O. Cist., as the new archbishop of Barcelona, one of Spain’s most prominent sees. - Detroit parishioner group's spokesman says he received canonical directive from archbishop (Catholic World Report)
The spokesman for the Parish Preservation Alliance, an organization that seeks to preserve Detroit parishes amid the prospect of mass closures, said that he received a canonical directive from Archbishop Edward Weisenburger. Kevin Kijewski, J.D.—a former archdiocesan superintendent of schools—wrote: On the morning of Monday, October 26, the day before the meeting, a canonical directive from the Archbishop arrived at my door by FedEx. Dated October 22, it named the meeting by date and place. It forbids me to offer “canonical advice or guidance” to any Catholic in the Archdiocese, to raise money for any canonical cause, or to work with any canon lawyer the Archbishop has not approved. That evening, his vicar wrote that by attending, I “will knowingly be in violation” of it. - Cardinal McElroy places 3 priests on administrative leave (Catholic Standard)
Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington announced yesterday that he was placing a pastor and two parochial vicars on administrative leave. Cardinal McElroy did not announce why he had placed the priests—Fathers Benjamin A. Garcia, Blake Evan Campos, and Scott Holmer—on leave. The priests all served at different parishes. - Pope encourages priests, religious to learn from the Spiritual Exercises (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged clergy, religious, seminarians, and pastoral workers in Argentina to examine their lives in the light of St. Ignatius of Loyola’s Spiritual Exercises. - Proclaim Christ and learn from the Virgin Mary's example, Pope tells Argentina's bishops (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged Argentina’s bishops to place the proclamation of Jesus Christ at the center of their pastoral work and to learn from the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary. - Pope tells 1 million young people: 'Everyone towards Christ, everyone with Christ, everyone like Christ!' (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV addressed one million Argentine young people about “what it means to live as disciples of Jesus: everyone toward Christ, everyone with Christ, everyone like Christ” (video 1, video 2). - Seek holiness and evangelize, Pope preaches to 650,000 in Córdoba (CWN)
At a Mass attended by 650,000 in the Argentine city of Córdoba (video 1, video 2), Pope Leo XIV preached that it is “a joyful duty to fulfill the mission that the Lord entrusts to each of us. Yes, dear brothers and sisters, we are all called to holiness.” - French diocese condemns attack on group of Catholic young adults (CWN)
The Diocese of Rouen condemned an attack on a group of Catholic young adults at the Saint-Romain Fair, one of France’s largest annual fairs. - Papal encouragement for International Catholic Migration Commission (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV encouraged the leaders of the International Catholic Migration Commission (ICMC) to “persevere in your noble and important mission of strengthening the Church’s services to welcome, protect, promote and integrate migrants, refugees and returnees.” - Over 300 hate crimes this year against Christians, Muslims in India (Telegraph India)
The New Delhi-based Association for Protection of Civil Rights documented 322 hate crimes against India’s Christians and Muslims during the first nine months of 2024. “Of the 54 deaths documented, 21 occurred at the hands of state authorities,” according to the report. “These included 12 deaths in alleged police encounters and nine deaths in custody or prison.” India, a nation of 1.42 billion, is 73% Hindu, 14% Muslim, and 5% Christian. - Massachusetts bishops lament governor's support for abortion (EWTN News)
The bishops of Massachusetts said in a statement that they “respectfully and passionately disagree” with Gov. Maura Healey’s belief that “abortion, the taking of human life, may be considered health care.” “We also disagree that there is an emergency requiring the further expansion of the existing and already radically permissive law,” they continued. “Our work continues as we heed the call of the Gospel to defend life at all stages.” - Relic of St. Nicholas stolen from French basilica, destroyed (Aleteia (French))
A relic of St. Nicholas was stolen from a namesake French basilica on October 31. Two days later, a suspect was arrested; he told police that he had burned the relic out of a desire to “combat fetishism.” The Basilica of St. Nicholas is located in Saint-Nicolas-de-Port, a small town in northeastern France. - Vatican spokesman cautions against political interpretations of Pope's South American speeches (Vatican News)
A Vatican spokesman warned against “political interpretations” of Pope Leo XIV’s words during his apostolic journey to South America. “Many struggle to understand” the Pope’s message, “confining their reading of the speeches and encounters to political interpretations while overlooking the gestures, the courage, and the power of witness,” wrote Massimiliano Menichetti, vice director of the editorial directorate of the Dicastery for Communication. “Peter comes to confirm people in the faith, to proclaim Christ to all peoples, to the whole world, and to offer a perspective that lifts our eyes to heaven and, from there, makes sense of every human action,” added Menichetti, who is also the head of Vatican Radio and Vatican News. “This Apostolic Journey calls upon and challenges the whole of human society, placing God’s love for humanity at its center once more.” - Oregon archdiocese asks faithful not to extend or hold hands during the Our Father (Archdiocese of Portland)
An Oregon archdiocese’s liturgy office said that “the practice of the lay faithful extending their hands (or holding hands) during the Our Father should not be done.” “Over the last few decades there has been some confusion as to whether the lay faithful should extend or raise their hands (and even holding hands with others) when the Lord’s Prayer is prayed during Mass, as the priest does,” the office stated. “The priest and deacon should never instruct the lay faithful to use the Orans posture during the Mass.” - Dance performance held inside Italian cathedral (CWN)
A dance performance (video) took place inside Bologna Cathedral on November 9 in commemoration of the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. - More...