St. James the Apostle Roman Catholic Church

The late Cardinal Estanislao Karlic. / Credit: Courtesy of Archdiocese of Paraná

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 13, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of Paraná in Argentina has published the spiritual testament of Cardinal Estanislao Karlic one month after his death.

The prelate was one of the authors of the Catechism of the Catholic Church and died on Aug. 8 at the age of 99.

The archdiocese noted that the testament was written by Karlic at the House of Mary of the Benedictine monastery Our Lady of Paraná ​​in Aldea María Luisa during the solemnity of the Nativity of Jesus in 2024. Karlic served as archbishop of the archdiocese from 1983 to 2003.

In his opening lines, the Argentine cardinal wrote: “The truth of the Catholic faith is what I confess as light, the light with which I ask the Lord to illuminate me in making this testament. I place myself before divine mercy, praying that it may envelop me with its redeeming love in the final moment of my earthly life. I thank God for the love he gave me, even before creation, in Christ the Redeemer.”

The cardinal also gave thanks for “the life the Lord gave me through my beloved parents, who from their native Croatia were welcomed by this generous and welcoming Argentine land, where they were able to grow as a family, work, and provide a future for their children; I give thanks for the immense gift of baptism, for the education I received within my family together with my sisters, Milka and Catalina, in my hometown of Oliva, and in Córdoba.”

After recalling that he studied at Monserrat School, the Córdoba seminary, the Pontifical Pio Latin American College in Rome, and Gregorian University, Karlic expressed his gratitude for the gift of the priesthood, the Archdiocese of Paraná, which welcomed him as archbishop, the Archdiocese of Buenos Aires, his brother bishops, the German dioceses that supported his archdiocese, the Augustinians who welcomed him in 2005, Pope John Paul II, and Pope Benedict XVI, who created him a cardinal.

“St. John Paul II undeservedly honored me by appointing me to the drafting committee of the catechism of the universal Church, and thus allowed me to have the extraordinary experience of the Church’s universal love for all men,” the cardinal recalled.

To the people of Argentina

The cardinal also dedicated a few lines to his homeland: “To the pilgrim people of Argentina, I say that I have wanted to serve my blessed homeland with all my soul, dreaming of a life of authentic fraternity for it, as children of the same Father, based on genuine respect and dialogue to give everyone the opportunity to live a life worthy of the generosity that the Lord has had with this land, which he has showered with so many splendid gifts.”

“May the Lord forgive our many sins and give us the grace of a true moral conversion to make this possible,” he continued.

“In this final remembrance, I don’t want to forget anyone. That’s why I hold in my heart all the people I’ve met, all those who have been my dear friends, all those who have prayed for me and done me some kindness, and also those who have found it hardest to love me,” he wrote, entrusting himself to the Virgin Mary.

Who was Cardinal Karlic?

Born on Feb. 7, 1926, in Oliva, Córdoba province, Argentina, to a family of Croatian immigrants, his career included various milestones: He earned a doctorate in theology from the Gregorian University in Rome, was archbishop of Paraná, president of the Argentine Bishops’ Conference for two terms, and one of the authors of the Catechism of the Catholic Church.

He served as professor of theology and head of the philosophy department at the Córdoba major seminary and received an honorary doctorate from the Catholic University of Santa Fe.

Karlic spent his final years at Our Lady of Paraná Monastery, where he shared his daily life with a community of Benedictine sisters, who gathered every morning at 11 a.m. in the chapel where he celebrated Mass.

In a telegram marking Karlic’s death, Pope Leo XIV recalled with gratitude the ministry of the man he described as “a selfless and upright pastor who, for many years and with great fidelity, dedicated his life to the service of God and the Church, bringing the light of the Gospel to various fields of life and culture.”

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

The venue of the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions. / Credit: N. Nazarbayev Center for Development of Interfaith and Inter-Civilization Dialogue

Vatican City, Sep 13, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

Religious leaders from China, Russia, the Middle East, and the Vatican are converging in Astana, Kazakhstan, on Sept. 17–18 for the VIII Congress of Leaders of World and Traditional Religions.

The gathering brings together some of the world’s most diverse spiritual voices at a moment of heightened global tensions. This year’s congress will focus on the theme “Dialogue of Religions: Synergy for the Future.”

The congress is convened by the government of Kazakhstan under the patronage of President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev, who will formally open the gathering. Organizers also expect Pope Leo XIV to send a special message, following the tradition of papal support for the congress.

For the Vatican, it marks the first major interfaith event under Pope Leo XIV and the debut of an entirely new papal delegation. Cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, newly-appointed prefect of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue, will deliver a keynote at the plenary session and read the final declaration at the closing ceremony.

He is joined by Father Laurent Basanese, SJ, secretary for Religious Relations with Muslims. The French Jesuit, known for his expertise in Christian-Muslim dialogue, will contribute to a working group, attend the secretariat meeting, and address the Forum of Young Religious Leaders.

“Since its founding, it has become a privileged space for promoting peace and mutual understanding among religions and cultures,” Basanese told CNA.

The Vatican delegation also includes Father Vincenzo Marinelli, deputy apostolic nuncio to Kazakhstan, and Professor Tiziano Onesti, president of the Vatican’s pediatric hospital Bambino Gesù, who will lead medical cooperation talks with Kazakh institutions.

One notable first this year is the participation of the Sovereign Order of Malta. Representing the order will be Pasquale Ferrara, diplomatic adviser to the order’s advisory council, who will take part in the congress on Sept. 18.

One of the most anticipated figures in Astana is Patriarch Kirill of Moscow, whose participation has been officially confirmed. He last attended the congress in 2012. His presence raises the prospect of the highest-level Vatican-Moscow encounter since the war in Ukraine.

Earlier this summer, Pope Leo received Metropolitan Anthony of Volokolamsk in Rome, and Metropolitan Anthony will return to the Eternal City on Sept. 14 for an ecumenical commemoration of the new martyrs at St. Paul’s Outside the Walls.

Four days later, Patriarch Kirill will preside over a prayer service in Astana’s Assumption Cathedral for the new martyrs and confessors of Kazakhstan. The twin commemorations — one in Rome, the other in Astana — underscore how the memory of Christian martyrdom is providing common ground for dialogue.

Another high-profile participant is Ahmed al-Tayeb, the grand imam of Al-Azhar. In 2019, he co-signed with Pope Francis the historic Document on Human Fraternity in Abu Dhabi, which inspired the United Nations to establish Feb. 4 as the International Day of Human Fraternity just days before the congress.

Rome hosted the World Meeting on Human Fraternity on Sept. 12–13, where Pope Leo XIV greeted participants on Friday.

Basanese told CNA that for him the gathering in Astana is more than symbolic: “Interreligious dialogue, which often requires inexhaustible patience, cannot be reduced to superficial consensus or a sterile ‘diplomacy of smiles.’ In reality it is central to the Church’s mission. In 2025 we mark the 60th anniversary of Nostra Aetate, which affirmed that the Church ‘rejects nothing that is true and holy in these religions.’ Dialogue does not mean giving up the truth but bearing witness with respect, listening, and charity.”

The congress was first convened in 2003 on the initiative of Kazakhstan’s first President Nursultan Nazarbayev, inspired by the interreligious meeting at Assisi in 1986 and strengthened by Pope John Paul II’s visit to Kazakhstan in 2001. Since then, it has been held every three years in Astana, bringing together leaders of major religions to foster peace and mutual understanding. The Holy See has participated since the beginning, and Pope Francis himself attended the previous congress in 2022.

Pilgrims at the canonization Mass for Sts. Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 7, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 13, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

‘Surge of enthusiasm’ among Catholic in Asia after St. Carlo Acutis canonization 

Young Catholics in Asia are “experiencing a surge of enthusiasm” around the life of the newly canonized St. Carlos Acutis, according to the testimony of Father Will Conquer, a Paris Foreign Missions Society priest stationed in Cambodia, according to a Sept. 8 UCA News report. 

“In Asia, where digital culture is omnipresent, Carlo Acutis stands out as a ‘saint 2.0,’” said Conquer, who added that the young saint’s life “resonates particularly in this region where young people, connected and searching for meaning, find in him an accessible and inspiring role model.” 

Catholic leaders in Jerusalem gather for conference on property tax laws 

The Assembly of Catholic Ordinaries of the Holy Land gathered at the Notre Dame Center in Jerusalem on Sept. 10 for a “high-level conference dedicated to the Arnona property tax issue,” the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said in a Sept. 12 press release. 

The conference comes after the Jerusalem Municipality’s decision to impose the Arnona municipal property tax on church properties, breaking with the historic status quo that has exempted Christian churches in the Holy Land from paying property taxes since the Ottoman Empire.

According to the release, the conference opened with a keynote address by Latin Patriarch Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, who “emphasized that the status quo regarding the Arnona tax has come to an end and that change is inevitable.” Pizzaballa further called for leaders among the assembly to unite and “for institutions to prepare themselves collectively and responsibly for the upcoming changes.”

Catholic charity delivers water to South Korean city plighted by drought

A charity organization called the Catholic Medical Angels has delivered 10 tons of water to the coastal city of Gangneung in South Korea, where rapidly declining water levels in the city’s Obong Reservoir has prompted a water crisis, according to a report from UCA News.

“Though it is a small effort, we hope it helps the citizens of Gangneung and that this severe drought is resolved as soon as possible,” said Min Chang-Ki, director of the Catholic Medical Center, which oversees the Catholic Medical Angels.

The delivery took place on Sept. 3 and was carried out at parishes across the local Chuncheon Diocese. The diminishing reservoir ordinarily supplies about 87% of the city’s tap and industrial water, the report said.

Filipino priest to receive Nobel Prize of Asia for opposition toward former president 

Filipino priest Father Flavie Villanueva will receive the Ramon Magsaysay Award, often referred to as the “Nobel Prize of Asia,” for his work building shelters for Manila’s homeless population and “defending victims of extrajudicial killings” in former Philippine President Rodrigo Duterte’s drug crackdown, according to Crux.

“I accept this on behalf of the thousands of homeless and those victims of social injustice, particularly the EJK victims, that they may have a face in this fast-changing world,” Villanueva said in a press conference on Wednesday. He will receive the award officially in a ceremony on Nov. 7.

Catholics in Nepal hoping for an end to violence amid corruption protests

Catholics in Nepal are hoping for an end to ongoing violence, according to Nepal priest Father Silas Bogati, after anti-corruption protests in the country escalated on Sept. 6, resulting in the deaths of at least 22 people, according to a Sept. 10 Crux report.

“Violence is never a solution to problems, and now we hope there will be peaceful transition and people can live in peace,” the priest said. “For the Catholic Church, we want to see the end of violence and arson attacks and get a peaceful solution to the ongoing problems.”

The priest’s words come after “a full curfew” was enacted following Saturday’s unrest, which was ignited by social media bans across the country.

The World Health Organization’s Model List of Essential Medicines 2025 no longer has the caveat that abortion drugs should only be used where “legally permitted or culturally acceptable.” / Credit: KadirKARA/Shutterstock

CNA Staff, Sep 12, 2025 / 17:34 pm (CNA).

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

WHO promotes abortion drugs on essential medicines list

Pro-life leaders are expressing concern after the inclusion of abortion drugs in the World Health Organization (WHO)’s latest annual list of essential medicines, noting that the drugs can be “dangerous.” 

The Model List of Essential Medicines 2025, released on “International Safe Abortion Day,” had a section dedicated to abortion drugs, which for the first time did not include the caveat that these medicines are not legal or culturally acceptable everywhere. 

According to WHO, “the list no longer carries the boxed caveat, in place since 2005, that singled out these medicines as only to be used where legally permitted or culturally acceptable.” 

Dr. Ingrid Skop, vice president and director of medical affairs for Charlotte Lozier Institute and a board-certified OB-GYN, expressed concern that these drugs were being recommended for use around the world, noting that abortion drugs “have a complication rate four times higher than surgical abortion.”

“As many as 1 in 5 women will suffer a complication and 1 in 20 will require surgical completion,” Skop said. “Also, a recent study found that more than a third of women who used abortion drugs were unprepared for the amount of pain and bleeding they encountered.” 

“Yet, the WHO is recommending them for use in Third World countries with poor health care systems, where emergency care may be limited or nonexistent,” Skop continued. 

Calling the action a part of WHO’s “population control and eugenic agenda,” Skop urged WHO to “instead devote more attention to helping countries obtain the resources they need to impact maternal mortality, such as blood-banking for hemorrhage and antibiotics and critical care for infections.”

Michael New, a senior associate scholar at Charlotte Lozier Institute and assistant professor of practice at The Catholic University of America, added that the WHO’s decision was “disappointing” but “unsurprising.” 

“The World Health Organization has always had a very strong pro-abortion bias,” New said, noting that the group’s website calls abortion a “critical public health and human rights issue.”

New also noted that WHO’s website “wrongly claims that ‘evidence shows that restricting access to abortions does not reduce the number of abortions’ even though many, many studies show the incidence of abortion is impacted by its legal status.” 

Susan B. Anthony Pro-Life America Political Affairs Communications Director Kelsey Pritchard expressed gratitude that the U.S. withdrew from WHO in January.  

“Thank goodness President Trump withdrew the U.S. from the pro-abortion WHO, and they keep proving that decision right,” she said. “The abortion industry — including foreign, criminal abortion drug rings — is flooding every state with these drugs whether it is legal or not.” 

Pritchard also noted that abortion drugs can be “dangerous.” 

“A mounting body of scientific evidence and real-life horror stories show abortion drugs are far more dangerous than advertised, exposing the serious risks they pose to women and girls as well as unborn children,” she said. 

“Week after week these dangerous drugs cause more tragedies: Women coerced and poisoned, girls rushed to the ER, mothers dying along with their babies — all while the abortion industry profits from deception and abusers benefit from unfettered drug access,” Pritchard continued.

Pritchard anticipated the FDA’s review of the drug, saying that “we’re confident once the evidence is examined, it will be undeniable how harmful these drugs truly are.” 

California bill allowing anonymous abortion prescriptions awaits signature 

A California bill that would allow health care providers to anonymously prescribe abortion drugs could soon become law. 

The law would allow a pharmacist to dispense abortion drugs “without the name of the patient, the name of the prescriber, or the name and address of the pharmacy, subject to specified requirements,” according to the bill’s text.

The law would allow abortionists to anonymously mail abortion medication to patients in California and in the rest of the U.S., even to states where these abortion drugs are illegal. This could make it harder for states to build legal cases against abortionists operating under shield laws.

New York attorney general intervenes in landmark legal battle over abortion shield laws

Attorney General Letitia James is intervening in a landmark case involving a New York abortionist who allegedly prescribed abortion pills to a patient in Texas, where the drugs are illegal. 

James sent a letter to the state Supreme Court judge in Ulster County, New York, saying she has the authority to enforce the state’s shield law — a law designed to protect abortionists who violate the laws of other states. 

The abortion shield law prohibits state officials from cooperating with investigations into abortionists for out-of-state abortions, even when abortion drugs are illegal in those states.

The legal battle is among the first challenges to New York’s 2023 shield law.

A 45-year-old Iraqi Christian who fled his homeland to escape Islamist persecution was stabbed to death in Lyon in southern France on the evening of Sept. 10, 2025. / Credit: Stock-Asso/Shutterstock

Lyon, France, Sep 12, 2025 / 17:04 pm (CNA).

A 45-year-old Iraqi Christian who fled his homeland to escape Islamist persecution was stabbed to death in Lyon in southern France on the evening of Sept. 10.

He was reportedly livestreaming a video on TikTok in which he spoke about his faith. The attack has shocked local Christian communities and drawn calls for clarity on the motives behind the killing. 

According to local newspaper Le Progrès, the victim, identified as Ashur Sarnaya — who was disabled and used a wheelchair — was returning to his apartment building when a man, apparently waiting for him, struck him in the neck with a knife. Emergency services, alerted shortly before 10:30 p.m., found him in cardiac arrest and were unable to revive him. 

Born in 1979, Sarnaya had lived in the building with his sister for more than a decade after fleeing the advance of the Islamic State in Iraq in 2014. Neighbors described him as “a vulnerable person who didn’t walk and never caused any trouble.”

An anti-Christian murder?  

Relatives told local media that Sarnaya, an Assyrian Christian, regularly hosted live sessions on TikTok in the evenings in which he spoke about Christianity. In a video clip that was still circulating online the following morning, he appeared with his face covered in blood streaming from his nose and mouth.

“He was a normal person. He did live videos on TikTok to spread the word of God. He had no enemies, no problems with anyone,” his sister told RMC-BFM Lyon, recounting how she was alerted by friends who were watching the livestream at the moment of the attack. “When I arrived, he was dead. He was on the ground, there were lots of people, the police, the firefighters.”

On his social media accounts, Sarnaya often shared testimonies of faith in Arabic. In one post cited by Aleteia France, he complained that his content was frequently blocked or suspended due to reports from Muslim users. In March, he claimed to have been physically attacked by Muslims.

The president of the Assyro-Chaldean Association of Lyon, Georges Shamoun Ishaq, told the Catholic media that Sarnaya was “a very kind, discreet person, deeply believing, who liked to speak about the Christian faith.”

The Lyon prosecutor’s office has opened a homicide investigation, entrusted to the Division of Organized and Specialized Crime. At this stage, investigators are not prioritizing any hypothesis — whether criminal, political, religious, or drug-related. AFP reportedly received a video footage of a man in dark clothing and a hood leaving the scene, identified as the presumed attacker.

Catholic organizations respond 

Catholic organizations in France have expressed strong concern. Œuvre d’Orient condemned “with the greatest firmness the murder of a vulnerable Iraqi Christian,” stressing that “it is essential that Christians of the Middle East be able to witness to their faith in safety and live with dignity.” 

SOS Chrétiens d’Orient recalled that Sarnaya had fled the persecution of ISIS in Iraq. “It is unimaginable that a Christian who fled persecution should be murdered in France,” the organization stated, calling for prayers for the repose of his soul and for his family. 

Family members also paid tribute to Sarnaya on social media. One cousin described him as a martyr on Facebook: “He was preaching live when his life was tragically taken,” the post read, adding that his faith would always remain an inspiration.

Reactions from political leaders have so far been limited. Marine Le Pen, leader of the right-wing party Rassemblement National, claimed on X that Sarnaya “was savagely stabbed to death in Lyon by an Islamist. While granting asylum to the persecuted is legitimate, our uncontrolled immigration policy now leads us to welcome their executioners.” 

Lyon-based influencer Verlaine, also paid tribute to the victim on X, highlighting his noticeable presence on social media, “where he shared above all his Catholic faith…,” suggesting that it was the reason why he was killed. “Rest in peace, Sir,” he wrote. 

Relentless rise of anti-Christian acts in France 

The killing of Sarnaya comes against a backdrop of growing concern over anti-Christian incidents in France. Advocacy groups have repeatedly warned of a rise in acts targeting churches, cemeteries, and believers over the past years.  

On Aug. 7, Interior Minister Bruno Retailleau asked prefects to reinforce protection of Christian places of worship, particularly around the feast of the Assumption. According to official figures, 401 anti-Christian acts were recorded between January and June, an increase of 13% compared with the same period in 2024. Vandalism and desecration of churches account for the majority of these attacks.  

Earlier this week, on Sept. 8, a statue of the Virgin and Child was deliberately set on fire during Mass at the Basilica of Notre-Dame de Bon-Secours in Guingamp (Brittany). The same statue had already been targeted by arson in 2015 and 2021. 

On July 25, the Notre-Dame des Champs church in Paris’ sixth arrondissement was also the target of an arson attack. A year ago, the arson attack that devastated a historic church in northern France had already caused a wave of national emotion. 

The relative lack of media coverage given to anti-Christian acts, which number in the hundreds each year, has fueled concerns among Catholic observers that this phenomenon may worsen if not addressed with greater seriousness.

United States Conference of Catholic Bishops headquarters in Washington, D.C., where Archbishop Timothy Broglio, USCCB president, said the Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation will continue “important work.” / Credit: Farragutful, CC BY-SA 3.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0>, via Wikimedia Commons

Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 12, 2025 / 16:34 pm (CNA).

The Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism established in 2017 by former United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) President Cardinal Daniel DiNardo of Galveston-Houston has officially been made a permanent body within the USCCB, according to a Sept. 10 press release. 

The newly created, permanent Subcommittee for the Promotion of Racial Justice and Reconciliation “continues the important work of the temporary ad hoc committee,” said USCCB President Archbishop Timothy Broglio. 

“As we call for a genuine conversion of heart that will compel change at both individual and institutional levels,” he continued, “I invite all Catholics to join us as we carry forward this work to recognize and uphold the inherent dignity of every person made in the image and likeness of God.”

The Administrative Committee of the USCCB approved the transition on Sept. 9, according to the press release, noting that the new subcommittee falls “under the Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development.” 

The Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development “seeks to teach about and to witness to the intrinsic dignity of the human person as an antidote to the grave sin of racism” and “explores and implements concrete solutions to address the racism that still pervades our society and our Church today, and works in collaborative ways to strengthen the response of all people to this evil.”

The move to cement the ad hoc committee comes as part of the bishops’ “ongoing commitment to addressing the sin of racism,” the release noted. 

The committee’s chair, Bishop Joseph Perry, also weighed in, stating: “I speak on behalf of the bishop members, staff, and consultants of the Ad Hoc Committee Against Racism in expressing gratitude for the transition of our committee to a standing subcommittee so that the important work of evangelization of the faithful and the community at large may continue in the spirit of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.” 

The committee will officially begin work after this year’s November plenary assembly.

Pope Leo XIV meets with bishops on Sept. 11, 2025, at the Vatican. / Credit: Vatican Media

ACI Prensa Staff, Sep 12, 2025 / 16:04 pm (CNA).

In a meeting with bishops appointed in the last year, Pope Leo XIV exhorted them to address issues related to inappropriate behavior on the part of the clergy: “They can’t be put away in a drawer.”

At the end of his Sept. 11 morning address to the prelates participating in the formation course organized by the Holy See, the Holy Father engaged them in a fraternal dialogue, giving them the opportunity to convey their concerns and worries.

The pontiff offered an overview of the challenges and issues bishops face at the beginning of a new ministry, such as fear, a sense of unworthiness, and the different expectations each had for their lives before being called.

Don’t be frightened by the first difficulty

As the Vatican noted in a statement released Sept. 12, the Holy Father also offered the bishops some valuable advice: “Remain close to the Lord, set aside time for prayer, and continue to live out unconditional trust in the Holy Spirit, the origin of one’s vocation.”

He also exhorted them to be persevering disciples “who do not allow themselves to be frightened by the first difficulty; pastors close to the people and to priests, merciful and firm, even when it is a matter of making a judgment; capable of listening and dialogue, not just preaching sermons.”

Pope Leo XIV also emphasized the value of the pastoral and human experience acquired in a local Church, which must be developed in a new ministry that puts bishops in touch with the universality of the Church.

The pope emphasized to the new bishops the value of witness and the ability to stay in touch with the world as they respond to questions that people are asking today about the meaning of life and evil in the world. “The answers learned 25 years ago in the seminary are not enough,” he pointed out.

Regarding synodality, the Holy Father — who headed the Dicastery for Bishops — explained that it is not a pastoral method but rather “a style of Church, of listening and of common search for the mission to which we are called.”

“Be builders of bridges,” he said. He also asked them to value the role of the laity, integrating it into the life of the Church and to an “unarmed and disarming” peace because “peace is a challenge for all!”

Misdeeds cannot be ‘put away in a drawer’

Before answering questions, Pope Leo XIV encouraged the bishops to promptly address issues related to inappropriate behavior on the part of the clergy: “They cannot be put away in a drawer; they must be addressed with a sense of mercy and true justice toward the victims and the accused.”

The pontiff thanked the new bishops for accepting the ministry: “I pray for you; the Church appreciates your ‘yes’; you are not alone; together we bear the burden and together we proclaim the Gospel of Jesus Christ.”

Prudence on social media

In response to questions posed by the bishops, the Holy Father spoke of the need to be prudent in the use of social media, where the risk is that “everyone feels authorized to say whatever he wants, even things that are false.” He added: “There are times when getting to the truth is painful, but necessary.”

He encouraged the bishops to use communications professionals who are trained in the field, offering three specific pieces of advice: “Keep calm, use sound judgment, and seek the help of a professional.”

Speaking of the challenges of every new ministry, Pope Leo XIV urged the new bishops to trust in God’s grace, to recognize their own gifts and limitations, and to rely on the help of others, including the valuable experience of a good bishop emeritus who can accompany or advise. He also warned against the temptation to form an inner circle and become isolated within it.

Formation in seminaries

The pontiff reiterated the need to build bridges and seek dialogue, even where Christians are a minority, with genuine respect for people of other religious traditions, especially through the witness of Christian love and mercy.

The Holy Father also addressed formation in seminaries, particularly the responsibility of initial formation, urging the bishops to be welcoming, to receive vocations, and to accompany each person in the discovery of other dimensions of the Gospel and of Christian and missionary life.

Speaking about mission, Pope Leo suggested that the bishops rely on those authentic, missionary laypeople present in eccesial movements who can be a source of hope for the local Church.

In response to questions about the serious consequences of environmental crises, the pope recalled the 10th anniversary of Pope Francis’ encyclical Laudato Si’ and encouraged promoting this theme in pastoral care. He added that in this area, “the Church will be present,” without mixing in other issues contrary to Christian anthropology.

Young people’s thirst for spiritual life

According to the Vatican, the meeting also addressed the relationships between the various organizations in the universal and local Church, the process of appointing bishops, the need to confront together the many current crises in the world, and the value of the bishops’ presence to those who suffer.

The new bishops also had the opportunity to speak with the Holy Father about young people, particularly in Europe after the recent jubilee for them, and about their questions about communion and prayer, and their thirst for spiritual life, which they have not been able to quench either in the virtual world or “in the typical experiences at our parishes.”

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

Pope Leo waves to the crowds in St. Peter’s Square on Sept. 6, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

CNA Staff, Sep 12, 2025 / 14:56 pm (CNA).

A new report from a Pew Research Center survey finds that 8 out of 10 American Catholics view Pope Leo XIV favorably.

According to the report, 84% of U.S. Catholics surveyed say they have a “mostly favorable” view (47%) of the pope or a “very favorable” view (37%) — while only 4% of Catholics view him unfavorably and 11% say they have never heard of him.

Among non-Catholic Americans, more than half of those surveyed (56%) say they view him favorably, while 31% say they have never heard of him.

Pew surveyed 9,916 U.S. adults (which includes 1,849 Catholics) from July 8 through Aug. 3. The margin of error in the survey is plus or minus 3.1 percentage points.

The very same percentage of U.S. Catholics — 84% — viewed Pope Francis favorably in the early months of his pontificate as well, according to the report.

Those who attend Mass more often have a more favorable view of the new pope. Among U.S. Catholics who attend Mass weekly or more often, 95% say they have a favorable view. Of those who attend Mass once or twice a year or a few times a month, the number stands at 84%, while 77% of Catholics who seldom or never attend Mass say they have a favorable view.

More than three-quarters of U.S. Catholics say they are excited that Leo, born Robert Francis Prevost in Chicago in 1955, is the first U.S.-born pope.

Though so many view him in a positive light, only 7% of Catholic survey respondents say they know a lot about the new pope, while a quarter say they know nothing at all. Just under 70% say they know “a little” about the pontiff, who spent decades working for the Church in Peru, eventually serving as the bishop of Chiclayo from 2015 to 2023. 

He was elected to the papacy by the College of Cardinals on May 8 after the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

Among weekly Catholic Mass attendees, 75% say they only know a little about the new pope, and 11% say they know nothing.

“These numbers show both the excitement and the challenge of a new papacy,” said Montse Alvarado, president and COO of EWTN News (CNA’s parent company). “While Pope Leo XIV has been warmly received, many still don’t know his story.” 

“With our presence in Peru and the Vatican, and decades of experience covering the Church, EWTN News is uniquely positioned to help Catholics understand the people and places that shaped the Holy Father — and to serve as a force for unity for his pontificate,” she said.

The latest findings are part of Pew’s American Trends Panel, part of Pew’s ongoing research on Catholicism in the U.S.

In June, Pew reported that nearly 50% of adults in the U.S. have some connection to the Catholic faith. 

“Catholicism’s roots in the United States run deep,” Pew stated in the report titled “U.S. Catholicism: Connections to the Religion, Beliefs, and Practices.”

Pew found that 47% of U.S. adults have Catholic ties: 20% identify as Catholic, 9% as “culturally Catholic,” 9% as ex-Catholic, and 9% report a connection through a Catholic parent, spouse, or past Mass attendance.

Pope Leo XIV greets participants in the third edition of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity at the Vatican on Sept. 12, 2025. / Credit: Vatican Media

Vatican City, Sep 12, 2025 / 11:51 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV spoke out on Friday against what he called the business of wars, while condemning attitudes of rejection and indifference toward migrants and the poor, as he received some of the participants in the third edition of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity at the Vatican.

Among those present were several Nobel Peace Prize laureates, including Iraqi activist Nadia Murad, American Jody Williams, Liberian Leymah Gbowee, Yemeni Tawakkol Karman, Russian journalist Dmitry Muratov, Ukrainian lawyer Oleksandra Matviichuk, Filipino journalist Maria Ressa, and Congolese doctor Denis Mukwege.

In his remarks, the pontiff reflected on the need for fraternity and reconciliation in a world where wars “shatter the lives of young people forced to take up arms; target defenseless civilians, children, women, and elderly people; devastate cities, the countryside, and entire ecosystems, leaving only rubble and pain in their wake.”

The pope decried the plight of many “migrants who are despised, imprisoned, and rejected, among those who seek salvation and hope but find walls and indifference.” He also lamented that, on many occasions, the poor are “blamed for their poverty, forgotten and discarded, in a world that values profit more than people.”

Faced with all these injustices, Leo XIV insisted that “the answer cannot be silence.”

“You are the answer, with your presence, your commitment, and your courage. The answer is choosing a different direction of life, growth, and development,” he said.

The pope also called for the establishment of a broad “covenant of humanity, founded not on power but on care; not on profit but on gift; not on suspicion but on trust.”

“Care, gift, and trust are not virtues to be practiced only in one’s spare time: They are pillars of an economy that does not kill but deepens and broadens participation in life,” he said.

Thus, the Holy Father invited everyone to recognize the other as a brother or sister, which in practice means “freeing ourselves from the pretense of believing that we are isolated individuals or from the logic of forming relationships only out of self-interest.”

The pope said the planet is marked by conflicts and divisions, and emphasized that the participants of this new edition of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity are “united by a strong and courageous ‘no’ to war and a ‘yes’ to peace and fraternity.”

Leo XIV cited an encyclical of his predecessor Pope Francis, Fratelli Tutti, to reiterate that social friendship and universal fraternity necessarily require the “acknowledgement of the worth of every human person, always and everywhere.”

He also emphasized that Pope Francis taught that “war is not the right way to resolve a conflict” and praised the “willingness to face conflict head on, to resolve it and to make it a link in the chain of a new process,” which he called “the wisest path, the path of the strong.”

The pope connected his reflections with the biblical account of Abel’s murder at the hands of his brother Cain and reflected on how this fraternal relationship immediately became conflictual.

However, he stressed that this first homicide “should not lead us to conclude that ‘it has always been this way.’ No matter how ancient or widespread, Cain’s violence cannot be tolerated as ‘normal.’”

“The norm is revealed in God’s question to the guilty party: ‘Where is your brother?’ It is in this question that we find our vocation, the rule and measure of justice,” he stated.

For the pope, that same question continues to echo in history and “today more than ever, we must make this question our own as a principle of reconciliation. Once internalized, it will resonate in this way: ‘Brother, sister, where are you?’”

Leo emphasized that the great spiritual traditions and the maturing of critical thought allow us to go “beyond blood or ethnic ties, beyond those kinships that recognize only those who are similar and reject those who are different.”

For the Holy Father, it is also significant that in the Bible, as scientific exegesis has shown, it is the more recent and mature texts that narrate a “fraternity that transcends the ethnic boundaries of God’s people and is founded on a common humanity.”

“The stories of creation and the genealogies bear witness that all peoples, even enemies, have the same origin, and the Earth, with its goods, is for everyone, not just for some,” he said.

He also stressed that fraternity is “the most authentic name for closeness. It means rediscovering the face of the other. For those who believe, they recognize the mystery: the very image of God in the face of the poor, the refugee, and even the adversary.”

The pope called on his listeners to identify paths, both local and international, that develop “new forms of social charity, alliances between different areas of knowledge and solidarity between generations.”

On the other hand, he called for “community-based approaches that also include the poor, not as recipients of aid, but as subjects of discernment and discourse.”

The Holy Father encouraged them to continue this work of “silent sowing. This can give rise to a participatory process focused on humanity and fraternity, which is not limited to listing rights, but also includes concrete actions and motivations that make us different in our everyday lives.”

The organizers of the third edition of the World Meeting on Human Fraternity structured this international event, promoted by St. Peter’s Basilica on Sept. 12 and 13, around 15 thematic tables.

These are spaces of dialogue that will function as laboratories for the exchange of ideas on various themes, such as the world of information, the environment and sustainability, the economy and finance, and artificial intelligence.

In this context, St. Peter’s Square will host a free concert open to the public this Saturday, one that promises to mark a turning point in the relationship between culture, faith, and entertainment.

Under the name “Grace for the World,” the Vatican square will become an open-air stage bringing together international artists such as Karol G, Italian tenor Andrea Bocelli, and other singers like Pharrell Williams, John Legend, Teddy Swims, Jelly Roll, BamBam, and Angélique Kidjo.

This evening will be broadcast live on Disney+, Hulu, and ABC News Live, allowing millions of viewers to follow the event in real time.

The concert will also bring together the voices of an international choir of 250 people, including members of the Choir of the Diocese of Rome. The entire event will be orchestrated by world-renowned music producer Adam Blackstone.

But the show will go beyond music. The company Nova Sky Stories will present a visual creation that will light up the sky of Rome with a choreography of more than 3,000 drones, inspired by the frescoes of the Sistine Chapel.

This innovative staging will turn the night into a true living fresco of sounds and lights, an unprecedented sensory experience in the heart of Christendom, according to the Vatican.

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

Alveda King has suffered three assassinations in her family: that of her father, Rev. Alfred Daniel Williams King; her grandmother, Alberta King; and her renowned uncle, Martin Luther King Jr. / Credit: “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo”/Screenshot

CNA Staff, Sep 12, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

After the assassination of Charlie Kirk at a college campus on Wednesday, Alveda King, the niece of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., encouraged people to pray.

“It broke my heart,” King said when asked about her reaction to learning of the assassination.

“I was so very startled when I got the news that Charlie had been shot, and my heart immediately went to him and his family, his beautiful wife, his little children,” she told Raymond Arroyo on EWTN’s “The World Over with Raymond Arroyo.”

“Having experienced those kinds of occurrences in my own family, I immediately went into prayer,” she said.

King shared about her own experience with political assassinations in her family. Not only was her uncle, Dr. King, assassinated but her father, Rev. Alfred Daniel Williams King, was also assassinated as well as her grandmother, Alberta King.

“For me, I am a Christian. I still have the peace and the joy of the Lord, but it’s almost like a trauma or a trigger point when those things happen,” King said. 

But amid the trauma, King encouraged listeners to “do what my uncle talked about,” encouraging people to have “regard for human dignity.” 

“We’ve got to care again,” King said. “We’ve got to see human beings as human beings — from the womb to the tomb and beyond.”

“We’ve got to get back to a point of caring, of loving, of repenting, of forgiving,” she continued. “Therein lies the answer.”

The greatest of these is love 

Calling Charlie Kirk a “man of faith,” King said she will remember him with a Scripture verse: 1 Corinthians 13:13.

“Now abides faith, hope, and love. The greatest of these is love,” she said. “That’s the way that I do remember Charlie.”

King said she believed that if Charlie Kirk, Dr. King, or President John F. Kennedy were still with us, they would encourage us to not “seek our answers in humanity.” 

“We’re going to find not our heroes in humanity, but we’re going to have to look to Jesus at these times,” King said. 

“We’re living in tumultuous times, and social media drives us to retaliate, to strike back,” she said. “I want to remind people that if you don’t agree with someone, you don’t shoot the person. You pray, you talk, and you consider your position. But this violence is just absolutely wrong.”

She noted that we are living in “a time of violence and anger and fear and frustration.” 

“So that leads me to say to everyone: fear not, listen, love, communicate,” she said. 

King encouraged listeners “to do something good for someone” in remembrance of Charlie Kirk and in memory of the victims of the violence on the 24th anniversary of 9/11. 

“I would remind us to call for peace, to call for prayer,” she said. “And I know Charlie would want us to do that as well.”