St. Mary's of the Lake Roman Catholic Church

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Catholics in immigration detention centers have "spiritual rights" that Catholic clergy should be allowed to serve, Pope Leo XIV said.

Speaking briefly with reporters late Nov. 4 outside his residence in Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo was asked about a detention facility in Chicago denying access Nov. 1 to an auxiliary bishop and a delegation of clergy, religious sisters and laity, who wanted to bring Communion to Catholics detained there.

The pope was also asked about the increasing tensions between the United States and Venezuela and about the case of Father Marko Rupnik, an artist accused of multiple cases of abuse.

On the question of the Chicago detention facility, Pope Leo prefaced his remarks by noting how, at his Mass at a Rome cemetery Nov. 1, the Gospel reading was from Matthew 25 with its litany of feeding the hungry, welcoming the stranger and clothing the naked. The Lord says, "Whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me." 

"Jesus says very clearly that at the end of the world, we're going to be asked, you know, 'How did you receive the foreigner? Did you receive him and welcome him or not?' And I think that there's a deep reflection that needs to be made in terms of what's happening" with how immigrants in the United States are being treated today, the pope said.

"Many people who've lived (in the United States) for years and years and years, never causing problems, have been deeply affected by what's going on right now," he added.

Pope Leo said he would like to ask "the authorities to allow pastoral workers to attend to the needs of those people. Many times they've been separated from their families for a good amount of time; no one knows what's happening, but their own spiritual needs should be attended to."

Tricia McLaughlin, assistant secretary for public affairs for the Department of Homeland Security, said in a statement to OSVNews that the Broadview facility in Chicago is "a field office, it is not a detention facility."

"Illegal aliens are only briefly held there for processing before being transferred to a detention facility. Religious organizations are more than welcome to provide services to detainees in ICE detention facilities," McLaughlin said, but not at field offices where "detainees are continuously brought in, processed, and transferred out."

Pope Leo also was asked what he thought about the United States sending warships to the Caribbean, particularly off the coast of Venezuela. President Donald Trump has said the deployment is part of his effort to stop drug traffickers. 

"A country has the right to have a military to defend peace, to build peace," the pope said. "But in this case, it seems a bit different -- tensions are rising. Just five minutes ago, I read some news saying that they're getting closer and closer to the coast of Venezuela."

"I think that with violence, we don't win," the pope said. "The important thing is to seek dialogue, to try in a fair way to find solutions to the problems that may exist in any country."

The last question the pope took before driving back to the Vatican regarded requests by the alleged victims of Father Rupnik to have his mosaics covered up or removed from churches around the world, something the pope noted had been occurring. 

The priest, an artist and former Jesuit, has been accused of sexually, spiritually and psychologically abusing more than 20 women -- many of them members of a religious community he co-founded -- over a span of four decades.

The Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith announced in early October that it had appointed judges to form the tribunal for the priest's canonical trial.

"I know it's very difficult for the victims to ask that they be patient, but the church needs to respect the rights of all people," the pope told reporters. "The principle of innocent until proven guilty is also true in the church and hopefully this trial that is just beginning will be able to give some clarity and justice to all those involved."

Earlier in the day, journalists had asked Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the doctrinal dicastery, about the status of the trial and when it might conclude.

"They are working," he said. "They are working independently" so he could not provide details about whether they had begun listening to witnesses or how long the trial might take.

The dicastery had said in October that "the panel of judges is composed of women and clerics who are not members of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and who hold no office within any of the dicasteries of the Roman Curia."

"This has been done in order to better ensure, as in every judicial proceeding, the autonomy and independence of the aforesaid tribunal," it said. 
 

November 4, 2025

WASHINGTON - Since 2016, the Catholic Church has observed the World Day of the Poor on the 33rd Sunday of Ordinary Time as way for Catholics to reflect more deeply on our call to love the poor as our brothers and sisters. On November 15-16, parishes in many Catholic dioceses throughout the United States are able to observe this year’s World Day of the Poor by taking a collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development (CCHD), the domestic anti-poverty initiative of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB).

“Jesus reminds us that faith, even as small as a mustard seed, holds within it the power to transform the world. From something seemingly insignificant can grow a tree that offers shelter, hope, and new life. In many ways, that is the story of the Catholic Campaign for Human Development, founded by the bishops of the United States in 1969. Through CCHD, the Church lives out the Gospel call to solidarity, fostering the capacity of people experiencing poverty to work together to confront the roots of injustice and build stronger, more just communities,” said Bishop Timothy Senior of Harrisburg, chairman of the bishops’ Subcommittee on the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. “This same spirit of faith takes root in our own communities, where twenty-five percent of every CCHD collection stays within the diocese. These funds support local efforts that uplift our neighbors, strengthen families, and help build a future of hope.” 

CCHD provides crucial support to both growing and longstanding organizations that promote justice, neighborhood improvement, and job creation for marginalized groups in both urban and rural communities across the United States. 

Bishop Senior cited four organizations as examples that illustrate the wholistic efforts of CCHD to help communities improve nutrition, reduce violence, prepare for natural disasters, and combat environmental pollution. One counters violence and pollution on Chicago’s South Side, two support small farmers and ranchers in contrasting climates, and one saves lives in hurricane zones:

• Together New Orleans was able to partner with local government officials and improve hurricane response with a CCHD grant that allowed installation of commercial-grade solar arrays on strategically-located churches and other community buildings that serve as emergency shelters. The pilot project of 15 “Community Lighthouses” is now so successful that Louisiana has allocated $200 million to build 345 statewide.
• In Minnesota’s Twin Cities, the Sustainable Farming Association offers workshops and mentoring to help small farmers and ranchers build thriving, environmentally-sound businesses. A CCHD grant has increased events that address issues such as soil improvement, financial management, and mental health.
• In New Mexico, La Cosecha Community-Supported Agriculture -- a cooperative farming network – used a CCHD grant to help run a food coop for the poor, market locally-grown organic vegetables to institutional buyers, and provide food education to local students.
• On Chicago’s South Side, a CCHD grant underwrote the Alliance of the Southeast as it trained teenagers in community leadership. Those teens have had key roles successfully opposing plans for a nearby toxic waste dump, launching violence-prevention initiatives in schools, and instigating the renovation of moldy, rat-infested public housing.

While CCHD grant recipients include nonsectarian, ecumenical, and interreligious organizations, all must abide by Catholic moral teaching, including respect for human life from conception until natural death and prioritizing the concerns of the poor. 

In 2024, the bishops awarded $2.24 million in grants.

“World Day of the Poor is an invitation for us to pray and to act, to build a world that truly recognizes the God-given dignity of our brothers and sisters who are most vulnerable,” Bishop Senior said. “One concrete way to respond to this call is by participating in the collection for the Catholic Campaign for Human Development. I invite you to remember the Lord’s words about the mustard seed: even the smallest act of faith can, through the grace of the Holy Spirit, grow into something that transforms lives and renews communities, both across our nation and within your own diocese.”

Some dioceses take the collection on a date other than November 15-16. If you are unable to give to the collection at your parish but wish to support CCHD’s national antipoverty efforts, the online giving platform iGiveCatholic accepts funds for CCHD.

More information is at www.usccb.org/cchd. 

### 
 

WASHINGTON - As world leaders gather for the 30th annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP30), the bishop chairmen who lead committees of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) that address climate policy were joined by the president and CEO of Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to call for urgent, courageous action to protect God’s creation and people. 

Archbishop Borys Gudziak, Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, and Mr. Sean Callahan’s statement follows: 

“This year’s COP30 convenes while the Catholic Church celebrates the Jubilee Year of Hope.   Pope Leo XIV called for the participants of COP30 to ‘listen to the cry of the Earth and the cry of the poor, families, indigenous peoples, involuntary migrants and believers throughout the world.’ This jubilee year is a sacred opportunity to restore relationships and renew creation at a time when the gift of life is under grave threat. Climate change, biodiversity loss, and environmental degradation are devastating communities already burdened by poverty and exclusion. Farming and fishing families confront threats to their livelihoods; Indigenous Peoples face destruction of their ancestral lands; children’s health, safety, and futures are at risk. Failing to steward God’s creation, ignores our responsibility as one human family.

“A decade ago, in Laudato si’, Pope Francis reminded us that the climate is a common good, belonging to all and meant for all, and that intergenerational solidarity is not optional.  We call on world leaders to act urgently and courageously for an ambitious Paris Agreement implementation that protects God’s creation and people. As all of us are impacted, so must we all be responsible for addressing this global challenge. 

“At COP30, countries, along with civil society organizations and corporations, should recommit to implementation that: invests in adaptation efforts to create resilience and foster economic opportunities; commits to bold mitigation efforts that reduce climate warming emissions; pledges loss and damage financing that guarantees priority and direct access to vulnerable affected communities; ensures a just transition to a sustainable economy centered on workers, communities and creation; and makes financing for climate solutions, including debt relief, timely and transparent while at the same time upholding human dignity. Together, these actions can work towards integral ecology and ‘give priority to the poor and marginalized in the process.’

“We offer our prayers of support and solidarity and pledge to work collaboratively to safeguard the future of our common home.” 

Archbishop Borys Gudziak is chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan is chairman of the U.S. bishops’ Committee on International Justice and Peace. As president and CEO of CRS, Mr. Callahan leads the international humanitarian agency of the Catholic Church in the United States.

### 

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- While praising devotion to Mary, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith firmly rejected moves to formally proclaim Mary as "co-redemptrix" or "co-mediatrix."

In a lengthy doctrinal note titled "Mater Populi Fidelis" ("Mother of the Faithful People of God"), the dicastery said the title co-redemptrix or co-redeemer "carries the risk of eclipsing the exclusive role of Jesus Christ" in salvation.

And, regarding the title co-mediatrix or co-mediator, it said that Mary, "the first redeemed, could not have been the mediatrix of the grace that she herself received."

However, it said, the title may be used when it does not cast doubt on "the unique mediation of Jesus Christ, true God and true man." 

Pope Leo XIV approved the text Oct. 7 and ordered its publication, said the note, which was released Nov. 4. 

Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the doctrinal dicastery, presented the document during a conference at the Jesuit headquarters in Rome and said its teaching becomes part of the church's "ordinary magisterium" and must be considered authoritative.

For more than 30 years, some Catholics, including some bishops, have asked for formal dogmatic declarations of Mary as co-redemptrix and co-mediatrix, the document's introduction said. But Msgr. Armando Matteo, secretary of the dicastery's doctrinal section, told the conference that the Vatican's first study of the doctrinal implications of the titles goes all the way back to 1926. 

Cardinal Fernández said that one time, when St. Peter's Basilica was closed, he spent a long time in front of Michelangelo's Pietà. The sorrow on Mary's face because of the death of her son and, at the same time, her obvious strength, he said, "was so beautiful it was understandable why people would want to say everything and more about Mary."

The new document said that titles used for Mary should speak of her motherly care for all people and her place as the first and perfect disciple of Jesus but must not create any doubt that Catholics believe Jesus is the redeemer of the world and the bestower of grace.

"Any gaze directed at her that distracts us from Christ or that places her on the same level as the Son of God would fall outside the dynamic proper to an authentically Marian faith," it said, because Mary always points to her son.

The titles co-redemptrix and co-mediatrix have been used in reference to Mary by theologians and even popes in the past millennium, the doctrinal dicastery said, but without elaborating on the precise meaning and the extent to which those titles could describe Mary's role in salvation history. 

St. John Paul II "referred to Mary as 'Co-redemptrix' on at least seven occasions," the note said, but after consultation with the then-Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith and its prefect, then-Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger, in 1996, he did not issue a dogmatic declaration and stopped using the title.

Citing Scripture and tradition, the future Pope Benedict XVI said, "The precise meaning of these titles (co-redemptrix and co-mediatrix) is not clear, and the doctrine contained in them is not mature."

"Everything comes from Him -- Christ -- as the Letter to the Ephesians and the Letter to the Colossians, in particular, tell us; Mary, too, is everything that she is through Him. The word 'Co-redemptrix' would obscure this origin," Pope Benedict said.

Pope Francis, at a general audience in 2020, said that Jesus entrusted Mary to humanity as a mother, "not as a goddess, not as co-redemptrix," adding that love motivated some people to call her co-redemptrix, but love often leads people to "exaggerate."

"Given the necessity of explaining Mary's subordinate role to Christ in the work of Redemption, it would not be appropriate to use the title 'Co-redemptrix' to define Mary's cooperation," the doctrinal note said.

The title, it said, "risks obscuring Christ's unique salvific mediation and can therefore create confusion and an imbalance in the harmony of the truths of the Christian faith, for 'there is salvation in no one else, for there is no other name under heaven given among men by which we must be saved.'"

"When an expression requires many repeated explanations to prevent it from straying from a correct meaning, it does not serve the faith of the People of God and becomes unhelpful," the dicastery concluded. 

The use of the title "co-mediatrix" is more complicated, the doctrinal note said, because the word "mediation" often is "understood simply as cooperation, assistance or intercession" and easily could apply to Mary without calling into question "the unique mediation of Jesus Christ, true God and true man."

Mary's role in salvation history is unique, the document said. She willingly accepted to become the mother of Jesus the savior, she raised him, traveled with him and stood at the foot of his cross.

While Christ, fully human and fully divine, is the one mediator between God and humanity, it said, "he enables various forms of participation in his salvific plan because, in communion with him, we can all become, in some way, cooperators with God and 'mediators' for one another."

"If this holds true for every believer -- whose cooperation with Christ becomes increasingly fruitful to the extent that one allows oneself to be transformed by grace -- how much more must it be affirmed of Mary in a unique and supreme way," the doctrinal note said.

The church believes that those in heaven can pray and intercede for people still on earth and, "among those chosen and glorified with Christ, first and foremost is his Mother," the note said. "Therefore, we can affirm that Mary has a unique collaboration in the saving work that Christ carries out in his Church. With this intercession, Mary can become for us a motherly sign of the Lord's mercy."
 

WASHINGTON - On the weekend of December 13-14, the faithful will have the opportunity to support more than 21,000 elderly sisters, brothers and religious order priests. Coordinated by the National Religious Retirement Office (NRRO), the annual collection taken up by participating (arch)dioceses helps provide critical financial assistance to eligible religious institutes caring for their retired members.

For decades, women and men religious have devoted their lives to service through countless Church ministries, often for little to no pay. Today, their communities face a severe gap between the rising cost of care and the limited resources available. In 2024, religious past the age of 70 outnumbered younger religious by nearly three to one, and only 4% of communities reporting to the NRRO said they were adequately funded for retirement.

Since 1988, the Retirement Fund for Religious has been a lifeline for our aging religious, but the need remains urgent. In 2024, the collection raised $28.1 million, while annual care costs for senior religious exceeded $1 billion. The average annual cost to care for senior religious, as reported by the NRRO, is $56,600 per person, with skilled nursing averaging $96,000. The typical Social Security benefit for a religious is just $9,090—less than half that of the average lay beneficiary. This gap underscores the critical importance of the national appeal.

“For decades, the faithful service of these religious has touched countless lives, including my own,” said NRRO director John Knutsen. “Through your generosity, we can help ensure they are cared for with the dignity they so rightly deserve while also living out the values of compassion and solidarity that unite us as disciples of Jesus.”

“Supporting our aging religious is a profound opportunity to show gratitude for their lifetime of service, and we hear all throughout the year how deeply thankful they are for that support,” he continues. 

Since its inception, the collection has distributed more than $1 billion to religious institutes across the U.S., supporting day-to-day care and helping religious communities build up their retirement funds. It also funds educational programs for eldercare and long-term retirement planning. Every gift makes a difference, providing retired religious with the care and dignity they deserve.

For more information, please visit retiredreligious.org.

###

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Christ crucified and risen has tamed and transfigured death with his love, Pope Leo XIV said.

"We are saddened, of course, when a loved one leaves us," the pope said in his homily Nov. 3, during a memorial Mass for Pope Francis and the world's cardinals and bishops who died over the past year.

"We are scandalized when a human being, especially a child, a 'little one,' a fragile person, is taken away by illness or, worse, by human violence," he said during the Mass in St. Peter's Basilica.

"As Christians, we are called to carry the weight of these crosses with Christ," he said. "But we are not sad like those who have no hope, because even the most tragic death cannot prevent our Lord from welcoming our soul into his arms and transforming our mortal body, even the most disfigured, into the image of his glorious body."

The worst form of death, he said, is "violent death that kills the innocent" and leaves people "disheartened, discouraged and desperate."

"How many people, how many 'little ones,' today suffer the trauma of this frightening death because it is disfigured by sin," Pope Leo said. God the Father does not want this form of death, "and he sent his Son into the world to free us from it." 

"The love of Christ crucified and risen has transfigured death: from enemy, He has made it sister, He has tamed it," he said. And in the face of death, we do not 'grieve like the rest who have no hope,'" he said.

For this reason, Christians do not call burial places "'necropolises,' meaning 'cities of the dead,' but 'cemeteries,' which literally means 'dormitories,' places where one rests, awaiting resurrection," Pope Leo said. As the psalmist prophesies (Ps 4:9): "In peace I will lie down and fall asleep, for you alone, Lord, make me secure."

"With great affection," Pope Leo said, the Nov. 3 Mass was offered for the soul of Pope Francis, "who died after opening the Holy Door and imparting the Easter blessing to Rome and the world." Pope Francis died April 21, 2025, Easter Monday.

"Our beloved Pope Francis and our brother cardinals and bishops," he said, "have lived, witnessed and taught this new paschal hope. The Lord called them and appointed them as shepherds in his church, and through their ministry they -- to use the language of the Book of Daniel -- have led 'the many to justice.'"

"That is, they have guided them on the path of the Gospel with the wisdom that comes from Christ, who has become for us wisdom, righteousness, sanctification and redemption," Pope Leo said.

"May their souls be washed clean of every stain and may they shine like stars in the sky," he said. "And may their spiritual encouragement reach us, still pilgrims on earth, in the silence of prayer: 'for I shall again praise him, my savior and my God.'"

The booklet for the Mass listed the names and dates of death of Pope Francis, eight cardinals and 134 bishops who died over the past year.

Pope: Christians don't lose hope in the face of death

Pope Leo XIV prayed for deceased popes in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica the evening of the feast of All Souls' and the following morning, Nov. 3, celebrated a memorial Mass in St. Peter's Basilica for Pope Francis and all the cardinals and bishops...

ROME (CNS) -- As Christians visit cemeteries on the feast of All Souls and remember their loved ones who have died, they do so with faith that at the end of this life they will be together again with the Lord, Pope Leo XIV said.

The pope celebrated Mass Nov. 2, the feast of All Souls, at Rome's largest cemetery, Verano, which covers more than 200 acres.

"The Lord awaits us, and when we finally meet him at the end of our earthly journey, we shall rejoice with him and with our loved ones who have gone before us," the pope told about 2,000 people who had gathered on a road among the tombs for the Mass.

"May this promise sustain us, dry our tears and raise our gaze upward toward the hope for the future that never fades," he said.

Arriving at the cemetery, he set a bouquet of white roses on one of the tombs, and at the end of the Mass he blessed the graves with holy water before leading the traditional prayer, "Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon them." 

The pope began his homily by speaking about the loved ones buried at Verano, telling the congregation that "we continue to carry them with us in our hearts, and their memory remains always alive within us amid our daily lives"

"Often," he said, "something brings them to mind, and we recall experiences we once shared with them. Many places, even the fragrance of our homes, speak to us of those we have loved and who have gone before us, vividly maintaining their memory for us."

For those who believe that Jesus conquered death, the pope said, "it is not so much about looking back, but instead looking forward toward the goal of our journey, toward the safe harbor that God has promised us, toward the unending feast that awaits us."

"There, around the Risen Lord and our loved ones, we hope to savor the joy of the eternal banquet," he said. 

Belief in eternal life, the pope said, "is not an illusion for soothing the pain of our separation from loved ones, nor is it mere human optimism. Instead, it is the hope founded on the Resurrection of Jesus who has conquered death and opened for us the path to the fullness of life."

After the Mass, Pope Leo visited the tombs of the popes buried in the grotto under St. Peter's Basilica.

Earlier in the day, the pope led the recitation of the Angelus prayer with thousands of visitors gathered in St. Peter's Square.

He told them he would be going to the cemetery to celebrate Mass for all the faithful departed. 

"In spirit, I will visit the graves of my loved ones" -- his mother died in 1990 and his father in 1997 -- "and I will also pray for those who have no one to remember them. But our heavenly Father knows and loves each of us, and he forgets no one!"

Citing Pope Benedict XVI's encyclical on hope, Pope Leo said that "eternal life" can be thought of not as "a succession of time without end, but being so immersed in an ocean of infinite love that time, before and after no longer exist."

Such a "fullness of life and joy in Christ is what we hope for and await with all our being," Pope Leo said.

Praying for the dead, he said, is not just about remembering a loss, but it is a sign of belief that in the death and resurrection of Jesus, no one will be lost.

Pope Leo prayed, "May the familiar voice of Jesus reach us, and reach everyone, because it is the only one that comes from the future. May he call us by name, prepare a place for us, free us from that sense of helplessness that tempts us to give up on life."
 

Pope Leo prays for the dead

On the feast of All Souls, Pope Leo  celebrated a late-afternoon Mass at Rome's Verano cemetery.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The lives of St. John Henry Newman and of all the saints teach Christians that "it is possible to live passionately amidst the complexity of the present without neglecting the apostolic mandate to 'shine like stars in the world,'" Pope Leo XIV said.

Celebrating Mass Nov. 1, the feast of All Saints, Pope Leo concluded the Jubilee of the World of Education and proclaimed St. Newman the 38th doctor of the church, including him among the men and women of the Christian East and West who have made decisive contributions to theology and spirituality.

Earlier in the week, Pope Leo had officially recognized St. Newman as co-patron of education along with St. Thomas Aquinas.

St. Newman was born in London Feb. 21, 1801, was ordained an Anglican priest in 1825, became Catholic in 1845 and was made a cardinal in 1879 by Pope Leo XIII. He died in 1890. 

Leading members of the Anglican Church of England and the British government attended the Mass where he was declared a doctor of the church. The Anglican delegation was led by Archbishop Stephen Cottrell of York, currently the top-ranking prelate of the Church of England. The government delegation was led by David Lammy, deputy prime minister of the United Kingdom and secretary of state for justice.

Greeting Archbishop Cottrell publicly at the end of Mass, Pope Leo prayed that St. Newman would "accompany the journey of Christians toward full unity."

The banner used during St. Newman's canonization Mass in 2019 hung from the central balcony of St. Peter's Basilica during the Mass and his relics were placed on a table near the altar.

While St. Newman's theology, philosophy and thoughts about university education were cited in the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints' presentation at the Mass, Pope Leo chose to quote in his homily from the British saint's poem, "Lead, Kindly Light," now a popular hymn. 

"In that beautiful prayer" of St. Newman's, the pope said, "we come to realize that we are far from home, our feet are unsteady, we cannot interpret clearly the way ahead. Yet none of this impedes us, since we have found our guide" in Jesus.

"Lead, Kindly Light, amid th’encircling gloom, Lead Thou me on," the pope quoted in English while reading his homily in Italian.

Speaking to the teachers, professors and other educators gathered for the Mass in St. Peter's Square, Pope Leo said, "The task of education is precisely to offer this Kindly Light to those who might otherwise remain imprisoned by the particularly insidious shadows of pessimism and fear." 

The pope asked the educators to "reflect upon and point out to others those 'constellations' that transmit light and guidance at this present time, which is darkened by so much injustice and uncertainty."

He also encouraged them "to ensure that schools, universities and every educational context, even those that are informal or street-based, are always gateways to a civilization of dialogue and peace."

Another quote from St. Newman -- "God has created me to do Him some definite service; He has committed some work to me which He has not committed to another" -- expresses "the mystery of the dignity of every human person, and also the variety of gifts distributed by God," the pope said.

Catholic educators, he said, have an obligation not only to transmit information but also to help their students discover how much God loves them and how he has a plan for their lives.

"Life shines brightly not because we are rich, beautiful or powerful," the pope said. "Instead, it shines when we discover within ourselves the truth that we are called by God, have a vocation, have a mission, that our lives serve something greater than ourselves." 

"Every single creature has a role to play," he said. "The contribution that each person can make is uniquely valuable, and the task of educational communities is to encourage and cherish that contribution."

"At the heart of the educational journey," Pope Leo said, "we do not find abstract individuals but real people, especially those who seem to be underperforming according to the parameters of economies that exclude or even kill them. We are called to form people, so that they may shine like stars in their full dignity."

Lammy, the British government official, told Catholic News Service that he had had the "great honor and privilege" to meet Pope Leo before the Mass.

As a member of the Anglo-Catholic tradition within the Church of England, he said he believes "John Henry Newman really encapsulates the deep connections between our countries and between the Christian communities, across the Christian community."

The proclamation was "a moment of unity and reflection," Lammy said. "It's not just a religious honor, but a powerful moment of cohesion that shows how engaging in our differences can also unite us."

St. Newman's legacy, he said, "reminds us that Britain's religious story is broader than one tradition. It's been enriched by Catholic thought, courage and contribution."

In addition, the deputy prime minister said, "I think his life and his writings show how belief and reason together can guide moral leadership, diplomacy, compassion, and I think in an age of polarization, Newman's insistence on moral reflection calls us back to what truly matters, which is leadership in the cause of what is right and just, which is a principle that should shape our politics."
 

Pope Leo declares Newman doctor of the church

During a Mass in St. Peter's Square Nov. 1, feast of All Saints, Pope Leo XIV declared St. John Henry Newman to be the 38th doctor of the church.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV encouraged an international group of young adults to reach out to their peers and invite them to be active members of a parish community rather than trying to live their faith alone.

The pope met Oct. 31 with members of the International Youth Advisory Body, a group of 20 young adults from around the world who serve three-year terms as advisers to the Dicastery for Laity, the Family and Life.

The North American members are Sally Yasmine from the Archdiocese of Montreal and Wyatt Olivas from the Diocese of Cheyenne, Wyoming.

Pope Leo had a prepared speech for the group but handed them a copy of the text rather than reading it. 

"You know that in recent years many young people have approached the faith through social media, successful programs and popular online Christian witnesses," the pope wrote. "The danger is that a faith discovered online is limited to individual experiences, which may be intellectually and emotionally reassuring, but are never 'embodied.'"

The risk, he wrote, is that those spiritual experiences "remain 'disembodied,' detached from the 'ecclesial body,'" which is the church.

Another danger, he said, is that they are not lived "alongside others in real-life situations, relationships or sharing. All too often, social media algorithms merely create a sounding board for individuals, picking up on personal preferences and tastes, and 'sending them back' magnified and enriched with appealing proposals."

In that kind of digital echo chamber, he said, "everyone remains alone with themselves, prisoners of their own inclinations and projections."

Young people are essential members of the church, the pope said, especially a church that is striving to be "synodal," listening to all members, praying and discerning together and calling on each person to contribute their talents.

"Authentic synodality leads to mission," the pope wrote. And part of that is being involved so that the church understands "how to bring the Gospel to everyone." 

"All of this requires that you, young people, have open hearts, ready to listen both to the 'inspirations' of the Spirit and the deep 'aspirations' of each person," Pope Leo wrote.

"You must look beyond appearances in order to seek the true answers that give meaning to life.  You must have hearts that are open to God's call and not engrossed in your own plans and are willing to understand and sympathize before forming judgments."

Pope Leo asked the young people particularly to help the church "hear the voices of the weak, the poor and the lonely, refugees and those who struggle to integrate into society, or to access educational opportunities."

"All too often," he said, "these voices are drowned out by the noise of the powerful, the successful and those who live in 'exclusive' realities."

Being missionary, the pope wrote, "entails freedom from fear, because the Lord loves to call us to forge new paths. In this sense, as young people, you can be leaders of creativity and courage."
 

WASHINGTON - “With the Administration signaling a severely limited continuation of this historically bipartisan program, we urge due consideration for all those who have long awaited their opportunity for relief,” said Bishop Mark J. Seitz of El Paso, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Migration. Bishop Seitz’s remarks follow the Administration’s formal publication of the Presidential Determination on Refugee Admissions for Fiscal Year 2026, which allows up to 7,500 refugees to be resettled over the next year. This is the lowest ceiling since the program was created by Congress in 1980. 

At the start of this year, over 100,000 people had already undergone extensive screening by the U.S. government and were conditionally approved for refugee status in the United States, including vulnerable children and those seeking to reunify with family members. However, on the first day of his second term, President Trump signed an executive order indefinitely suspending refugee resettlement. Since then, very few refugees have been permitted to travel to the United States as exceptions to the executive order, largely consistent with recent presidential actions prioritizing Afrikaners from South Africa under Executive Order 14204. 

Bishop Seitz’s full statement follows: 

“For over 45 years, the U.S. Refugee Admissions Program has been, and continues to be, a safe and secure legal pathway for people from around the world who meet the requirements for humanitarian protection. It is a vital mechanism through which our nation can exist as a beacon of hope for those facing persecution and promote respect for the sanctity of human life. What President Reagan said in 1981 about refugee policy being ‘an important part of our past and fundamental to our national interest’ very much rings true today. With the Administration signaling a severely limited continuation of this historically bipartisan program, we urge due consideration for all those who have long awaited their opportunity for relief. We also pray for the broad, indefinite suspension of refugee admissions to be lifted, and we implore the President to make the program available to those truly in need. 

“We cannot turn a blind eye to the disparate treatment of refugees currently taking place. As exemptions are considered, it is essential that they be applied consistently and without discrimination on the basis of race, religion, or national origin, in accordance with longstanding domestic and international norms. Resettlement tainted by the perception of unjust discrimination is contrary to Catholic teaching and quintessential American values, grounded in our Constitution and refugee laws, including the equality of every person from the moment of their creation by God.”

Earlier this year, the USCCB announced that it would discontinue its role as a national resettlement agency. However, Archbishop Timothy P. Broglio, president of the USCCB, emphasized that the decision would not mean the Catholic Church would be walking away from helping refugees and others, but rather, that the USCCB would find other ways to uphold the Gospel’s call to do what we can for the least among us.

###