Pope Leo XIV has replaced the Vatican constitution promulgated by Pope Francis, eliminating a reference to the “munus petrinum,” or Petrine office, as the basis of the pope’s authority over Vatican City State.

The new Fundamental Law of Vatican City State, promulgated by Pope Leo and already in effect, represents considerably more than an update to the legal framework approved by Pope Francis in 2023.

Unlike the previous law, the new text makes a significant change to the way the foundation of the pontiff’s authority over the Vatican city-state is understood.

The constitution promulgated by Pope Francis stated that the pope exercised sovereign powers over Vatican City “by virtue of the Petrine office,” an expression referring to his sacred mission as the successor of St. Peter to guide, safeguard, and maintain the unity of the Church.

In practice, the formulation linked the pope’s temporal authority to his status as the successor of the apostle to whom Christ entrusted the keys of the Church.

“Francis introduced an anomaly that asserted that his powers as head of state derived from being the successor of Peter,” historian of Christianity Giovanni Maria Vian told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Vian, a former editor of the Vatican newspaper L’Osservatore Romano and a professor of patristic philology at Rome’s Sapienza University, said the formulation represented a completely unprecedented innovation.

“It made his authority over Vatican City State derive directly from his status as Peter’s successor,” he said. “It was a theocratic arrangement without precedent in the very long history of the Apostolic See.”

Vian said Pope Leo, who is trained in both civil and canon law, appears to have decided to correct that innovation and return to the approach followed by the two previous Vatican constitutions, promulgated in 1929 and 2000.

“That assertion was neither adequate, correct, nor precise from a theological and historical point of view. That is why it was removed,” said Father Roberto Regoli, an expert in ecclesiastical history and diplomacy from the 19th to the 21st centuries and president of the Joseph Ratzinger-Benedict XVI Vatican Foundation.

“This omission is very important because the concept was unnecessary and, moreover, inappropriate,” he said.

4 constitutions for Vatican City State

The new law, dated July 31, completely replaces the constitution promulgated by Pope Francis on May 13, 2023. It is the fourth Fundamental Law in the history of Vatican City State.

The first was promulgated by Pope Pius XI on June 7, 1929, a few months after the signing of the Lateran Pacts and the creation of the new state. The law was drafted by Jewish jurist Federico Cammeo.

The second was the reform approved by St. John Paul II in 2000. The third was promulgated by Pope Francis in 2023.

Now, just three years later, Pope Leo has approved the Vatican’s fourth constitution.

The most significant change is found in the preamble. The new text recalls that Vatican City State was created through the Lateran Treaty to guarantee the Holy See absolute and visible independence and to ensure its sovereignty in the international sphere.

According to Vian, the difference between the two constitutions is substantial.

“One cannot maintain that Peter possessed temporal power or that his successors received it directly from him,” he said.

The historian noted that the temporal power of the popes emerged centuries after the apostolic era.

“That did not occur until the beginning of the Middle Ages,” he said. “The Papal States began to take shape around the middle of the eighth century.”

From that perspective, Vian said the formulation introduced by Pope Francis was historically difficult to sustain.

“It was probably the result of a mentality connected to his Jesuit background, obedience to the pope, and also the legal advice he received,” he said. “But from a historical and ecclesiological point of view, it was an anomaly.”

Regoli likewise said Pope Leo has restored the traditional formulation.

“Temporal power is at the service of spiritual power, nothing more,” he said. “Temporal power cannot be divinized or placed on the same level as spiritual ministry.”

A more traditional understanding of the Petrine ministry

Both experts said Pope Leo’s decision reflects a more traditional understanding of the Petrine ministry.

“He understands it in continuity with the tradition of his predecessors,” Vian said.

The Italian historian noted that the popes’ temporal power developed between the eighth and 19th centuries, over the course of more than a millennium, without deriving directly from the apostolic primacy of St. Peter.

Vian also said it was necessary to place the creation of Vatican City State in its historical context.

Following the French Revolution, the Papal States were abolished on several occasions: in 1798, with the establishment of the French-backed First Roman Republic; in 1809, during the Napoleonic occupation; in 1849, with the Second Roman Republic; and finally in 1870, when Italian troops took Rome and brought the temporal power of the popes to an end.

The events opened what became known as the “Roman Question.” For nearly 60 years, the pontiffs refused to recognize the new situation created by the Italian state. As a gesture of protest, they ceased appearing at the central loggia of St. Peter’s Basilica to impart public blessings.

The crisis was resolved in 1929 with the signing of the Lateran Pacts between the Holy See and the Kingdom of Italy. The agreements included an international treaty, a financial convention, and a concordat.

The treaty created Vatican City State as a sovereign territory intended to guarantee the independence of the Holy See.

The new constitution preserves the traditional principle that the pope possesses the fullness of power within Vatican City State.

Article 1 states: “The Supreme Pontiff, sovereign of Vatican City State, possesses the fullness of governing authority, which includes legislative, executive, and judicial power.”

The wording is nearly identical to that used by Pope Pius XI in 1929.

A new legal framework

Another significant change introduced by Pope Leo provides a legal basis for a situation that arose during Pope Francis’ pontificate.

The new Fundamental Law incorporates a November 2025 motu proprio allowing the presidency of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State to be held by someone other than a cardinal.

The reform addresses the case of Sister Raffaella Petrini, whom Pope Francis appointed to lead the Governorate of Vatican City State even though the legislation then in force stipulated that the position was to be held by a cardinal.

The appointment prompted criticism because of the discrepancy between the law and the institutional reality.

According to Regoli, the new constitution formalizes a correction Pope Leo had already introduced in 2025.

“The previous constitution established that the president had to be a cardinal; however, the president was Sister Petrini,” he said. “There was therefore an inconsistency between the law and reality. The pope intervened in 2025, and now, with the new 2026 constitution, that change has been fully incorporated into the legislation.”

The legal change means that “in addition to Sister Petrini, any other woman or man, including a layperson, may hold that office,” Regoli said.

“This is because Vatican City State, since it is not directly connected to theological or sacramental matters, does not necessarily require its governor to be a cardinal, bishop, or cleric,” he explained.

Membership in the College of Cardinals is therefore not an indispensable requirement, he said, because the position is not connected to the sacrament of holy orders.

The new Fundamental Law not only returns the Vatican constitution to the legal tradition of 1929 and 2000 but also regularizes several institutional reforms introduced in recent years.

Both experts agreed, however, that the most important change remains the redefinition of the origin of the pope’s temporal authority, an issue they consider essential to understanding the nature of the world’s smallest state.

“Pope Leo XIV has repaired an unprecedented break and returned to the original spirit in which Vatican City State was created,” Vian concluded.

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.

ASSISI, Italy — Pope Leo XIV called on young people gathered in Assisi to become “new saints,” reject the culture of power, and help build a world founded on fraternity rather than domination.

The pope celebrated Mass on Thursday at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels before the Portiuncula, the small chapel closely associated with the life and vocation of St. Francis.

Addressing approximately 2,500 participants in the GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting on the feast of the Transfiguration, Pope Leo said Assisi has long drawn pilgrims because “everything whispers that our lives can take on a new form, radiate light and heal the world.”

“It was here that the transformation of Francis, Clare and then thousands of other young people began,” he said. “They embraced the Gospel sine glossa — we could say, in its simplicity — then the life of Jesus began anew within them.”

Reflecting on the Gospel account of the Transfiguration, the pope said the young pilgrims had come to Assisi in search of direction and meaning.

“We have come here to understand where history is heading and where we ourselves are going,” he said. “In the Gospel, we see that meaning can indeed be found, that a path can be glimpsed. Like Peter, James and John, we too have been brought a little aside, and Jesus is with us. What matters is his presence.”

“Now, in Jesus’ Transfiguration, God himself reveals his glory, which takes the form of a cloud that protects and envelops. He points to his Son and invites us to listen to him. The path of life is discovered by following him together.”

Pope Leo told the young people that their days of prayer, meetings, and conversation in Assisi offered evidence that they were not alone.

“We are not alone! In recent days you have experienced this, since you have met and listened to one another, moving beyond the clamor of overlapping and conflicting voices to the art of conversation,” he said.

“Today, we contemplate Jesus, who is transfigured precisely in conversation with the Father, with those who preceded him — Moses and Elijah — and with his contemporaries, the disciples.”

The Church, the pope continued, exists to draw people into “this dynamic of listening and decision-making,” helping them understand “for whom we are to live and how we are to live.”

He highlighted the Franciscan tradition’s emphasis on restoring relationships damaged by sin, division, and exploitation.

“Franciscan spirituality, in which you have been formed, is among the most attentive to restoring fundamental relationships with God and with all his creatures,” he said. “Today, more than ever, this is a harmony that needs to be safeguarded and cultivated.”

Pope Leo said St. Francis continues to attract people eight centuries after his death because of the profound humanity that led him to abandon familiar paths and follow Christ in a new and radical way.

“Dear friends, the reason why Saint Francis still draws us to himself, even eight hundred years after his death, lies in the grandeur of humanity that led him to abandon familiar ways in order to find a new path that is more consistent with that of Jesus,” he said.

“Even in a town that had been Christian for centuries, such as Assisi, this seemed revolutionary.”

The pope then issued a direct appeal to the young people gathered before the Portiuncula.

“Well then, dear young people, today Europe and the whole world are looking to you to be new saints,” he said. “Dare to believe in the word of the Gospel; become fully human with the freedom of Jesus Christ; embrace Sister Poverty!”

The name of the youth gathering, he said, was itself a missionary command.

“The title of your gathering, Go!, is a mission, a sending forth onto paths for which we have no maps, because they are opened by listening to the heart, obeying the Holy Spirit, and following the Risen One wherever he has chosen to go before us,” Pope Leo said.

“Go! Go! Better yet: let us go! Let’s go to the margins, where the injustice and arrogance of a few deny the dignity and dreams of many, of far too many sons and daughters of God.”

Following Christ may bring misunderstanding, including from one’s own family or community, the pope cautioned. He insisted, however, that opposing injustice and division does not mean betraying one’s roots.

“We may not be understood, even by those closest to us, as happened to Saint Francis,” he said.

“Yet, breaking free from the culture of power, and tearing down the walls that separate human beings from one another, is never a betrayal of our families, towns or traditions. Instead, it means freeing them from their ghosts, from enemies invented out of fear or ignorance and from the violence with which people seek to impose their own limited order on a reality that surpasses us on every side.”

“To trust in God is to rediscover, like Francis and Clare, a world of brothers and sisters to cherish and serve, not to exploit and dominate,” he continued. “Not a world to defend, but to embrace.”

Concluding his homily, Pope Leo encouraged the young participants to place every aspect of their lives at the service of what he called the “civilization of love.”

“Unite the best energies of your magnificent humanity: your studies, skills, work, friendships, love and prayer, so that you can bring Saint Francis’ vision to life in many different ways,” he said.

The pope then recited the prayer commonly attributed to St. Francis, beginning: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace.”

At the conclusion of the Mass, Francesco Varone addressed Pope Leo on behalf of the young participants.

“During these days, we have prayed, listened to testimonies, formed friendships, and allowed ourselves to be challenged by the Gospel and by the witness of St. Francis, who right here at the Portiuncula learned to make his life a total response to God’s love,” Varone said.

“Today, all of this has found fulfillment in your presence. Holy Father, we young people need authentic witnesses, men capable of pointing us to Christ with their lives, not only with words.”

“Your voice encourages us not to be afraid to choose the good and to believe that the Gospel can still change the human heart,” he continued. “Thank you, Holy Father, because today you make us feel that we are Church. Thank you for being here in Assisi, in Mary’s house; thank you for being among your young people.”

Following the celebration, Pope Leo entered the Portiuncula for a period of silent prayer, greeted the faithful, and then departed for the Vatican.

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.

ASSISI, Italy — Eight centuries after St. Francis gathered thousands of friars near the Portiuncula, Pope Leo XIV met with 2,500 young adults in Assisi on Thursday and urged them to embrace Gospel radicalism, work for peace and remain faithful to the Church despite her wounds and internal crises.

The pope spoke Aug. 6 at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels during the GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting 2026, a gathering of young people ages 18 to 33 from throughout Europe and from countries including the United States, Vietnam and South Sudan.

The event formed part of celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.

In 1221, St. Francis gathered approximately 5,000 friars from across Europe near the Portiuncula for what became known as the Chapter of Mats. With nowhere else to stay, the friars slept on simple mats — an image Pope Leo XIV invoked in his remarks to the young participants, many of whom had spent the gathering sleeping in bags.

The pope arrived by helicopter at approximately 8:28 a.m. near St. Mary of the Angels. He was welcomed by Bishop Felice Accrocca of Assisi and local civil authorities before traveling to the basilica, where he was received by the ministers general of the principal Franciscan orders.

According to Father Alfio Vespoli, Pope Leo XIV personally chose the youth gathering from among the many events planned for the Franciscan centenary year.

Father Marco Vianelli, provincial minister of the Friars Minor of Umbria and Sardinia, welcomed the pope and recalled the importance of the Portiuncula in Franciscan history.

“Your Holiness, here at the Portiuncula St. Francis understood his vocation; here he welcomed his first brothers; here St. Clare consecrated her life to the Lord; here the indulgence of the Pardon of Assisi blossomed, a sign of God’s boundless mercy,” Vianelli said.

“Here, on Oct. 3, 1226, naked on the bare earth, he welcomed Sister Death in song,” the friar continued. “We thank you for accepting our invitation and for wanting to meet these young people.”

Becoming artisans of peace

The first question came from Karolina, a young woman from Zagreb, Croatia, who described the challenge of witnessing to the faith in a rapidly changing society.

“Today, however, we live in a rapidly changing world, where many young people struggle to find points of reference, to build authentic relationships and open their hearts to God,” she said. “We too want to be credible witnesses to the Gospel wherever we live, study and work, and to bring the light of Christ with the simplicity and fraternal spirit of Saint Francis.”

She asked the pope what advice he would give young people formed in the Franciscan spiritual tradition so that they could remain faithful disciples of Christ and bring hope to their peers without losing the joy and simplicity of the Gospel.

Pope Leo XIV noted that Karolina came from a part of Europe that was marked by war only three decades ago and praised the Franciscans’ history of promoting dialogue and peaceful coexistence among Catholics, Orthodox Christians and Muslims.

“Increasingly, Christians will be called to become artisans of peace within societies that are tempted to place religion at the service of competing identities,” the pope said.

“Being witnesses to Christ, therefore, is both captivating and demanding. It enlarges our minds and hearts, freeing us from artificial boundaries, from the fears created by misinformation and from walls built by prejudice,” he continued. “Rejecting the culture of power and building a civilization of love are choices that are not immediately understood or accepted.”

The pope encouraged the young people to learn from St. Francis a radical commitment to the Gospel that should never be confused with fundamentalism.

“Saint Francis, however, teaches that radicalism of the Gospel is the very opposite of fundamentalism,” he said. “It does not make us blind or violent; instead, it makes us aware, attentive and always eager to follow Jesus, and therefore humble and welcoming towards everyone. It is not an easy path, but it brings much joy.”

Pope Leo XIV then asked the participants to imagine the site eight centuries earlier, when young friars from across Europe gathered around St. Francis.

Citing “The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi,” the pope described the friars gathered “company by company, here forty, there a hundred and there eighty together, all employed in speaking of God, in prayers, in tears and in exercises of charity, behaving themselves with so great silence and with such sobriety that no clamor was heard there.”

“That silence stands in stark contrast to war, with its violence, clamor and cruelty,” he said. “The simple mats on which those friars slept speak to us of peace — just like your sleeping bags today. This is the Church: an assembly of brothers and sisters to which everyone is invited.”

The pope also encouraged the young people to bear witness through personal encounters at a time when technology is making face-to-face relationships less common.

“More than words, it is this joy that evangelizes, and it cannot be hidden,” he said.

The courage to choose forever

Giovanni, a 27-year-old from Bologna, asked about discerning and remaining faithful to a vocation in a culture dominated by temporary commitments.

“How can we say a full and courageous ‘yes’ to him, without ‘putting our hand to the plough and looking back,’ by dwelling too much on the hardships and sacrifices that the journey may entail?” he asked. “What helped you most on your own vocational journey?”

Pope Leo XIV said contemporary misunderstandings of freedom can lead people to believe that no decision is truly permanent because both individuals and the world around them are constantly changing.

“In such a context, the courage to make a definitive choice may well be the most revolutionary act of all,” he said.

A permanent choice, the pope continued, “does not imprison us within a cage; rather, it opens us to a greater dynamism.”

“To love is an exodus,” he said. “It is a path to be discovered, a journey that God himself walks with us. This is the meaning of every vocation.”

Faith, trust and faithfulness are inseparably connected, the pope said, warning that people cannot solve their problems simply by fleeing commitments or moving continually from one experience to another.

“We may multiply our experiences, our acquaintances and our possessions, yet remain in exactly the same place,” he said. “The human cost is immense, and the inner emptiness that follows is profound.”

Reflecting on his own vocation, Pope Leo XIV said God had always accompanied him through the people placed beside him.

“Looking back on my own life, I can say that the Lord has never left me alone,” he said. “He has always accompanied me, often by placing people beside me with whom I could share the journey.”

The pope said the light that guided him as a priest, an Augustinian and a missionary remained with him when he was called to accept the unique vocation of serving as pope.

Rebuilding a wounded Church

The final question was posed by Luigi, a 22-year-old from Paternò, Sicily, who spoke on behalf of the Franciscan Youth of Sicily.

Luigi recalled that St. Francis remained obedient to the pope and the Roman Church despite the contradictions and difficulties of his time. Rather than attacking or judging the Church, Francis responded through compassion, obedience and reparative love, he said.

“Today many young people say that they ‘believe, but not in the Church,’” Luigi said. “Even within our own communities we sometimes see a Church marked by contradictions and internal crises.”

“How can we remain faithful to this reparative love?” he asked. “Why is it so difficult today to see the Church as a Mother who, despite her wounds, is always ready to welcome us and to love us?”

Pope Leo XIV acknowledged that many people throughout history have struggled to experience the Church as Christ desires her to be.

“This causes deep suffering; it leaves wounds and disappointments, and for some it even becomes an obstacle to faith,” he said.

Yet the Church continues to bring together men and women who otherwise might never have met, the pope said. Whenever people overcome discrimination and inequality by recognizing one another as brothers and sisters, the miracle desired by Christ is renewed.

“The word of God, the Sacraments and the practice of fraternal love are the means by which the image of Christ is formed within us,” Pope Leo XIV said.

“Francis walked this path: not to dominate, but to serve; not to grasp, but to receive; not to withhold, but to give back,” he continued. “This is the very life of God, which continually renews the Church and makes her a free people, a place of refreshment and salvation.”

Each Christian has a role in the continuing work of rebuilding the Church, the pope said, through different vocations and responsibilities undertaken together.

“Then we shall speak of the Church with the affection one has for a mother, because we shall know that we belong to her,” he said.

After the public exchange, the pope greeted representatives of the Franciscan orders, bishops attending the gathering and members of the national committee responsible for the eighth centenary of St. Francis’ death. He later celebrated Mass in the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels.

Father Luca De Pasquale, one of the organizers, told ACI Stampa that the gathering was not intended to create a temporary spiritual high in which the young people merely enjoyed spending several days together.

Its central objective, he said, was to prepare a “missionary charter” offering concrete guidance to help participants return home and place the Gospel and fraternity at the center of their daily lives.

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 will make an apostolic trip to Uruguay, Argentina and Peru from November 6-17, a nearly two-week tour that will be his first papal visit to Latin America.

As reported by the Vatican on Aug. 5, the pontiff accepted the invitation of the heads of state and ecclesiastical authorities of the three countries to carry out the pastoral visit, which will include several emblematic cities of each nation.

The first stage of the trip will take place in Uruguay, where Leo XIV will stay from November 6-8. During those days he will visit the cities of Montevideo, Paysandú and Florida.

Subsequently the Holy Father will travel to Argentina, where he will visit from November 8-11. The itinerary includes visits to Buenos Aires, Córdoba and the Marian sanctuary of Our Lady of Luján, one of the main pilgrimage centers in the country.

The last portion of the trip will take place in Peru, from November 11-17. In that country, in which the pope has had citizenship since 2015, he will travel Lima, Chiclayo, Cuzco and Pucallpa, on an itinerary that will take him both to the coast and to the mountains and the Peruvian Amazon.

The Holy See said it would release a more detailed itinerary in the near future.

The visit will have a special meaning for Peru, a country where Leo XIV did extensive pastoral and missionary work for years.

The pope, then Father Robert Prevost, lived in Peru for more than two decades in total. He arrived in the country in 1985. His first destination was Chulucanas, but it was in Trujillo and Chiclayo where his pastoral dedication took deep roots.

In 2015, already a nationalized Peruvian, he was appointed bishop of Chiclayo, where he exercised a close and committed leadership. He was there until January 2023 when he was appointed by Pope Francis as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops.

Pope Leo XIV lamented Wednesday that prayer is no longer being passed on in many Christian families and urged the faithful to rediscover it as a fundamental dimension of human life.

“In our time, in contexts dominated by an efficiency-driven and consumerist mindset, prayer may seem pointless and trivial,” the pope said during his Aug. 5 general audience.

“In a world where science and technology claim to provide all the answers, praying may appear to be a form of escapism,” he continued.

Leo resumed his weekly public audience after suspending most of his official schedule during the traditional July summer break. Because of Rome’s high summer temperatures, the audience was held inside St. Peter’s Basilica.

Continuing his catechetical series on the Second Vatican Council, the pope focused on the ecclesial dimension of liturgical prayer as presented in the conciliar constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium.

He warned that prayer is increasingly misunderstood, including within Christian homes.

“Furthermore, even in many Christian families, the tradition of prayer is no longer passed on, whilst many people risk confusing it with just another technique, of a psychological nature aimed at personal well-being,” he said.

“Prayer, however, as a fundamental dimension of our humanity, is worth rediscovering in its true form.”

Leo said Sacrosanctum Concilium took this need seriously. He recalled the words of Pope St. Paul VI when the constitution became the first document promulgated by the Second Vatican Council on Dec. 4, 1963.

“God comes first; prayer is our primary duty; the liturgy is the primary source of the divine life communicated to us, the primary school of our spiritual life,” Paul VI said at the time.

Leo explained that the word “prayer” in the constitution refers to the liturgy as a whole. This understanding, he said, proved decisive in guiding the liturgical reform and placing the active participation of the faithful at its center.

“The liturgy is presented first and foremost as the place of encounter, of God’s initiative in drawing near to humanity in his Son, ‘the Word made flesh, anointed by the Holy Spirit,’” the pope said.

The faithful respond “through Christ, with Christ and in Christ, in the unity of the Holy Spirit,” he continued, through “the very prayer which Christ Himself, together with His Body, addresses to the Father.”

The importance of the Liturgy of the Hours

Leo recalled Paul VI’s desire that the Liturgy of the Hours — the Church’s daily public prayer, which is inseparable from the Eucharist — would permeate, enliven and guide all Christian prayer.

“For this desire to be fulfilled, the Liturgy of the Hours needs to be more fully embraced and lived out in the daily lives of the baptized and of the communities,” Leo said.

The pope described the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours as “the breath of the life of the Church,” through which the Holy Spirit circulates throughout the body of Christ.

He said the Liturgy of the Hours sanctifies the different moments of ordinary life.

“Bound to the Eucharist, whose light it prolongs, the Liturgy of the Hours sanctifies the time of our daily lives: in the morning, we begin the day with faith and gratitude; at midday, we ask for the strength to remain faithful amidst our labours; in the evening, once our work is done, Vespers accompany the moment of sunset; at night, we fall asleep entrusting ourselves to God’s peace,” he said.

“Each Hour is an act of hope: during our earthly pilgrimage, we keep watch, awaiting with the whole Church the glorious return of the Lord.”

The Liturgy of the Hours can also serve as a practical school for those learning how to pray, the pope said, particularly people preparing to enter the Catholic Church.

“To the many people who wish to learn to pray, especially catechumens, it can offer the path and the school of Christian prayer,” 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.

Pope Leo XIV urged the thousands of young people gathered in Medjugorje, Bosnia and Herzegovina, for the Mladifest International Youth Festival to rediscover the beauty of encountering Christ and not to be deceived by promises of fleeting happiness.

The event is proceeding normally, despite the grave act of vandalism that took place on July 28 at the Parish of St. James the Apostle, where the outdoor altar used for celebrations was set on fire and a statue of the Virgin Mary was found defaced with offensive graffiti.

In his message, read by the apostolic visitor for the parish of Medjugorje, Archbishop Aldo Cavalli, shortly before the opening Mass presided over by the apostolic nuncio to Bosnia and Herzegovina and Montenegro, Archbishop Francis Assisi Chullikatt, the pontiff invited participants to return to the source of true joy, following this yearʼs motto: “Ad fontem! To the source!”

Addressing participants from 73 countries, the pope warned against the false promises offered by the contemporary world. “Promises of easy and immediate happiness are alluring, but they often vanish without a trace,” the pope noted, while reminding them that the deepest questions of the human heart — and the longing for lasting joy — endure.

The Holy Father emphasized that these very yearnings can become an opportunity for growth in faith when they lead to the “beauty of a personal encounter with the Lord, who satisfies every heart and gives the strength to always begin anew.”

For that reason, he encouraged the participants to turn to Christ — the “source of new life and authentic joy” — through prayer, listening to the word of God, and receiving the sacraments.

Likewise, the pontiff encouraged the young people to sincerely seek “the truth that sets us free,” without “letting yourselves be captivated by fleeting happiness.”

He concluded his exhortation by inviting them to let themselves be guided by the Holy Spirit and to trust in the intercession of the Virgin Mary, so as to become “luminous witnesses of the Gospel, promoters of fraternity, and builders of peace in society.”

Mladifest has been held annually in Medjugorje since 1989, bringing together tens of thousands of young people from around the world.

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.

In a video message on the occasion of Peru’s National Youth Congress, Pope Leo XIV encouraged young people to not be afraid to be God’s instruments in rekindling the hope of many suffering hearts.

The message was shown as part of the July 30–Aug. 2 event, held in Chulucanas, a town in the Piura region, that brought together thousands of young people from throughout the country.

Chulucanas is the site of then-Father Robert Prevost’s first missionary assignment in northern Peru in 1985, when the man who would become pope — and who has held Peruvian citizenship since 2015 — arrived as an Augustinian missionary in this region entrusted to his order.

In his message, the pope thanked the country’s young people “from the heart, for having responded to this initiative, which renews and strengthens the life of the Church.”

“The motto bringing you together for this gathering is: ‘Be brave, Christ lives.’ It is precisely the certainty of the Lord’s living presence in our midst that is the inner fire driving us to be brave and to step out of the comfort of individualism — to become part of a community of brothers and sisters in faith, to forge true bonds of friendship, and thus bear witness that it is possible to live united in Christ,” Pope Leo declared.

“I invite you to open your hearts wide to welcome the gifts the Lord wishes to pour out upon you,” the Holy Father continued in his message.

“And do not keep what you experience during this event just for yourselves — do not let it remain only in photos on your phones or videos on social media; share it, reflect it in your lives, because today many people need that joyful and contagious witness that a young person in love with Christ can convey,” Leo encouraged.

“Do not be afraid to be God’s instruments in rekindling hope for so many — for so many suffering hearts,” he emphasized.

In closing, the pope entrusted the young people to “the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Evangelization. May she intercede for you, so that you may be Christ’s ‘salt and light’ in this beloved Peruvian land. May God bless you!”

Highly anticipated papal visit

Peruvians are preparing to welcome the Holy Father this November to the country where he served as bishop of Chiclayo and apostolic administrator of Callao, prior to his tenure as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops at the Vatican.

Although the Vatican has not yet officially confirmed it, the cities Pope Leo is expected to visit in Peru include Lima, Chiclayo, Piura, Cusco, and Pucallpa as part of a trip that is also expected to include stops in Argentina and Uruguay.

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 has appointed Monsignor Mario León Dorado, OMI, as apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Rabat, Morocco, after Cardinal Cristóbal López Romero temporarily stepped back from the public exercise of his ministry amid an investigation into allegations of sexual abuse and inappropriate conduct, which he denies.

The Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate announced the appointment in a statement published on the order’s official Facebook page. The appointment was also confirmed to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, although it has not yet been officially announced by the Vatican.

“We are pleased to announce that the Holy See has appointed Msgr. Mario León Dorado, OMI, apostolic administrator of the Archdiocese of Rabat, Morocco,” the Oblates said.

The statement said the Spanish priest would carry out the responsibility “in communion with the Holy See and at its discretion” and invited the faithful to accompany him with their prayers in his new mission.

ACI Prensa obtained a copy of the decree sent by the apostolic nunciature in Morocco communicating the decision. The letter was signed by Archbishop Alfred Xuereb, the apostolic nuncio, and dated Aug. 1.

An apostolic administrator “sede plena” is appointed when the diocesan bishop remains in office but is temporarily unable to exercise pastoral governance. In such circumstances, the Holy See entrusts the ordinary administration of the diocese to another bishop or priest until the situation that prompted the measure is resolved.

The Archdiocese of Rabat covers much of Morocco and is one of the Catholic Church’s principal jurisdictions in the country.

Preliminary investigation underway

The appointment follows López Romero’s announcement in early July that he would temporarily withdraw from all public and pastoral activity while the Church conducts a preliminary investigation into allegations of inappropriate conduct involving adult women.

The cardinal defended his innocence in a brief statement released at the time by the Spanish news agency EFE.

“I have not committed any assault, violence, or sexual harassment,” he said.

López Romero informed the diocesan community of his decision in a message issued at the end of the pastoral year. He said the Church had opened a preliminary investigation into the complaints and that the case was in the hands of the appropriate Holy See authorities.

“I am accused of inappropriate conduct toward adult women,” the archbishop said, adding that he was cooperating fully with the ecclesiastical process.

The cardinal said he would refrain from presiding at public celebrations or taking part in pastoral activities while the investigation is underway.

“During this period of investigation, and so as not to hinder it, I am going to take a step back, refraining from presiding at any public celebration and from participating in any pastoral activity, as you will undoubtedly understand,” he said in the statement obtained by ACI Prensa.

Who is Mario León Dorado?

León Dorado, who is also Spanish, belongs to the Missionary Oblates of Mary Immaculate and currently serves as apostolic prefect of Western Sahara. According to information released by the archdiocese, he has carried out his ministry in the region for nearly 25 years.

He discerned a missionary vocation at a young age and professed religious vows on Sept. 15, 1996. He was ordained a priest on June 2, 2001, and began his pastoral ministry in the Spanish province of Jaén, where he served for three years while retaining his desire to minister in an Arab cultural setting.

That interest was strengthened by a visit to the Sahara during his formation, an experience that profoundly shaped his vocation and ultimately directed his pastoral and missionary work toward North Africa.

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 has encouraged young Ecuadorian Catholics to follow Christ with determination and to reflect his love and mercy to the world.

The Vatican published a video message from Leo for Ecuador’s seventh National Youth Day on Aug. 2, the final day of the event that began on July 31 in Ibarra. In the message, the pope greeted those present and urged them to listen to Christ’s call for their lives.

“I encourage you to listen to the Lordʼs call and to follow him with determination,” the pope said in his message. “An encounter with Jesus Christ fills the heart with joy and gives us the strength to be witnesses of his love and his mercy.”

Leo also asked them to allow themselves to be transformed by Christ’s love and to work for peace in today’s world.

“Allow yourselves to be transformed by his love and be promoters of forgiveness, reconciliation, and peace.”

“The Church needs your joy, your courage, and your witness so that many others may come to know Christ,” Leo added.

The National Youth Day in Ecuador (“Jornada Nacional de la Juventud”) is the country’s own adaptation of World Youth Day, gathering dioceses nationwide for catechesis, worship, and fellowship. The motto for this year’s gathering is drawn from John 16:33: “Take courage; I have conquered the world.”

Amid a rise in homicides nationwide, the Ecuadorian bishops renewed the country’s consecration to the Sacred Heart of Jesus in June. In 1874, Ecuador became the first country to be officially consecrated to the Sacred Heart.

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday expressed concern over the “alarming situation” in Ceuta and appealed for solutions capable of bringing peace, stability and justice to the Spanish enclave facing a major migration and humanitarian crisis.

“I am following with concern the alarming situation in Ceuta, praying to God that, through the intercession of Our Lady of Africa, solutions may be found to bring peace, stability and justice,” the pope said after leading the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square on Aug. 2.

His remarks followed the arrival of an estimated 50,000 to 60,000 people from Morocco on July 30, many of whom attempted to reach Spanish territory by swimming around the border barriers.

According to figures provided by Spanish authorities, at least 67 people died, most of them by drowning. The influx overwhelmed the autonomous city’s capacity to respond and prompted authorities to install additional barriers near the El Tarajal border crossing.

The pope also renewed his appeal for an end to armed conflicts around the world.

“Let us continue to pray for peace, that wars may cease throughout the world and diplomatic solutions to conflicts may be found,” he said.

“Let us remember all the victims of hostilities, especially the weakest and most defenseless: children, the elderly and the sick,” he continued. “May the Lord comfort those who suffer and bless the work of those who bring aid and consolation.”

Pope Leo also recalled the Pardon of Assisi, the plenary indulgence traditionally associated with the Porziuncola chapel in Assisi, Italy.

“Saint Francis obtained this Indulgence from Pope Honorius III in 1216, having been inspired — while praying at the Porziuncola — by a vision of Jesus and Mary surrounded by angels,” he said.

“Let us thank the Lord for this great gift and treasure it, especially in this eighth centenary year of the Transitus of the Poor Man of Assisi, who died at the Porziuncola on 3 October 1226.”

Earlier, in his reflection before the Angelus, Pope Leo encouraged Catholics to rediscover the practice of blessing meals as a simple public witness to faith and a way of bringing the beauty of the Eucharist into everyday life.

“As we savor the grace of the Eucharist, let us commit ourselves to bearing witness to its beauty in our daily actions, beginning with blessing meals at the table with family and friends,” he said.

The pope reflected on the Gospel account of the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, explaining that Christ’s miracles reveal both his care for humanity and the salvation he offers to the world.

“When we listen to the Gospel, we frequently hear that Jesus performed signs, which are acts that reveal his special dedication to us and the salvation that he brings to the world,” he said. “The Lord is presented as the One who gives meaning to our lives, freeing us from evil and sin.”

Pope Leo said Christ’s healing miracles were not merely extraordinary acts but signs that the kingdom of God was near.

“By restoring sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf, Christ is doing more than merely performing miraculous deeds; he is proclaiming to all that the Kingdom of God is near,” he said.

The Gospel, he continued, shows that Christ not only restores the senses but also fills them with good things, giving food to the hungry as well as sight to the blind and hearing to the deaf.

“The account of the multiplication of the loaves shows us that the encounter with the Lord is a nourishing experience,” he said. “In the desert, that is, when we are in need, Christ is the bread of life.”

The 12 baskets of food left over after the crowd had eaten, the pope explained, signify both the universal character of God’s gift and the constancy of his providential care.

“Christ truly satisfies humanity’s hunger, our hunger for truth and life,” he said. “His gesture teaches us that nothing is discarded when it is shared.”

Pope Leo contrasted that spirit of generosity with a culture driven by accumulation and waste.

“Hoarding and waste, on the contrary, are two sides of the same evil: greed,” he said.

He described greed as a spiritual sickness that dulls the senses and makes people indifferent to the suffering of others.

“This spiritual sickness numbs the senses, which become intoxicated with wealth, to the point of making people forget those who weep from hunger and cry out from thirst,” he said.

“And so, in the face of an opulence that reeks of decay, we find the outstretched hands of those who have no nourishment, the burned homes of those who have no peace.”

Against the “deserts of war and arrogance,” the pope invited Christians to contemplate the actions of Jesus during the multiplication of the loaves: looking to heaven, blessing the bread, breaking it and giving it to the disciples to distribute.

“In this miracle of charity, we recognize the characteristic actions of Jesus, which find their culmination in the Last Supper, for it was then that the Son of God gave us his very life as our brother in humanity,” he said.

The pope concluded by encouraging Catholics to make their summer vacations an opportunity for fraternity and service.

“In Jesus’ company, even vacations can become a time of fraternal serenity, if we reach out to our neighbors in need,” he said.

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

Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of August is for evangelization in the city.

“Roughly half of us live in cities. Jesus himself walked city streets, in Cana, in Jericho, in Jerusalem, and just as in those cities Christ is present in ours — teaching, praying, celebrating, but also suffering among the poor, the forgotten, the imprisoned," the Holy Father said in a video released July 31 on X.

He added: “This month, let us pray for the courage to recognize him [Jesus] there and through our work and witness to bring the Gospel to the streets and homes of our metropolises.”

In the full video shared on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website, Pope Leo recites an original prayer written specifically for this month’s prayer intention:

“Lord Jesus, Good Shepherd,

You walk through our streets and squares,

enter tall buildings and humble neighborhoods,

and silently accompany millions

who seek meaning amid noise and haste.

You know, Lord, the heart of the city:

its lights and shadows, its noise and loneliness.

We know that cities are called to be places of freedom and opportunity,

but they can also become spaces of anonymity and isolation.

That’s why today we ask you for a renewed gaze,

able to discover in urban life

fertile ground for proclaiming your Gospel.

Give us a creative and deep faith,

that doesn’t remain in words,

but becomes flesh through simple and loving gestures.

Make us a Church that goes forth,

able to reach out to the peripheries,

to console those who are lonely,

and to sow fraternity and connection instead of giving in to indifference.

Lord, may our urban communities

be open and welcoming homes,

places where hope is shared,

where no one feels invisible,

and where the joy of your Gospel shines

in the hidden lives of so many brothers and sisters.

Make us your witnesses in the city,

bold and creative missionaries,

who proclaim your love with their lives—

a love capable of overcoming haste, noise, and anonymity.

Amen.”

“Pray with the Pope” is accessible on the Pope’s Worldwide Prayer Network website and its digital platforms.

The Vatican’s financial investments and assets rose to a net worth of approximately $3 billion (2.686 billion euros) in 2025.

According to the annual report released on July 31 by the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), the profit increased by $102 million (89 million euros) compared with 2024. The profit was also mainly due to the revaluation of physical gold, the increase in the value of real estate, and the positive valuation of financial securities.

Speaking to Vatican Media, APSA President Archbishop Giordano Piccinotti said that comparing profits in 2024 and 2025 should be done with caution, as 2025 was marked by extraordinary income from the reorganization of financial flows, a situation he described as unrepeatable.

“APSA’s purpose is not to generate an annual profit, but rather to preserve and strengthen the patrimony entrusted to it,” he stated.

A profit driven by real estate

According to the 2025 report, real estate management was APSA’s main economic driver that year, with a profit of $51 million (44.5 million euros), an improvement of $10.8 million (9.4 million euros) over the $40.3 million (35.1 million euros) recorded in 2024.

This growth was driven by higher income from properties directly managed by APSA in Italy. APSA also manages approximately 1,200 properties abroad, including residential and commercial units, primarily in London, Paris, Geneva, and Lausanne, Switzerland.

APSA also made profits from its stakeholdings in several companies, including the Société Sopridex in France, the British Grolux Investments in the United Kingdom, and Profima S.A. in Switzerland.

Cardinal Becciu and the London property sale

For investments, APSA reported that it continues the financial and legal procedures for the divestment of the Luxembourg fund U.K. Opportunities (Sloane & Cadogan), in compliance with a 2020 motu proprio issued by Pope Francis to strengthen transparency and control of Vatican investments.

The fund is linked to the controversial real estate deal involving the Sloane Avenue building in London, which led to one of the Vatican’s biggest financial scandals in recent years. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the former prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, was at the center of this scandal, and the Vatican sentenced him to five years and six months in prison.

Since his conviction in 2023, Becciu has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied any wrongdoing.

The Vatican court ordered a retrial of Becciu’s case on March 17 after the initial sentence was overturned due to a “relative nullity” caused by violations of the right to defense. On Sept. 30, the appeal process against Becciu and other defendants will resume.

Growth by gold, money in reserves, and supporting Roman Curia

The growth in assets was mainly driven by the revaluation of physical gold in the portfolio, which contributed $46.9 million (40.8 million euros), as well as by the increase in the value of real estate by $45.1 million (39.2 million euros) and the appreciation of financial securities by $18.8 million (16.3 million euros).

Financial management showed a negative accounting result of $4.3 million (3.7 million euros) in 2025, compared with a positive $43.8 million (38.1 million euros) in 2024. However, APSA explained that this figure is mainly due to the application of the new Holy See accounting standards, the Vatican Financial Management Policy.

In 2025, APSA allocated a total of $26.1 million (22.7 million euros) to cover the financial needs of the Roman Curia, fully complying with the contribution requested by the Holy See.

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’s financial investments and assets rose to a net worth of approximately $3 billion (2.686 billion euros) in 2025.

According to the annual report released on July 31 by the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA), the profit increased by $102 million (89 million euros) compared with 2024. The profit was also mainly due to the revaluation of physical gold, the increase in the value of real estate, and the positive valuation of financial securities.

Speaking to Vatican Media, APSA President Archbishop Giordano Piccinotti said that comparing profits in 2024 and 2025 should be done with caution, as 2025 was marked by extraordinary income from the reorganization of financial flows, a situation he described as unrepeatable.

“APSA’s purpose is not to generate an annual profit, but rather to preserve and strengthen the patrimony entrusted to it,” he stated.

A profit driven by real estate

According to the 2025 report, real estate management was APSA’s main economic driver that year, with a profit of $51 million (44.5 million euros), an improvement of $10.8 million (9.4 million euros) over the $40.3 million (35.1 million euros) recorded in 2024.

This growth was driven by higher income from properties directly managed by APSA in Italy. APSA also manages approximately 1,200 properties abroad, including residential and commercial units, primarily in London, Paris, Geneva, and Lausanne, Switzerland.

APSA also made profits from its stakeholdings in several companies, including the Société Sopridex in France, the British Grolux Investments in the United Kingdom, and Profima S.A. in Switzerland.

Cardinal Becciu and the London property sale

For investments, APSA reported that it continues the financial and legal procedures for the divestment of the Luxembourg fund U.K. Opportunities (Sloane & Cadogan), in compliance with a 2020 motu proprio issued by Pope Francis to strengthen transparency and control of Vatican investments.

The fund is linked to the controversial real estate deal involving the Sloane Avenue building in London, which led to one of the Vatican’s biggest financial scandals in recent years. Cardinal Angelo Becciu, the former prefect of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints, was at the center of this scandal, and the Vatican sentenced him to five years and six months in prison.

Since his conviction in 2023, Becciu has pleaded not guilty to the charges and denied any wrongdoing.

The Vatican court ordered a retrial of Becciu’s case on March 17 after the initial sentence was overturned due to a “relative nullity” caused by violations of the right to defense. On Sept. 30, the appeal process against Becciu and other defendants will resume.

Growth by gold, money in reserves, and supporting Roman Curia

The growth in assets was mainly driven by the revaluation of physical gold in the portfolio, which contributed $46.9 million (40.8 million euros), as well as by the increase in the value of real estate by $45.1 million (39.2 million euros) and the appreciation of financial securities by $18.8 million (16.3 million euros).

Financial management showed a negative accounting result of $4.3 million (3.7 million euros) in 2025, compared with a positive $43.8 million (38.1 million euros) in 2024. However, APSA explained that this figure is mainly due to the application of the new Holy See accounting standards, the Vatican Financial Management Policy.

In 2025, APSA allocated a total of $26.1 million (22.7 million euros) to cover the financial needs of the Roman Curia, fully complying with the contribution requested by the Holy See.

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 received American singer, poet, and artist Patti Smith in a private audience at the Vatican on Friday, July 31.

The meeting lasted about 40 minutes at the Vatican’s Apostolic Palace, according to Jesuit Father Antonio Spadaro, undersecretary of the Vatican’s Dicastery for Culture and Education, who shared details of the encounter on Instagram.

Smith wore a Tau cross, a symbol closely associated with the Franciscan order, during the audience.

The meeting also had a personal connection: Both the pontiff and the artist were born in Chicago, a detail highlighted by the Vatican when it reported on the encounter.

Known as the “godmother of punk,” the 79-year-old Smith has been a prominent figure in music, poetry, and the visual arts for five decades.

Her debut album, “Horses,” released in 1975, helped transform New York’s music scene by combining rock and poetry. Her best-known songs include “Because the Night,” which she co-wrote with Bruce Springsteen.

The audience took place amid the Holy See’s continuing dialogue with the cultural world.

On May 8, the first anniversary of Leo XIV’s election, Smith inaugurated the Holy See Pavilion at the 61st International Art Exhibition of the Venice Biennale, which is scheduled to continue through Nov. 22.

For the exhibition, Smith and the artistic group Soundwalk Collective presented what organizers described as a “sound prayer.” The collective is a central collaborator in the project promoted by the Dicastery for Culture and Education.

Smith’s relationship with the Vatican extends across several pontificates. She met Pope Francis during his general audience on April 10, 2013, and performed for him at the Vatican the following year.

The Vatican did not disclose what Leo XIV and Smith discussed during their private conversation. Photographs released by Vatican Media showed the artist appearing visibly moved during the meeting.

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 has approved a new constitution for the Vatican, formally allowing non-cardinals to serve as its president.

The new laws, making up the Fundamental Law of Vatican City State, were published on July 31. They replace the 2023 constitution by Pope Francis, which emphasized papal authority over the sovereign state.

In an explanatory note, the Vatican said the new law responded to government and regulatory changes in recent years.

Vatican presidency now legally open to non-cardinals

The most direct change in the 2026 law concerned the presidency and composition of the Vatican’s pontifical commission and governorate.

In an effort to increase female leadership in the Roman Curia, Francis appointed Sister Raffaella Petrini, FSE, as the first female president of both the commission and the governorate in 2025. She was also the first non-cardinal to hold that position, as commission membership had previously been restricted to cardinals.

Since this change had not yet been reflected in Vatican law, it was considered legally irregular.

Sister Raffaella Petrini. | Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/EWTN News

In 2025, Leo XIV issued a motu proprio (a decree by the pope’s own initiative) to legally allow non-cardinals to serve on the commission of Vatican City State. With his 2026 constitution, that change is now codified into the state’s law.

Other changes

Other changes in Leo’s 2026 constitution included changes in the role of the general councilor. It allows for the general councilor to participate in commission meetings and provide consultation.

The 2026 law also specified the role of the secretary-general, who will implement the policies of the president.

Leo XIV’s new constitution is the fourth since the creation of Vatican City State in 1929. Following its Lateran Treaty with Italy that year, the first constitution was established and remained the law of the sovereign state until St. John Paul II replaced it in 2000.

Father Francis Xavier Duan Yongkun was ordained Wednesday as coadjutor bishop of Bameng in China’s Inner Mongolia Autonomous Region after being appointed by Pope Leo XIV on June 15 under the provisional agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China.

Duan’s episcopal ordination was the second connected to appointments made public by the Vatican within the space of a week.

The pope also appointed Father Joseph Chang Yanfeng as the new bishop of Chifeng, another diocese in Inner Mongolia, on June 15. Chang was also ordained a bishop Wednesday, although the Vatican announced his appointment on July 22, while Duan’s appointment was made public this week.

The Holy See Press Office said Duan, 45, was appointed coadjutor bishop of Bameng after the Holy Father approved his candidacy through the procedures established by the Vatican-Beijing agreement governing the appointment of bishops in China.

Biography

Duan was born Dec. 6, 1980, in Hangjin Houqi, Inner Mongolia. He studied at the Hebei theological seminary from 2000 to 2007.

He later continued his academic studies at Peking University and Beijing Foreign Studies University between 2008 and 2013.

Duan was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Bameng on Jan. 1, 2011. He subsequently studied at Fu Jen Catholic University in Taiwan from 2013 to 2016.

After returning to his diocese, he served as director of the local formation center from 2016 to 2020. He was later appointed vicar general of the Diocese of Bameng and pastor of the diocesan cathedral, positions he held until his episcopal appointment.

Duan’s ordination represents another step in cooperation between the Holy See and Chinese authorities over the filling of episcopal sees.

The bilateral agreement, first signed in 2018, regulates the process for selecting and recognizing Catholic bishops in China.

The Holy See and China have not maintained diplomatic relations since 1951, following the rise to power of Mao Zedong’s communist government. Chinese Catholics subsequently became divided between the state-controlled Chinese Catholic Patriotic Association and an underground Catholic community that remained loyal to Rome.

The full text of the 2018 agreement has never been made public. It was renewed every two years until 2024, when the two sides extended it for four years, through 2028.

Under the publicly understood terms of the agreement, the pope retains the final decision on episcopal appointments in China and may reject candidates proposed by Beijing. The Holy See, for its part, agreed not to appoint bishops without the prior approval of the Chinese government.

Tensions during papal interregnum

During the period between the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV, Chinese authorities unilaterally selected two bishops, including one for a diocese already led by a prelate recognized by the Vatican.

On April 28, 2025, Father Wu Jianlin was elected auxiliary bishop of Shanghai by Church organizations controlled by the Chinese state. The following day, Father Li Jianlin was selected as bishop of Xinxiang in Henan province.

Li’s selection caused controversy because the Holy See already recognized Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu as the legitimate bishop of the diocese.

Although the selections may have been planned before Francis’ death, their timing attracted the attention of observers.

AsiaNews reported that the decisions conveyed a clear message from the Chinese Communist Party: A vacant papal see would not affect the operation of the Catholic Church in China.

With Duan’s appointment and episcopal ordination, 16 Chinese Catholic bishops have now been ordained under the provisional agreement signed by China and the Holy See during the pontificate of Francis.

Chinese episcopal appointments under Pope Leo XIV

Pope Leo XIV has closely followed the appointment and ordination of Chinese bishops. Drawing on his years of missionary and pastoral service, the pope has shown particular concern that Catholics in China be able to practice their faith in peace, proclaim the Gospel, and help heal divisions that remain within the local Church.

He has also emphasized the importance of safeguarding ecclesial communion and unity with the successor of Peter as the visible guarantee of communion between the bishops and the universal Church.

Since the beginning of his pontificate, Leo has advanced several episcopal appointments in China and entrusted new responsibilities to bishops who had already been ordained.

On June 11, 2025, the Vatican announced the civil recognition and installation of Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou in Fujian province. Pope Leo XIV had made the appointment on June 5. Lin welcomed the decision and expressed his willingness to cooperate in the diocese’s pastoral mission.

On July 8, 2025, Leo suppressed the Dioceses of Xuanhua and Xiwanzi, which Pope Pius XII had established in 1946, and created the new Diocese of Zhangjiakou as a suffragan see of Beijing.

Two months later, on Sept. 10, Father Joseph Wang Zhengui, whom the pope had appointed to lead the new diocese, received episcopal ordination.

Father Ignatius Wu Jianlin was ordained auxiliary bishop of Shanghai on Oct. 15, 2025, after Leo appointed him to the position on Aug. 11.

Father Francis Li Jianlin was ordained bishop of Xinxiang in Henan province on Dec. 5, 2025, after being appointed by the pope on Aug. 11.

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.

A potential visit by Pope Leo XIV to Ukraine could make a significant contribution to international efforts to end the war and achieve a lasting peace, Ukraine’s ambassador to the Holy See said.

“We are absolutely sure that his possible visit would be a great input into the process of reaching peace there,” Ambassador Andrii Yurash said in an interview with “EWTN Noticias,” the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

He said the presence on Ukrainian soil of “probably the most respectable spiritual leader of the world,” carrying “a message of peace” and “a message of justice,” would be “the greatest input into this process.”

Yurash spoke after Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, said the Vatican was seriously considering the possibility of a papal visit to Ukraine.

Gallagher spent six days in the country last week. On July 20, he met in Kyiv with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy, who thanked the Holy See for its continued support for Ukraine amid the war with Russia.

“We continuously express our wish to have His Holiness as quick as possible in Ukraine,” Yurash said.

The diplomat said expectations among the Ukrainian population for a papal visit were extremely high.

“The pope is the most wanted foreign representative in Ukraine,” he said, adding that Ukrainians would like to receive and embrace him and “listen to his messages expressed directly on the Ukrainian land.”

Yurash said he was confident the pope understood those expectations.

“I hope he is thinking very seriously about that, and I hope he is looking for some really appropriate moment when it can be realized,” he said.

Repeated invitations

Pope Leo XIV has received several official invitations to visit Ukraine.

Yurash said the invitations had been extended at every level since Zelenskyy first met the pope on the day of his inauguration. The Ukrainian president and the pontiff have since held two other meetings, according to the ambassador.

The latest invitation came on Good Friday, when Zelenskyy formally asked Pope Leo XIV to make an apostolic visit to the country.

During the conversation, the pope expressed his closeness to Ukrainians suffering because of the war and emphasized the urgent need to guarantee humanitarian assistance. He also expressed his hope for an end to hostilities and a just and lasting peace with Russia.

Gallagher’s visit was preceded by a second mission to Ukraine by Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, the pope’s special envoy.

The archbishop of Bologna recently completed a four-day visit to Lviv and Kyiv, during which he emphasized the exchange of prisoners, the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia, and the delivery of humanitarian aid.

Yurash said the missions demonstrated the Holy See’s commitment to Ukraine.

“I think the message is very obvious,” he said.

“The message is that His Holiness understands realities of the war in Ukraine, and in this way of sending two very high representatives of the Holy See, he is trying to show that he is supporting Ukraine in general and any attempts to reach, to achieve just peace for Ukraine, as he expressed many, many times,” Yurash said. “So I think the message is absolutely clear.”

Ukraine is not alone

The ambassador also highlighted the moral and spiritual support that he said the Holy See continues to offer Ukraine.

“The Holy See shows that Ukraine is not alone, that the Holy See is trying to do everything possible to support spiritually Ukrainian people, to give some hope, to inspire people to be strong,” he said.

Yurash said that support was also rooted in the defense of international law and Ukraine’s territorial integrity.

“The value of international law is recognized by everybody, and the Holy See always repeatedly speaks that the Holy See supports territorial integrity of Ukraine,” he said.

“The Holy See, the whole civilized world, is against the violation of international law,” Yurash continued. “And in this spiritual, Church way, the Holy See expressed one more time this very concrete message for us.”

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.

Leo XIV, the first pope born in the United States, has emphasized his continued love for his native country, even as head of the global Catholic Church.

The pontiff made these remarks in an interview with Tom Llamas of NBC News on July 29 at Castel Gandolfo. The interview followed the “Canticle of Peace” music prayer service for peace at the Borgo Laudato Si’, part of the Pontifical Gardens at Castel Gandolfo, featuring music by the renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

Leo, in discussing his love for America, clarified that his identity is now of a universal pastor.

“I have great love for America,” Leo told NBC News. “But I understand my mission as having a very important dimension, which is precisely being pastor of a universal church.”

“I think of myself more as the Pope who happens to be American.”

The pope also acknowledged the historic significance of being the first U.S.-born Bishop of Rome.

“I will acknowledge that for myself, as well as for the people of the United States… that there is great significance in being the first American Pope,” Leo said.

He also outlined his favorite aspects of the U.S., including a sense of freedom and opportunity for generations of migrants, including his ancestors, some of whom were enslaved.

“We have people who were both slaves and slave owners.”

“I come from a family [where] my grandparents were immigrants on my motherʼs side,” the pope said. “There’s a history, if you will, of growing up in the kind of experience that helps me recognize myself, one of the greatest wealths of the United States.”

Addressing the likelihood of a future visit to the U.S., Leo explained that the Vatican was considering the timing of such a visit.

“Today we were looking at the calendar for the next couple of years. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I certainly hope to be there soon,” Leo said.

The pontiff briefly returned to Castel Gandolfo on July 29 for the “Canticle of Peace” after recently concluding his vacation there from July 5-27 and returning to the Vatican.

Pope Leo XIV stated Wednesday that “the beauty of music invites us to encounter the One who is beauty itself,” during the “Canticle of Peace” prayer and fraternal gathering held at Castel Gandolfo’s Borgo Laudato Si’ gardens.

Leo XIV also prayed for peace to reign “in all those places in the world that continue to suffer from violence

The gathering, organized by the Laudato Si’ Center for Higher Education and the Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF), took place as part of the celebrations marking the eighth centenary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.

Addressing the young members of the ABF Voices choir who came from Uganda, the Holy Land, and Italy, Leo XIV assured them: “Know also that the Holy Father loves you and prays for you, for your families, and for your countries.”

After listening to the performance by tenor Andrea Bocelli and the choir, the pope thanked them for the effort put into preparing the recital and congratulated their conductors, noting that “music has the extraordinary capacity to bring different voices together in unison, where each contributes something unique to the whole.”

“In this sense, the choir becomes an ideal symbol of harmony and cooperation,” he added.

Andrea Bocelli during his performance at the “Canticle of Peace” before Pope Leo XIV and the young people gathered at the Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo on July 29, 2026 | Credit: Vatican Media.

In his message, Leo XIV noted the significance of the fact that Sacred Scripture and the Church’s liturgy speak of “choirs of angels and saints” when describing the joy of heaven.

This does not mean, he explained, that they are “literally singing all the time,” but rather that, “united in love, they contemplate God together and find the fullness of happiness in him.”

The Holy Father then invited the young people to reflect on what had taken place during their performance: “As you sang, did you notice how music drew all of us into a new experience — something greater than anything any one of us could have created alone?”

“This is the experience of beauty. It opens up a new horizon before us and awakens within us the desire to move towards it,” he continued.

The pope explained that “when we journey toward that horizon, we do not simply discover something, but Someone. We encounter God, our Creator.”

Pope Leo XIV speaking to the young participants in the “Canticle of Peace,” held at the Borgo Laudato Si’ in Castel Gandolfo on July 29, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Leo XIV encouraged the young people to continue cultivating the gifts God has bestowed upon them and to allow those talents to lead them to him, for “He is all we seek in life, the only one who can calm our restless hearts.”

The pontiff also reminded them that “you were made for great things and that the whole world is not enough to satisfy your thirst for meaning and happiness.”

Before concluding, Leo XIV thanked the Andrea Bocelli Foundation for its work on behalf of young people facing educational and social disadvantages, and highlighted that “through the power of music, you are contributing to the Church’s mission of promoting the integral development of every human person in service of the common good. May God bless your efforts.”

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.

A Catholic anti-trafficking network, led by nuns, assisted 1.2 million people worldwide in 2025 through its outreach against human exploitation.

The annual report for Talitha Kum, the international network of consecrated life against human trafficking, founded by the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), was published on July 29. The initiative is led by Catholic nuns, and the report details their efforts to prevent trafficking, protect and care for survivors, and build international partnerships.

An accompanying press release from the UISG stated that, according to the International Labour Organization, about 50 million people are living in situations of human trafficking, and exploitation generates over $236 million every year.

Against this exploitation, Talitha Kum reached 1.21 million people through various programs, including prevention activities and survivor protection. This represents a 29.6% increase in the number of people reached compared with 2024.

Talitha Kum also expanded its outreach in other areas, including global partnerships, access to justice, networking, and engagement with young people.

Its efforts with young people are particularly noteworthy. Of the 928,972 people reached through its prevention efforts in 2025, 303,359 were women and girls, and 262,621 were children under the age of 18.

Sister Abby Avelino, MM, international coordinator of Talitha Kum, spoke of the growth of the network as necessary to confront new forms of exploitation, particularly online.

“Human trafficking continues to evolve in increasingly complex ways,” Avelino said in the press release. “Thousands of young people from Africa, Asia, and other regions have been deceived by false promises of employment, trafficked across borders, and forced into cyber-enabled criminal activities through violence and coercion.”

The Talitha Kum network, founded by the UISG in 2009, has expanded its anti-trafficking efforts across 113 countries. Pope Leo XIV addressed them and others in a message sent for the 12th World Day of Prayer and Awareness Against Human Trafficking in February.

On July 15, several UISG representatives met with Queen Camilla of the United Kingdom to share with her the impact of Talitha Kum’s work in 2025.