Catholic News
- Let us strive for full unity, Leo XIV writes to Coptic Orthodox Pope (CWN)
In a letter to Coptic Orthodox Pope Tawadros II for the Day of Coptic-Catholic Friendship (May 10), Pope Leo XIV said that “at a time when our world is afflicted by so many conflicts, particularly in the Middle East, Christians must, more than ever, strive for full unity so that we may bear witness together to the Prince of Peace.” - Pope Leo: 'The rule of law, crime prevention and criminal justice must advance together' (Dicastery for Communication)
Pope Leo XIV said today that “the Holy See is firmly convinced that the rule of law, crime prevention and criminal justice must advance together in unity.” The Pontiff made his remarks in an address to participants an interparliamentary conference on combating organized crime and drug trafficking. “The Holy See wholeheartedly supports every initiative that seeks to establish an effective, just, humane and credible criminal justice system capable of preventing and countering the production and the trafficking of illicit drugs,” Pope Leo continued. “Recognizing that true justice cannot be satisfied with punishment alone, such efforts must likewise embrace approaches marked by perseverance and mercy, aimed at the re-education and full reintegration of offenders into the fabric of society.” The Pope added, “The same respect for the inherent dignity of every person, including those who have committed crimes, precludes the use of the death penalty, torture, and every form of cruel or degrading punishment.” - Pope recalls Our Lady of Fátima's message of peace (CWN)
At the conclusion of his May 13 general audience, Pope Leo XIV recalled Our Lady of Fátima’s message of peace. - Reject constitutional amendment, Zimbabwe's bishops urge (The Zimbabwean)
The bishops of Zimbabwe called upon the nation’s parliament to reject a constitutional amendment that would end direct presidential elections. Characterizing the amendment as a threat to “the moral and institutional foundations upon which national life rests,” the bishops’ conference “several provisions of [the amendment] undermine foundational constitutional principles, weaken institutional independence, diminish direct democratic participation, and erode constitutional safeguards against the concentration and abuse of power.” - Priestly ordinations continue to decline in South Korea (The Chosun Ilbo)
Seventy-seven priests were ordained in South Korea in 2025—down from 90 in 2024, 118 in 2022, 147 in 2019, and 185 in 2017. The Sunday Mass attendance rate also fell from 25% in 2015 to 15% in 2025. - Vatican newspaper draws attention to jihadist terror in Mozambique (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
In a prominent front-page article in its May 13 edition, L’Osservatore Romano drew attention to the brutal Islamist insurgency in Mozambique. “Recent violence in the north of the country has targeted missionaries and civilians—often farmers or miners—setting fire to homes and causing thousands of new displacements,” the newspaper reported. Citing a Le Monde article, Ilaria De Bonis wrote that “the targets are exclusively the defenseless—specifically small village churches, missionaries living alongside the impoverished and their families, and society’s most marginalized and vulnerable members.” “Nevertheless, the root cause of this violence—as our missionaries in Mozambique have maintained for years—is not religious hatred per se (though that certainly serves as an aggravating factor),” De Bonis added. “Rather, it stems from a complex mix of economic and political motives—not least the destabilization triggered by the foreign appropriation of the region’s surface and subsurface natural resources.” - Belize diocese opposes national school-based HPV vaccination campaign (Diocese of Belize City and Belmopan)
The sole diocese in the Central American nation of Belize announced its opposition to a nationwide school-based HPV vaccination campaign. “The Church affirms the value of the HPV vaccine and recognizes that it is ethically acceptable” but opposes the school-based campaign, the Diocese of Belize City and Belmopan stated on May 14. “The Church’s concerns are not about the vaccine itself, but about proportionality, parental rights, informed consent, and the sensitive moral context surrounding a sexually transmitted infection.” - 'Truth and Love can never be separated,' Minnesota archbishop writes pastoral letter to families (Archdiocese of Saint Paul and Minneapolis)
Archbishop Bernard Hebda of Saint Paul and Minneapolis, Minnesota, said in a pastoral letter to families that “we know that Truth and Love can never be separated.” He explained: For both to be authentic, they must find unity in the One who is both Truth and Love: only Jesus. I am told that parents often feel pressure from peers and even from professionals to “love” their children by affirming all their choices. But not all choices can be affirmed. The dignity of the person is what we affirm. The immeasurable offer of grace that Jesus is constantly offering is what we affirm. Likewise, His open invitation to return to Him whenever we have sinned, and then to return again and again, is what we need to affirm. We witness to this by our own acceptance of our limitations, our own reliance on the grace that leads to conversion, our own willingness to grow from mistakes. This more nuanced approach to parenting is far too rare in our relativistic society. - Tell others about Jesus, Pope says in message to Anglican ecumenical prayer initiative (CWN)
In a video message to participants in Thy Kingdom Come, an Anglican ecumenical prayer initiative, Pope Leo XIV called for evangelization. - Pope, in address at Sapienza University, calls for commitment to life and ecology (CWN)
This morning, Pope Leo XIV made a pastoral visit to Sapienza University of Rome, where he delivered a wide-ranging address (video 1, video 2). - 'Truth in charity' is an academic community's vocation, Pope writes in message to Bolivian university (CWN)
In a message marking the sixtieth anniversary of the San Pablo Bolivian Catholic University, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the university’s motto, Veritas in Caritate (Truth in Charity). - Pope Leo prays at the spot where St. John Paul was shot (Vatican News)
During his May 13 general audience, Pope Leo XIV prayed at the spot when Pope St. John Paul II was shot in 1981. “Today we remember the memorial of Our Lady of Fatima,” Pope Leo said. “On this day, 45 years ago, an attempt was made on Pope John Paul II’s life, and for these reasons, I dedicated my catechesis today to the Blessed Virgin Mary,” - Pope, in audience on Vatican II, reflects on the Blessed Virgin Mary, model of the Church (CWN)
Continuing his series of Wednesday general audiences on the Second Vatican Council and its documents, Pope Leo XIV devoted his May 13 general audience (video) to the Blessed Virgin Mary. - SSPX issues Declaration of Faith, addressed to Pope Leo (Society of St. Pius X)
Father Davide Pagliarani, the superior general of the Society of St. Pius X, issued a declaration of faith today and addressed it to Pope Leo. “The Society places this simple Declaration of Faith in Your hands,” wrote Father Pagliarani. “It seems to us to correspond to the minimum indispensable to be in communion with the Church, and to truly call ourselves Catholics and, consequently, your sons.” The declaration was published one day after Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, the prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, warned the Society of St. Pius X of excommunication if the Society proceeds with its plan to consecrate new bishops on July 1 without the Pope’s approval. - Cardinal Vesco writes preface to new book, Gays and Catholics (Outreach)
Cardinal Jean-Paul Vesco, O.P., of Algiers, Algeria, has written the preface to a forthcoming book, Homos et Cathos: L’Église à l’épreuve du réel (Gays and Catholics: The Church Put to the Test of Reality). “I like the definition given by James Alison in his contribution: homosexual orientation is a regularly occurring non-pathological minority variant in the human condition,” said Cardinal Vesco. “This definition places homosexuality within the order of creation and not within that of disorder or pathology.” “How painful it is to recognize that, faced with a human reality so complex and potentially so painful, we in the Church struggle so much to find the right words and to reconcile the solidity of Christian anthropology with the truth of existential experiences that must be accompanied and respected for what they are,” Cardinal Vesco continued. Turning to Fiducia Supplicans, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s declaration on the pastoral meaning of blessings, Cardinal Vesco concluded: Through this text, the Church authorizes its ministers to impart this blessing, not merely in their own name but in the name of the Church, and that changes everything. How good it is that homosexual people, whatever their state of life, should hear this blessing just as you and I do. Outreach, founded by Father James Martin, S.J., posted Cardinal Vesco’s preface on May 13. - Pope pays tribute to late Cardinal Tscherrig, prays for repose of his soul (Vatican Press Office)
In a telegram of condolence to the relatives of the late Cardinal Emil Paul Tscherrig, Pope Leo XIV wrote that the veteran Vatican diplomat “acted generously, bearing witness to love of the Church and the Successor of Peter.” “I raise fervent prayers for the repose of the soul of this minister of the Gospel, that the Lord may welcome him in the light that never goes out, and, entrusting him to the maternal intercession of the Virgin Mary, I impart the apostolic blessing to those who mourn his sudden passing,” Pope Leo concluded. - Cardinal Eijk strongly criticizes Synod report on doctrinal issues (National Catholic Register)
In an op-ed article,Cardinal Willem Eijk of Utrecht in the Netherlands strongly criticized the Synod report on doctrinal issues, which included testimonies of men in same-sex marriages. The report “fundamentally contradicts Catholic moral teaching and thoroughly undermines its application to moral conduct,” said Cardinal Eijk. “It relativizes the Church’s moral doctrine, with consequences that extend far beyond questions of sexuality to the protection of human life itself. This report must be forcefully refuted.” - India's bishops condemn killing of Baptist leaders (India Today)
The Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India condemned the killing of Baptist leaders in Kangpokpi district in the state of Manipur (map). Leaders of the Thadou Baptist Association were ambushed as they traveled between two villages. “We are heartbroken by this painful incident in which innocent lives were lost and several others were injured,” the bishops said in their May 13 statement. “May the God of peace comfort the grieving, heal the wounded, forgive the wrong, and bless Manipur with lasting harmony and peace.” - Muslims exceed Christians in Vienna's public schools (Zenit)
The number of Muslim students in public schools in Vienna, Austria, exceeds the number of Christians. 42% of the approximately 114,000 students are Muslims. 17% are Catholic, 14% are Eastern Orthodox, and 23% have no religious affiliation. “The newer Muslim communities often come from more explicitly religious environments and tend to practice a form of Islam described by critics as more rigid, more centered on literal Quranic interpretation, and less culturally assimilated into European society,” the Zenit news agency reported. - English diocese opens beatification cause of young Opus Dei member (Diocese of Salford)
The Diocese of Salford opened the beatification cause of Pedro Ballester, a lay member of Opus Dei who died in 2018 at the age of 21. “Shortly after beginning university, Pedro was diagnosed with advanced pelvic cancer,” the diocese said in a May 13 statement. “He accepted his illness with remarkable faith, offering his suffering for the Pope, the Church and all souls, and bearing his condition with deep serenity and trust in God.” - More...