St. James the Apostle Roman Catholic Church

Pope Leo XIV speaks to cardinals in Rome on May 10, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI MENA, May 17, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Eastern Christian communities erupted in celebration at the election of the Catholic Church’s new pontiff on May 8, with joyful speeches and church bells ringing. However, many wondered about Pope Leo XIV’s connection to the East, given his North and South American roots and his affiliation with the Augustinian order — a community not widely known in the Arab world. 

Spiritual son of an Algerian saint

In his first address from St. Peter’s Basilica balcony on May 8, Pope Leo XIV introduced himself by saying: “I am a son of St. Augustine, an Augustinian.”

St. Augustine was born in Tagaste, Algeria (modern-day Souk Ahras). He taught in Carthage and later served as bishop of Hippo (now Annaba), where he lived, ministered, and was buried.

The Augustinian order, to which the new pontiff belongs, derives its spiritual foundation from St. Augustine, who became a doctor of the Church. The order’s guiding principles emphasize love for the Church, service, fraternity, and unity. The order seeks God through worship and ministry, aiming to transform the world from within and spread the Gospel. Key pillars of this spirituality include missionary work, prayer, development, and reflection on contemporary issues.

A likely influence

Before his election, Pope Leo XIV headed the Vatican’s Dicastery for Bishops, the office responsible for selecting bishops and apostolic administrators. The dicastery evaluates candidates’ qualifications and assesses their spiritual, theological, and administrative capacities. In this role, Pope Leo XIV is believed to have influenced — either directly or indirectly — the 2023 appointment of Bishop Hanna Jallouf as apostolic vicar of Aleppo.

Relic of St. Maron and prayers in Arabic

Several months ago, the newly-elected pope visited the Maronite College in Rome, where he discussed relations with Eastern churches and the concept of communion. At the conclusion of the meeting, college officials presented him with a relic of St. Maron and a statue carved from cedarwood.

Additionally, the Peruvian newspaper La República quoted an Augustinian priest stating that Pope Leo XIV kept a small slip of paper with prayers written in Arabic.

Champion of peace and the Syrian people

In his first address, the word “peace” appeared 10 times, with the pope opening his speech by saying: “Peace be upon you all.” This phrase underscores his vision for his pontificate, particularly regarding conflict zones in the Middle East and Ukraine. It also serves as a reminder of Christ’s Eastern roots.

Although many associate “Peace be upon you” with Islamic traditions, the greeting predates Christianity and was traditionally used to offer reassurance and goodwill.

In a similar vein, Pope Leo XIV re-shared an image on his X account of Syrian child Omran Daqneesh, who was rescued from rubble due to the conflict there. The image was accompanied by words from a Jesuit priest: “Are we shutting our doors to all Syrian refugees? Men, women, and the most vulnerable children? What an immoral nation we have become. Jesus weeps.”

Quoting a Syrian saint in his first Mass

During his first Mass held May 9 at the Sistine Chapel, Pope Leo XIV concluded his homily with a quote from St. Ignatius of Antioch’s “Epistle to the Romans”: “I will truly be a disciple of Jesus Christ when the world will no longer see my body.”

He explained that no leader in the Church can disregard this profound meaning. He also emphasized that the Church of Rome is called to lead the universal Church “with love,” as expressed by St. Ignatius in the introduction to his letter.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

Pope Leo XIV smiles as a jubilant crowd joins in prayer on Sunday, May 11, 2025. / Credit: Daniel Ibáñez/CNA

Vatican City, May 17, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

The Mass for the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate will be celebrated on Sunday, May 18, at 10 a.m. Rome time in St. Peter’s Square. The liturgy will mark the official beginning of his ministry as successor of Peter and bishop of Rome. On May 25, he will take canonical possession of St. John Lateran Basilica, the cathedral of the bishop of Rome.

The Mass on May 18 will be celebrated as established in the “Order of Rites of the Beginning of the Petrine Ministry as Bishop of Rome,” a liturgical book approved by Benedict XVI in 2005 and reformed by him in 2013.

“The beginning of the Petrine ministry is what the celebration of the coronation of the pope used to be. Now, popes are no longer crowned with the three-tiered tiara, worn until Paul VI, but rather begin their ministry as the successor of Peter,” Father Juan José Silvestre explained to ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. Silvestre is a professor of liturgy in the University of Navarra’s theology department.

In addition, during this ceremony, Leo XIV will receive the pallium and the fisherman’s ring, two elements with profound theological and pastoral significance that mark the start of his pontificate.

The beginning of the pontificate also includes taking canonical possession of the other three papal basilicas, including St. John Lateran Basilica, the cathedral of Rome and thus of the pope.

The taking possession of St. John Lateran Basilica will take place on May 25 and has a distinctive character. “It defines the Holy Father as such, or rather, it is a reminder that he is the bishop of Rome,” Silvestre noted.

“Just as a bishop, once appointed, has a period of two months to take possession of his cathedral, his seat, so the pope, as bishop, will also be received by the cathedral chapter and once seated in his cathedra [bishop’s throne or chair] in St. John Lateran of the Diocese of Rome, he will receive the expression of obedience and respect from a representative group from the Diocese of Rome,” he noted.

Mass for the inauguration of the pontificate

According to the program, the solemn ceremony on May 18 will begin inside St. Peter’s Basilica, before the Altar of Confession. “Pope Leo XIV will go before the tomb of the Apostle Peter to pray there in silence, moments before the solemn Mass for the initiation of his Petrine ministry as bishop of Rome,” Silvestre explained.

The patriarchs of the Eastern Catholic Churches in communion with Rome will also participate in this moment of recollection and prayer. Afterward, the liturgical procession to St. Peter’s Square will begin, led by the pope from inside the basilica to the outdoor altar where Mass will be celebrated.

During the procession, the “Laudes Regiae” (“Royal Praises”), a solemn litany of the saints appropriate for this occasion, is intoned. “It is a particular form of the Litany of the Saints in which the intercession of the saints is sought, grouped in distinct groups, to pray for the holiness of the pope,” the liturgical expert said.

This ancient liturgical chant accompanied Roman imperial victories in the distant past. It was revived by Emperor Charlemagne on Christmas Day in the year 800 during his coronation as emperor and has since become a solemn hymn for monarchical rites.

Also sung for the kings of France and the sovereigns of England until the Reformation, the “Laudes Regiae” evoke a central theological truth: All earthly power comes from God and must be exercised with humility and responsibility.

The pallium and the fisherman’s ring

One of the central moments of the rite is the presentation of the signs of the Petrine ministry, “the two elements that mark the beginning of the pontificate. Previously, the tiara was placed on the pope, but now the important elements are the papal pallium and the fisherman’s ring,” Silvestre related.

Both elements have profound theological and pastoral significance. “The pallium, which is a kind of stole or scarf, is made of sheep’s wool and represents the pope as a shepherd who carries the flock, that is, the Church, on his shoulders,” the liturgy expert explained.

Regarding the fisherman’s ring, the priest said that “it’s a kind of gold ring on which a representation of St. Peter in his boat and the pope's name are engraved.” This ring also has a practical function because “it is used to seal documents.” 

Until this Sunday’s Mass, the pontiff has been wearing his usual episcopal ring. After the rite of presentation of both elements, the College of Cardinals’ act of fidelity to the new pope will take place.

“We will see a representation of the cardinals — on behalf of the entire college — approach the Holy Father to express their reverence, obedience, and ecclesial communion,” Silvestre said.

Proclamation of the Gospel in Greek and Latin

Another of the main features of this Mass marking the inauguration of the pontificate is the proclamation of the Gospel in Greek and Latin, because “the successor of Peter is the pope of the Eastern Catholics and the Latin Catholics.”

After the inaugural Mass at St. Peter’s, Leo XIV will take possession of the other three papal basilicas. On Tuesday, May 20, he will take possession of St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica. On Sunday, May 25, his second Regina Caeli will be celebrated, and on that same day he will take possession of the basilicas of St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major.

The visit to St. Paul Outside the Walls Basilica on May 20 will focus on the veneration of the tomb of the apostle to the Gentiles: “We will see the pope pray at the tomb of St. Paul.”

Finally, the visit to St. Mary Major Basilica — where Pope Francis used to go and where he is buried — will include Marian devotion. “During his visit to St. Mary Major, Pope Leo XIV will venerate the most famous icon of the city of Rome, the ‘Salus Populi Romani’ [‘Protection of the Roman People’],” Silvestre added.

Universal and diplomatic dimension

In any case, Silvestre emphasized that the Mass for the inauguration of the pontificate will have a clearly universal character because it “emphasizes the Holy Father as the pastor of the universal Church.”

Therefore, in addition to thousands of faithful, heads of state, and diplomatic representatives from various countries will attend. “The Holy See has diplomatic relations with more than 180 countries,” the liturgical expert noted.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The 2010 Chevy Camaro SS and 1967 Chevy Camaro SS being raffled in the Diocese of Gallup’s annual V8’s for Vocations car raffle. / Credit: Photo courtesy of V8’s for Vocations

CNA Staff, May 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

In 2015, Father Matthew Keller, a priest in the Diocese of Gallup, New Mexico, restored a 1972 Chevelle SS and raffled it off with all proceeds going to the education of the diocese’s seminarians. The American-made muscle car brought in over $120,000, and with that the V8’s for Vocations annual car raffle was set in motion.

This year the raffle takes place on June 21 and marks the 10-year anniversary of the raffle. To mark the milestone, not one but two cars will be raffled off — a 1967 Chevy Camaro SS and a 2010 Chevy Camaro SS, both in a special Bumblebee Transformers edition.

Keller said he has always been a “car guy.” While in high school, he attended a vocational school where he learned how to do body work on cars and by the age of 16 he had built his first car.

“I was always an enthusiast,” he told CNA in an interview. “Later on I thought, ‘Well, I wonder why God put me in that situation,’ right? Where I would learn this very particular skill and then never use it again as a priest?”

At the time of the first raffle in 2015, Keller was the director of vocations for the diocese, which began to welcome its first seminarians but had no way to pay for their education. The Diocese of Gallup is the poorest diocese in the United States. Currently, the diocese has 20 active priests, 18 missionary priests, seven priests from religious orders, 24 permanent deacons, and two seminarians who serve 74 churches across an area roughly the size of the state of Illinois.

While discerning how to raise funds, Keller had the idea to use “one of the gifts God gave me” to help support the seminarians. He found volunteers and called up some of his friends — other “car guys” — to work on the restoration of a car that could be raffled off.

Over the years, classic cars and muscle cars from the ’50s, ’60s, and ’70s have been donated by generous individuals to V8’s for Vocations in order to be restored and raffled off, with all of the money from each $25 ticket going toward the funding of seminarian education in the diocese.

Keller said the funds raised are “what puts them [seminarians] through — start to finish.”

“It was crucial that we had to have something that brought in enough money to pay for the program because we just didn’t have it otherwise,” he added.

The program has also been a wonderful form of evangelization, Keller shared. When the program first started, work on the cars was done in the three-car garage behind the Sacred Heart Cathedral.

“I started to notice things, too, like there were men coming around that might not have been so often coming through the front doors of the church but would come in the back doors down to the garage. And so I think it started to take on a little bit of an evangelization aspect as well,” he said. “There were times when I had people ask me for confession from the garage.”

Keller added: “One of our main helpers in the program right now is a convert. I met him and he was interested in what we were doing. We worked around him for a few years and he was very active and helpful and everything, and he was just around all these Catholic men doing this good work and everything, and he decided to join the Church, and so this spring he was baptized.”

In 2021, V8’s for Vocations was blessed to receive a new, larger garage to work in thanks to financial help from local Catholic organizations Southwest Indian Foundation and the Catholic Peoples Foundation. The larger garage has enough space for multiple cars to be worked on at once and a lift was able to be installed.

On May 1, 2021, Bishop James Wall of the Diocese of Gallup blessed the garage and placed it under the patronage of St. Joseph the Worker.

You do not need to live in New Mexico to take part in the V8’s for Vocations raffle. Tickets for this year’s raffle are available here.

Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone at the San Francisco walk for life on Jan. 21, 2023. / Credit: Dennis Callahan

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 16, 2025 / 18:03 pm (CNA).

U.S. President Donald Trump has tapped San Francisco Archbishop Salvatore J. Cordileone to serve on an advisory board for the country’s newly established Religious Liberty Commission, according to an announcement from the archdiocese.

Cordileone, who has served as archbishop since 2012, is the third member of the Catholic hierarchy to be given a role in the presidential commission’s work. Cardinal Timothy Dolan of the Archdiocese of New York and Bishop Robert Barron of the Diocese of Winona-Rochester, Minnesota, are members of the commission.

“Religious liberty is a critical issue in our time that needs to be defended and addressed,” Cordileone said in a statement. “I am happy to join my brother bishops in providing a Catholic voice on this important topic at a national level.”

Cordileone told CNA he does not know what the specific tasks on the advisory board will be but that one objective is to get the perspective of religious leaders. “It’s important to have a Catholic [voice]” on the advisory board to ensure the Church’s concerns are heard, he said.

The archbishop noted several state and federal attacks on religious liberty in recent years, such as the Affordable Care Act’s contraception mandate that was struck down by the U.S. Supreme Court. He expressed opposition to any possible insurance coverage mandates for in vitro fertilization (IVF), which the Church opposes.

He also raised concerns about a new Washington state law that tries to force priests to violate the seal of confession if they learn about child abuse during the sacrament of reconciliation. In 2019, he noted, lawmakers in California debated a similar bill, which “galvanized Catholics” to oppose its adoption. The U.S. Department of Justice is currently investigating the Washington state law.

Cordileone further emphasized the need to allow religious organizations to continue their services to the poor, the homeless, mothers, migrants, and others “without interference from the government.”

The archbishop said that religious organizations should be “able to serve the community in accordance with our moral values, which we get from our faith,” adding: “We don’t want our government defining for us what our religion is.”

The new commission

Trump established the commission through an executive order on May 1, which coincided with the country’s National Day of Prayer.

The commission is tasked with creating a report on the current threats to religious freedom in the United States and providing strategies to improve legal protections for those rights. The report will also outline the foundations of religious liberty and include guidance on how to increase awareness about the peaceful religious pluralism in the United States.

Some of the key religious liberty subjects the report is tasked with handling include parental rights in education, school choice, conscience protections, free speech for religious bodies, institutional autonomy, and attacks on houses of worship.

The president established the commission because of concerns that some federal and state policies have infringed on those rights.

Other members of the commission include Protestant leaders, such as Pastor Paula White, along with rabbis and imams. Ethics and Public Policy Center President Ryan Anderson, who is Catholic, is also on the commission. Psychologist and television personality Dr. Phil McGraw and renowned neurosurgeon Dr. Ben Carson are also members.

Texas Lt. Gov. Dan Patrick, an evangelical Christian, is the commission’s chairman.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux. / Credit: Public domain

Paris, France, May 16, 2025 / 17:11 pm (CNA).

In 2025, the Church honors a saint whose impact has only grown with time. One hundred years after her canonization, the Jubilee of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face — the saint better known around the world as the Little Flower — is drawing pilgrims to her enduring message of trust, love, and joyful simplicity.  

Canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925, then declared a doctor of the Church by John Paul II in 1997, Thérèse of Lisieux is one of the most beloved spiritual figures in modern Catholicism. Her “little way,” rooted in childlike trust in divine mercy, continues to captivate the hearts of the faithful and spiritual seekers alike.

The centenary year began on Jan. 4 and will continue until next Christmas, with a weekend of celebrations taking place from May 16–18 in her hometown of Lisieux in northern France. 

The theme chosen for the event, “Joy in Holiness,” resonates with Pope Francis’ call for the 2025 Jubilee Year, “Pilgrims of Hope.” For countless people, Thérèse is precisely that: a hopeful companion, guiding them along hidden but luminous paths toward God. 

A special weekend in Lisieux 

The main commemorative events began Friday evening with a candlelit procession of Thérèse’s relics from the local Carmelite convent — where the saint spent her religious life — to the basilica, followed by a singing vigil.

May 17, the centenary day, will open with a solemn gathering before the reliquary, featuring choral hymns and carillon bells. A Mass will follow at 11 a.m., broadcast live on various social media platforms. Throughout the afternoon, pilgrims will be invited to participate in a variety of spiritual, artistic, and family-oriented activities. These include guided tours of key sites in Thérèse’s life, a collaborative mosaic project reproducing her portrait and the façade of the basilica, and a screening of the film “A Giant Race,” dedicated to her life. 

A highlight of the day will be the evening concert by French-Canadian singer Natasha St-Pier, whose musical interpretations of Thérèse’s poems have introduced a new generation to the saint’s mysticism. The artist, who has repeatedly described her personal devotion to the Carmelite nun, has become one of the most prominent cultural ambassadors of Thérèse’s spiritual message in the francophone world. 

The final day, Sunday, May 18, will begin with a symbolic link to the Church’s present: the inauguration of Pope Leo XIV’s pontificate will be broadcast live from Rome to the basilica’s screens. Later in the afternoon, a special gathering will be held in front of the Carmel to recall the long list of miracles attributed to the saint’s intercession, recalling her enduring closeness to the faithful.

The power of the ‘Little Way’ 

What continues to draw people to the Little Flower is the radical simplicity of her spiritual vision. In a culture driven by achievement, noise, and self-assertion, her “little way” of doing small things with great love offers an antidote. 

Reflecting on the lasting influence of the Lisieux saint, Father Emmanuel Schwab, rector of the shrine, recently recalled Pope Francis’ 2023 apostolic exhortation C’est la Confiance (“It Is Trust”) dedicated to her, which opened with a line from the saint: “It is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead us to love.”

“These last words sum up her ‘little way’: a distraught trust in God who saves, gives life, and leads us to love him beyond all else,” he explained in an interview with the Diocese of Paris.

Thérèse’s message is all the more relevant today, as her spiritual journey was not without trials. Born in Alençon in 1873, she entered the Carmel of Lisieux at just 15 and died of tuberculosis in 1897 at the age of 24. On Easter Sunday 1896, already gravely ill, she entered what she called her “night of faith.” For the last 18 months of her life, she experienced the absence of all her usual comforting images of God. This period of spiritual darkness, as described by theologian Father François Marxer, teaches us “not to make a pact or to enter into a confrontation but to put up with that part of atheism we all have within us,” aware that “this night is God himself.”

This capacity to speak to wounded, searching souls is part of what has drawn singer Natasha St-Pier so deeply into the saint’s orbit.

“Therese helped me discover a faith that’s simple to apply on a daily basis,” St-Pier said in a 2018 interview with La Croix. “It doesn’t require big actions, big demonstrations, or guilt-tripping. God loves us, even if we’re sinners, even if we’re not exceptional.”

A global jubilee 

The centenary celebrations extend beyond France. In the U.S., a major relics tour will span over a dozen cities from October to December, including stops at national shrines of the Little Flower in San Antonio, Texas; Michigan; and Florida. Other local parishes such as St. Thérèse Church in Alhambra, California, will offer Eucharistic processions and conferences around the May anniversary. 

In Ireland, Knock Shrine will host a “St. Thérèse International Day” on July 13, combining relics’ veneration, Eucharistic celebration, rosary procession, conferences, and communal celebrations. The United Kingdom is also preparing national commemorations, particularly in parishes named after the saint, with a weeklong celebration culminating in solemn Masses on May 18. 

As the faithful converge on Lisieux and gather across continents, they do so not only to honor a saint but also to reconnect with a spiritual intuition that continues to illuminate the dark corners of modern life. In celebrating the centenary of her canonization, the Church once again turns its gaze toward the childlike audacity of Thérèse’s promise: “I will spend my heaven doing good on earth.” 

Alessandro Tamburlani is the president and founder of the gym where Cardinal Robert Prevost worked out before becoming pope. / Credit: Victoria Cardiel/EWTN News

Vatican City, May 16, 2025 / 16:41 pm (CNA).

When he was prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost used to take long walks through the Borgo neighborhood in Rome. He lived in a simple apartment on Via di Porta Angelica until less than two months ago, when he moved to another apartment building reserved for high-ranking Vatican officials in the Sant’Uffizio (Holy Office) building where the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith is now located.

In this central Roman neighborhood, just steps from St. Peter’s Square, he also frequented the Omega Fitness Club, which since May 8 — when he was elected pope — has become the most famous gym in Rome.

Last week, like all the residents in the area, the gym’s president and founder, Alessandro Tamburlani, ran to St. Peter’s Square as soon as he heard about the white smoke. His joy was even greater when he saw one of the registered members of his fitness center appear on the balcony.

“I won’t hide the fact that I cheered wildly,” Tamburlani said with emotion and pride. “My joy was doubled or tripled. Joy to finally have a new Holy Father after the obligatory period of mourning we went through. And joy also to know that he’s a good person and, moreover, someone we all already knew here at the gym.”

The then-Cardinal Prevost — who, as is well known, is also a tennis player — spent his free time on the cardio machines, his favorite exercise. He sometimes also used the stationary bikes and treadmills designed to improve cardiovascular endurance and burn calories. 

“He was a person like so many other members. He dressed like everyone else, in simple gym clothes. He was often accompanied by his assistant so he could work out,” he related.

An athletic pope

Tamburlani didn’t hide his enthusiasm when he noted that having an athletic pope really showcases the need to lead a healthy life. “He’s a shining light that allows us all to say that, if he can do it, we can all manage to take care of ourselves and exercise,” he pointed out.

He said Leo XIV’s lifestyle can be a model for all: “In the modern life we lead, always in a hurry, too busy for our own good, he invites us to be aware of our bodies and begin to take control of them, guiding them toward an excellent experience that combines spirituality and sports training.”

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

The classic coat of arms of the Order of St. Augustine. / Credit: NicolasGrisales, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, May 16, 2025 / 16:11 pm (CNA).

A priest who was accused multiple times of sex abuse, including possession of child pornography, has been dismissed from the Order of St. Augustine reportedly after a lengthy “disagreement” with the order.

Father Richard McGrath was allegedly barred from the order “following a prolonged period of disagreement with his direct superior,” according to Michael Airdo, an attorney who has represented the Augustinians in the past. 

The dismissal reportedly happened in December 2024, according to Airdo. The Chicago Sun-Times reported on the controversy on Thursday.

The Sun-Times did not say what prompted its Thursday report if the dismissal happened in December. The Midwest Augustinians did not respond to a request for comment on Friday, including whether or not they knew the whereabouts of McGrath. Airdo also did not immediately respond to an emailed request for comment. 

McGrath was previously accused of sexual abuse by Robert Krankvich, a former student of Providence High School in New Lenox near Chicago. The priest, formerly the principal of the school, allegedly raped Krankvich multiple times, according to Krankvich’s attorneys. 

The former student’s civil lawsuit was ultimately settled for $2 million before it went to trial. 

McGrath was also investigated over allegations that he possessed child pornography on his phone. Police investigated those claims but ultimately did not bring charges; McGrath refused to hand over the phone to police, and the device reportedly went missing shortly thereafter. 

The Midwestern Augustinians have published a list of past members with “an established allegation of sexual abuse with a minor.” The list, which identifies five past members by name, was last updated in May 2024; McGrath is not on it. 

“In determining whether an allegation of sexual abuse of a minor is established, the province adheres to the canonical standard of moral certitude, meaning that the provincial recognizes that the contrary (that the allegation is false) may be possible, but is highly unlikely or so improbable, that the provincial has no substantive fear that the allegation is false,” the list says. 

Though it is not clear why specifically McGrath was removed from the Augustinians, the Sun-Times reported that at some point the priest “stopped listening to Church officials about where to live.”

During proceedings over Krankvich’s allegations, McGrath was reportedly asked if he knew “why the Augustinians [were] trying to expel” him.

“Because I left on my own, without their approval,” McGrath replied.

Prior to his pontificate, Pope Leo XIV previously served as prior provincial for the Midwestern Augustinian province, and later as prior general of the entire Augustinian order.

Airdo said in a statement to the Sun-Times that the pope — then-Bishop Robert Prevost — was serving in Peru during disputes over where McGrath lived. The future pope “had no responsibility for any Augustinians” and no oversight of McGrath’s living arrangements, the lawyer said.

Actor and filmmaker Mel Gibson. / Credit: Georges Biard, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons

CNA Staff, May 16, 2025 / 15:41 pm (CNA).

Production and distribution company Lionsgate has been chosen as the studio partnering with director Mel Gibson and Bruce Davey’s Icon Productions on the upcoming film “The Resurrection of the Christ,” the much-anticipated follow-up to “The Passion of the Christ.”

The news came in an announcement from Adam Fogelson, chair of Lionsgate Motion Picture Group, on May 15.

“For many, many people across the globe, ‘The Resurrection of the Christ’ is the most anticipated theatrical event in a generation. It is also an awe-inspiring and spectacularly epic theatrical film that is going to leave moviegoers worldwide breathless,” Fogelson said in a press release.  

“Mel is one of the greatest directors of our time, and this project is both deeply personal to him and the perfect showcase for his talents as a filmmaker. My relationship with Mel and Bruce dates back 30 years, and I am thrilled to be partnering with them once again on this landmark event for audiences,” he added. 

“Lionsgate’s brave, innovative spirit and nimble, can-do attitude have inspired me for a long time, and I couldn’t think of a more perfect distributor for ‘The Resurrection of the Christ,’” Gibson said.

“I’ve enjoyed working with Adam and the team several times over recent years. I know the clever ingenuity, passion, and ambition the entire team commits to their projects and I’m confident they will bring everything they can to the release of this movie.”

The first title teaser for the film was also released on social media platforms with the caption “THE RESURRECTION OF THE CHRIST — coming soon.”

In March it was reported that filming would begin this August in Italy, according to Manuela Cacciamani, CEO of Rome’s Cinecittà Studios. 

The film “will be shot entirely in Cinecittà starting in August and requires many theaters and stage constructions,” she said in an interview with Italian newspaper Il Sole 24 Ore.

Released in 2004, “The Passion of the Christ” vividly depicts the final hours of Jesus’ life, from his arrest in the Garden of Gethsemane to his crucifixion. 

The film has been the subject of debate since its release. The graphic scenes of Christ’s scourging and crucifixion sparked controversy; some critics considered it excessively violent, while others praised it for its historical authenticity and its ability to realistically convey Christ’s suffering.

In January 2004, Joaquín Navarro-Valls, then director of the Holy See Press Office, noted that Pope John Paul II had seen the film and gave it a positive review, describing it as “the cinematographic recounting of the historical fact of the passion of Jesus Christ according to the Gospel accounts.”

Despite controversies surrounding the film, it garnered a profit of $370 million domestically with many crediting it as having opened the door to faith-based media in Hollywood.

Photograph of Pope Leo XIV released by the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, May 16, 2025 / 15:11 pm (CNA).

The Holy See press office released a new photograph of Pope Leo XIV on Friday, available for free download at this link.

In the image, the pontiff appears smiling, dressed in the traditional white cassock and the gold pectoral cross he wore during his first greeting from the balcony of St. Peter’s Basilica after his election as the successor of Peter on May 8.

The Vatican stated that “the image is provided free of charge and may only be reproduced for institutional purposes” and that “any use for commercial or other purposes is expressly prohibited.”

The Office of Liturgical Celebrations on May 10 had already published the official portrait of the Holy Father in which he appears wearing the red mozzetta, embroidered stole, rochet, and golden pectoral cross.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA’s Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

null / Credit: Thomas Andreas/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, May 16, 2025 / 14:09 pm (CNA).

Here is a roundup of recent pro-life and abortion-related news:

HHS investigates conscience rights case

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is reviewing a hospital for compliance with federal conscience protections following reports that the hospital had denied ultrasound technicians exemptions from participating in abortions.

The department’s Office for Civil Rights on May 12 announced it had opened a review to investigate violations of free exercise and conscience protections.

Though unnamed in the HHS announcement, the legal group involved in the case confirmed in a statement that it had contact with the HHS about a hospital in Albuquerque, New Mexico.

The legal group American Center for Law and Justice alleged that Presbyterian Hospital was requiring religious staff to assist in abortions. The hospital had changed its policy in late 2024, requiring participation in abortion procedures, “even for longtime employees with religious objections,” said the law firm’s executive director, Jordan Sekulow.

After the firm sent a demand letter highlighting federal religious freedom requirements, the hospital granted the religious accommodation for five ultrasound technicians in February.

A federal investigation of this nature “is both rare and significant,” Sekulow said.

“It sends a powerful message to health care institutions across the country: You cannot force medical professionals to choose between their careers and their faith,” Sekulow added.

South Carolina Supreme Court rules in favor of heartbeat law

The South Carolina Supreme Court on Wednesday ruled in favor of a law that protects unborn babies at around six weeks after conception through what is known as a heartbeat law.

The law prohibits abortions from being performed on unborn children with “cardiac activity, or the steady and repetitive rhythmic contraction of the fetal heart, within the gestational sac.” An ultrasound can detect an unborn baby’s cardiac activity at about six weeks.

In the unanimous ruling, judges acknowledged that South Carolina’s law was medically imprecise but maintained that lawmakers on both sides saw it as a six-week ban on abortion. 

Planned Parenthood argued in the lawsuit that the “or” in the law meant doctors should be able to terminate unborn children until the major parts of the heart come together, around nine weeks. 

Missouri passes referendum seeking repeal of abortion rights amendment

A referendum seeking the repeal of Missouri’s abortion rights amendment moved forward in the state Senate on Wednesday.

Missouri lawmakers approved a referendum that would repeal Amendment 79, an abortion rights amendment that voters passed in November 2024.

The measure passed in the state Senate by a 21-11 vote and in the House last month.

The referendum would also replace the amendment with protections against abortion for unborn children in most cases, with some exceptions for medical emergencies or if the unborn child has a fetal anomaly as well as in cases of rape or incest.

The measure would also prohibit gender transition surgeries, hormone treatments, and puberty blockers for minors.

The constitutional amendment would be open to voters in November 2026. If Missouri Gov. Mike Kehoe calls for a special election, it could be voted on sooner.

Executive Director of Coalition Life Brian Westbrook called the passage an “opportunity to correct course” for Missouri voters in a statement to CNA.

“Protecting the unborn, safeguarding parental rights, and preserving the integrity of our health care system are not partisan issues — they are moral imperatives that speak to the heart of who we are as Missourians,” Westbrook said.