Pope Leo XIV’s prayer intention for the month of February is for children with incurable diseases.

In a video to be released on Feb. 5, the Holy Father prayed that the faithful would realize that “the smiles, even in the midst of pain,” of children suffering from incurable diseases, “are a testimony of [God’s] kingdom.”

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.

Here is the pope’s full prayer:

Lord Jesus,

who welcomed the little ones in your arms and blessed them tenderly,

today we bring before you the children living with incurable illnesses.

Their fragile bodies are a sign of your presence,

and their smiles, even in the midst of pain, are a testimony of your kingdom.

We ask you, Lord, that they may never lack proper medical care,

human and compassionate attention,

and the support of a community that accompanies them with love.

Sustain their families in hope,

in the midst of weariness and uncertainty,

and make of them witnesses of a faith that grows stronger through trial.

Bless the hands of doctors, nurses, and caregivers,

so that their work may always be an expression of active compassion.

May your Spirit enlighten them in every difficult decision,

and grant them patience and tenderness to serve with dignity.

Lord, teach us to recognize your face in every suffering child.

May their vulnerability awaken our compassion,

and move us to care, accompany, and love

with concrete gestures of solidarity.

Make of us a Church that,

animated by the feelings of your heart

and moved by prayer and service,

knows how to uphold fragility,

and in the midst of suffering, becomes a source of comfort,

a seed of hope, and a proclamation of new life.

Amen.

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

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Sister Raffaella Petrini as a member of the Commission for Reserved Matters, the Holy See Press Office announced in a Feb. 3 statement.

She is the first woman to serve on the commission, created in 2020 by Pope Francis, which is responsible for awarding financial contracts in confidential areas of the Vatican.

Petrini, born in Rome on Jan. 15, 1969, is 57 years old and has an academic and management background. She is a member of the Franciscan Sisters of the Eucharist and a noted economist.

The Commission for Reserved Matters plays a strategic role in the control and allocation of contracts that are particularly sensitive for the Vatican City State, and this appointment underscores the growing presence of women in positions of responsibility within the Holy See.

First woman to head the Vatican Governorate

Since March 1, 2025, Petrini has been president of the Governorate of the Vatican City State, the highest position in the civil administration of the small pontifical state, which has approximately 600 inhabitants and nearly 2,000 employees. With this appointment, she became the first woman to assume the administrative leadership of the Vatican.

The appointment was announced on Jan. 19, 2025, during an interview given by Pope Francis to television host Fabio Fazio on the RAI public television program “Che tempo che fa” (“What’s the weather like?”). Petrini succeeded Cardinal Fernando Vérgez Alzaga, who stepped down from the presidency upon reaching the age of 80.

As president of the governorate, Petrini is responsible for managing the Vatican’s public services, overseeing infrastructure, security, health care, and the Vatican Museums, in addition to chairing the Pontifical Commission for Vatican City State.

Necessary changes in the law

Pope Francis amended the Fundamental Law of the Vatican City State and other regulations to grant Petrini the same powers as her predecessors, who until then had always been cardinals.

Among the changes introduced, it was established that the president of the governorate could confer specific powers and particular tasks to the secretaries general, a position she holds alongside Emilio Nappa and Giuseppe Puglisi-Alibrandi.

Profile and academic background

A graduate in political science from the Guido Carli International Private University of Social Studies, Petrini holds a doctorate in social sciences from the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome and a master’s degree from the University of Hartford. She currently also works as a professor of Welfare Economics and Sociology of Economic Processes.

She has previously worked at the Congregation for the Evangelization of Peoples and was appointed secretary general of the governorate in November 2021. She is also a member of the Dicastery for Bishops and the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See, the body responsible for managing Vatican finances.

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.

With the theme “Peace Begins with Dignity: A Global Call to End Human Trafficking,” the Catholic Church will mark this year’s 12th World Day of Prayer and Reflection Against Human Trafficking.

In 2026, the observance coincides with the feast of St. Josephine Bakhita, a universal symbol of the fight against modern slavery.

Established by Pope Francis in 2015, the annual day is coordinated by the international Talitha Kum network, led by women religious and promoted by the International Union of Superiors General (UISG) and the Union of Superiors General (USG).

Numerous ecclesial and civil organizations are also involved, including Caritas Internationalis, the Jesuit Refugee Service (JRS), the Pope John XXIII Community, the Sant’Egidio Community, the Focolare Movement, and other institutions worldwide.

According to United Nations data, some 27 million people worldwide are victims of human trafficking, primarily women, children, migrants, and displaced persons.

Human trafficking takes many forms — from sexual exploitation to forced labor, domestic servitude, and forced marriage — and is increasingly expanding into the digital environment.

Program of events in Rome

Between Feb. 4 and 8, Rome will host formation meetings, awareness-raising activities, and prayer events, culminating with the recitation of the Angelus in St. Peter’s Square with Pope Leo XIV.

On Wednesday, Feb. 4, an online formation workshop led by young people will highlight their role in mobilization against human trafficking. In addition, some international delegates of the 12th World Day of Prayer and Reflection Against Human Trafficking will take part in the general audience presided over by the pope in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall.

On Thursday, Feb. 5, the official welcome and opening of the observance will take place at the UISG headquarters, followed by the “Walk for Humanity” and a torchlight procession with an ecumenical prayer vigil at the Basilica of Santa Maria in Trastevere, presided over by Cardinal Fabio Baggio, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

On Friday, Feb. 6, a virtual pilgrimage against human trafficking will connect participants online from all continents in a global journey of prayer, including a message from the Holy Father. A live broadcast will take place from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. (CET) in five languages on the website www.prayagainsttrafficking.net.

On Saturday, Feb. 7, coinciding with Youth Day, there will be a morning formation workshop led by Professor Silvia Scarpa followed by a public awareness activity in Piazza Pia, just steps from St. Peter’s Square.

Finally, on Sunday, Feb. 8, the concluding event will be held in St. Peter’s Square with the midday Angelus prayer with Pope Leo XIV. This will be followed by the celebration of Mass in St. Peter’s Basilica, presided over by Cardinal Vincent Nichols, who served as archbishop of Westminster and primate of England and Wales from 2009 to 2025, together with Father Mario Zanotti.

A global call to action

“Human trafficking remains a deep global wound that violates human dignity and disrupts the peace of our societies, especially in a world torn by conflicts, wars, and forced displacement,” said Sister Abby Avelino, coordinator of the world day and of the Talitha Kum network.

In a statement, she called for placing peace and human dignity at the heart of this year’s observance and appealed to all people of goodwill “to go beyond awareness and unite in concrete actions to put an end to this crime.”

“Our commitment is to walk closely with victims and survivors, listen to their voices, and advocate for systemic change that addresses the root causes of trafficking and builds a world based on peace, justice, and dignity for all,” she said.

Organizers also encouraged participation on social media by sharing posts on Feb. 8 using the official hashtag #PrayAgainstTrafficking.

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.

St. John Henry Newman, proclaimed a doctor of the Church by Pope Leo XIV in November 2025, has been added to the General Roman Calendar, establishing his optional memorial on Oct. 9.

Since Pope Francis canonized Newman in 2019, the English saint — a convert and a pivotal figure in Catholic thought — has been honored each year on Oct. 9. With his inclusion in the universal calendar, however, his memorial is now proposed for celebration throughout the entire Church worldwide.

Until now, Newman’s liturgical celebration was largely limited to local contexts, such as dioceses where he was a patron or communities closely linked to his spirituality. With a recent decree issued by the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments in the name of the Holy Father, his memorial is now extended to the whole Church, and priests everywhere may celebrate it using the common liturgical texts.

In an explanatory note released Feb. 3, Cardinal Arthur Roche, prefect of the dicastery, said the decision aims to “present his figure as an extraordinary example of the constant search for the truth that enlightens and saves.”

A universal memorial with common liturgical texts

Roche’s message also outlined the liturgical texts and biblical readings proposed for Newman’s memorial, emphasizing how each reflects key aspects of his life and spirituality.

The Collect prayer, Roche noted, “reveals the essence of the saint’s spiritual journey: God guided him with his ‘kindly light’ until leading him to the peace of his Church.”

The first reading, taken from the Book of Sirach, presents a man filled with the spirit of understanding by the Lord’s will, reflecting the wisdom that characterized Newman. Psalm 39 (2, 4ab, 7-10) highlights his complete docility to God’s will, “even in adverse situations.”

The Gospel passage from Matthew (13:47-52) recalls that Newman “became a disciple in search of God’s truth,” enabling him, as a doctor of the Church, to “bring out of his treasure what is new and what is old.”

Finally, the Liturgy of the Hours proposes a passage from “Apologia pro Vita Sua” in which Newman recounts his conversion to Catholicism.

Roche concluded by emphasizing that Newman’s “contributions of great theological and ecclesiological significance” continue to inspire the spiritual and intellectual journey of the faithful and that his “constant effort to move beyond shadows and appearances toward the fullness of truth remains a luminous example for every disciple of the risen Lord.”

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

Pope Leo XIV on Monday urged consecrated men and women to serve as “leaven of peace” and a “sign of hope” as he celebrated Mass for the feast of the Presentation of the Lord in St. Peter’s Basilica and marked the 30th World Day for Consecrated Life.

The liturgy began with a candlelight procession, recalling Simeon’s words that Christ is “a light for revelation to the Gentiles,” as the pope processed from the basilica’s entrance toward the main altar in a dimly lit church “waiting” for the light of Christ.

In his homily, the pope reflected on the Gospel passage from Luke (2:22–40), where Simeon and Anna recognize and proclaim Jesus as the Messiah. He described the scene as “the meeting between two movements of love: that of God who comes to save man and that of man who awaits with vigilant faith his coming.”

Leo noted that Jesus presents himself as the son of a “poor” family — a detail he said shows God’s respect for human freedom and his solidarity with human need: Christ offers himself “in full respect for our freedom and in full sharing of our poverty,” the pope said, adding that there is “nothing coercive” in the Lord’s action “but only the disarming power of his unarmed gratuitousness.”

Turning to those living vowed religious life, the pope said the Church asks them “to be prophets: messengers who proclaim the presence of the Lord and prepare his way.” He urged them to “empty” themselves for the Lord, invoking the prophet Malachi’s imagery of being “crucibles for the refiner’s fire and vessels for the launderer’s lye.”

Leo framed the mission of religious communities as especially vital in societies where faith and daily life “seem increasingly to drift apart,” calling consecrated men and women to witness that God “is present in history as salvation for all peoples.” He also emphasized the dignity of the vulnerable — the young and old, the poor, the sick, and prisoners — saying they have “their sacred place” on God’s altar and in his heart, and that each person is “an inviolable sanctuary” of God’s presence.

The pope pointed to religious congregations that remain amid conflict rather than fleeing, saying their steadfast presence can speak “more eloquently than a thousand words” to the “inviolable sacredness of life,” even where weapons thunder and “arrogance, self-interest, and violence” seem to prevail. He echoed Jesus’ warning not to despise “one of these little ones,” noting that “their angels in heaven always see the face of the Father.”

Leo also lingered on Simeon’s prayer — “Now, Lord, you may let your servant go in peace” — saying it teaches that genuine care for earthly realities cannot be separated from loving hope in eternal goods. Simeon, he said, saw salvation in Jesus and became free in the face of both life and death.

So too, the pope said, should consecrated people live with feet “firmly planted on the ground” while constantly oriented toward eternal goods that illuminate everything else.

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

Cardinal Giuseppe Petrocchi, the retired archbishop of L’Aquila, Italy, has been appointed president of the Cardinalitial Commission of the Institute for the Works of Religion (IOR), commonly known as the Vatican bank.

Petrocchi succeeds Cardinal Christoph Schönborn, the retired archbishop of Vienna, who has led the commission since 2014 and is stepping down after reaching the age limit.

In a statement, the commission thanked Schönborn “for his valuable leadership and for the commitment with which he supported and accompanied the institute during decisive phases of its reform process over the 12 years of his mandate,” adding that his service helped ensure guidance consistent with the institute’s mission.

Schönborn, for his part, expressed “profound gratitude” to Pope Francis for his “constant and enlightened support” during the IOR’s “long and demanding” reform process. He also thanked the bank’s director general, Gian Franco Mammì, and the institute’s leadership and staff as well as the supervisory board chaired by Jean-Baptiste de Franssu for guiding what he described as a far-reaching transformation that has earned broad recognition within the international financial community.

Petrocchi said he has witnessed “important developments” carried out by the institute in service of the Holy Father and the universal Church, and said the commission and the supervisory board will continue that work with an emphasis on continuous improvement, collaboration, and respect for Catholic ethics, transparency, and shared responsibility.

At the same meeting, the commission welcomed Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, who was recently appointed a member of the commission by Pope Leo XIV.

The Cardinalitial Commission oversees the IOR’s fidelity to its statutes. It is composed of five cardinals appointed by the pope, who designate one of their members as president. Members serve five-year terms and may be confirmed once.

In addition to Petrocchi and Fernández Artime, the commission includes Cardinal Konrad Krajewski, Cardinal Luis Antonio Gokim Tagle, and Cardinal Emil Paul Tscherrig.

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.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Tweet

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Prayers for disaster victims, peace appeal ahead of Olympics

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Clear guidance on doctrine

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

An unprecedented opportunity

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

The word of God is a living reality

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

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

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

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

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

Scripture and tradition: An inseparable unity

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

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

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

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

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

Safeguarding the deposit of faith

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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