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Frank Cardinal Leo Appointed as Member to Vatican’s Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue​

From https://www.archtoronto.org/en/outreach/news/archdiocesan/frank-cardinal-leo-appointed-as-member-to-vaticans-dicastery-for-interreligious-dialogue/

On July 3, 2025, the Vatican announced the appointment of Frank Cardinal Leo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto as a member to the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. A dicastery is a department of the Roman Curia, the administrative body of the Holy See. The appointment does not impact Cardinal Leo’s ministry as Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto.

Cardinal Leo commented on the appointment:

“I am grateful to the Holy Father for the opportunity to serve as a member of the Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue. I very much look forward to dialogue and reflection on how the Catholic Church can work with other faith traditions in a positive and constructive manner as we identify areas of common concern and engagement.”

The Vatican website describes the dicastery as follows:

“The Dicastery for Interreligious Dialogue promotes and supervises relations with members and groups of non-Christian religions, with the exception of Judaism, competence for which belongs to the Dicastery for Promoting Christian Unity. The Dicastery works to ensure that dialogue with the followers of other religions takes place in an appropriate way, with an attitude of listening, esteem and respect. It fosters various kinds of relations with them so that, through the contribution of all, peace, freedom, social justice, the protection and safeguarding of creation, and spiritual and moral values may be promoted.”

We pray for Cardinal Leo as he takes on this new appointment and for all those who continue to foster goodwill and co-operation among people of all faiths.

 

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Gay blessings 'will remain' under Pope Leo, Vatican doctrine chief says​

From https://www.ncronline.org/vatican/vatican-news/gay-blessings-will-remain-under-pope-leo-vatican-doctrine-chief-says

The Catholic Church's approval of blessings of couples in same-sex relationships "will remain" under Pope Leo XIV, the head of the Vatican's doctrine office told an Italian reporter in a brief interview.

Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández made the statement in response to a question from a journalist for the Rome-based daily Il Messaggero as he left the Holy See Press Office on July 3.

Fernández's remarks are the clearest indication to date since Pope Leo's election of a likely continuation of Pope Francis' gay-blessings declaration. However, the impromptu interview falls short of an explicit, official statement from the Vatican.

Under Francis, the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith in December 2023 released a document entitled "Fiducia Supplicans: On the Pastoral Meaning of Blessings," which opened the door to church blessings for couples in "irregular" situations, including same-sex relationships.

The document, signed by Fernández and his deputy Msgr. Armando Matteo, and approved by Pope Francis, stressed that such blessings could not take the form of a liturgical rite, and did not imply formal approval of "irregular" unions.

The blessings document generated considerable conservative backlash, and some critics of the late Pope Francis had expressed hope that Pope Leo would rescind or ignore it.

Asked on Thursday, July 3, by Il Messaggero whether Leo would backtrack,, Fernández, who had met privately with Pope Leo earlier that same day, responded "I really don't think so — the declaration will remain."

Previously, the most prominent indication of Leo's approach to gay blessings had come in an interview with Cardinal Jean-Claude Hollerich in the Italian Catholic daily La Stampa in May. The cardinal had said that he thought Pope Leo "might re-interpret" the document, but not "abolish" it.

"Pope Leo has said that the church is open to all," said Hollerich, the Jesuit archbishop of Luxembourg who was elevated to cardinal by Francis in 2019. "This is a continuation of the approach of Francis, who used to repeat 'Everyone, everyone, everyone.' "

Released in December 2023, without prior warning or the arrangement of a press conference, Fiducia Supplicans is an approximately 5,000 word document mainly dedicated to reflecting on the theological significance of the act of blessing.

The text distinguishes between formal liturgical blessings and spontaneous, pastoral ones, and says that blessings of the latter kind can be offered to those in same-sex unions or other relationships contrary to Catholic teaching.

The document says that "A blessing may be imparted that ... descends from God upon those who — recognizing themselves to be destitute and in need of his help — do not claim a legitimation of their own status, but who beg that all that is true, good, and humanly valid in their lives and their relationships be enriched, healed, and elevated by the presence of the Holy Spirit."

However, the declaration stresses, such blessings are in no way comparable to marriage: "Rites and prayers that could create confusion between what constitutes marriage — which is the 'exclusive, stable, and indissoluble union between a man and a woman, naturally open to the generation of children' — and what contradicts it are inadmissible."

After the release of the blessings document the Vatican intervened on multiple occasions to clarify its meaning.

Most prominently, in a meeting with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, just over a month after the publication of the document, Pope Francis said that the blessings document allows for the blessing not of irregular unions themselves, but of the individuals in them.

What is blessed, the pope stressed, is "not the union, but the persons, naturally taking into account the context, sensitivities, the places where one lives, and the most appropriate ways to do it."

Shortly after the publication of the document, a number of bishops announced that they would not implement it in their dioceses or jurisdictions and some prelates went as far as to call it heresy.

The most high-profile of these was Cardinal Fridolin Ambongo Besungu, archbishop of Kinshasa and president of the Symposium of the Episcopal Conferences of Africa and Madagascar, and part of Pope Francis' Council of Cardinals.

In a letter, Ambongo stressed that the bishops of Africa, despite their "unwavering attachment" to Pope Francis, believed that the blessings outlined in the document "cannot be carried out in Africa without exposing themselves to scandals."

"The African bishops," Ambongo wrote, "do not consider it appropriate for Africa to bless homosexual unions or same-sex couples because, in our context, this would cause confusion and would be in direct contradiction to the cultural ethos of African communities."

Ambongo, who was considered a potential candidate for pope in the conclave that elected Leo, stressed that his letter had received the approval both of Fernández and of Pope Francis.

In an interview weeks later with Italian newspaper La Stampa, Pope Francis described the church in Africa as "a separate case." For Africans, he said, "homosexuality is something ‘ugly' from a cultural point of view; they do not tolerate it."

 

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Pope Leo calls for end to ‘pandemic of arms’ after Minneapolis school shooting​

From https://edition.cnn.com/2025/08/31/world/pope-minneapolis-school-shooting-intl

Pope Leo XIV has pleaded for an end to the “pandemic of arms” as he made his first public comments on gun control while offering prayers for the victims of the shooting at Annunciation Catholic school in Minneapolis.

The first American pope made his remarks following the August 27 shooting which killed two children and injured 18 others as students and staff gathered for a school Mass.

“Let us plead [to] God to stop the pandemic of arms large and small which infects our world,” the Chicago-born pontiff told the crowd in St. Peter’s Square following the weekly Sunday Angelus prayer.

Leo, speaking in his native English, said he was offering “prayers for the victims of the tragic shooting during a school Mass in the American state of Minnesota” and the “countless children” who are killed and injured every day.

Leo’s predecessor, Pope Francis, frequently condemned the arms industry and warned that the use of guns by civilians to defend themselves had become a “habit.” Leo, who was elected in May, has continued to condemn the “logic of weapons” and the arms trade, though in a telegram sent in the immediate aftermath of the Minneapolis shooting he refrained from making any comments about gun control.

In the past, however, a now-deleted X account apparently belonging to Robert Prevost – before he was elected pope – re-posted statements by Cardinal Blase Cupich of Chicago calling for “increased access to mental health care and stronger, sensible gun control laws” following the 2017 shootings in Las Vegas.

He also shared a statement from Democratic Senator Chris Murphy who wrote on the same incident: “To my colleagues: Your cowardice to act cannot be whitewashed by thoughts and prayers. None of this ends unless we do something to stop it.”

Following the Minneapolis shooting, Cupich, who is close to Leo, issued his own a statement saying: “The facts are clear. Guns are plentiful and common sense attempts to limit their availability have been largely rejected in the name of a freedom not found in our constitution.”

 

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Pope prays for Charlie Kirk and bereaved family​

Pope Leo XIV expresses concern about political violence and is praying for the late American activist Charlie Kirk, his wife, and two children, according to the Holy See Press Office.

From

Pope prays for Charlie Kirk and bereaved family - Vatican News

Pope Leo XIV expresses concern about political violence and is praying for the late American activist Charlie Kirk, his wife, and two children, ...

www.vaticannews.va

The Director of the Holy See Press Office, Matteo Bruni, responded to reporters’ questions on Tuesday about the Pope’s reaction to the murder of Charlie Kirk.

“I know that during the conversation with the new U.S. Ambassador, the Pope confirmed that he is praying for Charlie Kirk, his wife, and his children; that he expressed concern about political violence; and that he spoke of the need to refrain from rhetoric and instrumentalization that lead to polarization rather than dialogue,” said Mr Bruni.

Pope Leo XIV met on September 13 with the new US Ambassador to the Holy See, Brian Francis Burch, as he presented his credential letters to begin his mandate.

During that audience, the Pope shared his condolences for Mr. Kirk’s family and his concern about political violence.

Mr. Kirk was an American political activist, author, and media personality who co-founded the organization “Turning Point USA.”

The 31-year-old was shot dead on September 10 during a public event at the Utah Valley University campus. His funeral will be held on Sunday, September 21, in Glendale, Arizona.

Seen and read different reports or comments paraphrasing or twisting papal remarks about the killing. Had to go directly to vaticannews for this.

 

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Pope calls for global action on migration crisis​

From https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2025-10/pope-leo-s-call-to-action-on-behalf-of-migrants-and-refugees.html

Pope Leo XIV receives the participants of the International Conference "Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home" currently taking place at the Augustinianum and calls for action in response to the emergency affecting over 100 million people impacted by the migration phenomenon.

Pope Leo XIV has urged the world not to remain passive in the face of human suffering, particularly as it relates to the ongoing migrant and refugee crisis. He warned against what he described as the “globalization of powerlessness”—an attitude that spreads when we grow indifferent to the suffering of others and believe that nothing can be done to help.

In an address to the participants of the International Conference on “Refugees and Migrants in Our Common Home,” held at the Augustinianum, Pope Leo emphasized the urgent need for global solutions to address the migration phenomenon, which affects more than 100 million people worldwide. The conference, organized by Villanova University, brings together experts from universities, NGOs, and community organizations to develop actionable plans for addressing the structural causes of migration.

In his remarks, the Pope drew upon a phrase coined by Pope Francis - "the globalization of indifference" - warning against the dangers of becoming “immobile, silent, and perhaps saddened” in response to the plight of innocent people. Such resignation, he said, can lead to a dangerous sense of “powerlessness,” where we no longer even attempt to alleviate the suffering of others.

In the opening session of the conference, Francis' invitation was echoed. The Holy Father expressed his heartfelt thanks to the organizers of these days of discussion, reflection, and collaboration, as well as to all the participants for their contributions. These efforts will help launch a three-year project centered around four key pillars: “Teaching, research, service, and support.”

Thus, "you are answering Pope Francis’ call to academic communities to help meet the needs of displaced brothers and sisters by focusing on areas within your expertise," Pope Leo said.

The dignity of the human person​

These four pillars are part of the same mission: “To bring together leading voices from various disciplines to address the current urgent challenges posed by the rising number of people—now estimated to be over 100 million—affected by migration and displacement,” Pope Leo XIV emphasized. He assured participants of his prayers that these efforts would yield “new ideas and approaches,” always with the dignity of every human being at the center of any solution.

During a recent address concerning the candidacy of the “Gestures of Welcome” project from Lampedusa for UNESCO's Intangible Cultural Heritage list, the Pope remarked that one of the obstacles often encountered when addressing issues of this magnitude is the indifference shown by both institutions and individuals.

Francis had spoken of the 'globalization of indifference,' "where we become so accustomed to the suffering of others that we no longer try to alleviate it." This can lead to what Pope Leo XIV referred to as the “globalization of powerlessness,” "in which we risk becoming immobile, silent, and perhaps sad, thinking that nothing can be done in the face of innocent suffering."

No to the "globalization of powerlessness"​

Just as Francis promoted the “culture of encounter” as a remedy to the globalization of indifference, “we too,” Pope Leo insisted, “must work to confront the globalization of powerlessness by fostering a culture of reconciliation.”

We must "meet one another by healing our wounds, forgiving each other for the evil we have done and also for what we have not done, but whose effects we bear," Pope Leo said, quoting Francis. "This requires patience, a willingness to listen, the ability to identify with the pain of others and the recognition that we have the same dreams and the same hopes."

Pope Leo encourages participants to find concrete ways to promote reconciliation gestures and policies, particularly in regions still suffering from the scars of long-standing conflicts. “This is no easy task,” he acknowledges, “but if efforts to bring about lasting change are to succeed, they must include ways to touch both hearts and minds.”

When creating action plans, it’s also essential to keep in mind that “migrants and refugees can be privileged witnesses of hope through their resilience and their trust in God.” Often, they maintain their strength while seeking a better future, despite the many obstacles they encounter.

Looking forward to the Jubilee of Migrants​

As we prepare to celebrate the Jubilees for Migrants and for Missions in this holy Jubilee year, Pope Leo encourages us to highlight examples of hope in the communities of those whom we serve. “In this way, they can inspire others and help develop strategies to face the challenges they have encountered in their own lives.”

 

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Walter Lis

BREAKING: Catholic bishops release a stunning video denouncing Trump and Vance's brutal ICE raids and it's spreading like wildfire in what's being called the "most viral Catholic message in U.S....

www.facebook.com

 

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Cardinal Frank Leo Takes Possession of Titular Church in Rome​

On Saturday, November 15, 2025, Cardinal Frank Leo, Metropolitan Archbishop of Toronto, will take possession of his titular church in Rome.
Cardinal Leo's titular church is the parish of Santa Maria della Salute in Primavalle. His Eminence will celebrate Holy Mass at 6:30 p.m. in Rome (12:30 p.m. in Toronto).
Cardinals are assigned a titular church in Rome as a way to connect them symbolically to the ancient heart of our faith, a tradition that dates back to the early days of Christianity.
When the Pope creates a new cardinal, a local church in the Diocese of Rome is identified as outlined in church law.
The appointment does not mean the cardinal runs the local church assigned to him. However, it reminds them of their fraternal and prayerful support of the community while also further connecting the cardinals to the Bishop of Rome, Pope Leo XIV.
More than 100 pilgrims from the Archdiocese of Toronto, currently on pilgrimage in Rome, will join His Eminence for the celebration which will also include members of the parish community and special guests.
To follow the livestream of the November 15 Mass (12:30 p.m. Toronto time), click here.

From https://www.archtoronto.org/pt/outreach/news/archdiocesan/cardinal-frank-leo-takes-possession-of-titular-church-in-rome/

 

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Occupy Democrats

BREAKING: The Vatican sends Trump’s favorite Cardinal packing as Pope Leo cleans house. In a move that sent shockwaves through both the Catholic Church and MAGA world, Pope Leo has officially shown...

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BREAKING: Vatican sends Trump’s favorite Cardinal packing as Pope Leo cleans house.

In a move that sent shockwaves through both the Catholic Church and MAGA world, Pope Leo has officially shown Cardinal Timothy Dolan the door—replacing Donald Trump’s favorite cleric with a far quieter, far less political bishop from Illinois.

Yes, that Cardinal Dolan. The Fox News regular. The inauguration prayer guy. The culture-war crusader who once called slain MAGA commentator Charlie Kirk a “modern-day Saint Paul.” That Dolan is now out as head of New York’s powerful Catholic archdiocese, after Pope Leo accepted his resignation and tapped Bishop Ronald Hicks to take his place.

And the message from Rome couldn’t be clearer: the Trump-aligned, red-meat brand of American Catholic politics is officially out of favor.

Dolan, long seen as a reliable spiritual cheerleader for Trumpism, was so beloved by the former reality-TV president that Trump once floated Dolan as a potential pope—and even mused about nominating himself for the job. But Pope Leo, the first American pope in history, apparently had other ideas.

Enter Bishop Ronald Hicks: 58, low-profile, media-averse, and blessedly uninterested in cable-news culture wars. Hicks, who grew up near Pope Leo in Chicago’s south suburbs and shares a background in missionary work, represents a sharp pivot away from Dolan’s performative politics.

The shake-up comes as Pope Leo has increasingly clashed with Trump’s agenda, condemning his “inhuman” immigration policies and urging him to back away from reckless saber-rattling over Venezuela. In other words, the Vatican is done pretending Trumpism and Christian compassion are compatible.
Experts say the move is no accident. Dolan didn’t just retire—he was replaced.

“This is a sign of change,” said one church scholar, noting that Hicks is far less likely to justify or excuse Trump’s behavior. While not a liberal firebrand, Hicks has made clear he wants a church focused on unity, healing, and cooperation—concepts that don’t exactly poll well on Truth Social.

Dolan’s resignation was technically routine—bishops submit them at 75—but popes don’t have to accept them. Pope Leo did. Immediately.

Bishop Hicks will be installed as New York’s new archbishop on February 6, marking the end of an era where MAGA politics enjoyed a privileged seat in America’s largest pulpit.

 

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Pope raises alarm over human rights and a spreading “zeal for war”​

From https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/poope-leo-xiv-address-diplomatic-corps-9-january-2026.html

Meeting members of the Diplomatic Corps, Pope Leo XIV warns that human rights and freedoms are under strain as diplomacy gives way to the logic of power and war.

Vatican News


Warning that “war is back in vogue” and that peace is increasingly sought through force rather than justice, Pope Leo XIV issued a strong appeal for humility, dialogue, and a renewed commitment to multilateralism in his address to the Diplomatic Corps accredited to the Holy See.

Speaking on Friday, 9 January, during the traditional exchange of New Year greetings, the Pope cautioned that the foundations of international coexistence are being steadily undermined, as diplomacy based on dialogue gives way to the logic of power and deterrence.

“The principle established after the Second World War, which prohibited nations from using force to violate the borders of others, has been completely undermined,” he said, warning that such a mindset gravely threatens the rule of law itself.

A defining moment in the Vatican’s diplomatic year​

The annual meeting between the Pope and Ambassadors accredited to the Holy See is considered one of the most significant moments in the Vatican’s diplomatic calendar.

Often dubbed the "State of the World" Address, the Pope's discourses in these occasions tend to offer a moral reading of international life - an appeal not to interests, but to conscience - offered at the beginning of a new year as a call to responsibility, restraint, and renewal.

For Pope Leo XIV, who said the occasion is “a new experience,” having been called only months ago to “shepherd Christ’s flock,” the address also served to articulate the moral horizon within which the Holy See understands diplomacy: a patient work of encounter, a defence of the vulnerable, and a commitment to peace rooted in truth.

Borders, law, and the return of “peace through weapons”​

Pope Leo XIV lamented the weakening of the principle established after the Second World War, by which nations pledged not to use force to violate the borders of others.

“The principle… has been completely undermined,” he said, warning that peace is increasingly sought “through weapons as a condition for asserting one’s own dominion,” a mentality that “gravely threatens the rule of law, which is the foundation of all peaceful civil coexistence.”

The Pope turned repeatedly to Saint Augustine to support his points, especially to De Civitate Dei (The City of God), in which Augustine reflects on pride, power, and the illusion of security.

Even those who wage war, the Pope recalled, ultimately desire peace - yet not peace as a shared good, but peace as possession. Citing Augustine, he said, “They do not, therefore, wish to have no peace, but only the peace that they desire.”

It was precisely this distortion, the Pope implied, that led humanity into catastrophe in the twentieth century. From that tragedy, he noted, the United Nations emerged, established eighty years ago as a centre of multilateral cooperation “for safeguarding peace, defending fundamental human rights and promoting sustainable development.”

Humanitarian law “must always prevail”​

From the principles of law, Pope Leo XIV moved to the concrete cost of war - especially when civilians become targets, and when essential infrastructure is destroyed.

“I would like to draw particular attention to the importance of international humanitarian law,” he said. Compliance cannot depend on “mere circumstances and military or strategic interests.”

Rather, he said, humanitarian law “is a commitment that States have made,” and “must always prevail over the ambitions of belligerents.”

He underscored that attacks on “hospitals, energy infrastructure, homes and places essential to daily life” constitute serious violations, and reiterated the Holy See’s condemnation of “any form of involvement of civilians in military operations.”

The moral measure, he insisted, is not advantage but dignity: “the protection of the principle of the inviolability of human dignity and the sanctity of life always counts for more than any mere national interest.”

 

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Pope Leo's mosaic portrait ready for Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls​

In keeping with tradition, the Vatican Mosaic Studio completes the mosaic portrait of Pope Leo XIV destined for the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls, and reveals the work to the Pope before his Wednesday General Audience in the Vatican.
From https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-01/mosaic-of-pope-leo-xiv-for-basilica-of-st-paul-outside-the-wall.html

The Vatican Mosaic Studio of the Fabric of Saint Peter has completed the mosaic medallion dedicated to Pope Leo XIV, the Holy See Press Office announced on Wednesday.

In accordance with the ancient tradition that accompanies the election of every Pope, just over eight months after the election of Pope Leo XIV, the studio has completed the mosaic portrait destined for the Basilica of Saint Paul Outside the Walls, at the request of the Basilica's Archpriest, Cardinal James Michael Harvey.

The mosaic roundel, with a diameter of 137 centimeters, was created using glass enamels and gold on a metal structure at the studio of the Fabric of Saint Peter.

The tesserae (individual pieces of glass or tile) were produced using the ancient cut-mosaic technique and were set with the traditional oil-based mastic of the Vatican tradition.

The execution of the work was based on a painted preparatory sketch by Master Rodolfo Papa—an oil on canvas of the same dimensions as the mosaic roundel—specifically conceived for its translation into mosaic.

The work will be installed in the space next to the portrait of Pope Francis, in the right nave of the Basilica, at a height of approximately 13 meters.

The painted sketch, on the other hand, will be preserved—together with the entire series of portraits of the Pontiffs—at the Fabric of Saint Peter in the Vatican.

 

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Vatican declines participation in Trump's 'Board of Peace'​

From https://www.dw.com/en/vatican-declines-participation-in-trumps-board-of-peace/a-76017187

The Vatican has said it will not take part in the "Board of Peace" established by US President Donald Trump. It said the UN was the right body to manage global crises.

The Vatican said on Tuesday it would not take part in US President Donald Trump's so-called Board of Peace despite an invitation issued in January to Pope Leo XIV to join the board.

The Holy See "will not participate in the Board of Peace because of its particular nature, which ‌is evidently not that of other states," said Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the top Vatican diplomat.

The "Board of Peace" was initially meant to supervise Gaza's temporary governance following the latest conflict there, but Trump has since said that the body, with him as chair, would be expanded to deal with global conflicts.

What else did the Vatican say about the 'Board of Peace'?​

While announcing that the Vatican would not participate, Parolin stressed that the United Nations was the body currently entrusted to deal with world crises.

"For us, there are ... some critical issues that should be resolved, let's say," he said.

"That is, at the international level, it is above all the UN that manages these crisis situations," he said. "This is one of the, one of the points on which we have insisted."

Since taking office, Pope Leo, the first US pontiff, has outspokenly criticized some of Trump's policies.

'Board of Peace' remains controversial​

At least 19 countries have signed the founding charter of the "Board of Peace" since Trump launched the initiative at the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland, in January.

They include Argentina, Hungary, Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United Arab Emirates.

But while Italy and the European Union have ‌said their representatives plan to attend as observers as they have not joined the board, most Western countries have stayed away so far amid fears it could be meant to undermine the UN.

 

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Vatican to use AI to translate Masses at St. Peter’s into 60 languages in real time​

From https://www.ewtnnews.com/vatican/vatican-to-use-ai-to-translate-masses-at-st-peters-into-60-languages-in-real-time

Mass attendees at St. Peter’s Basilica will be able to understand the readings, chants, and prayers live and in their own languages with a new AI-assisted translation system.

This spring, the Vatican will debut a simultaneous translation system assisted by artificial intelligence, allowing people to follow liturgical celebrations in St. Peter’s Basilica in real time in up to 60 languages.

For the first time, the faithful will be able to follow the liturgy in their own language via their smartphones.

The service will operate directly in the device’s browser, without the need to download any applications or use any accessories. In this way, Mass attendees will be able to understand the readings, chants, and prayers in their own language as the celebration unfolds.

The new system is designed to be easy to use. QR codes will be placed at the entrances and designated points within the church, allowing users to connect to a website where they can follow the liturgy with real-time translation, in both audio and text formats.

The system relies on the simultaneous interpretation capabilities of Lara, an artificial intelligence developed by Translated, a world leader in AI-based language solutions, in collaboration with Carnegie-AI LLC, a company specializing in simultaneous interpretation technologies.

Antonio Autorino, head of communications at the Fabric of St. Peter, confirmed to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that the service will be operational this spring. For now, tests have already begun with selected groups of the faithful to assess its functionality.

The initiative, spearheaded by the Fabric of St. Peter in collaboration with the Dicastery for Communication and the technology company Translated, was presented Feb. 16 by the archpriest of the basilica, Cardinal Mauro Gambetti, along with a series of liturgical initiatives and cultural projects in which technology has played a crucial role.

“St. Peter’s Basilica has welcomed the faithful of all nations and languages for centuries. By making available a tool that helps many understand the words of the liturgy, we want to serve the mission that defines the heart of the Catholic Church, universal by its very vocation,” Gambetti emphasized.

The new service is being launched four centuries after the basilica was consecrated in 1626 by Pope Urban VIII, after more than a century of construction. The first stone of the new church was laid on April 18, 1506, after Pope Julius II decided to build a new basilica due to the deterioration of the building constructed during the time of Roman emperor Constantine (d. 337).

Another example of how technology is serving the Vatican is the new digital access system that will be used to better manage the flow of tourists and pilgrims who enter St. Peter’s Basilica every day. Called SmartPass, it is integrated into the basilica’s official website along with a network of sensors that will allow for real-time monitoring of visitor presence and improved security.

In addition, the Vatican has also unveiled a revolutionary technological project with sensors installed in the foundations, facade, dome, and subsoil that will allow for real-time monitoring of the basilica’s structural condition.

The project, dubbed “Beyond the Visible” and financed by the Italian oil company Eni, combines high-precision geophysical, topographic, and structural technologies.

“We have created an integrated information process that will allow us, from today and in the future, to monitor all movements that may occur in this monumental structure and, at the same time, support the technical experts who must make decisions,” explained Claudio Granata, Eni’s head of these projects, during the official presentation of the commemorative initiatives at the Vatican.

Thanks to this system, it will be possible to detect millimeter displacements and inclinations on the order of ten-thousandths of a degree as well as obtain a complete map of the architecture and geology of the terrain beneath the basilica, with the ability to consult data in real time.

Likely the people will be able to follow the homily. People could still use missals (hardcopy or smartphone apps) to follow the mass. Wonder if churches and cathedrals around the world would adapt the software?

 

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As 'border czar' challenges Pope Leo, Archbishop Wester warns of 'Bonhoeffer moment'​

From https://www.ncronline.org/news/border-czar-challenges-pope-leo-archbishop-wester-warns-bonhoeffer-moment

Two prominent U.S. Catholics agree that immigration remains a daunting challenge — but each has starkly different viewpoints about what their faith demands of them during this moment.

First there's Archbishop John Wester of Santa Fe, who told me in a recent phone interview that he believes we're living in "a Dietrich Bonhoeffer moment," invoking the 20th-century Lutheran pastor killed for his anti-Nazi activism. Then there's Tom Homan, the lifelong Catholic tapped by President Donald Trump to lead the administration's immigration crackdown.

Wester signed a recent statement along with 17 other bishops, from Arizona to Rhode Island, calling on Congress and the White House to change how federal agents undertake immigration raids. Among the suggestions: restore the right to seek asylum; end raids at sensitive places like churches, hospitals and schools; keep families intact; lose the masks; and only target bona fide criminals, not immigrants who contribute to the common good.

Wester acknowledged that immigration is a "controversial and complicated issue," but said the administration's tactics — mass deportations, presuming people are guilty based on their race and rounding up human beings like cattle — "goes against the Gospel and we need to speak out and call it what it is."

"The important thing is for bishops, priests, deacons, lay leaders to speak the truth," he said.

But speaking the truth can be laden with consequences.

The administration has shown a willingness to target individuals and organizations who call out its mistreatment of migrants and protesters, even groups like Catholic Charities who serve the most marginalized communities.

Consider Homan, who's attacked bishops over their pro-immigration views and this week, he again went after Pope Leo XIV, saying he wanted to school the U.S.-born pope about the dangers facing migrants.

"If we jumped the wall at the Vatican, the penalties for doing that are much harder than the ones here in the United States, entering the country illegally," he told reporters on Feb. 25 — though he offered no evidence that trespassers at the Vatican are mistreated. (For what it's worth, the Vatican implemented new rules last year about illegal entry into the world's smallest sovereign state, including fines up to $29,500 and in instances involving violence, prison sentences up to four years.)

As for the pope, Cardinal Fabio Baggio, undersecretary of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development, recently told NCR's Vatican correspondent Justin McLellan that Leo XIV shares the "the same pastoral concern" as Pope Francis when it comes to migration. Baggio also noted that the Vatican actually did invite migrants to live in its territory and that the church in Italy is a major contributor to helping resettle migrants and refugees.

Homan said he wants to educate the pope about the extraordinary risks vulnerable people take in order to reach the United States — presumably as justification for the harsh deportation methods the administration employs that they argue have dramatically reduced illegal border crossings.

"I'd be happy to sit down and explain it to him, that illegal immigration is not a victimless crime," Homan said of the pope, pointing out correctly the horrific abuses some migrants face on their journeys to the United States.

("You ought to be fixing the Catholic Church, because they've got their own issues," Homan added, without specifying any particular issues.)

But wouldn't the violence migrants endure prompt Catholics to respond with compassion rather than cruelty? Wester hopes so.

"These are people who are coming to us for food, shelter and water, and we need to do what we can to help them," Wester said. "Far from that, we're doing the opposite. We're punishing them, we're making their lives miserable."

"My hope is that the administration will be contrite," he said. "It's my hope — though perhaps not well founded."

During the president's State of the Union address on Tuesday (Feb. 24), contrition seemed a long way off.

Trump continued to characterize immigrants as "murderers" and "drug lords," and sought to lay economic woes that are partly responsible for helping to sink his approval ratings at the feet of "unrestricted immigration and open borders."

Last month, the White House announced that it would exempt foreign-born clergy and other religious workers from a visa crackdown, a move that won high praise from some U.S. bishops, who rely on foreign-born priests to staff parishes. Might the administration be using that exemption — and the threat of revoking it — to lessen the criticism from Catholic bishops and other Christian leaders about its immigration crackdown?

Wester says Catholics must keep using their voices to defend the rights of migrants.

"We can't throw the immigrants under the bus, we need to speak up for them, come what may," Wester said. "We have to be clear that we will not be blackmailed, we will not be cajoled into compromising our strong beliefs about welcoming human beings, welcoming the strangers in the midst."

With another three years left in the current administration, Wester said Catholics can't give up their prophetic witness.

"We need to keep speaking loudly and strongly," he said. "I think it's going to be a long road."

 

[Monarch Butterfly]

Pope on Iran: Peace not built with mutual threats or death-dealing arms​

From https://www.vaticannews.va/en/pope/news/2026-03/pope-leo-xiv-angelus-appeal-peace-middle-east-iran.html

Pope Leo XIV appeals for nations to recall their moral responsibility to seek peace, as violence escalates in the Middle East after the US and Israel carry out airstrikes on Iran.

Speaking at the Angelus on Sunday, Pope Leo XIV expressed “deep concern” over recent events in the Middle East and Iran.

“Stability and peace are not built with mutual threats, nor with weapons, which sow destruction, pain, and death, but only through a reasonable, authentic, and responsible dialogue,” he said.

The Pope warned of an immense tragedy if violence escalates out of control.

“Faced with the possibility of a tragedy of enormous proportions,” he said, “I address to the parties involved a heartfelt appeal to assume the moral responsibility to stop the spiral of violence before it becomes an irreparable abyss!”

Pope Leo prayed that nations may return to dialogue in order to seek peace.

“May diplomacy recover its role and may the good of peoples be promoted, peoples who long for peaceful coexistence founded on justice,” he said. “And let us continue to pray for peace.”

On Saturday, Israel and the United States began carrying out joint airstrikes on Tehran and several other Iranian cities.

Iran then responded with attacks on Israel and several Gulf countries which host American military bases.

Later, state-run news agencies announced the death of Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, who ruled Iran for nearly 37 years.