Catholic News
- Pope Leo renews Church's condemnation of anti-Semitism (CWN)
In an audience with leaders of the American Jewish Committee, Pope Leo XIV renewed his condemnation of anti-Semitism and called for the rejection of “all forms of religious and ethnic hatred and discrimination.” - Pope Leo calls on Catholic schools, universities to be welcoming homes where students can encounter Christ (CWN)
At a time when “many walk through the corridors of our schools and universities and perhaps feel anonymous,” Pope Leo XIV said that Catholic educational institutions should be “first and foremost, a ‘home’—a familiar place where people know they are expected and welcomed.” - Pope, in video, invites young people to 2027 World Youth Day as registration begins (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV invited young people from around the world to register for the 2027 World Youth Day in Seoul, South Korea. - Denver archbishop, 7 other prelates meet with President Trump, pray with him (EWTN News)
Archbishop James Golka of Denver and seven other U.S. bishops met with President Donald Trump on October 22 and prayed with him. “With respect for the office of the president, the Archdiocese of Denver welcomes continued conversation on the sanctity of life, from conception to natural death, and the God-given dignity of every person,” the Archdiocese of Denver said in a statement. “We invite the faithful to pray for our nation and its leaders, trusting in Christ’s mercy and guidance.” White House Faith Director Jenny Korn said that participants discussed “religious freedom, school choice, family tax credits, religious visas, and life.” EWTN News reported that the White House Faith Office organized the meeting. The Pillar reported that Mario Enzler, an official of the Heritage Foundation, played an active role in organizing it. Chieko Noguchi, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops’ executive director of public affairs, said that the bishops’ conference had no involvement in the meeting. - Liechtenstein's prince vetoes abortion legalization (SPUC)
Prince Alois of Liechtenstein has vetoed a bill that would have allowed for legal abortion in the tiny European principality. The measure had been approved by parliament in September, by a tight 13-12 margin, despite the likelihood of a veto. This was the first time that Prince Alois had used his veto power. The authority of the prince to veto legislation had been confirmed by a popular referendum in 2012. - Vatican diplomat expresses 'profound concern' about nuclear landscape (Holy See Mission)
A leading Vatican diplomat expressed “profound concern” about the current nuclear landscape. “Nuclear arsenals are being modernized and expanded, and rhetoric surrounding their potential use is becoming increasingly prevalent,” Archbishop Christophe-Zakhia El-Kassis, apostolic nuncio and Permanent Observer of the Holy See to the United Nations, said at a recent UN committee meeting. “Meanwhile, integrating artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies into nuclear-related systems introduces further risks by influencing the conditions under which decisions of incalculable consequence are made.” Archbishop El-Kassis added that “these developments further expose the flawed logic of nuclear deterrence as a security model. A system that relies on the credible threat of catastrophic destruction is vulnerable to escalation and miscalculation.” In this context, the prelate said that the Holy See “reiterates its call for a legally binding instrument establishing clear prohibitions of lethal autonomous weapons systems,” “calls for existing international commitments to be respected,” “reaffirms its support for the Treaty on the Prohibition of Nuclear Weapons,” and “encourages renewed efforts to prevent the militarization of outer space.” - Ecumenical Patriarch marks 35th anniversary of election (Orthodox Times)
Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew of Constantinople, who holds a primacy of honor among the Orthodox churches, marked the 35th anniversary of his election on October 22. In a likely reference to the Moscow Patriarchate, the 86-year-old Ecumenical Patriarch lamented “the prevalence within a section of Orthodoxy of heretical ideologies, arising from hegemonic tendencies and worldly ambitions.” “We are not discouraged, and we continue to fight the good and God-pleasing fight,” he added. - Honduras, Holy See sign agreement recognizing Church's freedom (CWN)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, and President Nasry Asfura of Honduras signed a bilateral agreement that grants more stable legal recognition of the liberty of the Church. - Shift from maintenance to mission, Cardinal Grech tells Church in Ireland (General Secretariat of the Synod)
Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary general of the General Secretariat of the Synod, told members of the Irish National Synodal Assembly, “Do not measure the future of the Church simply by what is disappearing. Discern what the Holy Spirit is bringing to birth.” “Do not simply manage a diminishing ecclesial landscape,” Cardinal Grech added in his October 17 letter. “Re-position the Church for mission within it.” As he called for a shift from “maintenance to mission,” Cardinal Grech asserted that “synodality exists to ensure that the Church is constantly at the service of mission, constantly ‘mission ready.’” Turning to marriage and family life, Cardinal Grech said that “our pastoral task” is “not simply to hold up the Christian ideal and measure people against it, but to discern the movement of grace already present in their lives, to accompany it patiently, and to help them take the next steps towards the fullness of the Christian vocation.” - Vatican spokesman: Proclamation of Jesus Christ is primary; doctrine and moral values, secondary (Vatican News)
Reflecting on the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith’s new document on transmitting the faith, a Vatican spokesman said that “appeals to moral values and Christian principles can never take for granted what must come first: the encounter with Christ.” “Passing on the faith today cannot begin simply with teaching a body of doctrinal content or religious information, as might still have been possible many decades ago, when the Gospel permeated daily life in the family and society,” said Andrea Tornielli, editorial director of the Dicastery for Communication. “Yet in a time like ours, it is equally shortsighted to think that passing on the faith can be entrusted to marketing and pastoral strategies devised on paper.” “We need witnesses who let the beauty of Christian life shine through,” Tornielli continued. “We need living communities, and living communities attract.” The essential Christian message, Tornielli concluded, “reminds all the men and women of our time: ‘Jesus Christ loves you; He gave His life to save you; and now He is living at your side every day to enlighten, strengthen and free you.’” - Cardinal Parolin pays tribute to Pope St. John Paul II (Vatican News)
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, celebrated Mass at the tomb of Pope St. John Paul II on October 22, the saint’s feast day. Recalling a verse of one of St. John Paul’s poems—“Do you wish to be here the floor upon which others walk to reach the place toward which you guide their steps?”—Cardinal Parolin preached: Following the example of the Apostle Peter, St. John Paul II was also the floor upon which the faith of so many people advanced toward Christ. The floor—that is, his adherence to Christ—became not only a model but also a support, a point of reference, and a compass for so many believers. - Pope reflects on relationship between sanctity and history (CWN)
Pope Leo XIV told participants in a conference organized by the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints that “the history of the world without the saints would be immensely poorer; in other words, less human.” - DDF publishes document on transmitting the faith (Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith)
The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith today published “Venite Ad Me (Come to Me): Considerations on the Transmission of the Faith in an Epochal Change.” The document has eight chapters: The Proclamation of the Father’s Love The Light of Faith The Epochal Change Centrality of the Kerygma The Transmission of the Faith in Communities Faith and Culture Some Specific Areas of Attention Personal Testimonies “Jesus is the true light of the world, and whoever believes in him, the living Risen One, overcomes the darkness of death and lives by the light of life (cf. Jn 1:6–9; 8:12),” the dicastery stated. “This is the faith of the Church, and this is the faith that every believer is called to spread to the ends of the earth. This task, the transmission of the faith under today’s sociocultural conditions, is at the heart of these Considerations.” - USCCB issues message for International Religious Freedom Day (USCCB)
The chairmen of the U.S. bishops’ Committee for Religious Liberty and Committee on International Justice and Peace issued a statement for International Religious Freedom Day, which is commemorated on October 27. Archbishop Alexander Sample of Portland, Oregon, and Maronite Bishop A. Elias Zaidan of Los Angeles said that “throughout the world, millions of people continue to suffer violations of the basic human right to religious freedom, and rapidly developing technological tools, such as artificial intelligence, have the potential to expand such abuses, increasing the scope of surveillance and persecution of religious groups.” The prelates described the U.S. bishops’ collaboration with the U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom as a “testament to the power of joint efforts by government and faith leaders to protect this most cherished right.” - Place human dignity at the center of eradicating global crime, Vatican diplomat urges (Vatican News (Italian))
Addressing a UN conference on combatting international organized crime, a Vatican diplomat stressed the importance of the dignity of the human person. “it is necessary to empower young people to recognize manipulation and defend their own dignity in digital environments,” said Msgr. Luca Marabese, an official of the Permanent Mission of the Holy See to the International Organizations in Vienna. “The protection of minors online is a responsibility shared by states, families, schools, civil society, and technology providers.” The diplomat also discussed crime prevention, human trafficking, the theft of cultural property, and responsibility to creation. - Pope pays tribute to Balearic Islands martyrs (CWN)
At the conclusion of his October 21 general audience, Pope Leo XIV paid tribute to 20 martyred diocesan priests who were beatified four days earlier. - Pope Leo's doctors: 'No further treatment is necessary' (Vatican News)
Eight days after Pope Leo XIV underwent lung surgery, the Pontiff’s personal physician, joined by the head of the surgical team that operated on him, said that “no further treatment is necessary.” “The final histopathology and molecular testing reports on the tissue removed during the Holy Father’s surgery were issued today,” Dr. Luigi Carbone and Professor Stefano Margaritora said in an October 21 statement. “The results confirmed that the tumor was a lung adenocarcinoma and that the disease was localized. A subsequent oncological assessment has confirmed that no further treatment is necessary.” - Priest seriously injured in attack at Indian Catholic school (AsiaNews)
Father Benedict Barla, the principal of a Catholic middle school in the northeastern Indian state of Jharkand, was seriously injured during an October 21 attack. Father Barla was found in a pool of blood. Camera footage showed three masked men entering the school the previous night, nearly 12 hours before the attack. “We do not want to speculate about who could be behind this,” said Father Bisu Benjamin, vicar general of the Diocese of Khunti. “We will wait for the administration and police to investigate.” - Vatican diplomat: Our Lady of Guadalupe is greatest symbol of encounter between Europeans, indigenous peoples (Vatican News)
A Vatican diplomat told the Organization of American States that he sees Our Lady of Guadalupe as “the greatest symbol” of the encounter between Europeans and the indigenous peoples of the Americas. “The greatest symbol of this encounter is found in Our Lady of Guadalupe, as we draw ever closer to the 500th anniversary of her apparitions,” Msgr. Juan Antonio Cruz Serrano, Permanent Observer to the Organization of American States, said during an October 20 address to the permanent council of the OAS. “Her image remains a source of unity and encounter.” “The encounter between Europe and the peoples of the Americas, brought about by the arrival of Europeans in these lands, opened new horizons of knowledge, cultural exchange, and mutual enrichment,” the Vatican diplomat said. This encounter was “accompanied by suffering and injustices inflicted upon indigenous peoples, whose dignity and culture were not always respected.” - Cardinal Parolin contrasts culture of power, civilization of love (Vatican News)
Speaking at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, delivered a wide-ranging address entitled “The Culture of Power and the Civilization of Love.” In his October 20 lecture, Cardinal Parolin asked whether it is possible to “stop the increasingly dominant ‘culture of power’ in relations between individuals, communities, and peoples,” as “the failure or limited contribution of law in governing the digital sphere and algorithms makes the ‘culture of power’ evident, both as an exercise of power and as an attitude.” “The civilization of love stands in opposition to the culture of power by pursuing justice and building effective institutions,” he continued. This civilization uses “instruments proper to law, constructing them patiently and verifying their effects.” - More...