Catholic News
- Israeli settlers again attack Palestinian Christian town (The Times of Israel)
Israeli settlers attacked the predominantly Christian village of Taybeh in the West Bank on the night of November 19. The settlers were “filmed slashing the tires of vehicles and hurling stones through shop windows,” The Times of Israel reported. In July, Church leaders protested an earlier attack, describing it as a “direct and intentional threat to our local community first and foremost, but also to the historic and religious heritage of our ancestors and holy sites.” - Pope, in book introduction, reflects on centrality of Christ, communion, peace (CWN)
Libreria Editrice Vaticana, the Vatican’s publishing house, has published La Forza del Evangelio: La fede Cristiana in 10 parole [The Power of the Gospel: The Christian Faith in 10 Words]. - Pope expresses gratitude, encouragement to Vatican diplomatic staff (Dicastery for Communication)
In a recent address, Pope Leo XIV thanked members of the Vatican diplomatic staff who serve in apostolic nunciatures around the world. “You did not hesitate before the voice of the Master, who invites us to follow Him, leaving all else behind in order to take the redeeming word of the Gospel to the ends of the earth,” Pope Leo said to the members of the diplomatic staff, who were in Rome for a jubilee pilgrimage. “This call resounds in a truly special way for you.” “Your particular service is arduous and therefore requires a heart that burns for God and is open to men; it demands study and expertise, self-denial and courage; it grows in confidence in Jesus and in docility to the Church, expressed in obedience to Superiors,” the Pope continued, as he expressed hope that the pilgrimage “may reinvigorate your spiritual life and help you to pursue fervently the mission that the Church has entrusted to you.” - Tanzania's bishops call for independent investigation into violence against protestors (Vatican News)
The Tanzania Episcopal Conference called for an “independent, unbiased commission” to investigate the violent suppression of protests following the October 29 general election. “We are very distressed by this situation and condemn these murderous and brutal killings of our youth and others,” said Bishop Wolfgang Pisa of Lindi, the president of the episcopal conference. “Truly, this is a great evil and an abomination before our God.” The East African nation of 67.5 million (map) is 56% Christian (22% Catholic), 33% Muslim, and 10% ethnic religionist. - Jerusalem cardinal: 'Life has changed very little in Gaza' (Vatican News)
Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, OFM, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, said in an interview that “ordinary life has changed very little” in Gaza. “The only difference—thanks be to God and to those who secured it—is the end of the blanket bombing,” he continued. “Aid is entering more regularly than before, and more reliably, but still far from sufficient given the needs for medicine, hospitals, tents, blankets.” Cardinal Pizzaballa also discussed the deteriorating situation in the West Bank, the pervasiveness of “hatred, revenge, resentment,” and the need for interreligious dialogue. - Be transparent in addressing gaps in anti-abuse efforts, pontifical commission president tells Italian bishops (Conferenza Episcopale Italiana)
Archbishop Thibault Verny, president of the Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors, thanked the Italian bishops for recent efforts to address the sexual abuse of minors. As he addressed the bishops during their recent meeting, Archbishop Verny also asked them to “recognize and value what works, while evaluating and correcting what can be improved.” “This point is crucial: transparently pointing out gaps in safeguarding systems and offering professional responses strengthens the credibility of the Church, so that our ecclesial home is a safe place for everyone, for families, young people and children,” he said. - Archbishop Coakley sees listening, cooperation as heart of synodality (Vatican News)
Archbishop Paul Coakley of Oklahoma City, the new president of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, was asked to explain synodality during an interview with Vatican News. “The simplest path was one, I think, that Pope Francis perhaps laid out when he said it is walking together,” he said. “So that’s learning to listen, being willing to engage in dialogue, and learning to cooperate with one another. That sounds almost too simple, but I think that’s the heart of what synodality means.” Archbishop Coakley also discussed immigration. “Our goal,” he said, “is to accompany our migrant brothers and sisters, but also to work to enact just laws governing immigration and to ensure that those who need to be in the country are able to remain with their families.” - Pontiff announces 2nd World Children's Day (Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life)
Pope Leo XIV has announced that the Vatican will celebrate its 2nd World Children’s Day on September 25-27, 2026. “On the next World Children’s Day, the Church wishes to once again focus her attention on the world of childhood and the natural environment in which children live and grow up, namely the family,” said the Prefect of the Dicastery for Laity, Family and Life, Cardinal Kevin Farrell. “It is important to put children and their families first, to consider them within the rich network of relationships making up their world: relationships with parents, siblings, grandparents, relatives and friends.” The first World Children’s Day, held in 2024, attracted 100,000 children from 101 countries. - Background: Pro Orantibus Day (CWN)
On November 21, the memorial of the Presentation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Church commemorates Pro Orantibus Day (World Day of Cloistered Life), a day of prayer for cloistered religious. (“Pro orantibus” literally means “for the ones who pray.) Pope Venerable Pius XII established the commemoration in 1953; the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life recalled the day in a news release last year. - Pope urges Italian bishops to maintain synodal energy (Vatican Press Office)
In a November 20 address to the 81st general assembly of the Italian episcopal conference, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the bishops to “start afresh from the act of faith that makes us recognize Christ as the Savior and which is expressed in all areas of daily life.” The Italian bishops are meeting this week at Assisi, and the Pontiff stopped to pray at the tomb of St. Francis before the meeting. He urged the Italian bishops to imitate St. Francis in keep their focus on the face of Jesus Christ. The Pope asked the bishops to adopt a synodal approach to issues such as diocesan mergers, the “serious discernment of the requests that come from the People of God,” the promotion of integral humanism “to spread a culture of legality and solidarity,” and to “the challenge posed to us by the digital universe.” - Report finds over 2,000 anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe in 2024 (OIDAC Europe)
In its newly released annual report, the Observatory on Intolerance and Discrimination against Christians in Europe said that there were 2,211 anti-Christian hate crimes in Europe in 2024. “This figure includes a significant rise in personal attacks, which increased to 274 incidents, and a sharp spike in arson attacks targeting churches and other Christian sites,” the organization found. - Ukraine seeks formal Vatican role in hostage negotiations (AP)
Ukraine’s President Volodymyr Zelenskyy has asked Pope Leo XIV to formalize the role of Cardinal Matteo Zuppi, who was named by Pope Francis as a special envoy to facilitate negotiations for the release of hostages in the Russia-Ukraine war. Zelenskyy, who will meet with Pope Leo on Friday, wants the Vatican to act as official intermediary in hostage-release talks. made the request in a letter to Pope Leo XIV ahead of an audience Friday between the pope and a delegation of returned Ukrainian children and civilians. At a briefing Wednesday, the young people described being subject to Russian propaganda and their trauma at being separated from loved ones. Zelenskyy’s letter asked that Leo formalize the informal arrangement launched by Pope Francis in which an Italian cardinal, Matteo Zuppi, had served as a personal papal envoy for humanitarian issues. - Pope Leo: In health-care management, defend the dignity of every person (Dicastery for Communication)
Speaking in Spanish, Pope Leo XIV called upon participants in a seminar on the ethics of health management to “defend actively the unequivocal dignity of every human being, in all stages and facets of their existence.” Pope Leo warned against “a perverse manipulation that will classify [persons] according to the treatments they need and their cost, the nature of their illnesses, transforming them into objects, data, statistics.” Instead, he called for a twofold vision: first, consideration of the common good, rather than immediate profit; second, “the human relationship,” “the recognition [of] the real person, in his or her fragility and dignity.” - Pray and practice humility, Cardinal Parolin tells Vatican diplomatic staff (Vatican News (Italian))
Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Secretary of State of His Holiness, celebrated Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica for the Jubilee of Collaborators of Nunciatures. Cardinal Parolin preached that perseverance in prayer “allows us to look beyond all boundaries, both material and spiritual; it allows us to overcome obstacles of adaptation, coexistence, loneliness, misunderstanding, and disappointment, because it brings into play the power and mercy of God, for whom nothing is impossible.” Cardinal Parolin also spoke of the importance of “humility, performing gratuitous and hidden acts of kindness, helping those experiencing difficult times at home or in the office, and not hurting others with harsh words or bad examples.” - Pontifical commission considers abuse in religious institutes (Vatican News (Italian))
The Pontifical Commission for the Protection of Minors organized “Building Communities that Safeguard Dignity,” a three-day workshop on abuse in religious institutes. Pope Leo sent a message to participants. Father Krzysztof Gierat, CMF, an office head of the Dicastery for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, warned that despite “impeccable protocols,” religious communities may have “ambiguous authorities, ‘informal’ hierarchies, aggression, unhealthy relationships, missed signals, and ignored conflicts,” according to Vatican News. Sister Paola Panetta, president of the International Commission of Dominican Nuns, spoke about abuse in contemplative life and said that lack of email and the screening of mail makes it difficult for contemplative nuns to report sexual abuse, however rare. “The lack of vocations can lead to blackmail or special concessions aimed at avoiding transfers,” she added. “Spiritual abuse can also occur from persons within, with dangerous sectarian tendencies.” - Cardinal explains seating of 'transgender' activist at papal luncheon (Catholic Herald)
Cardinal Konrad Krajewski has dismissed suggestions that the Vatican deliberately snubbed a group of “transgender” activists by neglecting to seat them with Pope Leo at a head table for the Jubilee Lunch for the Poor on November 16. At past luncheons the activists had been seated with Pope Francis. But on this occasion they were given other seats. Cardinal Krajewski, the papal almoner, explained that seats at the head table had been given to people who had attended a Mass before the luncheon; the activist had not. Cardinal Krajewski stressed that the activists were welcome at the luncheon, “because they’re an integral part of the Church, that is all.” - Leading Pacific prelate warns of climate change (L'Osservatore Romano (Italian))
Speaking at a symposium of Catholic leaders in Belém, Brazil—the site of COP30, the UN climate change conference—the president of the Episcopal Conference of the Pacific warned that “the islands of our region are at risk of being submerged in our time.” “Deep-sea mining is adding another layer of destruction,” said Archbishop Ryan Jimenez of Agaña, Guam. “Our communities are already feeling the impacts of climate change. Typhoons and ocean warming are also real threats.” Archbishop Jimenez—misnamed and mistitled by the Vatican newspaper as “Cardinal Ryan Rimenes”—added that “we bishops of the Pacific region are committed to caring for our common home and the islands that are our home.” - Charlotte bishop calls for prayer, fasting amid immigration enforcement actions (Catholic News Herald)
Reacting to immigration enforcement actions in Charlotte, North Carolina, the local bishop called for prayer and fasting. “While I have no words to practically address the fear and uncertainty that many are feeling with the increased presence of federal immigration officials in the Charlotte metro area, I want to call upon all Catholics and people of goodwill to give witness to the message of Jesus,” said Bishop Michael Martin, OFM Conv. Bishop Martin offered four suggestions: “reach out to those living daily with this uncertainty and assure them of our love and care for them”; pray and fast on November 21; “do not vilify federal agents who have been sent to our community”; and advocate for immigration reform. “To those of you who are afraid to come to church, you are not obligated to attend Mass when you are inhibited from doing so by circumstances beyond your control, as the Church has always taught,” he added. - Ukrainian Catholic bishops in US issue letter for pre-Christmas fast (Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church)
The Ukrainian Catholic hierarchy in the United States has issued a pastoral epistle for the pre-Christmas period of fasting (St. Philip’s Fast). “Living through the fourth winter of a barbaric aggression, Ukrainians, members of our Church, bear witness to the profound woundedness of humanity, indeed, they’re experiencing it firsthand,” the prelates wrote. “We bear hidden grief and carry profound wounds. Into the midst of these wounds, Christ is born, and He brings with Him the promise that even in our anguish, hope can take root and healing can begin anew.” The bishops added: We are encouraged to fast not only from food but, importantly in our day, from the chatter of social media, those ‘likes’ and ‘shares’ that steal our inner peace, the pull of consumerism, and the endless distractions that fragment our attention ... We are called to return to the practices that attune our hearts to God’s closeness: personal prayer, attention to the Word of God, participation in the liturgical life of the Church, and silent contemplation. - Polish, German bishops recall 60th anniversary of post-World War II reconciliation (Vatican News)
Bishops from Germany and Poland gathered in Wrocław, Poland, to mark the 60th anniversary of the exchange of letters of reconciliation between the episcopates. Archbishop Tadeusz Wojda, president of the Polish Bishops’ Conference, said that “the Church of both nations dared to speak the language of the Gospel, not of politics. It dared to affirm that reconciliation is possible because God is greater than our fears, and the Holy Spirit crosses borders and walls.” Bishop Georg Bätzing, president of the German Bishops’ Conference, said that “the Church in Poland and the Church in Germany are equally needed. When we speak with one voice, we can bring an ethical dimension to public debate, grounded in the Gospel. The effectiveness of our efforts depends on our cooperation and the unity of our witness.” - More...