VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Pope Leo XIV will canonize Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati together on Oct. 7, the Vatican announced.

Meeting with cardinals living in and visiting Rome for an ordinary public consistory June 13, the pope approved the new canonization date for the two young blesseds and set Oct. 19 as the date for the canonization of seven others.

The canonization of Blessed Acutis, a teenager known for his devotion to the Eucharist and creating an online exhibition of Eucharistic miracles, had originally been scheduled for April 27 during the Jubilee of Teenagers. It was postponed following the death of Pope Francis April 21. Born in 1991 and raised in Milan, Blessed Acutis used his tech skills to evangelize and was noted for his joyful faith and compassion for others before dying of leukemia in 2006 at age 15.

Blessed Frassati, born in 1901 into a prominent family in Turin, Italy, was admired for his deep spirituality, love for the poor and enthusiasm for life. A member of the Dominican Third Order, he served the sick through the St. Vincent de Paul Society. He died at age 24 after contracting polio, possibly from one of the people he assisted.

The two Italian laymen will be the first saints proclaimed by the new pope, who was elected May 8.

Although the Vatican had never officially set a date for Blessed Frassati's canonization, Pope Francis said last November that he intended to proclaim him a saint during the Jubilee of Youth July 28-Aug. 3. The official website of Blessed Frassati's canonization cause said the canonization would take place Aug. 3, when the pope is scheduled to celebrate Mass with thousands of young people on the outskirts of Rome. 

Wanda Gawronska, Blessed Frassati's niece and a longtime promoter of his sainthood cause, told Catholic News Service that "thousands and thousands of people have tickets to come to Rome for the canonization in August."

During the same consistory, Pope Leo also confirmed that seven other blesseds will be canonized Oct. 19. The group includes men and women from five countries, among them martyrs, founders of religious congregations, and laypeople recognized for their heroic virtue and service.

They are: 

-- Blessed Ignatius Maloyan, the martyred Armenian Catholic archbishop of Mardin, which is in present-day Turkey; born in 1869, he was arrested, tortured and executed in Turkey in 1915.

-- Blessed Peter To Rot, a martyred lay catechist, husband and father from Papua New Guinea. Born in 1912, he was arrested in 1945 during the Japanese occupation in World War II and was killed by lethal injection while in prison.

-- Blessed Vincenza Maria Poloni, founder of the Sisters of Mercy of Verona, Italy; she lived from 1802-1855.

-- Blessed Maria Rendiles Martínez, the Venezuelan founder of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus. Born in Caracas in 1903, she died in 1977. She will be Venezuela's first female saint.

-- Blessed Maria Troncatti, a Salesian sister born in Italy in 1883 who became a missionary in Ecuador in 1922. She died in a plane crash in 1969.

-- Blessed José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros, a Venezuelan doctor born in 1864. He was a Third Order Franciscan and became known as "the doctor of the poor." He was killed in an accident in 1919 on his way to helping a patient.

-- Blessed Bartolo Longo, an Italian lawyer born in 1841. He had been a militant opponent of the church and involved in the occult, but converted, dedicating himself to charity and to building the Pontifical Shrine of the Blessed Virgin of the Rosary of Pompei. He died in 1926.

Pope sets date for canonization of Acutis, Frassati

Pope Leo XIV will canonize Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati together Sept. 7, the Vatican announced.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- The cultural and pastoral diversity among clergy is not a burden but a gift that should enrich communion within the church rather than fragment it, Pope Leo XIV told the priests and deacons of the Diocese of Rome.

"Ours is truly a particular diocese," the pope said during a June 12 audience with clergy ministering in the Diocese of Rome. "Many priests come from different parts of the world, especially for reasons of study; this implies that pastoral life -- I think especially of the parishes -- is marked by this universality and the mutual hospitality it entails."

The gathering marked the pope's first official meeting with the clergy of the diocese he serves as bishop.

"I have desired to meet you to get to know you more closely and to begin walking together with you," he told them. "Thank you for your life given in service to the kingdom, for your daily labors, for your generosity in ministry, for all that you live in silence, and which at times is accompanied by suffering or misunderstanding."

Greeting the pope at the start of the meeting, Cardinal Baldassare Reina, papal vicar for Rome, offered a snapshot of the vast and varied clergy in the Italian capital, where more than 8,000 priests and deacons are present, he said, many of whom, however, are pursuing their studies and are not in active ministry.

"The Roman clergy is generous, with a strong sense of belonging and a very marked pastoral passion," the cardinal said. "In the face of difficulties, it reacts positively -- candid in acknowledging problems or critical issues, with a pronounced sense of humor and always ready to begin again for the good of the church and each community."

In his address, Pope Leo emphasized the need for unity among the clergy in today's age.

"The priest is called to be a man of communion so that he himself may live it and continuously nurture it," he said. "We know that this communion today is hindered by a cultural climate that favors isolation or self-referentiality. None of us is exempt from these snares which threaten the solidity of our spiritual life and the strength of our ministry."

While shared housing in seminaries and rectories helps foster fraternity in Rome, the pope said deeper unity requires more than physical proximity. "I ask you for a push in priestly fraternity, which draws its roots from a solid spiritual life, from the encounter with the Lord and listening to his word."

"Let us strive to live relationships of friendship," he said, "outdoing one another in showing esteem."

Turning to personal witness, Pope Leo asked that all the clergy "commit ourselves to being credible and exemplary priests!"

He acknowledged human weakness but stressed the high demands of the priestly calling. "We are aware of the limits of our nature, and the Lord knows us deeply; but we have received an extraordinary grace, we have been entrusted with a precious treasure of which we are the ministers, servants. And a servant is asked to be faithful."

"The city, with its countless offerings, could also distance us from the desire for a holy life," he warned. "Let yourselves once again be drawn by the call of the master, to feel and live the love of the first hour, the one that moved you to make strong choices and courageous sacrifices."

Pope Leo also reminded clergy that the world's many problems are not distant realities to be ignored, but that they are present in the heart of Rome and challenge the church's ministers to live charitably.

"We are worried and pained by all that happens every day in the world: we are wounded by the violence that generates death; we are challenged by inequalities, by poverty, by so many forms of social exclusion, by a widespread suffering that now spares no one," he said. "And these realities do not only happen elsewhere, far from us, but also concern our city of Rome, marked by multiple forms of poverty and by serious emergencies such as that of housing."

"The Lord wanted us precisely in this time full of challenges that can seem bigger than our strength," the pope said. "We are called to embrace these challenges, to interpret them evangelically, to live them as opportunities for witness. Let us not run away in the face of them!"

Pope Leo then invoked the words of St. Augustine speaking on the Good Shepherd to urge the clergy to "love this church, remain in this church, be this church."

WASHINGTON – “Deacons serve an invaluable role in bringing the hope of the Gospel to all members of society,” said Bishop Earl Boyea of Lansing. “By their witness in the local Church, within their families, at the workplace, and while serving the poor, the life of a deacon displays the servant heart of Christ in their faithful, and often hidden, acts of charity.” 

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations has released its annual survey, A Portrait of the Permanent Diaconate in 2025: A Study for the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops. Since 2005, the Center for Applied Research in the Apostolate (CARA) at Georgetown University has conducted this survey which provides important statistics and forecasting trends on the state of the permanent diaconate in the Church in the United States.  

“With the release of this survey, I ask for continued prayers for deacons and for an increase in vocations to the permanent diaconate within the United States,” said Bishop Boyea, who serves as chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Clergy, Consecrated Life and Vocations.  

The survey utilized contact information from the National Association of Diaconate Directors (NADD) and was sent to the Office of the Permanent Diaconate in the Latin and Eastern Rite (arch)dioceses and eparchies. In total, CARA received responses from 140 of the 185 (arch)dioceses/eparchies whose bishops are members of the USCCB and have an active Office of Deacons, for a 76% response rate.  

The full survey conducted by CARA may be accessed here. 

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- When anyone cries out to God for healing or help, God always listens, Pope Leo XIV said.

"There is no cry that God does not hear, even when we are not aware we are addressing him," the pope told thousands of people gathered under a hot sun in St. Peter's Square June 11.

At his weekly general audience, the pope spoke about the Gospel story of the healing of Bartimaeus (Mark 10:46-52) as he continued a series of talks about how the life and ministry of Jesus is a source of hope.

And, noting that June is the month devoted to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, Pope Leo invited people "to bring before the heart of Christ your most painful and fragile parts, those places in your life where you feel stuck and blocked. Let us trustfully ask the Lord to listen to our cry, and to heal us!" 

In the Gospel story, the pope said, Bartimaeus' cry, "Jesus, son of David, have pity on me," is an act of faith. And even though the crowds tried to silence the blind man, he continued to cry out to Jesus.

"He is a beggar, he knows how to ask, indeed, he can shout," the pope said. "If you truly want something, you do everything in order to be able to reach it, even when others reproach you, humiliate you and tell you to let it be."

"If you really desire it, you keep on shouting," he said. 

Pope Leo also said the Gospel story makes clear that Jesus does not go and lift Bartimaeus up, but encourages him to stand on his own, knowing that "he can rise from the throes of death."

"But in order to do this, he must perform a very meaningful gesture: he must throw away his cloak," the pope said. And "for a beggar, the cloak is everything: it is his safety, it is his house, it is the defense that protects him."

Christians today can learn from Bartimaeus, he said.

"Many times, it is precisely our apparent securities that stand in our way -- what we have put on to defend ourselves and which instead prevent us from walking," Pope Leo said. "To go to Jesus and let himself be healed, Bartimaeus must show himself to him in all his vulnerability. This is the fundamental step in any journey of healing."

"Let us trustfully bring our ailments before Jesus, and also those of our loved ones; let us bring the pain of those who feel lost and without a way out," the pope said. "Let us cry out for them too, and we will be certain that the Lord will hear us and stop."
 

Pope Leo: Experience God's healing power

A look at Pope Leo's general audience June 11.

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Every papal diplomat around the world must let people know that the Catholic Church is always on the side of the marginalized and is ready to face everything "out of love," Pope Leo XIV said.

"I count on you so that everyone in the countries where you live may know that the church is always ready for everything out of love, that she is always on the side of the least, the poor and that she will always defend the sacrosanct right to believe in God, to believe that this life is not at the mercy of the powers of this world, but is permeated by a mysterious meaning," the pope said.

As part of the Jubilee of the Holy See, Pope Leo met at the Vatican June 10 with apostolic nuncios and other papal diplomats, mostly archbishops, who represent the pope to international institutions and national governments. There are more than 100 nunciatures around the world.

"Your role, your ministry, is irreplaceable," the pope told them, thanking them for their dedication and especially for their work in helping with the selection of candidates to become diocesan bishops. 

A diplomatic corps as universal and united "as ours does not exist in any other country in the world," he told the group of prelates who are chosen from around the world and usually sent to study at the Pontifical Ecclesiastical Academy in Rome.

"Your, our, communion is not merely functional, nor an idea; we are united in Christ, and we are united in the church," he said. "The diplomacy of the Holy See constitutes in its very personnel a model -- certainly not perfect, but very meaningful -- of the message it proposes: that of human fraternity and peace among all peoples."

As pope, "the ministry of Peter is to create relationships, bridges: and a representative of the pope, first and foremost, serves this invitation" to build relationships by looking at those they meet with the eyes of Peter, he said.

"Be men capable of building relationships where it is hardest to do," the pope told them. "But in doing so, preserve the same humility and the same realism of Peter, who is well aware that he does not have the solution to everything, but he knows he has what counts, namely Christ."

"To give Christ means to give love, to bear witness to the charity that is ready for everything," Pope Leo said.

"Only love is worthy of faith, in the face of the suffering of the innocent, the crucified of today, whom many of you know personally, as you serve peoples who are victims of war, violence and injustice, or even of the false well-being that deludes and disappoints," he said.

The pope described the importance of their work in helping him address various issues. "Because when a situation is presented to me that relates, for example, to the church in a given country, I can rely on the documentation, reflections and summaries prepared by you and your collaborators." 

Papal representatives are more than diplomats, he said; they should always be pastors, inspired by "the spirit of faith."

Through his representatives in different nations, the pope is able "to participate in the very life of his sons and daughters" and becomes aware of their needs and aspirations, he said.

Pope Leo told them to "feel that you are missionaries, sent by the pope to be tools of communion, unity, serving the dignity of the human person, promoting sincere and constructive relations everywhere with the authorities with whom you are required to cooperate."

Cardinal Pietro Parolin, who as Vatican secretary of state, oversees the papal diplomatic corps, told Vatican News June 9 that a nuncio is "a bridge" between the pope and local churches, between the church and nations, "and between the wounds of the world and the hope offered by the Gospel."

A papal representative, he said, "must be a man of reconciliation" because "the mission of pontifical diplomacy is to support the Holy Father's efforts to build a world rooted in truth, justice and peace." 

A papal nuncio "is called to dedicate himself to mediation and dialogue. This is the only way to weave the fabric of international cooperation and discern even the faintest will for peace among divided parties," he said.

"We must respond to the Holy Father's call to be sowers of peace, recognizing that in diplomacy, the other is not primarily an adversary, but a fellow human being with whom we are called to engage," Cardinal Parolin said.

The nuncio's diplomatic missions, "engaging with civil authorities, working to heal divisions and promoting peace, justice and religious freedom," are not carried out to promote the Vatican's interests, but they are "guided by a Gospel-centered vision of the world and international relations," he said.

Indeed, they need to be "grounded in a true pastoral presence," Cardinal Parolin said. "A nuncio is, above all, a man of the church -- a pastor -- who is called to follow the example of Christ the Good Shepherd" and to be "close to bishops, priests, religious and the communities they are sent to serve."

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- Those serving the Holy See can serve its mission best by striving to live a holy life in conformity to Christ, Pope Leo XIV said.

The fruitfulness of the church, he said, "is realized in the lives of her members to the extent that they relive, 'in miniature,' what the Mother lived, namely, they love according to the love of Jesus."

"All the fruitfulness of the church and of the Holy See depends on the cross of Christ. Otherwise, it is only appearance, if not worse," he said in his homily during Mass celebrating the Jubilee of the Holy See June 9, the feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church.

The Jubilee celebration included a morning meditation by Italian Sister Maria Gloria Riva, a member of the Perpetual Adoration Sisters of the Blessed Sacrament, in the Paul VI Audience Hall. 

In the presence of Pope Leo and cardinals, bishops, priests and religious and lay men and women working in the Roman Curia or connected with the mission of the Holy See, she spoke about hope relying on having a healthy balance between the past and future.

It is dangerous to put too much emphasis on either the past or the future, she said. "The past, with its glory and sorrows, can represent a trampoline" with which one leaps toward "the great horizon" of eternal life.

After the meditation, Pope Leo took the wooden Jubilee cross and led those gathered in a procession into St. Peter's Square toward the basilica and through the Holy Door. He then celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Basilica. 

In his homily, the pope underlined the connection between the mission of the church and Mary as mother of the church.

"The fruitfulness of the church is the same fruitfulness as Mary's; it is realized in the lives of her members" to the extent that they love, like Mary, according to the love of Jesus, he said.

The fruitfulness of the church and the Holy See depends on the cross of Christ, he said. "In fact, the fruitfulness of Mary and of the church are inextricably linked to their holiness, which is their conformity to Christ."

"The Holy See is holy as the church is holy, in her original core, in the very fabric of her being," Pope Leo said. "The Apostolic See thus preserves the holiness of its roots while being preserved by them."

However, the Holy See also "lives in the holiness of each of its members. Therefore, the best way to serve the Holy See is to strive for holiness, each according to his or her particular state of life and the work entrusted to him or her," he said. 

"For example, a priest who personally carries a heavy cross because of his ministry, yet every day goes to the office and tries to do his job to the best of his ability with love and faith, this priest participates and contributes to the fruitfulness of the church," he said. "Similarly, a father or mother of a family who lives in a difficult situation at home, with a child who is cause for concern or a sick parent, and continues his or her work with commitment, that man or woman is fruitful with the fruitfulness of Mary and of the church."

Just as Mary supported the ministry of the Apostle Peter, "the mother church supports the ministry of Peter's successors with the Marian charism," he said. This Marian aspect, "with its motherhood, gift of Christ and of the Spirit," ensures the fruitfulness and holiness of the Petrine ministry, he said.

"Dear friends, let us praise God for his Word, the lamp that guides our steps, even in our daily life at the service of the Holy See," he said, praying that God's church, "sustained by the love of Christ, may be ever more fruitful in the Spirit, exult in the holiness of her children, and draw to her embrace all the whole human family."

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Reporting by CNS Rome is made possible by the Catholic Communication Campaign. Give to the CCC special collection in your diocese or any time at: https://bit.ly/CCC-give

Pope Leo celebrates Jubilee of the Holy See

Pope Leo XIV celebrated Mass for the Jubilee of the Holy See June 9, 2025. (CNS video/Robert Duncan)

WASHINGTON - With broad support from multiple committees of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB), a number of bishop-chairmen have written a letter to the U.S. Congress offering ethical principles and policy recommendations on artificial intelligence. Grounded in the Church’s concern for human dignity and the common good, the letter outlines how AI development and uses should serve all of humanity.

“Artificial intelligence is rapidly shaping the future of our society,” said Bishop William D. Byrne, chairman of the USCCB’s Committee on Communications. “As pastors entrusted with the care of human life and dignity, we urge lawmakers to heed the call of our Holy Father, Pope Leo XIV, to help ensure that AI is developed with responsibility and discernment so that it may truly benefit every person.”

The bishops’ letter addresses a wide range of policy considerations, including the impact of AI on family life, labor and the economy, healthcare, education, political and civic life, warfare, energy, and the environment. The letter invites lawmakers to an ongoing dialogue about how to responsibly harness emerging technologies, in ways that uphold moral and social values.

The full text of the USCCB’s letter, Artificial Intelligence: Principles and Priorities, is available here.

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VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- In a world marked by wars and where people are disconnected and numb with indifference, Pope Leo XIV prayed that the Holy Spirit would "open borders, break down walls" and dissolve hatred so everyone can live as children of one human family.

"The Spirit breaks down barriers and tears down the walls of indifference and hatred" because he teaches and encourages "the commandment of love that the Lord has made the center and summit of everything," he said.

"Where there is love, there is no room for prejudice, for 'security' zones separating us from our neighbors, for the exclusionary mindset that, tragically, we now see emerging also in political nationalisms," Pope Leo said in his homily for Pentecost Mass in St. Peter's Square June 8. 

The pope also spoke out against "an unhealthy desire for domination" and violence in relationships as well as the "numerous recent cases of femicide" in Italy.

As of June 7, three women had been killed in 48 hours by a husband or partner. At least 22 women have been killed since the start of the year, 10 of whom were killed by a partner or ex-partner, the newspaper La Stampa reported June 6. An average of 100 women were killed between 2022 and 2024 in cases of voluntary manslaughter involving family members, according to the Italian government, and an average of 62 women were killed by their partner or ex-partner each year during the same timeframe.

"The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, brings to maturity within us the fruits that enable us to cultivate good and healthy relationships," Pope Leo said.

In his homily, the pope reflected on the Holy Spirit's gift of opening borders, building on an image of Pentecost described by Pope Benedict XVI in his homily on the feast day in 2005.

"The Spirit opens borders, first of all, in our hearts," then in one's relationships with others and, finally, between peoples, Pope Leo said.

"He is the gift that opens our lives to love" by breaking down "our hardness of heart, our narrowness of mind, our selfishness, the fears that enchain us and the narcissism that makes us think only of ourselves," the pope said.

"The Holy Spirit comes to challenge us, to make us confront the possibility that our lives are shriveling up, trapped in the vortex of individualism," he said. "Sadly, oddly enough, in a world of burgeoning 'social' media, we risk being ever more alone. Constantly connected, yet incapable of 'networking."' 

The Spirit "put us in touch with our inmost self, beneath all the masks we wear. He leads us to an encounter with the Lord by teaching us to experience the joy that is his gift" and to have one's life become a place "of welcome and refreshment."

The Holy Spirit also "broadens the borders of our relationships and opens us to the joy of fraternity," which is "also a critical yardstick for the church," he said.

To truly be a church of the Lord, he said, there must be "no borders or divisions among us." The faithful must be able to "dialogue and accept one another in the church and to reconcile our diversities," becoming "a welcoming and hospitable place for all."

The Holy Spirit "also opens borders between peoples," the pope said, by uniting people's hearts and making "us view others as our brothers and sisters." This is how "differences no longer become an occasion for division and conflict but rather a shared patrimony from which we can all draw."

Recalling Pope Francis' homily on Pentecost in 2023, Pope Leo lamented the continued discord and division in the world.

"The wars plaguing our world are a tragic sign of this. Let us invoke the Spirit of love and peace, that he may open borders, break down walls, dispel hatred and help us to live as children of our one Father who is in heaven," he said.

The pope also prayed for the gift of peace to dwell in people's hearts, before reciting the Regina Caeli after the Mass.

"For only a peaceful heart can spread peace in the family, society and international relations," he said. "May the Spirit of the risen Christ open paths of reconciliation wherever there is war; may he enlighten those who govern and give them the courage to make gestures of de-escalation and dialogue." 

The Mass marked the conclusion of the Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations and New Communities. The Jubilee included an evening prayer vigil in the square June 7 led by Pope Leo with an estimated 70,000 people.

Before praying the Regina Caeli June 8, the pope thanked all the representatives of Catholic lay associations, movements and communities who took part in the Jubilee, encouraging them to "set out renewed" with the strength of the Holy Spirit. "Go and bring the hope of the Lord Jesus to everyone!"

Pope Leo: Holy Spirit opens borders

On the Feast of Pentecost, Pope Leo said the Holy Spirit breaks down barriers—in our hearts, between people, and between nations. In his homily on June 8th, he repeatedly used the phrase “opens borders,” underscoring the Spirit’s power to unite what is...

VATICAN CITY (CNS) -- On the eve of Pentecost, Pope Leo XIV prayed that the Holy Spirit would help Catholic lay associations, movements and communities live the Gospel before trying to preach it and would be a force for unity in the church and in the world.

"In a divided and troubled world, the Holy Spirit teaches us to walk together in unity," the pope said as he joined an estimated 70,000 people for an evening prayer vigil in St. Peter's Square June 7.

"Evangelization, dear brothers and sisters, is not our attempt to conquer the world, but the infinite grace that radiates from lives transformed by the Kingdom of God," he said. Evangelization requires walking together on "the way of the Beatitudes," being people who are "hungering and thirsting for justice, poor in spirit, merciful, meek, pure of heart, men and women of peace."

"Jesus himself chose this path," Pope Leo insisted. "To follow it, we have no need of powerful patrons, worldly compromises, or emotional strategies." 

The vigil was part of the Jubilee of Ecclesial Movements, Associations and New Communities. The program began about 90 minutes before Pope Leo arrived in the popemobile. The Focolare movement's international Gen Verde choir and band performed; and members of the Sant'Egidio Community, the Neocatechumenal Way, Nuovi Orizzonti and Communion and Liberation gave testimonies about how the groups helped them grow closer to Jesus and motivated them to help others.

The program was punctuated with video clips of St. John Paul II, Pope Benedict XIV and Pope Francis addressing similar Pentecost vigils with the groups.

The gifts of the Holy Spirit, given to build up the unity of the church and inspire its efforts to help others, was the common theme of the clips.

In his address, Pope Leo said "synodality" is "a word that aptly expresses how the Spirit shapes the Church." 

At Pentecost, Mary and the disciples "received a Spirit of unity, which forever grounded in the one Lord Jesus Christ all their diversity," he said. "Theirs were not multiple missions, but a single mission. They were no longer introverted and quarrelling with one another, but outgoing and radiant with joy."

"Dear friends, God created the world so that we might all live as one. 'Synodality' is the ecclesial name for this," the pope said. "It demands that we each recognize our own poverty and our riches, that we feel part of a greater whole, apart from which everything withers, even the most original and unique of charisms."

"Think about it," he told the crowd. "All creation exists solely in the form of coexistence, sometimes dangerous, yet always interconnected."

"The opposite is lethal, but sadly, we are witnessing this daily," the pope said. "May your meetings and your communities, then, be training grounds of fraternity and sharing, not merely meeting places, but centers of spirituality." 

The Holy Spirit can change the world because it can change human hearts, he said. "The Spirit inspires the contemplative dimension of life that rejects self-assertion, complaining, rivalry and the temptation to control consciences and resources."

Celebrating Pentecost during a Jubilee Year, he said, is a special time to recognize the importance of walking together and showing the world the transforming power of the Holy Spirit.

"The earth will rest, justice will prevail, the poor will rejoice, and peace will return, once we no longer act as predators but as pilgrims," the pope said. "No longer each of us for ourselves, but walking alongside one another. Not greedily exploiting this world, but cultivating it and protecting it, as the Encyclical Laudato Si' has taught us."

If the groups are united among themselves and with their local parishes and dioceses, he said, "all of us will then work together harmoniously as one. The challenges facing humanity will be less frightening, the future will be less dark, and discernment will be less complicated -- if together we obey the Holy Spirit!"
 

Pope Leo's vision of evangelization

Pope Leo XIV celebrated the Vigil of Pentecost with the Jubilee of Movements, Associations, and New Communities on June 7 in St. Peter’s Square. In his homily, the pope outlined his vision for the church’s mission of evangelization, emphasizing that it...

WASHINGTON – “We welcome the government’s decision to restore clarity to the federal law that ensures that all people, including both pregnant mothers and their preborn children, can receive necessary emergency care at hospitals,” said Bishop Daniel E. Thomas, chairman of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops’ (USCCB) Committee on Pro-Life Activities, in response to Tuesday’s announcement that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) had rescinded guidance from 2022, which had attempted to require abortions in certain circumstances under the Emergency Medical Treatment and Labor Act (EMTALA).

Bishop Thomas continued, “The guidance that was imposed three years ago introduced unnecessary confusion into health care settings in the form of an abortion mandate. It is important to recognize that, when necessary, there are morally and legally permissible procedures to save the life of a mother in a health crisis, even when they may result in the terrible loss of her child. The government’s attempt to force doctors to perform direct abortions, however, defied the purpose of the long-standing EMTALA law, which is to help save the lives of vulnerable women who arrive at emergency rooms and, if they are pregnant, the lives of their babies as well. We are grateful for Tuesday’s rescission announcement and will continue to encourage policies that ensure high-quality and accessible health care to all people in need.” 

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