A victim of clerical sexual abuse from Ireland shared his story in a private meeting with Pope Leo XIV at the Vatican on Monday.

David Ryan, who was sexually abused by a Catholic priest at Blackrock College in Dublin in the 1970s, told a small group of reporters, including Colm Flynn of EWTN News, after the meeting that the pope “was horrified” by his story during their 40-minute conversation Feb. 2.

“I didn’t hold back. I told him about the abuse,” said Ryan, whose deceased brother, Mark, was also abused while attending the same school.

The pope “just listened to me and then I put my questions to him and we spoke about each one at length,” Ryan said.

Ryan said Leo called his questions “tough” and asked if he could have more time to reflect on them and respond further via email at a future date.

“What an experience. I’ll never, never forget it. [Pope Leo’s] sincerity, his empathy. He felt my pain,” Ryan said.

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Ryan, who has been open about being abused for years from around age 11 by a Catholic priest from his school, said in a 2024 interview with EWTN News that “you never forget about it. It ruined my life, it ruined Mark’s life.”

He said that he shared with Leo that it took him 40 years to realize what happened to him was not his fault.

“I did get a feeling of being listened to and being understood,” he said, adding that he hopes other victims will feel inspired to come forward.

Deirdre Kenny, CEO of One In Four, an Irish organization that supports child sexual abuse survivors, also briefly met Pope Leo.

Kenny called the encounter “very human … very down-to-earth.”

Ryan said he is not “very religious,” which he told the pope, but that he talks to God “in my own funny, little way.”

The Priestly Society of St. Pius X (SSPX) announced Monday that it plans to consecrate new bishops on July 1 even without authorization from the Holy See, a move that would likely lead to automatic excommunication of all the bishops who take part and harden a decades-old split with Rome.

The SSPX, which exclusively celebrates the Traditional Latin Mass and maintains doctrinal differences with certain teachings and reforms of the Second Vatican Council, has not consecrated new bishops since 1988 when the society’s founder, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, consecrated four bishops without Rome’s approval. The move directly contravened canon law and led to their, and the archbishop’s, automatic excommunication.

Even though Pope Benedict XVI remitted the 1988 excommunications in 2009, the Vatican says the SSPX exists in a state of “institutional irregularity” or “imperfect communion” with the Holy See, lacking a formal, recognized canonical structure. Ongoing doctrinal disagreements are the stated reason why no stable canonical structure has yet been granted.

The SSPX said Monday that its superior general, Father Davide Pagliarani, requested an audience with Pope Leo XIV last August to present, “in a filial manner,” the current situation of the SSPX, including its need for bishops.

The society’s statement continued: “After having long matured his reflection in prayer, and having received from the Holy See, in recent days, a letter which does not in any way respond to our requests, Father Pagliarani, in harmony with the unanimous advice of his council,” has decided to proceed with consecrating new bishops.

The SSPX has only two serving bishops: Bishop Bernard Fellay, a former superior general of the society, and Bishop Alfonso de Galarreta. Bishop Richard Williamson was expelled in 2012 for persistent disobedience and open opposition to the society’s superiors and their policy toward Rome. He died last year. Bishop Bernard Tissier de Mallerais died in 2024.

Both Benedict XVI and Pope Francis tried to regularize the SSPX gradually, with Pope Benedict pursuing dialogue that was halted in 2017. Pope Francis granted faculties for confessions and marriages while keeping doctrinal issues open.

Observers say moving ahead with new consecrations after explicitly seeking and not receiving Rome’s agreement signals a clear divergence of judgment that will likely harden positions on both sides, making any future canonical solution more difficult.

They also say the move implicitly challenges how the Holy See is handling liturgy, doctrine, and the traditionalist movement globally at a time when debates over the older liturgy are already intense.

“Excommunications are back on the menu, obviously because it’s automatic,” said Joseph Bevan, a senior SSPX layman and author of the 2025 book “Traddy Daddy — Memories and Thoughts of the Father of a Catholic Family.” He said he believes such a development was “inevitable,” adding that the discussions have been ongoing since July 2025 but with no progress. “Who can blame them?” he told EWTN News. “Rome is dragging its feet and being obstructive.”

But a Rome canonist speaking on background to EWTN News held out hope that as the consecrations have not yet happened, a solution could possibly be found in the meantime, and today’s announcement could press both parties into coming to a resolution.

The Holy See Press Office did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

In his Feb. 2 message, Pagliarani stressed that the SSPX’s motive remains the service of the Church and the preservation of tradition, citing his 2024 reflection on the 50th anniversary of Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre’s declaration that formally set out the position of the SSPX.

“The Society of St. Pius X is not primarily seeking its own survival,” Pagliarani said on that occasion. “It seeks the good of the universal Church and, for this reason, is a work of the Church, responding to the needs of an unprecedentedly tragic era… Without any spirit of rebellion, bitterness, or resentment, we pursue our work of forming priests, guided by the timeless magisterium.”

The communiqué concluded by saying that further explanations regarding the present situation and today’s decision would be expected in the coming days.

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday voiced “great concern” over news of rising tensions between Cuba and the United States of America, urging leaders to pursue “sincere and effective” dialogue to avoid violence and further suffering for the Cuban people.

His appeal, delivered after he recited the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace, came after Donald Trump’s administration issued an executive order late Thursday intensifying economic pressure on the island, including the possibility of imposing tariffs on countries that supply crude oil to Cuba. The order describes Cuba’s posture toward the U.S. as hostile and calls it a “national threat.”

The pope explicitly aligned himself with an appeal from Cuba’s bishops and called on those responsible to choose dialogue over escalation: “I join the message of the Cuban bishops, inviting all those responsible to promote a sincere and effective dialogue, to avoid violence and any action that could increase the sufferings of the dear Cuban people.”

He then entrusted the Cuban people to the patroness of the island: “May the Virgen de la Caridad del Cobre assist and protect all the children of that beloved land!”

Beatitudes as God’s lights ‘in the half-light of history’

Earlier in his Angelus reflection, the pope focused on the Gospel Beatitudes, calling them “lights that the Lord kindles in the half-light of history,” revealing God’s saving plan carried out through Christ “by the power of the Holy Spirit.”

He said Christ gives the disciples a “new law” written in hearts rather than on stone — one that “renews our life and makes it good, even when to the world it seems failed and wretched.” Only God, he said, can truly call the poor and afflicted blessed, satisfy those who seek peace and justice, and give joy to the meek, merciful, and pure of heart.

“In persecution, God is the source of redemption; in falsehood, he is the anchor of truth,” the pope said, adding that Jesus therefore proclaims: “Rejoice and be glad!”

Prayers for disaster victims, peace appeal ahead of Olympics

After the Angelus, the pope said he was praying for victims of a landslide at a mine in North Kivu in the Democratic Republic of Congo. He asked for prayers as well for the dead and those suffering due to storms that recently struck Portugal and southern Italy, and he noted the severe flooding affecting Mozambique.

Marking Italy’s National Day of Civilian Victims of Wars and Conflicts in the World, the pope lamented the ongoing toll of armed actions that violate morality and law, and said victims will be truly honored when this “intolerable injustice” ends.

Looking ahead to the 2026 Winter Olympics, Leo offered good wishes to organizers and athletes and expressed hope that the ancient Olympic truce tradition might prompt “concrete gestures of détente and dialogue” by those in authority.

This story was first published in two parts by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Vatican “Sports Cross” arrived at the Basilica of San Babila in Milan on Thursday evening, one week ahead of the opening of the Feb. 6–22 Winter Olympic Games in Milan-Cortina, Italy.

Since 2012, the Vatican has entrusted the wooden cross designed and created by British artist Jon Cornwall to dioceses hosting the Summer and Winter Olympics.

“It’s an important gesture,” Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary of the Vatican Dicastery for Culture and Education, told EWTN News reporter Paola Arriaza Flynn. “It’s saying something about the Church’s interest and involvement with the world of sport.”

“We want to celebrate the human spirit that expresses itself in so many ways, including in forms of faith,” he added.

During the Jan. 29 welcoming Mass for the “Sports Cross” — also known as the “Cross of Athletes” — Archbishop Mario Delpini of the Diocese of Milan read a message from Pope Leo XIV expressing the pontiff’s hope that this year’s international games will be an occasion for renewed “friendship and fraternity” among peoples.

Archbishop Mario Delpini of Milan celebrates Mass in the Basilica of San Babila in Milan, Italy, on Jan. 29, 2026, after receiving the Vatican Sports Cross ahead of the 2026 Winter Olympics in Milan-Cortina. | Credit: Cherchi/chiesadimilano.it

The evening Mass celebration took place on the eve of the anniversary of the “Olympic Truce,” an ancient Greek tradition that was revived in 1991 to promote peace and allow the safe travel of athletes and spectators during the Olympic and Paralympic Games.

“What we’re trying to do is to invite people, during this time when they’re here for sport, to think about the things that give purpose and meaning in life,” Tighe told EWTN News. “Many values are exemplified in sport.”

“Pope Leo has, from the beginning, talked about the importance of peace,” the Vatican secretary for culture and education said. “Sport speaks a common language … I think peace comes from that sense of people giving their best, giving it in service of others, and working for the good of all.”

The celebration for the presentation of the Sports Cross at the Basilica of San Babila was the first and most significant moment of the “For Each Other” project, promoted by the Archdiocese of Milan.

Throughout the Milan-Cortina games, the archdiocese will offer various educational, cultural, and sporting initiatives, particularly aimed at young people, in different venues across the city.

Prayer is an integral part of evangelization, Pope Leo XIV said in an audience with members of the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network on Jan. 30.

The Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network is a pontifical organization whose mission is to mobilize Catholics in prayer. The group publishes the pope’s monthly prayer intention videos and organizes other prayer initiatives.

In his address, the Holy Father recalled that each month the network disseminates the prayer intentions he and his predecessors have chosen with “careful discernment” — “intentions that touch upon the challenges facing humanity as well as the life and the mission of the Church.”

Leo thanked them for spreading these intentions to tens of millions of people within this global network “who each day present these needs before God.”

Intercessory “prayer is not external to the evangelical work of the body of Christ but an integral part of it,” he said Jan. 30 in the Vatican’s Hall of the Popes.

“The spirituality of your apostolate of prayer is rooted in the heart of Jesus, which allows you to know Our Lord more intimately and to be more compassionate and empathetic as you offer prayerful support for those in need,” he continued.

The pope expressed his desire that, through their apostolate, they will “continue to help the baptized to understand that they are friends and apostles of Christ.”

“It is especially important to invite young people to take part, so that they may form the next generation of intercessors for the needs of the whole world,” he emphasized.

He also highlighted that their Eucharistic Youth Movement can be a particularly fruitful path “to help them to grow in a deeper intimacy with our Lord.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Vatican has said it is considering enlarging a small coffee and drinks bar already present on the terrace of St. Peter’s Basilica and has denied reports it plans to open a restaurant atop the historic church, according to Vatican News.

Italian newspaper Il Messaggero claimed earlier this week that renovations are being carried out to open a “bistro” on the roof area of the Vatican basilica.

“To cope with the increased number of visitors, an extension of the terrace area accessible to pilgrims is being considered,” the basilica communications office said, according to Vatican News.

There is already a small café serving coffee, drinks, and gelato on the roof of St. Peter’s Basilica. Above the church and below the dome, the bar is situated at a halfway point for pilgrims climbing the stairs to visit St. Peter’s cupola.

A tourist drinks a coffee on the terrace of St. Peter’s Basilica at the Vatican, at the base of the towering dome designed by Michelangelo, Monday, Jan. 17, 2005. | Credit: GIULIO NAPOLITANO/AFP via Getty Images

“Some spaces would be made available to expand the small refreshment area already in place, with a sober style appropriate to the context, respectful of the sacredness of the place, and meeting the needs of pilgrims,” the basilica said.

The basilica’s statement claims such an expansion “would reduce the concentration of visitors in the basilica and promote a more contemplative atmosphere.”

Pope Leo XIV met Thursday with members of the Regnum Christi federation’s general assemblies of consecrated women and lay consecrated men, urging them to deepen their sense of identity, embrace leadership as service, and strengthen communion across the apostolic movement’s different vocations.

Regnum Christi calls itself a “spiritual family” with four “vocations”: lay members, consecrated women, lay consecrated men, and the Legionaries of Christ, a religious congregation of priests.

The federation has undergone years of reform and renewal following revelations about its founder, Legionaries of Christ Father Marcial Maciel, who was credibly accused of sexually abusing minors and later found to have led a double life, including fathering at least four children. A 2019 Regnum Christi report acknowledged at least 175 minors as abuse victims of 33 priests in the congregation, including at least 60 cases attributed to Maciel.

Pope Leo did not refer to this history on Thursday but invited Regnum Christi members to rediscover the gift that defines them — their charism, a distinctive spiritual gift given for the good of the Church and expressed in a particular mission and way of life.

“Today more than ever it is necessary to know who we are, if we want to dialogue authentically with society without being absorbed or made uniform,” he said, encouraging members to clarify their identity and vocation so they can proclaim the Gospel more fruitfully.

Pope Leo cautioned against treating a charism as something fixed or merely inherited. The one who receives it, he said, is called to keep it alive so it does not become static but instead becomes a “vital force” that flows “creatively and freely.”

“You are a living body in which charismatic energy passes through every cell and every member — who are, in turn, its bearers and transmitters,” he said. That energy, he added, should animate the mission they carry forward and light the path ahead, so it can be handed on “as a living inheritance” to future generations.

The pope also reflected on governance within the apostolic society, describing it as essential service and “a true ecclesial ministry,” meant to accompany brothers and sisters toward a conscious, free, and responsible fidelity in following Christ.

Any form of governance, he insisted, must be oriented toward service: to support, accompany, and help each member become more closely conformed each day to Christ. He encouraged communal discernment and urged members not to fear exploring new forms of governance, remaining faithful to their charism and attentive to the Holy Spirit.

In concluding remarks, Pope Leo emphasized the need to foster “ever deeper communion” within the wider Regnum Christi family while respecting the richness and diversity of its vocations.

“We are all lives on a journey,” he said, adding that “the Lord does not make noise, but his kingdom springs up and grows in every corner of the world.” God, he continued, “continues to surprise us,” allowing himself to be found by paths that are not our own — a fidelity that renews believers’ hope.

After the audience, Mary Patt Pirie of the United States, the director general of studies for Regnum Christi’s consecrated women, praised Leo’s remarks.

“We were very moved, and it felt like something truly relevant to what we are discerning and living,” she said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday reminded members of the Vatican’s doctrine office of the urgency of offering clear doctrinal guidance in response to new challenges, especially in a context marked by declining religious belief.

The pope received the participants of the plenary session of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF) — one of the oldest and most significant offices in the Holy See — on Jan. 29. He emphasized the “precious service they carry out,” aimed at promoting and safeguarding the integrity of Catholic doctrine in matters of faith and morals.

The mission entrusted to them, the Holy Father stressed, consists in “offering clarifications on the doctrine of the Church” through pastoral and theological guidance on issues that are often both complex and delicate.

Pope Leo XIV meets members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith during an audience with plenary meeting participants on Jan. 29, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Key documents

The pope referred to what he called “the key” documents published by the dicastery during the last two years: the note Gestis Verbisque, on the validity of the sacraments; the declaration Dignitas Infinita, dedicated to human dignity; the “Norms for Proceeding in the Discernment of Alleged Supernatural Phenomena”; the note Antiqua et Nova, focused on the challenges of artificial intelligence; the doctrinal note Mater Populi Fidelis, on certain Marian titles linked to Mary’s cooperation in the work of salvation; and the doctrinal note Una Caro, which underscores the value of marriage as an exclusive union between a man and a woman and presents a defense of monogamy.

Leo did not mention the declaration Fiducia Supplicans, which was published in December 2023, shortly before the DDF’s most recent plenary session.

Fiducia Supplicans, which permitted blessings for couples in irregular situations and same-sex relationships, sparked controversy and questions regarding the Church’s teaching on human sexuality, morality, and the sacrament of marriage in the wake of its publication.

Clear guidance on doctrine

The pope said the work carried out by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith enables spiritual growth in a “change of era” and offers the faithful “a prompt and clear word from the Church, especially regarding the many new phenomena that are appearing on the scene of history.”

“It also provides valuable guidance to bishops in the exercise of their pastoral ministry as well as to theologians in their service of study and evangelization,” he added.

Leo XIV said the dicastery’s meeting this week, centered on discussion of the transmission of the faith, is an issue he considers “of great urgency in our time.”

Looking at the landscape of contemporary society, the pontiff lamented the increase in those who “do not perceive the Gospel as a fundamental resource for their own existence,” especially many young people, who live “without any reference to God and to the Church.”

The pope also renewed his gratitude to the members of the dicastery for their work, especially when their contribution “is offered in a humble and discreet manner.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Vatican has endorsed the Journey to Redemption 2033 project being promoted by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference as well as other episcopal conferences around the world.

The initiative began by encouraging young Christians from across Europe to open up a pathway to faith and hope for a new European generation in preparation for the Jubilee of Redemption, which will be celebrated in 2033.

The first stage of the project began in 2025 in Rome with the Jubilee of Hope. The project’s next destinations are Santiago de Compostela in 2027 and Jerusalem in 2033, coinciding with the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ.

Last week, the bishop of Palencia, Mikel Garciandía, held an intensive series of meetings at the Vatican with various dicasteries of the Roman Curia to advance the initiative worldwide.

The bishop of Palencia, Mikel Garciandía, with Sister Raffaella Petrini, president of the Governorate of Vatican City State. | Credit: Vatican Media

Garciandía’s goal is ambitious: “We want it to be the project that has received the most support from young people in history,” he said.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, the bishop said that even at the Dicastery for the Laity, the Family, and Life, he was told: “This has never been done before: to have a project that has to be simultaneously coordinated across five dicasteries and that is so transversal and so international.”

The project was officially launched on Aug. 1, 2025, with the proclamation of its manifesto during a special event held at Santa Maria in Trastevere Church in Rome as part of the Jubilee of Young People.

However, the decisive moment came on Jan. 21, after the pope’s general audience. “The pope showed us the way and entrusted us with structuring this work with young people,” he explained.

Pope Leo XIV was able to speak briefly with Journey to Redemption organizers Jan. 21, 2026, after his general audience. | Credit: Vatican Media

Garciandía said the pontiff was already aware of the impact of the manifesto, which he had received in a private audience at the Apostolic Palace on Oct. 3, 2025: “This manifesto had received significant media attention in the first half of July, with practically a quarter of a million people and institutions adhering to it.”

“The work of these past few days was structured around three main themes: family and life, youth and culture, and new evangelization, which are three of the elements of this project,” said Garciandía, who was formerly rector of St. Michael of Aralar Shrine.

This shrine dedicated to the Archangel Michael is part of a network from which the initiative originally arose and which was later adopted by the Spanish Bishops’ Conference.

The prelate emphasized that this is a process that has just entered a decisive phase: “Now we are, so to speak, structuring the work for the next eight years.”

The organizers want it to be the manifesto that receives the most support from young people in history. In this regard, Garciandía provided some revealing figures: “236,000 young people signed the manifesto in less than two weeks in July.” He added that “100,000 young people from Canada who are going to hold a conference in 2027 have already requested that Journey to Redemption be included.”

The global dimension is one of the keys to the Journey to Redemption, as about 196 bishops’ conferences throughout the world have been contacted about the effort.

Bishop Garciandía with the pope on Jan. 21 Credit: Vatican Media

The idea is to restore to the pilgrimage experience the spiritual content that, throughout the centuries, filled the soul, heart, and mind of those who traveled the roads to Santiago de Compostelo, Rome, and Jerusalem.

Garciandía noted that the pope himself identified with the youthful spirit of the project: “At the audience, the pope told us, ‘I am young, and I want to sign the manifesto.’ And he signed the manifesto.”

Although the journey’s final stage is in Jerusalem to commemorate the 2,000th anniversary of the passion, death, and resurrection of Christ, the bishop emphasized that “this project aims to have not an end in itself but a horizon of redemption.”

An unprecedented opportunity

The Spanish bishop placed this project in the context of a profound cultural transformation among young people.

“Most of them haven’t even heard of Jesus,” he said, highlighting an unprecedented opportunity: “We have a generation of young people who live on social media and who don’t have any particular prejudices either for or against the Church.”

He noted that for the past 15 years, youth have been “highly ideologized.”

In this context, he said the emergence of social media has been positive because “it has caused the transmission of ideologies and philosophies, even atheism itself, to collapse.”

For the Church, he emphasized, this opens a new missionary horizon “because we have young people who have nothing against us”; hence, the value he attributes to pilgrimages and shrines, which he calls “opportunities where many people are going out into the streets and searching for something that they are thirsting for.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The Vatican Secretariat of State has appointed historian Father Roberto Regoli as president of the board of directors of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation.

Regoli, a professor at the Pontifical Gregorian University, is a specialist in modern Church history and the papacy. A priest of the Diocese of Rome, he is known for his research and teaching on Joseph Ratzinger’s thought.

Regoli succeeds Jesuit Father Federico Lombardi, a longtime Vatican communications leader who served as director of the Holy See Press Office from 2006 to 2016 and previously led both Vatican Radio and the Vatican Television Center.

Established by Pope Benedict XVI on March 1, 2010, the Joseph Ratzinger–Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation promotes the publication, dissemination, and study of Ratzinger’s writings and organizes academic and cultural initiatives centered on his thought.

Father Federico Lombardi (left) and Father Roberto Regoli, outgoing and incoming presidents of the board of directors of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation, in January 2026. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Father Roberto Regoli

The foundation is funded by income linked to copyrights on Ratzinger’s published works and by donations.

The foundation’s signature initiative is the Joseph Ratzinger Prize, given to scholars who have distinguished themselves for theological research. Recent recipients include Irish theologian Cyril O’Regan and Japanese sculptor Etsurō Sotoo (2024), and Spanish theologians and philosophers Pablo Blanco Sarto and Francesc Torralba Roselló (2023).

The foundation’s board members will continue to include Archbishop Georg Gänswein, Professor Achim Buckenmaier, Francesca Bazoli, and Alberto Gasbarri, according to ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News.

The foundation’s scientific committee, appointed by the pope, includes cardinals Kurt Koch and Ángel Fernández Artime along with archbishops Salvatore Fisichella, Rudolf Voderholzer, and Bruno Forte.

In a message of greeting, Regoli thanked his predecessors and wrote that Ratzinger’s legacy “is very much alive — pastorally as well — as a source of inspiration and a sure guide for many personal journeys of conversion around the world.” He added that Ratzinger’s thought “still has much to say” and could make a meaningful contribution to contemporary theological and cultural debates, saying his personal commitment was to ensure that “this voice can continue to be heard through the foundation,” especially by helping young people rediscover the beauty of faith.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV’s appointment earlier this month of Archbishop Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli as secretary of the Dicastery for the Clergy places a seasoned canon lawyer and administrator as the No. 2 in a curial office that directly shapes priestly discipline, pastoral ministry, and formation.

The choice suggests an emphasis on procedural clarity, canonical competence, and experienced leadership in an area where decisions often involve sensitive, high-stakes situations. Redaelli’s track record also points to a governing temperament that favors structured pastoral discernment rather than reactive, polarizing moves — an approach that fits the dicastery’s day-to-day reality and one illustrated by his handling of a controversial case during his tenure as archbishop of Gorizia.

The choice of Redaelli, a canon lawyer, is the latest indication that Pope Leo XIV wants canon law at the center of his governing team, consistent with the appointments of Monsignor Filippo Iannone to lead the Dicastery for Bishops and of Don Marco Billeri as the pope’s second personal secretary. Leo, himself trained as a canon lawyer, reportedly emphasized canon law in the general congregations preceding the conclave that elected him last May.

Carlo Roberto Maria Redaelli was born in Milan on June 23, 1956, and was ordained a priest in 1980. In 1988 he earned a degree in canon law at the Pontifical Gregorian University.

His pastoral and administrative service unfolded in the Archdiocese of Milan. He received priestly ordination from the then-archbishop — and future cardinal — Carlo Maria Martini, whom Redaelli later called “a great master of discernment” and who was widely seen as a hero to progressive Catholics in Italy and beyond.

During his years in Milan, Redaelli served in the archdiocese’s legal office; was president of the Committee for Ecclesiastical Entities and Goods of the Italian Episcopal Conference; sat on the board of the Veneranda Fabbrica del Duomo di Milano; and in 2004 was appointed vicar general of the Archdiocese of Milan by Cardinal Dionigi Tettamanzi, Martini’s successor. John Paul II chose him titular bishop of Lambesis and appointed him auxiliary bishop of Milan on April 8, 2004. Until 2012, Redaelli remained vicar general of Milan, confirmed in the role also by Cardinal Angelo Scola, Tettamanzi’s successor.

On June 28, 2012, Pope Benedict XVI promoted him to metropolitan archbishop of Gorizia. In the diocese in Friuli Venezia Giulia, Redaelli encountered — in 2017 — the case of a scout leader who had entered into a civil union with his same-sex partner. Redaelli intervened through a letter to the presbyteral council of Gorizia, proposing not an outright condemnation but a path of common discernment on how to address new and complex questions for the Church, urging everyone to engage with “respect, attention, and pastoral discernment.”

He now moves to the Vatican to serve at the Dicastery for the Clergy, a key body in the Church’s structure. It deals with matters concerning diocesan priests and deacons — their persons, their pastoral ministry, and what they need for that ministry to be carried out fruitfully — offering bishops appropriate assistance. It also expresses and implements the Apostolic See’s concern for the formation of candidates for holy orders.

Redaelli will turn 70 next June 23. Compared with the recent past, Leo XIV seems to be seeking — alongside canon-law specialists — men with substantial experience: for example, Redaelli’s predecessor, Archbishop Ferrada Moreira, had been appointed by Pope Francis at 52.

Pope Leo XIV said he is praying for a world “without antisemitism, without prejudice, oppression, and persecution of any human being,” during his general audience on Jan. 28.

Recalling the Jan. 27 commemoration of International Holocaust Remembrance Day, held in memory of the millions of Jews and others who lost their lives during that genocide, the pope called on communities of nations “to be ever vigilant, so that the horror of genocide may never again befall any people and that a society based on mutual respect and the common good may be built.”

Leo made his appeal at the end of his weekly general audience in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on a rainy Jan. 28.

He also mentioned Holocaust Remembrance Day in brief comments to journalists as he left his Castel Gandolfo residence outside of Rome on the night of Jan. 27.

Asked about the presence of a United States aircraft carrier in the Middle Eastern region, he stressed the need “to pray hard for peace.”

“We little ones can raise our voices and always seek dialogue rather than violence to resolve problems, especially on this day that commemorates the Shoah,” he said, adding that we must eliminate “all forms of antisemitism.”

The word of God is a living reality

In his main message at the Jan. 28 audience, Pope Leo continued his series of talks on the dogmatic constitution Dei Verbum of the Second Vatican Council. He focused on divine revelation and reflected in particular on the relationship between sacred Scripture and tradition.

The word of God “is not fossilized, but rather it is a living and organic reality that develops and grows in tradition,” he said.

Pope Leo XIV gives his blessing at the end of the general audience in the Vatican's Paul VI Hall on Jan. 28, 2026. Credit: Daniel Ibanez/EWTN News

He pointed to the teaching of St. John Henry Newman, doctor of the Church, who in his work “The Development of Christian Doctrine” affirmed that Christianity — both as a communal experience and as a doctrine — is “a dynamic reality.”

Leo noted that this understanding is already present in the Gospel, when Jesus uses the parables of the seed to express a life that develops thanks to an inner vital force.

Scripture and tradition: An inseparable unity

Following the teaching of the Second Vatican Council, the pope emphasized that sacred Scripture and tradition “are so linked and joined together that one cannot stand without the others.”

Quoting Dei Verbum, he said “there exists a close connection and communication between sacred tradition and sacred Scripture. For both of them, flowing from the same divine wellspring, in a certain way merge into a unity and tend toward the same end.”

Church tradition, he explained, “branches out throughout history through the Church, which preserves, interprets, and embodies the word of God.”

The Catechism of the Catholic Church, citing a motto of the Church Fathers, also affirms that “sacred Scripture is written principally in the Church’s heart rather than in documents and records.”

The pontiff recalled two classic expressions of the Christian tradition. St. Gregory the Great famously said “the sacred Scriptures grow with the one who reads them” and St. Augustine observed that “there is only one word of God that unfolds through Scripture, and there is only one Word that sounds on the lips of many saints.”

Safeguarding the deposit of faith

Leo XIV also quoted the exhortation of the Apostle Paul to Timothy: “O Timothy, guard what has been entrusted to you.”

This passage, he said, is echoed by Dei Verbum, which states that “Sacred tradition and sacred Scripture form one sacred deposit of the word of God, committed to the Church,” whose interpretation belongs to the “living teaching office of the Church, whose authority is exercised in the name of Jesus Christ.”

The pope explained that the term “deposit” is juridical in origin and imposes a precise duty: to preserve the content — “which in this case is the faith” — and to transmit it intact.

For this reason, he stressed that the “deposit” of the word of God “is still in the hands of the Church and all of us,” who, in our various ecclesial ministries, are called to preserve it “in its integrity, as a lodestar for our journey through the complexity of history and existence.”

In his first message for the 60th World Day of Social Communications, Pope Leo XIV warns that artificial intelligence and digital technologies can undermine human relationships and distort reality unless they are guided by responsibility and rooted in education.

The pope’s message, titled “Preserving Human Voices and Faces,” emphasizes the uniqueness of every person and the need to protect what he calls the “sacred” signs of human identity in an era increasingly shaped by AI-generated content.

“Our faces and voices are unique, distinctive features of every person,” Pope Leo XIV writes. “Faces and voices are sacred.” He states that safeguarding them ultimately means “safeguarding ourselves,” since the challenge posed by AI is “not technological, but anthropological.”

The pope cautions against surrendering human judgment to algorithms and automated systems, particularly those built to maximize engagement on social media. “Although AI can provide support and assistance in managing tasks related to communication, in the long run, choosing to evade the effort of thinking for ourselves and settling for artificial statistical compilations threatens to diminish our cognitive, emotional, and communication skills,” he writes.

The pope also highlights new risks in online interaction, noting how difficult it can be to tell whether one is engaging with a real person. “As we scroll through our feeds, it becomes increasingly difficult to determine whether we are interacting with other human beings or with ‘bots’ or ‘virtual influencers,’” he writes, warning that chatbots can be used for “covert persuasion” and may “become hidden architects of our emotional states.”

Pointing to the growing capacity of AI to fabricate content — including “parallel ‘realities’” — the pope underscores the dangers of misinformation and calls for renewed commitment to verification and field reporting. He warns that “failure to verify sources” can “fuel disinformation,” deepening “mistrust, confusion, and insecurity.”

Rather than calling for a halt to innovation, the pope urges discernment and governance, proposing what he describes as “a possible alliance” with digital technology — but only on clear foundations. “This alliance is possible but needs to be based on three pillars: responsibility, cooperation, and education,” he writes.

On responsibility, the pope addresses tech platforms, developers, lawmakers, and the media, urging them to prioritize the common good over profit and to ensure transparency and protections for human dignity. He also calls for clear labeling of AI-generated content: “Content generated or manipulated by AI are to be clearly marked and distinguished from content created by humans,” he writes.

The pope stresses the need to protect the work of journalists and creators: “The authorship and sovereign ownership of the work of journalists and other content creators must be protected. Information is a public good,” he writes.

Education, he adds, is essential for building critical thinking and digital citizenship, and it should reach every generation. “As Catholics, we can and must contribute to this effort, so that individuals — especially young people — can acquire critical thinking skills and grow in freedom of spirit,” Pope Leo XIV writes, adding that such literacy should also reach “older adults and marginalized members of society.”

The message is dated Jan. 24, the memorial of St. Francis de Sales, patron saint of writers and journalists.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, warned Tuesday about a culture of “ex cathedra” condemnations online and called for greater humility in the Church to avoid repeating “the same deception that led to the excesses of the Inquisition.”

“Today on any blog, anyone — even without having studied much theology — expresses an opinion and condemns as if speaking ex cathedra,” the cardinal said as he opened the dicastery’s plenary assembly, being held Jan. 27–29 at the Vatican with more than 70 participants, including cardinals, bishops, and experts.

Fernández cautioned that those working in the dicastery — which issues authoritative responses and drafts documents that can become part of the ordinary magisterium — face a particular risk of “losing the breadth of perspectives,” especially given its role in “correcting and condemning.”

From the department that inherited the historical function of the former Holy Office, Fernández urged participants to be “more aware of our limits.”

He also stressed that the Church’s work requires analysis grounded in listening. “We must reflect, think, analyze reality, but by listening to others, welcoming their perspectives, which allow us to perceive other aspects of reality itself through other points of view,” he said. Employing a favorite term of the late Pope Francis, the cardinal urged more attention to the “peripheries,” where he said things are seen differently.

Fernández said a fuller understanding ultimately requires God’s light: “To understand everything fully, we need to be illuminated by God — we need to invoke him, pray, listen to him, and allow ourselves to be guided by him amid the shadows.”

He pointed as well to a recent line from Pope Leo XIV: “No one possesses the whole truth; we must all seek it with humility, and seek it together.”

The cardinal noted that in theology, the mysteries of the faith form an “organic unity” that cannot be fragmented without losing meaning — and that even powerful technologies cannot give the human mind exhaustive knowledge of reality in all its dimensions. “This is only possible for God,” he said.

Fernández concluded by warning that, in an era of rapid scientific and technological development, failing to keep a living sense of human limits can lead to the same kinds of deceptions that have fueled grave evils in history, including wars and mass atrocities.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

The canon archivist of Vigo Cathedral in Spain, Father Avelino Bouzón Gallego, has confirmed the Spanish origins of Pope Leo XIV’s maternal family by researching the archives of a parish in Galicia in Spain’s far northwest.

After reading on Dec. 14, 2025, in a biography of the pontiff by Rafael Lazcano that Leo XIV has ancestors in towns in Pontevedra province, Bouzón could barely sleep.

“At 3 a.m. on Monday, Dec. 15, I woke up, got out of bed in my pajamas, and after putting on a sweater and a robe, I sat down at my desk, prayed lauds [the canonical hour or part of the Divine Office for the morning], and immediately began writing down the Prevost family tree, following the maternal line with the information provided in the biography,” the priest related in the parish bulletin of St. Bartholomew de Renbordanes Church.

That same morning, at the cathedral archives, he discussed his concerns and suggested to one of his collaborators, Luis Arias, that they begin the research in the La Louriña region, where there are two parishes.

The archives of Santa María de Porriño Parish date back to 1700, so they decided to start with those of San Salvador Parish, which cover one century more.

On Tuesday, Dec. 16, he received what he describes as “earth-shattering news.” They had located the baptismal record of one of Pope Leo XIV’s ancestors mentioned in the biography, Benito de Bastos Lorenzo, who was baptized in that parish in 1639.

The information is recorded in the “Book I of Baptisms [page, line etc.],” Bouzón cited with academic exactitude in the parish bulletin. Based on this information, the archivist concluded that Benito de Bastos Lorenzo is “the fifth great-great-great-grandfather on the maternal side of Robert Prevost [Leo XIV].”

Specifically, Benito de Bastos Lorenzo is part of the ninth generation before that of Pope Leo XIV.

The journey to the Americas of this direct relative of the pope is also detailed, as he married in Havana in 1677 at the age of 32, when Cuba was part of Spain and an “emerging sugar elite” was flourishing there.

“Later, many Galicians and other Iberians who had arrived on the island subsequently moved to Mexico and the United States of America,” Bouzón explained.

This significant genealogical discovery is just the beginning of a larger investigation in order to compile a comprehensive genealogy of the pontiff, which has begun “in the parishes of San Salvador in Torneiros and San Miguel in Pereiras, where direct and collateral [related by blood but not in a direct line] relatives have been found.”

Now, Bouzón promised, “we will continue to follow the thread and weave the tapestry until we reach the current generations, who will be able to present themselves to the pontiff and tell him that they share his same genes.”

In anticipation of Pope Leo’s possible trip to Spain in 2026, it is suggested that his stops will include Barcelona, ​​Madrid, and the Canary Islands.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

For the first time in his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV received the prelates of the Roman Rota in the Apostolic Palace of the Vatican on the occasion of the opening of the judicial year, emphasizing that true justice requires a balance between the rigor of truth and the compassion of charity.

In his welcoming address, Archbishop Alejandro Arellano, dean of the tribunal of the Roman Rota, which is the highest appellate tribunal in the Catholic Church, noted that every judicial decision must reflect respect for the law, the sanctity of justice, and charity toward individuals, always remembering that “only God is before our eyes” as a guiding principle.

After expressing his appreciation for the judicial role they perform, the Holy Father dedicated a lengthy address to reflecting on the relationship between the truth of justice and the virtue of charity.

After recalling that “God is love and truth,” the pontiff emphasized the “dialectical tension” between objective truth and the concerns of charity, which can lead to “a dangerous relativization of truth.”

Pope Leo XIV addresses the prelates of the Roman Rota during an audience at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on Jan. 26, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media Charity, the driving force of true justice

He explained that “misunderstood compassion, even if apparently motivated by pastoral zeal, risks obscuring the necessary dimension of ascertaining the truth proper to the judicial office.”

This, according to Pope Leo, occurs particularly in the area of ​​marriage annulment cases, and “it could lead to pastoral decisions lacking a solid objective foundation.”

Conversely, there can also be “a cold and detached affirmation of the truth that does not take into account all that love for people requires, omitting those concerns dictated by respect and mercy, which must be present in all stages of a proceeding,” he warned.

He also affirmed that the truth “must enlighten every action” and be done in charity, the “great driving force that leads to true justice.”

In light of the teachings of St. Paul and St. John, the pontiff reminded the members of the Roman Rota that their function is to be “fellow workers in the truth.” He also quoted Benedict XVI to emphasize that charity “needs to be understood, confirmed, and practiced in the light of truth.”

Pope Leo XIV meets with the prelates of the Roman Rota during an audience at the Apostolic Palace in the Vatican on Jan. 26, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media A contribution to the salvation of souls

He emphasized that their work must be driven by a “true love for neighbor” and that their service to truth and justice “is a loving contribution to the salvation of souls.”

The Holy Father urged the prelates to exercise “rigorous intellectual honesty,” to strive for “technical competence and an upright conscience,” while also stressing that “service to the truth in charity must shine out in all the work of the ecclesial tribunals.”

“This must be appreciated,” he added, “by the whole ecclesial community and especially by the faithful involved: those who seek a judgment on their marriage, those accused of committing a canonical crime, those who consider themselves victims of grave injustice, and those who claim a right.”

He noted that “canonical processes must inspire the trust that comes from professional seriousness, intense and thoughtful work, and a convinced dedication to what can and must be perceived as a true professional vocation.”

The Holy Father said the faithful “have a right to the proper and timely exercise of procedural functions, because it is a journey that affects consciences and lives.”

He warned: “A purely bureaucratic approach in such an important role would clearly prejudice the search for truth.”

He noted that the judge becomes “a peacemaker who contributes to consolidating the unity of the Church in Christ” and that the judicial process “is the indispensable tool for discerning the truth and the justice in the case.”

“Failure to observe these basic principles of justice — and favoring unjustified disparity in the treatment of similar situations — is a significant violation of the legal profile of ecclesial communion,” he warned.

He noted that in marriage annulment proceedings, even the shortest ones, the grounds for annulment must be carefully evaluated and the process itself must determine whether a more comprehensive procedure is needed.

The pope emphasized that it is essential to study and apply canon law “with rigor and fidelity to the magisterium,” since this allows for resolving cases in accordance with the principles of natural law as well.

At the end of his address, the Holy Father reminded the judges that they are called to “to guard the truth with rigor but without rigidity” and to exercise charity “without omission.”

“In this balance, which is in reality a deep unity, one must manifest true Christian juridical wisdom,” he said.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Last week, the “ad limina apostolorum” visits began at the Vatican. These official pilgrimages to Rome are undertaken by all the bishops of the world, usually organized by episcopal conferences, to renew their communion with the See of Peter.

The expression “ad limina apostolorum” comes from Latin and means “to the thresholds of the apostles.” During this time, the bishops visit the tombs of the apostles Peter and Paul, as well as the various dicasteries of the Vatican, ending their pilgrimage with a meeting with the pope.

Bishops pray before the tomb of St. Peter during their ad limina visit. | Credit: Father Miguel Silvestre When do they take place?

From a canonical perspective, these visits should take place every five years; however, in practice, they are usually spaced out every seven or eight years or even longer, due to the large number of bishops and various circumstances. Among these, the COVID-19 pandemic caused a significant disruption to the regularity of the visits, which are also suspended during jubilee years.

Father Miguel Silvestre of the Work of the Church, an institution of pontifical right, is entrusted with the mission of welcoming the prelates and facilitating their stay in the Eternal City as much as possible.

“We organize their travel schedules and accompany the bishops to the various basilicas and to their meetings at the different dicasteries,” the young Spanish priest explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Silvestre said the fact that the bishops can travel from one place to another with no worries is a great relief for them and makes their visit more efficient and comfortable because “they often don’t know their way around Rome very well or find it difficult.”

“Those of us who live in Rome,” he added, “know the chaos this city entails, and coming from afar, having someone to guide and accompany you provides great peace of mind.”

The priest emphasized the importance of the ad limina meetings, where “the ecclesial and hierarchical communion of the entire episcopate of a country is manifested in a concrete way, as particular [local] Churches, among themselves and with the universal Church, through their union with the Holy Father.”

Pope Leo XIV meets with the bishops of Puerto Rico on Jan. 23, 2026, at the Vatican. | Credit: Vatican Media The origin of the ad limina visits

Although there is no specific date for the institution of the ad limina visit, Silvestre noted that many accounts trace its origin back to the fourth century.

In the sixth century, the obligation of the ad limina visit properly began and was later extended universally, with various regulations, until it was formally established by canon law as it exists today. “It was St. John Paul II who gave a new and renewed impetus to this type of visit by bishops with the Holy Father,” Silvestre explained.

Who organizes them?

The meetings are organized by the Dicastery for Bishops and the Dicastery for Evangelization in the section for the Evangelization of Peoples and in collaboration with all the dicasteries. “The structure has varied throughout the centuries,” the Spanish priest added.

In addition, the bishops work on different documents for years, which they then send to the dicasteries, before discussing the topics presented. “It’s a way of evaluating the situation of each particular Church and then receiving advice or assistance from the dicasteries to continue carrying out the mission that the Lord has entrusted to the bishops,” explained Silvestre, who emphasized that the prelates “leave these meetings feeling very grateful.”

An example of this is the testimony of Bishop Alberto Figueroa, who has served as bishop of the Diocese of Arecibo in Puerto Rico since 2022. On Jan. 23, he concluded his first ad limina visit along with eight other bishops from the island.

In a conversation with ACI Prensa after the meeting with Pope Leo XIV, he described his experience as “surprisingly good and beautiful,” acknowledging that bishops are naturally a little nervous when visiting the Holy See.

He also emphasized that the reception at the dicasteries was “absolutely wonderful,” where they found staff “ready to listen.” For the Puerto Rican prelate, the meeting with the pope was “the icing on the cake.”

What topics are discussed?

The topics discussed vary depending on the country’s situation and the bishops’ conference, such as evangelization, the situation of the clergy, vocations, social and political issues, and the various problems or challenges the bishops are facing.

Figueroa explained that he and the other bishops of Puerto Rico had the opportunity to convey the challenges facing the Church in their country: “We have a very sharp decline in the birth rate, emigration to the United States, and also the issue of gender ideology and other aspects that are having their impact everywhere,” he explained.

However, he emphasized that “the Catholics there continue to live their faith, and it is growing stronger. People feel committed to their Church, they love their Church, and they are interested in understanding the processes leading us to be a synodal and missionary Church.”

The Puerto Rican bishops meet with Pope Leo XIV for their ad limina visit on Jan. 23, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media The meeting with the pope

Regarding the Puerto Rican bishops’ meeting with Pope Leo XIV on Jan. 23, Figueroa said the Holy Father “strongly emphasized the importance of continuing to work very, very closely on family issues. It’s clear that this is a very strong concern for him. He told us to continue this work, always taking into account the family, its involvement, its needs, and the guidance that families require.”

“He was very approachable, listened attentively, and was evidently very discreet in his comments. He understood what we were telling him. I believe that the Church truly continues to be blessed by the Lord through [this] pontificate,” he emphasized.

Of the bishops’ meeting with the Holy Father, Silvestre said they left “very happy, renewed, full of hope, and strengthened.”

The prelate expressed his gratitude for the welcome they received from the Work of the Church during their stay in Rome and said they felt “very edified: They have gone above and beyond for all of us in a fantastic way.”

What difficulties do bishops encounter when they arrive in Rome?

Silvestre emphasized that Rome is not an easy city: “The difficulties, especially for bishops who come from abroad and haven’t studied in Rome, can be the language and sometimes the cold, as is the case these days for the bishops from Puerto Rico.”

“But it’s also true that most adapt very well, even though the visit’s schedule is very demanding, with many formal and informal meetings, and they end up being tired,” he commented.

Father Miguel Silvestre (left) with the bishops of Slovenia. | Credit: Photo courtesy of Tilen Vesenjak Meeting more than a thousand bishops

During his years of service, Silvestre has met more than a thousand bishops. “Having spent so many hours with them, there are many anecdotes,” he commented.

He shared with ACI Prensa some of the stories that have “touched his heart” the most: those of the bishops from mission territories, in the Amazon, Papua New Guinea, or in some parts of Africa.

“The stories they tell are truly impressive. There are bishops who have to travel for several days by boat to reach the most remote communities in their dioceses. Others have to travel on foot for hours and hours to visit communities in the middle of the jungle, where there are no other means of access due to the type of terrain.”

He also recalled the harsh experiences of those who live in areas where Christians are persecuted. “Bishops who have suffered greatly in their dioceses, witnessing the kidnapping of some of their priests, seeing people murdered, or suffering from war, hunger, and the misery of their people. I even know a bishop who was kidnapped by drug traffickers, and another who was imprisoned,” he revealed.

Silvestre said he feels “obligated to pray for them and for their dioceses, and to continue offering my life for the Church, especially for the pope and the bishops.”

“I believe this is something that needs to become part of the consciousness of all Christians: to pray for our bishops, for all of them, because they are the successors of the apostles, the pillars of the Church, and they also need our support, both human and spiritual,” he emphasized.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged Christians to deepen their common witness by growing in “ecumenical synodal practices,” recalling the shared recitation of the Nicene Creed at Nicaea and thanking the Churches in Armenia for preparing this year’s resources for the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

The pope made the appeal during the celebration of Second Vespers for the Feast of the Conversion of St. Paul at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, marking the close of the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity.

Standing near the tomb of the Apostle to the Gentiles, Leo said that Paul’s mission “is also the mission of all Christians today: to proclaim Christ and to invite everyone to place their trust in him.”

Quoting the Second Vatican Council’s call to proclaim the Gospel to all creation, the pope said it is the “shared task of all Christians to say humbly and joyfully to the world: ‘Look to Christ! Come closer to him! Welcome his word that enlightens and consoles!’”

Leo also looked back to the 1700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea, noting that Ecumenical Patriarch Bartholomew had invited Christians to commemorate the anniversary in İznik, Turkey, and giving thanks that “so many Christian traditions were represented” there.

“Reciting the Nicene Creed together in the very place where it was formulated was a profound and unforgettable testimony to our unity in Christ,” he said, praying that the Holy Spirit would help believers “proclaim the faith with one voice to the men and women of our time!”

Reflecting on the Pauline theme of “one body, one Spirit, one hope … one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God,” the pope told those gathered: “We are one! We already are! Let us recognize it, experience it and make it visible!”

Turning to the Catholic Church’s synodal path, Leo cited Pope Francis’ observation that the synodal journey of the Catholic Church “is and must be ecumenical, just as the ecumenical journey is synodal,” adding: “I believe this is a path for growing together in mutual knowledge of our respective synodal structures and traditions.”

With an eye toward 2033 — the 2,000th anniversary of the Passion, Death and Resurrection of Jesus — the pope urged Christians to commit themselves “to further developing ecumenical synodal practices and to sharing with one another who we are, what we do and what we teach.”

Leo greeted Cardinal Kurt Koch and leaders and representatives of other Christian communities, including Metropolitan Polykarpos for the Ecumenical Patriarchate, Archbishop Khajag Barsamian of the Armenian Apostolic Church, and Bishop Anthony Ball on behalf of the Anglican Communion.

He also offered a special word of gratitude to the Churches in Armenia, which prepared the materials for this year’s Week of Prayer, praising “the courageous Christian witness of the Armenian people throughout history, a history in which martyrdom has been a constant feature.”

Recalling Catholicos St. Nersès Šnorhali, whom he called “the Gracious,” Leo said the 12th-century Armenian churchman understood that the search for unity “is a task entrusted to all the faithful, and that it requires the healing of memory.”

The pope concluded by recalling the tradition of Armenia as the first Christian nation, after King Tiridates was baptized by St. Gregory the Illuminator in 301, and prayed that the seeds of the Gospel would continue to bear fruit “in unity, justice and holiness, for the benefit of peace among the peoples and nations of the whole world.”

This story was originally published by ACI Stampa, CNA’s Italian-language news partner. It has been adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV has set “One in Christ, United in Mission” as the theme for World Mission Day 2026, marking the 100th anniversary of the annual celebration established by Pope Pius XI.

In his message, released Jan. 25 on the feast of the Conversion of St. Paul, the pope writes that the Church’s missionary renewal depends first on spiritual communion and reconciliation within Christian communities.

“The mystery of union with Christ lies at the heart of mission,” Leo writes, warning that “conflicts, polarization, misunderstandings, and a lack of mutual trust” can erode the Church’s witness when they take root “even within our communities.”

World Mission Day will be observed Oct. 18.

Union with Christ and unity among Christians

Reflecting on the call to evangelize after the jubilee year, the pope writes that the missionary path “requires hearts united in Christ, reconciled communities and, in everyone, a willingness to cooperate with generosity and trust.”

Leo also links the theme to ecumenical efforts, encouraging Catholics to deepen engagement with other Christians “building upon the opportunities arising from the joint celebration of the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea.”

He stresses that the Christian life is not reducible to an ethical code or a set of ideas.

“Being a Christian is not primarily about practices or ideas; it is a life in union with Christ,” he writes, adding that this communion “is the source of all missionary fruitfulness.”

‘Not an end in itself’

The pope emphasizes that unity is ordered toward proclamation of the Gospel.

“The unity of disciples is not an end in itself; it is directed towards mission,” Leo writes. “It is through the witness of a reconciled, fraternal, and united community that the proclamation of the Gospel acquires its full communicative power.”

He recalls the motto of Blessed Paolo Manna — “All the Churches United for the Conversion of the Whole World” — and notes the 110th anniversary of the Pontifical Missionary Union, founded in 1916. “No baptized person is exempt from or indifferent to mission,” he writes.

Thanks to the Pontifical Mission Societies

Leo offers specific thanks to the Pontifical Mission Societies, writing that their work supporting missionary cooperation is something “I experienced with gratitude during my ministry in Peru.”

He points to their efforts to “promote a network of prayer and charity that connects communities throughout the world” and recalls the role of Blessed Pauline Marie Jaricot, founder of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, who established the living rosary.

The pope also highlights the origins of World Mission Day itself, noting that Pius XI established it in 1926 following a proposal from the Society for the Propagation of the Faith and that the annual offerings gathered are distributed “on behalf of the pope” for the Church’s missionary needs.

Mission as a work of love

In the final section, Leo frames mission as an outgrowth of God’s faithful love revealed in Jesus Christ.

“If unity is the condition of mission, love is its essence,” he writes. “The good news that we are sent to proclaim to the world is not an abstract ideal; it is the Gospel of God’s faithful love, which became flesh in the face and life of Jesus Christ.”

He expresses gratitude to today’s ad gentes missionaries — those sent beyond their homelands — and appeals for new missionary vocations.

“The world still needs these courageous witnesses of Christ, and ecclesial communities still need new missionary vocations,” he writes. “We must always keep them close to our hearts and continually pray to the Father for them.”

Citing St. Francis of Assisi, Leo acknowledges the challenges missionaries can face: “As St. Francis of Assisi said, ‘Love is not loved,’” he writes, urging Christians to let themselves be inspired by the saint’s desire to live and transmit the love of the Lord.

A prayer for unity and evangelization

Leo concludes with a prayer asking that believers be made “one in Christ,” strengthened for witness, and sustained in missionary service: “Holy Father, make us one in Christ, rooted in his love that unites and renews,” the pope prays, asking Mary, “Queen of Missions,” to accompany the Church’s evangelizing work “in every corner of the earth.”

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

Pope Leo XIV said Sunday that the Gospel “calls us to dare to trust,” warning that fear and excessive caution can leave Christians “paralyzed by indecision” rather than ready to follow Christ.

In his reflection before the noon Angelus in St. Peter’s Square, the pope returned to the day’s Gospel (Matthew 4:12-22), asking two questions about Jesus’ public ministry: When did it begin, and where did it begin?

Leo noted that Jesus began preaching “when he heard that John had been arrested,” a moment that might appear “inopportune.” Yet, the pope said, “it was precisely in this dark situation that Jesus began to bring the light of the good news: ‘The kingdom of heaven has come near.’”

“In our lives, both individually and as a Church,” he said, “interior struggles or circumstances we deem unfavorable can lead us to believe that it is not the right time to proclaim the Gospel… In this way, however, we risk becoming paralyzed by indecision or imprisoned by excessive prudence, whereas the Gospel calls us to dare to trust.”

Leo highlighted Galilee as “a predominantly pagan territory” and a “multicultural region,” explaining that the Messiah “transcends the borders of his own land to proclaim a God who draws close to everyone.”

“He is a God who excludes no one,” the pope said, “and who comes not only for the ‘pure,’ but enters fully into the complexity of human situations and relationships.” For that reason, Leo added, Christians “must overcome the temptation toward isolation,” living the Gospel in every setting “as a leaven of fraternity and peace among all individuals, cultures, religions, and peoples.”

After the Angelus, the pope noted that the Third Sunday in Ordinary Time is the Sunday of the Word of God, established by Pope Francis “to promote throughout the Church knowledge of sacred Scripture and greater attention to the word of God.”

Leo expressed concern for Ukraine, saying the country is being hit by “continuous attacks,” leaving “entire populations exposed to the cold of winter.”

“I invite everyone to intensify their efforts to end this war,” he said.

He also marked World Leprosy Day, voicing his closeness to those affected and thanking those who care for patients, including the Italian Association of Friends of Raoul Follereau.

The pope concluded by inviting prayers for peace “in Ukraine, in the Middle East, and in every region where, unfortunately, there is fighting going on for interests that are not those of the people,” adding: “Peace is built on respect for peoples!”

The pope also recalled that Sunday closes the Week of Prayer for Christian Unity and said he would celebrate vespers at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls with representatives of other Christian denominations.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, EWTN News’ Italian-language partner. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News.