The Vatican has urged the United Nations (U.N.) to include the homeless in efforts to create sustainable cities, stating that the “persistence of homelessness should trouble the conscience of the international community.”

The Permanent Observer Mission of the Holy See to the U.N. made these remarks in a message for the 2026 High Level Meeting of the United Nations General Assembly on the New Urban Agenda, which took place in New York from July 16–17. The message also marked the 10th anniversary of the adoption of the New Urban Agenda at the U.N.

As reported by Vatican News on July 29, the Holy See stated that adequate housing is not merely a commodity but a fundamental part of a society committed to the common good.

“Everybody deserves a place to call home, where they can build relationships, nurture family life, and participate fully in their community,” the message wrote. “Housing should therefore be viewed not just as a commodity or financial asset, but as a cornerstone of society at the service of the common good.”

The Holy See also referenced Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical Magnifica Humanitas, emphasizing that “development is truly human when it places people at the center.” It also explained that homelessness, beyond merely lacking a home, prevents people from exercising their fundamental human rights.

“Not having a home means more than just lacking shelter; it means being deprived of security, stability, privacy, and a sense of belonging,” the message said. “Homelessness undermines the ability to exercise many fundamental human rights and often traps individuals and families in cycles of exclusion and poverty.”

The message concluded by noting that a city’s development cannot be evaluated by its buildings or economy but by its ability to enable individuals to flourish.

The homelessness epidemic, however, is not only a concern for the Holy See; politicians are voicing similar concerns. United Kingdom Prime Minister Andy Burnham, the first to publicly identify as a Catholic, has made addressing homelessness a key part of his agenda.

The Vatican will launch its first conference of Christians and Confucians to expand the Catholic Church’s outreach to the Asian ethical tradition.

The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue will hold the colloquium “Dialogue on the Contribution of Christianity and Confucianism to an Ideal Society: New Heaven, New Earth, and Great Unity” in South Korea from Aug. 4–5. As reported by Union of Catholic Asian News, it will convene clergy and scholars at Sogang University in Seoul to discuss universal fraternity, virtuous leadership, and ecological responsibility.

Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, is expected to attend along with other dicastery officials.

The event is also organized by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of Korea.

The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue has participated in similar conferences, including the 2025 workshop “Christians Fostering Dialogue with Confucians: Guidelines and Prospects” in Taiwan and the 2024 study group that developed guidelines for Confucian-Catholic dialogue.

Confucianism developed from the ethical teachings of the Chinese philosopher Kong Qiu, known in the West as Confucius. He emphasized filial piety, ancestor veneration, moral self-cultivation, and harmonious social relationships rather than devotion to a creator god.

According to 2025 estimates from the World Religion Database, approximately 8.75 million Confucianists live worldwide. The largest populations are in South Korea, with 5,616,520 people; China, with 1,737,191; Myanmar, with 813,322; Thailand, with 261,330; and Japan, with 162,179.

According to Vatican News, at the 2025 workshop, Father Paulin Batairwa Kubuya, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, explained that certain Confucian teachings are already consistent with Christianity.

“Christianity and Confucianism are wisdom traditions,” Kubuya said. “Confucian ethics is very strong on how people should comport themselves, how to be good citizens, and how to organize their lives. We find that these aspects correspond to Christianity.”

Kubaya also expressed his hope that the future of Confucian-Christian dialogue would help Christians “look at our Confucian neighbors, look at how we can develop a better way of living together, [and] how we can enrich one another.”

The Vatican is participating in the international art exhibition “La Biennale di Venezia” in Italy for the fourth consecutive year. A senior Vatican official explained the Vatican’s support for the exhibition and its recent focus on contemporary art.

Irish Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary of the Culture Section at the Dicastery for Culture and Education, told EWTN News that contemporary artists can reach people in ways that the Church cannot.

“Contemporary artists have their fingers on the pulse of humanity,” Tighe told EWTN News. “We want to honor their lives, encourage them, and show them we are listening.”

“They use different idioms — sometimes strange, sometimes difficult — to communicate and alert us to profound realities. We want artists to know the Church’s engagement with art isnʼt just in the historical past tense; it’s an ongoing dialogue today.”

Why the Vatican is turning to contemporary artists

The Holy See, through the Dicastery for Culture and Education, has a pavilion at the Venice Biennale — which runs through Nov. 22 — featuring the work of American punk-rock singer Patti Smith and soft brutalist Mexican architect Tatiana Bilbao.

This initiative is among several in recent years that reflect the Vatican’s focus on promoting contemporary art. On Sept. 14, Pope Leo XIV will inaugurate an exhibit on water at the Vatican Apostolic Library. In 2025, the Vatican hosted contemporary art exhibits during the jubilee year, including a gallery space on the main road leading to St. Peter’s Basilica, which still features works by contemporary artists.

The exhibition “En Route” at the Vatican Apostolic Library features historical artifacts and contemporary artistic interpretations. | Credit: Iacopo Scaramuzzi

Tighe defended the Vatican’s partnership with contemporary artists, saying that the Church has learned from them since its beginning.

“The Church has been both inspiring artists and encouraging artists, but also learning from artists,” Tighe said.

“If you think of something like the Biennale, there are lots of younger people from the worlds of the arts. Many of them are probably not overly engaged with religion or with faith. There is the kind of art that speaks the language of today because of the concepts the artists of today are using. We need to engage with them.”

In describing the Vatican’s focus on contemporary art, Tighe likened its appeal to that of sports, encouraging Catholics to use it to open conversations about faith.

“We have given a lot of attention and emphasis to sport because, in reality, there are more people on any given Sunday engaged with sport than are engaged with faith. [We Catholics] could lament that, or we can say, ‘Well, letʼs try and speak to them,’” he said.

Pope Leo XIV encouraged young people to use social media and artificial intelligence (AI) prudently because “they can immerse us in an unreal world.”

In a video message to participants at the 2026 Halleluya Festival in Fortaleza, Brazil, the pontiff proposed St. Carlo Acutis, known for using digital technologies to evangelize, as a model for new generations.

“He shows how to keep Christ always at the center, even when using technology,” he noted.

Taking that example as a reference, Leo XIV, who published his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, on AI in May, advised young people to use both social media and artificial intelligence appropriately.

“I advise you to use social media and artificial intelligence well, employing these tools in a moderate and disciplined manner, because they can immerse us in an unreal world where the ephemeral, mere appearance, and deception end up taking the place of true values ​​and what really matters,” he warned.

Addressing the participants at the youth evangelization event, which combines music, praise, and worship, the pontiff highlighted the spiritual fruits the initiative has yielded over the years, mentioning “confessions, conversions, and priestly and religious vocations.”

“Today, I would like to say once again how good it is to be with young people. Your enthusiasm is contagious and awakens a renewed apostolic zeal in all of us,” the Holy Father stated.

He also noted that young Catholics possess “a missionary vigor indispensable for transforming this world, which is in such need of the Gospel.”

He thus strongly urged them: “Never lose this missionary zeal!”

The pope emphasized that there are still many people who need to discover that Christ answers the deepest aspirations of the human heart. In this context, he invited young people to proclaim the Christian faith without fear.

“Proclaim with courage that a life without Christ is a life without grace. He is the Way, the Truth, and the Life,” he declared, quoting the Gospel of St. John.

León XIV drew upon one of St. John Paul II’s most well-known expressions to invite young people to place their full trust in the Lord.

“Do not be afraid of Christ. He takes nothing away; he gives everything,” he affirmed, noting that whoever gives himself to the Savior “receives a hundredfold” and “always emerges victorious.”

The pope asked the Holy Spirit to rekindle in young people a love capable of transforming their youth into an evangelizing force and to turn them into “living stones” for the building of a “city of peace.”

Pope Leo XIV imparted his apostolic blessing to all the participants and organizers of the Halleluya Festival: “May God always be with you.”

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 peace proposed by Pope Leo XIV is “not abstract, ideological, or naive” but one that “passes through the pain, contradictions, and wounds of the world,” according to Alessandro Banfi, communications director of the Oasis Foundation and coordinator of a new book collecting the pope’s teachings on peace.

“Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift” is the first anthology to bring together the pontiff’s principal texts on peace since his election May 8, 2025.

Published last week in Italian by the Vatican Publishing House, the volume contains speeches, messages, and other interventions on one of the central themes of Leo’s pontificate. It also includes a previously unpublished foreword written by the pope.

An English-language edition is expected soon.

In an interview with ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, Banfi said the project was intended to provide “an agile volume, accessible to everyone, that would bring together the great teaching of the first year of this pope’s pontificate on the subject of peace.”

Banfi said the book’s introduction offers one of the principal keys to understanding Leo’s thought.

Christ’s peace passes through suffering

“When we carefully reread the opening lines of his introduction, we see something very significant,” Banfi said. “He says that he began his ministry by proclaiming to the world the risen Christ, the Prince of Peace. But he immediately recalls that the peace of Christ passes through suffering, through the Passion and through the cross.”

That statement, Banfi said, reveals the depth and scope of the pontiff’s proposal.

“The peace proposed by the pope is not the abstract, naive, or ideological concept of the hippies,” he said. “It is a peace that passes through the pain, contradictions, and wounds of the world.”

Responding to those who dismiss pacifism as unrealistic or merely idealistic, Banfi said the Christian vision of peace is grounded in a concrete experience.

“Pacifism is often ridiculed because it is considered utopian or unrealistic, incapable of confronting the complexity of reality,” he said. “But the peace proposed by the Church is born of a concrete experience. Before anything else, it is the proclamation of a gift that precedes us. Peace is a gift.”

Building peace therefore requires both personal and collective responsibility, he said.

“We have the responsibility to build it, to pray for it, to promote interreligious dialogue and to ask the powerful of the earth to work for it,” Banfi said. “We must act concretely to influence societies and states. But it is equally important not to forget interior peace.”

Banfi said Leo’s positions on peace did not begin with his election as pope but form part of a personal journey shaped by Augustinian spirituality and his missionary experience in Peru.

A pope shaped by St. Augustine

Banfi situated Leo’s thinking within the Augustinian tradition, pointing in particular to the pope’s reference to “The City of God” in his address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Holy See.

St. Augustine contrasts the earthly city, directed toward power, wealth, and pleasure, with the city of God, made up of those who live in hope, Banfi explained.

“Leo XIV bears witness to a man of great interior freedom in the face of the pressures of the world, the problems of the Church and even its internal divisions,” he said. “Amid the noise of the Church and the world, this pope conveys extraordinary serenity and interior freedom.”

Banfi also recalled that during the years of terrorism by Peru’s Shining Path guerrilla movement, the then-missionary priest Robert Prevost refused to go into hiding or accept a security escort despite threats against members of the clergy.

“I think we often assume that a commitment to peace is limited to opposition to war, but he was also a great witness in the face of terrorism,” Banfi said.

He also cited a photograph from the 1980s showing the young Augustinian taking part in a peace demonstration in Comiso, Sicily, against the deployment of NATO missiles. Prevost appears alongside other priests holding a banner reading “Young Augustinians for Peace.”

Banfi cautioned, however, against confusing the Church’s mission with the promotion of a merely pacifist movement.

The Church, he said, is “the bearer of a proposal for peace that is born of faith in Christ.”

A message for an age marked by war

Banfi said Leo’s message has particular relevance amid a global increase in armed conflicts.

“Today, more than 100 countries are involved in some way in wars or conflicts,” he said. “It gives the impression that the pope is almost the only voice that continues to call for peace, that still believes in the possibility of peace.”

In the book’s unpublished introduction, Leo refers to the Global Peace Index 2026, an annual assessment of peace levels around the world produced by the Australia-based Institute for Economics and Peace.

Banfi said the pontiff is challenging the growing conviction that war is inevitable and that rearmament is the only way to guarantee security.

“What is happening today is that the idea seems to have taken hold that war is inevitable, even necessary, and that rearmament is indispensable,” he said. “The pope is fighting precisely against this dominant mentality.”

Banfi also highlighted the pope’s reference in the introduction to a Bob Dylan song against nuclear war, written in 1962 during the Cuban missile crisis.

“It was a moment of enormous risk for humanity, but it was also a time when there was a widespread sense that peace could be built, nuclear arsenals could be reduced, and negotiated disarmament could advance even in the midst of the Cold War,” Banfi said.

Against today’s backdrop of prolonged conflicts and growing international tensions, Leo takes up Pope Francis’ warning about “a third world war fought piecemeal” and points to the increasing difficulty of bringing contemporary wars to an end.

The conscience that can change history

One passage that particularly struck Banfi was the pope’s reference to Soviet officer Stanislav Petrov, who in 1983 helped prevent a possible nuclear war after suspecting that a warning of an American attack was a false alarm.

The pope writes that “the conscience of one man can be worth as much as the entire world,” Banfi noted.

For Banfi, the statement expresses “a truth that applies to all of us.”

“Society is mistaken when it stops believing that,” he said.

Banfi linked that idea to another major theme of the papal text: a radical confidence in the human person’s capacity to choose what is good.

“It is the same message as his first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas: an irreducible optimism about humanity,” he said. “It is like when he asks in another passage of the introduction: ‘Is humanity really seriously considering destroying itself?’ It is a profoundly prophetic question.”

The book also addresses disarmament, the importance of dialogue, international law, and the role of multilateralism.

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.

Ahead of the 2028 ecclesial assembly for the Synod on Synodality, the Vatican has called on dioceses to provide an assessment of their implementation of synodality.

The General Secretariat of the Synod published the document “Recollecting” on July 27, providing diocesan synodal teams with a resource to draft their reflections on their progress since the diocesan phase began in October 2021.

In the accompanying press release, Cardinal Mario Grech, secretary-general of the synod, explained that the notes are intended to help local Churches “recollect” their synodal journey with gratitude.

“Evaluation is not a technical exercise but an experience of gratitude and truth,” Grech said. “Recollecting means recognizing what the Lord has brought to maturity in the journey of our communities and allowing ourselves to be guided towards the next steps.”

The recollecting phase is part of the 2028 preparation for synodal teams and will culminate in a broader reflection during the first half of 2027. Each diocese is to prepare two documents around that time: a narrative report and a letter to the other Churches.

The document “Recollecting” called for discussions about the challenges facing synodality at the local level, including resistance.

“Particular attention should be given to the difficulties encountered, resistance to renewal, obstacles that have hindered the journey, unsuccessful attempts and questions that remain open,” the document stated.

The recollecting phase of the synod’s implementation path is one of four preparatory stages before the ecclesial assembly in 2028. The other three are “Interpreting” in the second half of 2027, “Orienting” in the first four months of 2028, and “Celebrating” in October 2028.

Pope Leo XIV has appointed San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone and Kalamazoo, Michigan, Bishop Edward M. Lohse among seven new members of the Apostolic Signatura, the Catholic Church’s highest court.

Cordileone has led the Archdiocese of San Francisco since 2012. Previously an auxiliary bishop of San Diego and bishop of Oakland, California, he is known for his public defense of contested Catholic teachings, including the Church’s teaching on marriage. In 2025, he was appointed to the advisory board of the U.S. Religious Liberty Commission.

Lohse, the bishop of Kalamazoo and apostolic administrator of Steubenville, Ohio, previously worked at the Vatican’s Congregation for the Clergy from 2010 to 2015. He holds a doctorate in canon law from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome.

The pope also appointed Spanish Bishop Juan Ignacio Arrieta Ochoa de Chinchetru, the former secretary of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts, where he served for nearly 20 years, from 2007 until June 2026.

Arrieta, a priest of Opus Dei who was ordained in 1977, has also served as coordinator of the commission that reformed the Institute for the Works of Religion, commonly known as the Vatican Bank, and as a consultant to the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples. He holds doctorates in canon law and civil law from the University of Navarra in Spain.

Another Spanish appointee, Father Eduardo Baura de la Peña, is an Opus Dei priest and professor in the Faculty of Canon Law at the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross in Rome. He also holds doctorates in canon law and civil law.

The three other new members are German Jesuit Father Ulrich Rhode, a professor in the Faculty of Canon Law at the Pontifical Gregorian University; Bishop Krzysztof Nitkiewicz of Sandomierz, Poland; and Italian Father Gianpaolo Montini, also a professor in the Gregorian’s Faculty of Canon Law.

The Apostolic Signatura serves as the Church’s supreme tribunal and oversees the proper administration of justice throughout the Catholic Church.

Its members, who include cardinals, bishops, and priests, are appointed by the pope for five-year terms. The court is led by its prefect, French Cardinal Dominique Mamberti, who, as cardinal protodeacon, announced the election of Pope Leo XIV on May 8, 2025.

Among its responsibilities, the Signatura hears challenges to certain decisions of the Roman Rota, including petitions for nullity and requests for the complete restoration of a case. It also considers appeals in cases concerning the juridical status of persons.

The tribunal judges administrative disputes referred to it by the pope as well as jurisdictional conflicts between Vatican dicasteries and between dicasteries and the Secretariat of State.

It also supervises the proper administration of justice in ecclesiastical tribunals and may take action concerning ministers, advocates, or procurators when necessary.

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, having just concluded his vacation at Castel Gandolfo in Italy, will return there on July 29 for a musical prayer service featuring the renowned Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli.

As announced on July 27 by the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff will lead a moment of prayer at the “Canticle of Peace,” sponsored by the Andrea Bocelli Foundation (ABF) and hosted by the Borgo Laudato Si’, part of the Pontifical Gardens at Castel Gandolfo. The pontiff will have recently concluded his vacation there, having stayed from July 5–27.

The music will feature Bocelli and the ABF Voices Of choir, comprising 164 children and young people from war-torn regions, in an effort to promote peace through song.

The event also marks the 15th anniversary of the foundation and the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi. The pope’s reflection and prayer during the event will draw inspiration from St. Francis’ famous “Canticle of the Creatures.”

In a separate July 22 press release by the ABF, Bocelli described the initiative as an opportunity to transform differences into a harmonious peace-building effort.

“Music has this gift. It does not erase differences but transforms them into harmony,” Bocelli said.

The “Canticle of Peace” will be Leo XIV’s second summer concert at Castel Gandolfo, the other being a July 18 concert in his honor offered by the nearby Diocese of Albano. It will also be Bocelli’s second performance for the pope, having sung at the inauguration of the Borgo Laudato Si’ in 2025.

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday urged parties across the Middle East to suspend their attacks and reopen diplomatic negotiations, warning that escalating military operations were endangering civilians and worsening shortages of drinking water and electricity.

“I continue to follow with deep concern the ongoing and escalating violence in the Holy Land, where, in recent days, many civilians, both in the West Bank and in Gaza, have once again fallen victim,” the pope said July 26 after leading the Angelus from the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo.

His remarks followed one of the most tense days in the West Bank in recent months. A shooting in Tell, southwest of Nablus, reportedly killed at least four Palestinians and two Israeli soldiers and was followed by attacks by Israeli settlers against several Palestinian communities.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Defense Minister Israel Katz subsequently announced that military operations would be intensified in areas Israel considers centers of terrorism.

“I make a heartfelt appeal for a return to negotiations to achieve a just political solution, founded on the equal dignity and equal rights of every human person,” Pope Leo said.

“At the same time, I urge the rejection of further military actions and unilateral decisions, especially those that violate the respect for and the status quo of the holy places of every religion.”

The pope also renewed his appeal concerning the wider Middle East, where he said intensified military operations had “again wreaked violence and destruction, endangering the lives of countless civilians and further aggravating the shortages of drinking water and electricity.”

“From the depths of my heart, I exhort all parties involved to suspend the attacks and urgently reopen paths of dialogue and diplomacy, so that the longed-for peace for the entire region may be achieved without delay,” he said.

Pope Leo invited the faithful to continue praying for people throughout the world who are suffering because of war.

“May the Lord touch the hearts and enlighten the minds of those in power, so that reconciliation and peace may soon prevail,” he said.

Prayers for wildfire victims

The pope also expressed his closeness to people affected by devastating wildfires in France and Spain and called for prayers for both the victims and emergency workers involved in relief efforts.

The fires have forced hundreds of thousands of people to leave their homes, while forecasts of temperatures reaching approximately 108 degrees Fahrenheit were expected to increase the danger in the affected areas.

Beatification of Elias Hoayek

Pope Leo recalled the July 25 beatification in Lebanon of Elias Hoayek, who served as Maronite patriarch of Antioch from 1899 to 1931 and founded the Congregation of the Maronite Sisters of the Holy Family.

“For more than thirty years, he led the Maronite Church with great dedication and pastoral sensitivity,” the pope said.

“A man of dialogue and hope, he was an outstanding ecclesial, social and political leader, so much so that he came to be known as the ‘Father of Greater Lebanon.’”

The pope prayed that the new blessed’s intercession would accompany Maronite Catholics throughout the world and obtain peace for Lebanon, “a country dear to my heart.”

World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly

Pope Leo also marked the sixth World Day for Grandparents and the Elderly, whose theme was drawn from the words of the prophet Isaiah: “I will never forget you.”

“Together, let us give thanks to the Lord for the gift that the elderly are to the Church and society,” he said.

“Let us also commit ourselves to respecting and valuing the precious role they play, and to ensuring that they always receive the care, attention and assistance they deserve.”

The kingdom of God enlarges life

During his Angelus reflection, Pope Leo focused on the Gospel’s images of the kingdom of God as a hidden treasure and a pearl of great price.

“The parables convey the surprise of those who find something far beyond what they could have hoped for, so much so that selling or leaving everything behind no longer seems a sacrifice, but a gain,” he said.

The pope said the evangelists present Christ’s call to discipleship as irresistible.

“It is a free choice, yet also urgent and capable of eliciting a ready and wholehearted response,” he said. “Encountering his Kingdom marks a turning point that does not limit life but enlarges it.”

“If anything must change on our part, it is only so that our lives may be opened to greater possibilities, not fewer.”

Pope Leo noted that the figures appearing in Christ’s parables include peasants, merchants, travelers, fishermen, scribes, shepherds, farmers and women carrying out ordinary household tasks.

“In short, the Kingdom of God reveals its inestimable beauty in different ways, but calls everyone — men and women, young and old, rich and poor — to a profound renewal,” he said. “Everyone is capable of understanding it and is drawn to it.”

The pope said that the Church likewise brings together people with different backgrounds, cultures, abilities and responsibilities.

“Yet all are called to recognize themselves as ‘one’ in Jesus Christ: he is the hidden treasure, the pearl of great price, the net that gathers those who are scattered,” he said.

“From the beginning, Jesus called and gathered around himself people who would otherwise never have come to know one another. In this way, he demonstrated that God has no favorites, but instead offers his love freely, especially to the little ones or those cast aside.”

Pope Leo concluded by urging Catholics to ask for the wisdom sought by the young King Solomon: the ability to recognize what is truly valuable.

“While the consumer culture influences our tastes, constantly creating new needs only to sell us solutions that never satisfy, and that sometimes even poison the heart, we must learn to grasp what truly matters,” he said.

That treasure, the pope continued, is “a relationship with God that opens us to joy and helps us to live our relationships with one another more fully.”

The July 26 Angelus was Pope Leo’s final Sunday appearance during his summer stay at the Apostolic Palace in Castel Gandolfo. He was scheduled to return to the Vatican on Monday, July 27.

The pope was expected to return to Castel Gandolfo on Wednesday, July 29, to meet young choristers participating in the Andrea Bocelli Foundation’s Voices of Global Gathering at the Borgo Laudato Si’. Bocelli was scheduled to perform a musical work titled “Cantico di Pace.”

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 will study the conditions needed for a possible trip by Pope Leo XIV to Ukraine, Archbishop Paul Richard Gallagher said following a six-day pastoral and diplomatic mission to the war-torn country.

Gallagher, the Holy See’s secretary for relations with states and international organizations, said the possibility of a papal visit was among the questions he heard most frequently during his stay.

“Almost everyone I met asked me that question. My answer is very simple. The Holy Father takes this invitation very seriously,” Gallagher told Vatican Media in Kraków, Poland, before returning to Rome.

“For our part, we will continue to study the conditions necessary to determine the right time and the most appropriate way for such a visit to bear the greatest possible fruit for Ukraine and for peace in the world,” he said.

Gallagher spent six days in Ukraine, which has been at war since 2014 and has endured Russia’s full-scale invasion since February 2022. He held political, institutional, and Church meetings and took part in several pastoral events.

He met Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kyiv on July 20. Zelenskyy expressed gratitude for the Holy See’s continuing support for Ukraine amid the war with Russia.

The principal purpose of Gallagher’s visit was to participate in celebrations marking the 35th anniversary of the restoration of the Latin Catholic Church’s structures at the Marian shrine of Berdychiv. Thousands of faithful attended the celebrations July 19.

Gallagher said Ukrainian authorities had expressed appreciation for the Holy See’s support.

“In our meetings with the authorities, we encountered profound gratitude for the Holy Father’s appeals and his words, and that is a source of encouragement for us,” he said.

“They feel supported by the closeness shown first by Pope Francis and now by Pope Leo. This encourages the Holy See to renew its commitment to dialogue with the international community and with the Russian authorities, and to continue its humanitarian efforts, such as the mission entrusted to Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, who continues working for the return of children, prisoners, and civilians.”

Pope Leo XIV has received several official invitations to visit Ukraine. Zelenskyy renewed the invitation during a conversation with the pope on Good Friday.

During that exchange, Pope Leo expressed his closeness to the Ukrainian people amid the suffering caused by the war and emphasized the urgency of ensuring humanitarian assistance. He also expressed his hope for an end to hostilities and a just and lasting peace with Russia.

A just and lasting peace

Asked about the prospects for a ceasefire, Gallagher said he had seen a strong willingness on the Ukrainian side to work toward that goal.

“During these days I have seen a strong determination on the Ukrainian side to work towards that goal. It is difficult for me to say whether this can be achieved in the immediate future, but we must continue to work in that direction,” he said.

“At the same time, as we saw at the shrine of Berdychiv — and as the history of this remarkable place of Marian devotion reminds us, renowned for many reported healings — we should never rule out the possibility of a miracle.”

Gallagher also reflected on what he had witnessed during the mission.

“For me, this has been a profoundly positive experience. Beyond the logistical effort and the long journey required to reach Ukraine, it has allowed me to touch the reality of today’s world with my own hands,” he said.

“We must remember that not everyone lives as we do in Italy or in my native England. There is a dark and troubling reality in our world today. We must not give in. In our own way, we too are called to strive, doing our part with the means available to us, in order to build peace.”

Zuppi’s humanitarian mission

Gallagher’s visit followed Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi’s second mission to Ukraine as Pope Leo XIV’s special envoy.

The archbishop of Bologna completed four days of meetings in Lviv and Kyiv focused on prisoner exchanges, the return of Ukrainian children taken to Russia, and the delivery of humanitarian assistance.

Zuppi met civil and religious authorities, officials responsible for prisoner exchanges and relatives of military personnel and civilians being held in Russia.

Among his principal meetings was an encounter with Ukrainian Foreign Minister Andrii Sybiha, who thanked the Holy See for its humanitarian efforts and requested its support in achieving a comprehensive and lasting peace.

Sybiha also raised Kyiv’s concerns about civilians detained in Russian territory and called for a humanitarian corridor to assist thousands of people in the Russian-occupied communities of Oleshky and Hola Prystan in the Kherson region.

Prisoners were a central focus of the mission. Proposals discussed included a possible comprehensive exchange of prisoners of war, continued efforts to locate missing people, and measures to facilitate the return of civilians.

The parties also discussed the situation of Ukrainian children taken illegally to Russia, an issue in which the Holy See has been involved for years through diplomatic and humanitarian initiatives.

Another topic was the protection of the Kyiv-Pechersk Lavra, a UNESCO World Heritage Site that has recently been damaged amid attacks connected to the war. Ukrainian authorities consider its preservation and restoration a priority.

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.

On July 23, the Catholic Church celebrates the feast day of St. Bridget of Sweden, a mystic of the Middle Ages who was a wife, mother to a large family, lady-in-waiting to a queen, and founder of a religious order that still exists today.

1. St. Bridget experienced her first vision at age 10.

Bridget, or “Birgitta,” was born to wealthy, devout parents in Sweden in the year 1303. Her mother died early in her life, and she and her siblings were raised by their aunt. At 10 years old, Bridget had a vision of Christ on the cross in his agonizing suffering. In her vision, Bridget saw Christ with his wounds from Good Friday, with the wounds of “The Man of Sorrows” in Isaiah 53. She asked Jesus who hurt him, and he responded: “Those who despise me and refuse my love for them.” She would go on to write about these revelations; her works were published posthumously.

2. Bridget served in the royal court of Sweden.

Bridget was married in 1316 at the young age of 13 to 18-year-old Ulf Gudmarsson, the Swedish prince of Nericia. The two joined the Third Order of St. Francis and dedicated their resources to building a hospital and caring for the needs of the poor. Ulf served on the council of the king of Sweden, Magnus Eriksson, and the king asked Bridget to be a lady-in-waiting for his wife, Queen Blanche of Namur.

3. Bridget was a mother to eight children, and one of them became a saint.

Bridget and Ulf raised a large family together while also serving the poor and managing their duties in court. Of Bridget’s eight children, two died in infancy, and another two died in the Crusades. Two of their surviving children were married, and another two joined religious life. One of those two became a saint and was canonized — St. Catherine of Sweden.

4. Bridget founded a religious order, the Bridgettines, after her husband died.

Bridget and Ulf made a pilgrimage to Santiago de Compostela in Spain between 1341 and 1343, but on their return trip, Ulf became ill. The couple stopped in France until Ulf regained his health, but soon after they returned to Sweden, in 1344, he passed away.

After his death, Bridget donated her belongings to the poor and devoted her life to Christ, following a call from God to start a new religious order.

She founded the Order of the Most Holy Savior, now known as the Brigittines, in 1346, and her congregation was approved by Pope Urban V in 1370. The Brigittines were to be led by an abbess and constitute both nuns and priests. The priests, who lived in a separate section, served as chaplains and confessors for the nuns.

King Magnus helped Bridget make the Abbey of Vadstena the home of the Brigittines. He donated a small palace and land for the new monastery.

But Bridget would never see her work come to fruition. She had a vision from Christ calling her to return to Rome and await the pope’s return from France during the Avignon Papacy. She never became a nun herself, and she never saw the monastery in Vadstena. She died several years before the pope’s permanent return to Rome.

But her order spread through Europe and still exists today in both contemplative monasteries and apostolic convents, with branches in 19 countries including Sweden, Norway, Poland, Italy, Israel, India, the Philippines, Mexico, and the United States.

5. St. Bridget is the co-patroness of Europe.

After Bridget died in Rome on July 23, 1373, her children brought her remains back to the headquarters of her religious order. Less than 20 years later, in 1391, Pope Boniface IX proclaimed her a saint. Her revelations and writings on the sufferings of Christ were published after her death. In 1999, St. John Paul II chose her as one of the three female co-patronesses of Europe, along with St. Catherine of Siena and St. Edith Stein.

This story was first published on July 23, 2024, and has been updated.

In response to a question about summer advice, Pope Leo XIV emphasized the importance of remembering those most in need during the holidays.

The question and answer were both published in the July/August 2026 issue of Piazza San Pietro, the official magazine of St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

As reported by Vatican News on July 22, Maurizio from Rome asked the pontiff how best to deepen his spiritual life during the summer amid the distractions of daily life. Leo XIV responded that one ought to think of those unable to enjoy the summer, particularly the sick, victims of war, and migrants who do not feel welcomed.

“Holidays should also be for everyone a space of respite from occupations and worries,” Leo wrote.

“Let us think of the sick, of people who have lost faith in life, of those who are overwhelmed by grief over the loss of loved ones, of the victims of wars, of hatred, of terrorism and of violence, of those persecuted for their faith and for justice, of prisoners, of those who have been left without work, without a home, of migrants who have not been humanely welcomed.”

The pope also reminded Maurizio and families of the importance of the elderly, encouraging them to support them during the summer.

“To families I say: Do not leave your elderly alone.”

“Here is the advice I can give to increase our faith. Use the summer time as well to live the gospel of peace and mercy. Let us think of the privilege we have when we support the poor and bear witness to evangelical poverty,” the pope said.

The prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Archbishop Filippo Iannone, explained the fundamental qualities sought when selecting candidates for the episcopate.

In a recent interview with the Croatian Catholic weekly Glas Koncila (Voice of the Council), Iannone elaborated on the role of the Dicastery for Bishops and its interface with the other dicasteries that make up the Roman Curia.

He explained that “the pope meets daily with bishops, both individually and in groups. In those meetings, he highlights the Church’s current priorities: evangelization, care for creation, and other pastoral challenges.”

The pope “reiterates the fundamental characteristics of a bishopʼs life: nurturing oneʼs inner life, prayer, openness to others, a willingness to collaborate, and attentiveness to the marginalized.”

However, “the essential model for every bishop remains Christ, the Good Shepherd.”

Bishops need ‘support’

Iannone visited Zagreb, Croatia, on May 31, the feast of the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary, to celebrate a solemn Mass in honor of Our Lady of the Stone Gate, the patroness of the Croatian capital, and to lead the traditional procession through the city center.

The following day, he delivered a “lectio magistralis” (a formal academic lecture) at the Catholic University of Croatia, which was celebrating its 20th anniversary. During his stay in Zagreb, he gave the interview, in which he urged people to pray “with greater conviction” for bishops and priests.

Bishops, he noted, “need spiritual and human support.”

“Criticism may be legitimate, but it is not enough: We must also help and pray for them,” he emphasized, noting that “sometimes we forget that bishops are human beings too, with limitations, difficulties, and moments of discouragement.”

Synodality is not a demand for rights

Iannone underscored that synodality “is not a demand for rights.”

“It’s not simply a matter of claiming the right to express oneself. It means feeling part of a whole and assuming responsibility for it. The more a person lives out his faith and participates in the life of the community, the more valuable his voice becomes, because he (or she) speaks from within the Church rather than from a distance,” he stated.

Addressing the subject of synodality, he warned that applying purely political categories to the Church can be misleading, given its distinct nature.

However, he recalled that the Second Vatican Council taught that all the baptized are responsible for the life and mission of the Church. In this regard, he noted that the faithful must assume responsibilities and that those who govern by virtue of the sacrament of holy orders must allow them to exercise them.

He highlighted the existence of bodies established for this purpose, such as pastoral and finance councils. Likewise, he recalled that canon law recognizes the right and, in some cases, even the duty of the faithful to express their concerns and opinions to their pastors.

The prefect made it clear that the bishop should not bear the burden of governing the diocese alone; rather, “all the faithful must share in that responsibility.”

Growing reluctance among priests to become bishops

Iannone also addressed the phenomenon of priests declining appointments as bishops. “I had heard of this phenomenon before; now I am experiencing it firsthand,” he acknowledged.

“I don’t believe it is solely due to the abuse crisis. Today, a bishop’s responsibilities are far greater, and some priests do not feel prepared to take them on. Diocesan life has become more complex, there are fewer vocations, and the demands of the ministry are constantly increasing,” he explained.

The role of the Dicastery for Bishops

Iannone heads the Dicastery for Bishops, the body responsible for all matters concerning the establishment, life, and activity of dioceses, as well as the identification of candidates for the episcopate who are subsequently presented to the pope for appointment. It also supports bishops in the exercise of their ministry within their respective dioceses.

As Pope Francis’ apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium emphasizes, one of the fundamental characteristics of the Roman Curia is collaboration among the dicasteries.

For this reason, the Dicastery for Bishops works closely with other bodies, such as the Dicastery for the Clergy and the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life. Each dicastery has a basic structure composed of a plenary assembly made up of all its members, who are appointed by the pope.

“The authority of the dicastery resides in this plenary assembly, presided over by a prefect who directs its day-to-day operations with the assistance of a secretary. The most important decisions are made by the plenary assembly, whose members come from various parts of the world,” he explained.

One of the changes introduced by Pope Francis is that members of the dicasteries need not be exclusively bishops. Priests, religious, and laypeople, both men and women, may also serve on them.

The Dicastery for Bishops, like other bodies of the Curia, “relies on the collaboration of apostolic nuncios, who are well acquainted with the reality of the local Churches,” he noted.

Before assuming his current role, Iannone served as prefect of the Dicastery for Legislative Texts. In the interview, he highlighted that the Roman Curia “exists to assist the pope in the exercise of his Petrine ministry.”

“As the successor of Peter and the Vicar of Christ, the pope has the responsibility of governing the universal Church, a task he could not perform alone. That is why he needs collaborators, who constitute the Roman Curia,” he stated. Over time, he added, the Curia “has become increasingly internationalized and specialized.”

“Each body places its specific expertise at the service of the pope to assist him in making decisions. Furthermore, any member of the faithful may express his concerns to the pope or a dicastery,” he explained.

The faithful’s access to the dicastery

“I receive many letters from the faithful around the world pointing out problems in the life of their dioceses. We assess whether those concerns are well founded or the result of misunderstandings. When they are well-founded, we try to intervene to restore serenity to the community. That is why, although the dicasteries may seem distant from the outside, in reality, they are at the service of the pope and the particular Churches,” he noted.

Iannone also highlighted that diversity constitutes “a richness when united with communion,” but warned that when it “turns in on itself, it harms the Church.”

“Today, there is great sensitivity toward local traditions. In this context, the principle attributed to St. Augustine remains valid: ‘In essentials, unity; in doubtful matters, liberty; in all things, charity.’ There must be unity regarding the essential elements of the faith, discipline, and the sacraments. Diversity may exist in other pastoral and practical aspects.”

“The bishop has the responsibility to foster relationships among the various groups and to correct any deviations. He must be a father to the entire community,” he stated.

Addressing the balance between local sensibilities and ecclesial unity, he explained that “the Second Vatican Council taught that the universal Church is present in and arises from particular Churches. This means that a particular Church is fully Church insofar as it remains in communion with the other Churches and with the pope.”

The contribution of women to episcopal discernment

Currently, the women serving on the Dicastery for Bishops are Sister Simona Brambilla, prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life; Sister Raffaella Petrini, president of the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State; and the Argentine laywoman María Lía Zervino, former president of the World Union of Catholic Womenʼs Organizations.

Iannone views this positively: “Although I have been heading the dicastery for only a few months, I have been able to see the valuable contribution of these women — two religious sisters and a laywoman. They offer distinct perspectives and specific sensitivities that enrich discernment, especially regarding the selection of candidates for the episcopate.”

However, he noted that consulting women is not a completely new practice. “For some time, apostolic nuncios have consulted various members of the People of God, including women, during the investigations preceding episcopal appointments,” he explained.

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 on July 22 denied reports circulating on blogs and social media that Father Marko Rupnik, the former Jesuit accused by several women religious of sexual abuse, had been acquitted.

Matteo Bruni, director of the Holy See Press Office, described reports that the judges overseeing the case had reached a final decision as “absolutely unfounded.”

Bruni said the canonical proceedings remain underway and that the tribunal “is examining documentation received from the dioceses involved, the Society of Jesus, the interested parties, and information published by the media.”

Proceedings remain confidential

The Vatican spokesman stressed that no information about the case can be made public while the trial is underway. He said the confidentiality is intended both to protect due process and to prevent further harm to those affected by the case.

“During the trial, as in any judicial proceeding, information regarding the proceedings underway cannot be shared in any way,” Bruni said in the statement.

He added that the tribunal itself will take any necessary steps to obtain additional information should the judges determine that further evidence is required.

Bruni also noted that the investigation into Rupnik is a canonical criminal proceeding that was made possible after the statute of limitations for the alleged offenses was waived.

The tribunal will therefore be able to reach a determination regarding Rupnik’s possible guilt or innocence in accordance with canon law.

Allegations of psychological and sexual abuse

Rupnik is accused of psychological and sexual abuse during the 1990s in a religious community in Ljubljana, Slovenia. The community was founded by a religious sister for whom Rupnik served as a friend and spiritual adviser.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith received a complaint in 2021. The dicastery, now headed by Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, asked the Society of Jesus to investigate the allegations using an external investigator, who was a Dominican religious.

The Jesuits submitted the findings to the dicastery, which determined in October 2022 that the allegations were barred by the statute of limitations. Pope Francis ordered the case reopened the following year.

After the allegations became public, the Jesuits acknowledged that Rupnik had been excommunicated in 2020 for absolving a woman with whom he had engaged in sexual activity. The Jesuits said he repented and that the penalty was lifted shortly afterward.

In 2021, nine women accused Rupnik of sexually, psychologically, and spiritually abusing them.

The Vatican statement also emphasized that the jurisdiction of Church courts is limited to the Church’s internal legal system. Any potential criminal liability under civil law would depend on the authorities in the countries where the alleged offenses may have occurred and on the applicable statutes of limitations.

Rupnik “remains subject to the laws of the countries in which the alleged crimes may have been committed, and the statute of limitations for those crimes is governed by the law of each country, independently of ecclesiastical authority,” Bruni said.

Frustration over pace of case

The Vatican’s response came after Laura Sgrò, an attorney representing five of Rupnik’s accusers, publicly expressed frustration over the pace of the proceedings and the lack of information about the canonical trial.

Sgrò told ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that she had written Tuesday to Fernández, saying her clients felt “deeply discouraged and distressed” by the lack of transparency surrounding the case.

In November 2025, Pope Leo XIV asked Rupnik’s accusers for patience and said that “the Church must respect the rights of all people.”

Sgrò declined to comment in detail on the Vatican’s response, describing it only as “necessary.”

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 another Chinese bishop under the agreement on episcopal appointments reached between the Holy See and authorities in Beijing during the pontificate of Pope Francis.

Father Joseph Chang Yanfeng was ordained Wednesday as the new bishop of Chifeng in China’s Inner Mongolia region, the Vatican announced. Pope Leo approved the appointment June 15.

The Holy See said the appointment was made within the framework of the provisional agreement between the Holy See and the People’s Republic of China, under which the pope approved the candidate presented for the diocese.

Chang had overseen the local Church since October 2021, when he was appointed diocesan administrator.

Formation in China and South Korea

The new bishop was born April 4, 1984, in Beizhen in China’s Liaoning province. He studied at the Shenyang Theological Seminary from 2000 to 2006.

After a period of pastoral work at Lindong Parish, he continued his academic formation at the Catholic University of Daejeon in South Korea, where he earned a degree in biblical theology.

He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Chifeng on Nov. 18, 2010.

During the early years of his ministry, he held several positions in the diocesan curia and served in a number of parishes. He was pastor of Chifeng Cathedral from 2013 to 2019 and later served at Lindong Parish from 2019 to 2021.

He was appointed diocesan administrator of Chifeng on Oct. 15, 2021, a responsibility he held until his episcopal appointment.

Dialogue between Rome and Beijing

The appointment was made through the continuing dialogue over the implementation of the Holy See-China agreement, signed in 2018 to establish a mutually accepted process for selecting bishops.

The appointment of bishops belongs to the pope, while Beijing had for decades regarded papal appointments as interference in China’s internal affairs.

The Holy See and China have not maintained diplomatic relations since 1951, following the establishment of Mao Zedong’s communist government. Chinese Catholics subsequently became divided between communities registered with the state-controlled Catholic Patriotic Association and underground communities 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 another four years, through 2028.

Under the terms that have become publicly known, the pope retains final authority over episcopal appointments in China and can reject candidates proposed by Beijing. The Holy See, for its part, has agreed not to make episcopal appointments without first obtaining the Chinese government’s approval.

Tensions during the papal interregnum

During the interregnum between the death of Pope Francis and the election of Pope Leo XIV, Chinese authorities proceeded unilaterally with the selection of two bishops, including one for a jurisdiction already led by a prelate recognized by the Vatican.

On April 28, 2025, Father Ignatius Wu Jianlin was elected auxiliary bishop of Shanghai by state-controlled Church bodies. The following day, Father Francis Li Jianlin was selected to lead Xinxiang in Henan province.

The latter decision caused controversy because the Holy See already recognized Bishop Joseph Zhang Weizhu as the legitimate bishop of that local Church.

Although the selections may have been planned before Francis’ death, their timing attracted attention. AsiaNews reported that the decisions conveyed the Chinese Communist Party’s position that a vacancy in the Apostolic See would not interrupt the operation of the Catholic Church in China.

With Chang’s appointment and episcopal ordination, 15 Catholic bishops have now been ordained under the provisional agreement signed by China and the Holy See during the pontificate of Francis.

Chinese appointments under Pope Leo XIV

The process leading to Chang’s appointment and ordination took place entirely during the pontificate of Leo XIV, providing another indication that the pope intends to continue the path of dialogue between Rome and Beijing.

Since the beginning of his pontificate, Leo has made several episcopal appointments in China and assigned 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. Leo had appointed him June 5.

On July 8, 2025, the pope 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, was ordained a bishop.

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

Father Francis Li Jianlin was ordained to lead the Apostolic Prefecture of Xinxiang on Dec. 5, 2025, following his appointment 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.

Pope Leo XIV visited two major pilgrimage sites in Italy while on vacation at Castel Gandolfo, Italy, stopping at the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity in Vallepietra and the St. Benedict Monastery in Subiaco.

As announced by the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff traveled to the two pilgrimage sites on July 22. He first went to Vallepietra, where he visited the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity. While there, he prayed before a famous fresco of the Holy Trinity and afterward greeted the faithful present.

Pope Leo XIV stands before a fresco of the Trinity at the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity in Vallepietra in Italy on July 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Vallepietra is a medieval mountainside village about 37 miles east of Rome, and its Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the Lazio region. The exact dates of its construction are unknown.

There are two main legends associated with the sanctuary’s construction. One tells of a farmer searching for his oxen who found them kneeling before a fresco of the Trinity, prompting the sanctuary’s construction. Another recounts how two men fleeing Emperor Nero’s persecution encountered Sts. Peter and John, were then visited by an angel, and saw a vision of the Trinity.

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful present at the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity at Vallepietra in Italy on July 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

After visiting Vallepietra, Leo went to the St. Benedict Monastery in Subiaco. During his visit, he prayed before a 13th-century fresco of St. Francis of Assisi, widely regarded as the earliest known depiction of the Italian saint. The pope also visited the Holy Cave (Sacro Speco) in Subiaco, where he recited the Lord’s Prayer and kissed the knee of a statue of St. Benedict of Nursia, who founded the first Benedictine hermitage there in the sixth century.

Pope Leo XIV kisses the knee of a statue of St. Benedict of Nursia at the St. Benedict Abbey in Subiaco, Italy, on July 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

The pope then went to the Monastery of St. Scholastica, St. Benedict’s sister, where he had lunch with the Benedictine community and visited the convent afterward.

Leo’s visit to Vallepietra and Subiaco follows his July 20 visit to the Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino, where he prayed before the tombs of Sts. Benedict and Scholastica.

The day also marked his fourth day of public appearances (outside his weekly Sunday Angelus) during his Castel Gandolfo vacation, to last from July 5–27. He also held a lunch with the poor on July 11 and attended a summer concert on July 18. Except for his Sunday Angelus, all private and public audiences, including the Wednesday general audience, are suspended during his vacation.

Pope Leo XIV stands before the oldest-known fresco of St. Francis of Assisi at St. Benedict Abbey in Subiaco, Italy, on July 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Leo XIV has made another visit to a pilgrimage site while on vacation at Castel Gandolfo in Italy, stopping at the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity in Vallepietra.

As announced by the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff traveled to the mountainside town on the morning of July 22. There, according to the announcement, he stopped to pray before a famous fresco of the Holy Trinity and afterward greeted the faithful present.

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful present at the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity at Vallepietra in Italy on July 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Vallepietra is about 37 miles east of Rome, and its Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity is one of the most popular pilgrimage sites in the Lazio region. The exact dates of its construction are unknown.

Leo’s visit to Vallepietra follows his visit to the Benedictine Abbey of Montecassino on July 20, where he prayed before the tomb of St. Benedict of Nursia.

Pope Leo XIV stands before a reliquary of St. John Paul II at the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity at Vallepietra in Italy on July 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

It was also his fourth public appearance (outside his weekly Sunday Angelus) during his Castel Gandolfo vacation, to last from July 5–27. He also held a lunch with the poor on July 11 and attended a summer concert on July 18. Except for his Sunday Angelus, all private and public audiences, including the Wednesday general audience, are suspended during his vacation.

Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful present at the Sanctuary of the Most Holy Trinity at Vallepietra in Italy on July 22, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

Pope Leo XIV this week urged U.S. religious superiors to prioritize community life, describing it as a place of “witness and strength.”

The Vatican published the letter on July 22 addressed to the Conference of Major Superiors of Men in the United States being held in Phoenix from July 20–23. The letter also marks the 70th anniversary of the conference.

The pontiff himself was a former religious superior, serving as the prior general of the Augustinians from 2001 to 2013.

In his letter, Leo congratulated the participants on their milestone and offered reflections on fostering community life, the theme of this year’s conference. Citing an address he delivered to religious institutes in 2025, he encouraged them to view their communities as places of sanctification.

“In reflecting on the theme for this year’s gathering, ‘One in Christ: Communal Life Today,’ I would encourage you to consider community life ‘as a place of sanctification and a source of inspiration, witness and strength in your apostolate,’” the pope wrote.

Leo also praised their efforts to promote religious life in the United States and reminded them that a healthy community life makes their Christian witness more credible.

“Indeed, it is precisely through sharing everything in common, including material goods, spiritual experiences, apostolic ideals and charitable service that the hidden presence of the risen Lord is made manifest among you,” Leo wrote.

Pope Leo XIV has written a foreword to a new book, calling for peace and the elimination of nuclear weapons.

Originally published by Vatican News, the pontiff’s text is part of the new book “Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift,” published by the Vatican Publishing House (Libreria Editrice Vaticana) in Italian on July 21. Edited by Alessandro Banfi, the book is a collection of Leo XIV’s addresses and reflections on peace since his election to the papacy in 2025.

The pope also invoked in his foreword American singer-songwriter Bob Dylan as well as Servants of God Dorothy Day, Floribert Bwana Chui, and Giorgio La Pira.

War is an adventure with no return

Leo began the foreword with what had been his first words as pontiff, proclaimed from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica: “Peace be with you.” He explained the theological significance of those words, spoken by Christ after his resurrection, and decried the modern tendency for war.

“This was also the first gift the risen Christ offered to his friends and to the whole world: peace,” Leo wrote. “That gift, however, did not come ‘cheap.’”

“Today, a good 103 states are involved in some way in a war on Earth. Weapons boom and kill in Ukraine, in the Middle East, in Sudan, in Myanmar, in Yemen, in Congo, and in many other situations.”

He also referred to his predecessors Pope Francis and Sts. Paul VI and John Paul II, who also called for peace and nuclear disarmament:

“Especially after the terrible consequences of the events of Hiroshima and Nagasaki, the recourse to war is ever more an ‘adventure with no return,’ as St. John Paul II stressed.”

Invoking Bob Dylan: ‘Man-owned an’ man-handled’

In his foreword, the pope referenced American singer Bob Dylan, who criticized the manufacture of nuclear bombs during the Cold War in his 1963 song “Go Away You Bomb.”

“As singer-songwriter and poet Bob Dylan wrote, figuratively addressing the atomic bomb, in one of his poetic compositions: ‘I hate you cause yer man-made and man-owned an’ man-handled,‘” Leo said.

The pope also explained that the threat of nuclear catastrophe looms large unless action is taken.

“History has already seen us come close to nuclear catastrophe.”

“A world in which machines, albeit sophisticated and faster than us, are the ones to decide to bomb defenseless people would be truly frightening,” Leo wrote.

Criticism of the U.S.-Iran war

Leo’s new foreword is emblematic of his stance on peace and nuclear disarmament, including with regard to the U.S.-Iran war.

Pope Leo and other Church officials have criticized the U.S. government under President Donald Trump for attacking Iran. In response, Trump claimed on May 4 that the pope “would rather talk about the fact that it’s OK for Iran to have a nuclear weapon.”

Leo denied Trump’s accusation that he supported nuclear weapons, stating to journalists at Castel Gandolfo on May 6 that “the Church has spoken for years against all nuclear weapons.”

An English edition of the book “Disarmed and Disarming: Peace Is a Gift” will be published in the coming months.

Pope Leo XIV made a private visit on July 20 to the Abbey of Montecassino, where St. Benedict of Nursia is buried.

As announced by the Holy See Press Office, the pontiff made the trip while on vacation at Castel Gandolfo, where he will remain from July 5-27. At Montecassino, he prayed at the tomb of St. Benedict, considered the father of Western monasticism, “entrusting him with his plea for peace in those regions of the world marked by bloodshed and conflict.”

Pope Leo XIV lights a candle at the tomb of St. Benedict of Nursia at the Abbey of Montecassino on July 20, 2026. | Credit: Vatican Media

The pope also enjoyed lunch with the Benedictine community at the abbey.

Leo’s surprise visit to Montecassino was his first since his election to the papacy in 2025. While on vacation that year, he also made a surprise visit to the Sanctuary of the Madonna delle Grazie della Mentorella in Guadagnolo, where he also prayed for peace.

The Abbey of Montecassino, founded by St. Benedict in 529 AD, will celebrate the 1,500th anniversary of its founding in 2029.

Leo’s visit to Montecassino was also his third public appearance (outside his Sunday Angelus) during his Castel Gandolfo vacation, following his lunch with the poor on July 11 and a summer concert on July 18. Except for his Sunday Angelus, all private and public audiences, including the Wednesday general audience, are suspended during his vacation.

Tweet