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Vatican finances, the balance sheets of the IOR and of the St. Peter's Obligation

There is an intrinsic relationship between the budgets of the Oblates of St. Peter's and the Institute for works of Religion.

Andrea Gagliarducci-July 12, 2024-Reading time: 4 minutes

There is a close relationship between the annual declaration of the St. Peter's obolus and the balance sheet of the Istituto delle Opere di Religione, the so-called "Vatican bank". Because the Obolo is destined to the charity of the Pope, but this charity is also expressed in the support of the structure of the Roman Curia, an immense "missionary budget" that has expenses, but not so many incomes, and that must continue to pay salaries. And because the IOR, for some time now, has been making a voluntary contribution of its profits precisely to the Pope, and these profits serve to lighten the budget of the Holy See. 

For years the IOR has not had the same benefits as in the past, so that the portion allocated to the Pope has decreased over the years. The same situation applies to the Obolo, whose income has decreased over the years, and which has also had to face this decrease in the IOR's support. So much so that in 2022 it had to double its income with a general divestment of assets.

That is why the two budgets, published last month, are somehow connected. After all, the Vatican finances have always been connected, and everything contributes to helping the Pope's mission. 

But let's look at the two budgets in more detail.

The St. Peter's Oblong

Last June 29, the St. Peter's Oblates presented their annual balance sheet. Revenues were 52 million, but expenses amounted to 103.4 million, of which 90 million were for the apostolic mission of the Holy Father. Included in the mission are the expenses of the Curia, which amount to 370.4 million. The Obolo thus contributes 24% to the budget of the Curia. 

Only 13 million went to charitable works, to which, however, must be added donations from Pope Francis through other dicasteries of the Holy See totaling 32 million, 8 of which were financed directly through the obolo.

In summary, between the Obolus Fund and the funds of the dicasteries financed in part by the Obolus, the Pope's charity financed 236 projects, for a total of 45 million. However, the balance deserves some observations.

Is this the true use of the St. Peter's Obligation, which is often associated with the Pope's charity? Yes, because the very purpose of the Obligation is to support the mission of the Church, and it was defined in modern terms in 1870, after the Holy See lost the Papal States and had no more income to run the machine.

That said, it is interesting that the budget of the Obolus can also be deducted from the budget of the Curia. Of the 370.4 million of budgeted funds, 38.9% is earmarked for local Churches in difficulty and in specific contexts of evangelization, amounting to 144.2 million.

Funds earmarked for worship and evangelization amount to 48.4 million, or 13.1%.

Dissemination of the message, that is, the entire Vatican communication sector, represents 12.1% of the budget, with a total of 44.8 million.

37 million (10.9% of the budget) was allocated to support the apostolic nunciatures, while 31.9 million (8.6% of the total) went to the service of charity - precisely the money donated by Pope Francis through the dicasteries -, 20.3 million to the organization of ecclesial life, 17.4 million to the historical heritage, 10.2 million to academic institutions, 6.8 million to human development, 4.2 million to Education, Science and Culture and 5.2 million to Life and Family.

Income, as mentioned above, amounted to 52 million euros, 48.4 million of which were donations. Last year there were fewer donations (43.5 million euros), but income, thanks to the sale of real estate, amounted to 107 million euros. Interestingly, there are 3.6 million euros of income from financial returns.

As for donations, 31.2 million came from direct collection by dioceses, 21 million from private donors, 13.9 million from foundations and 1.2 million from religious orders.

The countries that donate the most are the United States (13.6 million), Italy (3.1 million), Brazil (1.9 million), Germany and South Korea (1.3 million), France (1.6 million), Mexico and Ireland (0.9 million), Czech Republic and Spain (0.8 million).

IOR balance sheet

Pope IOR 13 million to the Holy See, compared to a net profit of 30.6 million euros.

The profits represent a significant improvement over the €29.6 million in 2022. However, it is necessary to compare the figures: they range from the 86.6 million profit declared in 2012 - which quadrupled the previous year's earnings - to 66.9 million in the 2013 report, 69.3 million in the 2014 report, 16.1 million in the 2015 report, 33 million in the 2016 report and 31.9 million in the 2017 report, to 17.5 million in 2018.

The 2019 report, meanwhile, quantifies profits at 38 million, also attributed to the favorable market.

In 2020, the year of the COVID crisis, the profit was slightly lower at 36.4 million.

But in the first post-pandemic year, a 2021 still unaffected by the war in Ukraine, it returned to a negative trend, with a profit of only €18.1 million, and only in 2022 did it return to the €30 million barrier.

The IOR 2023 report speaks of 107 employees and 12,361 customers, but also of an increase in customer deposits: +4% to €5.4 billion. The number of clients continues to fall (they were 12,759 in 2022, even 14,519 in 2021), but this time the number of employees also decreases: they were 117 in 2022, they are 107 in 2023.

Thus, the negative trend of clients continues, which should give us pause for thought, bearing in mind that the screening of accounts deemed not compatible with the IOR's mission ended some time ago.

Now, the IOR is also called upon to participate in the reform of Vatican finances desired by Pope Francis. 

Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, president of the Council of Superintendence, highlights in his management letter the numerous accolades the IOR has received for its work in favor of transparency over the past decade, and announces: "The Institute, under the supervision of the Authority for Supervision and Financial Information (ASIF), is therefore ready to play its part in the process of centralizing all Vatican assets, in accordance with the Holy Father's instructions and taking into account the latest regulatory developments.

The IOR team is eager to collaborate with all Vatican dicasteries, with the Administration of the Patrimony of the Apostolic See (APSA) and to work with the Investment Committee to further develop the ethical principles of FCI (Faith Consistent Investment) in accordance with the Church's social doctrine. It is crucial that the Vatican be seen as a point of reference."

The authorAndrea Gagliarducci

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Evangelization

Pro-life activist Paul Vaughn shares his journey from evangelism to Catholicism this Easter

Paul Vaughn, a pro-life activist and father of 11 children, transitioned from a leadership role in Protestant communities to the Catholic Church along with his wife and four of his children after years of questioning his faith.

OSV / Omnes-August 16, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes

As his family grew to 11 children, Paul Vaughn gradually got used to people assuming that he and his wife, Bethany, were Catholic.

They are now.

During this year’s Easter Vigil, this 59-year-old pro-life activist from Centerville, Tennessee, Bethany Vaughn, and four of her children transitioned from evangelical Protestant Christianity to full communion with the Catholic Church at St. Catherine of Siena Parish in the nearby city of Columbia.

Paul Vaughn explained to OSV News that, like so many others, his journey to the fullness of the Catholic faith has been a winding path of faith, during which he had previously held leadership roles in a Reformed Baptist congregation and in an independent Presbyterian congregation that he himself had helped found.

Commitment to the Defense of Life

The legal proceedings involving the pro-life activist, which have now concluded with a settlement with the federal government—announced on July 28—for more than one million dollars from a Department of Justice compensation fund, also had their ups and downs.

Vaughn was one of 23 activists pardoned by President Donald Trump in January 2025 after being convicted of violating the federal Freedom of Access to Clinic Entrances Act (FACE Act). On March 5, 2021, Vaughn had participated in a protest that blocked the entrance to an abortion clinic in Mount Juliet, a suburb of Nashville.

Vaughn was not sentenced to prison, but rather to three years of probation following six months of house arrest.

«The process itself is the punishment,» he said. In addition to having to report to a probation officer, Vaughn explained that he had to report his income and was not allowed to travel for work—as a co-owner of a small Internet service provider—without permission.

He and Bethany were at the 2025 National March for Life in Washington when the pardons were announced. He described it as «a great ecumenical moment in support of life. Everyone stopped and came together in a spirit of unity.».

More settlements are expected from the Department of Justice. Vaughn and some of the other pro-life activists were represented by the Thomas More Society, a Chicago-based law firm specializing in religious freedom.

Paul, a native of Arkansas, and Bethany, originally from Texas, met in the 1990s while providing counseling on the sidewalk outside abortion clinics, after serving in the Navy following high school and while working for IBM. Over time, he became president of Personhood Tennessee.

The Vaughns' eleven children range in age from 31 to 5, and six of them are already married. Paul Vaughn explained that the size of his family was not the result of any detailed plan.

What led you to Catholicism?

«We’re not great theological thinkers. God said that children are a blessing. Let’s make family our top priority, striving to do what’s right and enjoy that blessing,» he said.

They had always had Catholic friends in the pro-life movement, but Vaughn said the decision to convert to the Catholic faith began «probably four or five years ago. «We began to see many shortcomings in the leadership of our church and in our own spiritual journey.»”.

At that time, he was one of the three elders in his Baptist congregation, which was an independent Presbyterian congregation.

«We simply realized that the independent church model wasn’t working. There was no consistency in worship practices,» he explained.

«Protestants,» he noted, «have hang-ups about the Pope and Mary: they don’t understand what they believe in, but they know they’re supposed to have them.».

The Joy of Conversion

Joining the Catholic Church, he said, brought him «incredible joy.».

He said, «Of course, I haven’t regretted it at all. The focus is entirely on our relationship with Christ and on growing in grace with Him.».

Translation generated using the free version of the DeepL.com translator

Kurt Jensen writes for OSV News from Washington.

The authorOSV / Omnes

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ColumnistsPeca Macher

When the Dream of Reason Terrifies

We have to accept that beauty, goodness, and truth can be revealed when we stop trying to control the experience.

August 16, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes

When we look at something, the first thing we do—consciously or unconsciously—is ask ourselves if we recognize what’s in front of us, what it looks like, or what it reminds us of. That recognition triggers emotions associated with the stimulus. We then construct our own narrative and evaluate the experience.

The world is not neutral. It enters us through the senses and elicits a response. The mind identifies an emotion and, through memory and intelligence, transforms it into a feeling and interprets it. As Byung-Chul Han points out, “Feelings are narratives. Emotions are impulsive.” (“The Salvation of Beauty”).

When faced with a stimulus, we experience pleasure or pain, and the option to fight or flee arises almost automatically. We interpret reality from our own perspective and, based on that, regulate our behavior and our relationships with others and with the world. Paying attention to this process creates a pause between the stimulus and the reaction and allows us to decide whether to react or respond.

Fear and the Limits of Reason

Fear is one of the most primitive emotions and arises almost immediately in response to certain stimuli. The fear of the dark is one of the first fears we experience. Where understanding is lacking, the imagination can fill the void with threats. Reason then acts as a light that allows us to discern and understand the unknown.

But there are experiences—such as death or pain—for which reason does not always provide answers. When faced with something that overwhelms us, we can run away, hide, or give up.

Running away is the most instinctive response. Hiding means protecting oneself, putting on masks, playing roles, or putting up walls. The third option is to surrender. This does not mean giving up, but rather acknowledging that we are facing something beyond our control and accepting the limits of our ability to understand.

The Contemplation of Art and the Coexistence of Opposites

Something similar happens when we encounter a work of art. When we stand before it, we seek to identify and understand what it depicts, what it means, what it resembles, or how it was made. The mind quickly tries to construct an explanation and bring the experience to a close. Contemplating it requires allowing the work to affect us before we rush to interpret it.

Art can do something different with the things that frighten us. It sheds light because it plays with shadows, with what is broken and with what is ugly, without hiding or shying away from them. It looks at them and transforms them, bringing together the beautiful and the terrible, light and darkness, what we understand and what remains a mystery. In this way, it seeks a lost unity among opposites.

Surrendering to a work of art does not mean giving up reason, but rather allowing reason to come later. It means accepting that not everything has to be interpreted. Standing before what we do not understand can give rise to a question and become a form of knowledge.

Digital Noise and the Value of Silence

To do that, we need a break. And a break requires silence.

We live in a time when silence makes us uncomfortable. Images, words, notifications, and information fill every void. Algorithms detect what captures our attention, and fear, outrage, and confrontation are often more effective than calm at holding it. While we believe we’re choosing what we see, we can become trapped in narratives that feed our fears, polarize our perspectives, and erect walls between us and others.

In that void, we can regain the distance needed to observe what is affecting us, what we are believing, and where our attention is being directed. Where noise seeks to provoke an immediate reaction, silence introduces a pause. And in that pause, we can take another look.

Learning to Be Attentive: Lessons from the Breeze and the Water

The account of Elijah in the First Book of Kings conveys this powerfully. The prophet comes out of the cave and seeks God in the wind, in the earthquake, and in the fire. “But the Lord was not there.” Then comes “the sound of a gentle breeze,” and it is there that Elijah recognizes His presence.

What is essential doesn't always come on strong. Sometimes it requires us to pause, listen, and stay put.

Something similar happens to Peter when he walks on the water. As long as he keeps his eyes on Christ, he moves forward. But when he feels the wind and becomes afraid, he stops surrendering. He tries to take control and begins to sink. Fear has shifted his focus to his heart, where he seeks a foundation in reason.

Elijah and Peter speak to us, in different ways, about the same attitude: learning to listen. Not everything that is important demands our attention with a clamor. Some things can only be perceived when we are silent.

The revelation of what is essential, without domination

Contemplation requires silence. To stand in the presence of what we do not understand is to accept that beauty, goodness, and truth can reveal themselves when we stop trying to control the experience.

The authorPeca Macher

Peca Macher is an architect and art curator, founder of Präsenz, a project that integrates art, education and conscious leadership through pausing, looking and listening. With more than 25 years of experience in cultural management and reflection, she writes and researches about memory, aesthetic experience and art as a tool for personal and social transformation. She is the author of the book Präsenz. Art as a tool for human and educational transformation.

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The Vatican

The Pope extols love and the purity of the soul on the Feast of the Assumption of Mary

León XIV has returned to Castelgandolfo to celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary. The glorification of Mary in soul and body teaches us that our true beauty lies in showing, even in our flesh, the signs of love that has no end, he stated in a beautiful homily.

Francisco Otamendi-August 15, 2026-Reading time: 6 minutes

During the Mass for the Assumption of the Virgin Mary at the Pontifical Parish of St. Thomas of Villanueva in Castel Gandolfo, the Holy Father Leo XIV offered a hymn to the love and purity of the soul of the Mother of God and our Mother. The Mass was concelebrated with the Bishop of Albano and the Augustinian parish priest, and concluded with a Marian antiphon.

In its homily, has invited us to follow the light of the Risen One by looking to Mary, whom “God crowned with glory in soul and body, and whom He has given to us as Mother, guide, companion on our journey, and protector on the path to Heaven.”.

Assumed into heavenly glory, body and soul

"It is with great joy that I celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption with you again this year," the Pope began in his homily during the Mass, in which he explained the Church's teaching on today's feast.

That “Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory” (Pius XII, Apostolic Constitution *Munificentissimus Deus*, November 1, 1950), and this Mystery reveals to us the fulfillment of the fullness of grace that God bestowed upon her at her Immaculate Conception.”.

"That is why many works of art depict her, at the end of her earthly life, as a beautiful young woman who is physically rising from the earth toward heaven," the Pontiff continued. 

“They are inspired by the scene described in the passage from Revelation that we heard in the first reading: ‘A woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet” (Rev 12:1), to signify that in Mary’s heart are found heaven and earth, time and eternity.”.

In this way, the Pope has begun a profound and beautiful reflection on love. “What do we have in common with the wonderful young woman we see depicted in our altarpieces?” he asked. 

The Assumption of the Virgin Mary (Fra Angelico).

True beauty shows the signs of love

“To understand this, we must hold together the two signs we have mentioned: the incorrupt body of the Mother of God and her immaculate heart. It is the purity of the soul, in fact, that in Mary—as in us—by God’s grace illuminates and transfigures the whole person, leading her to the glory of Heaven,” the Pope noted.

“The glorification of Mary in soul and body teaches us that our true beauty does not lie in hiding the signs of the passing of time, but in revealing, even in our flesh, the signs of love that never ends.” (cf. 1 Cor. 13:8).”.

Reexamine hedonistic and consumerist values

The Holy Father then invited us to reexamine many of the aesthetic standards—predominantly hedonistic and consumerist in nature—that the world imposes on us. And to encounter “people whose faces are marked by the years and by suffering, yet who are capable of radiating serenity, kindness, and peace to those around them; just as one might encounter others who are perhaps outwardly attractive, yet hard and cold on the inside.”.

"It is easy to understand where true beauty lies and where, on the other hand, there is still a need for conversion, forgiveness, and healing," said Leo XIV.

Where to Find Divine Beauty

The Successor of Peter, also following in the footsteps of St. Augustine, has shown us the way: “If we truly wish to discover and cultivate the divine beauty that surrounds us and for which we were created, as well as to spread it around us, we must learn to read it both in the tender face of a child and in the wrinkles of an elderly person. In the liveliness of a young person as well as in the composure of an adult, in festive decorations as well as in everyday clothing and work tools.”. 

Listening to love stories, “man’s most beautiful adornment”

"We must listen to the unique love stories that each of these realities tells us, recognizing them as little flashes in the sky," he urged.

“Love is man’s most beautiful adornment: the love that transfigures, transforms, ennobles, and lifts us up; that makes us light, free, and close to God, even through life’s ups and downs,” the Holy Father said.

The miracle that Maria experienced in her heart

The miracle that Mary, the virgin of Nazareth, experienced in her innocent heart—and which led her to the glory of Heaven—is the meeting of opposites, as she herself testifies in the inspired words of the Magnificat, which we have heard in the Gospel (cf. Lk 1:46–55). 

In this canticle, the Pope emphasized, “through the humble expressions of her faith, the Mother of Heaven speaks to us in simple terms about great mysteries. God, who becomes man in her to save humanity, (…), her status as «humble servant», the “small dimension” in which we, too, can encounter the Lord, as St. Paul VI said. 

Today's Mystery: True Charity: family scenes

We need not look far to find the sublimity of the Mystery we celebrate. We can find it wherever there is true charity, as Leo XIV emphasized, describing scenes familiar to us all:

“In the eyes of a father and mother returning home after a day’s work, tired but happy to be with their children. In the faces of grandfathers and grandmothers who, despite the difficulties of old age, find unexpected energy when caring for their grandchildren. Or even in the commitment of young people who strive to grow up pure and honest, ready also to go against the grain when it comes to “what everyone else is doing.” Finally, in the work of so many men and women who, day after day, with faith and dedication, help bring a little bit of Heaven to earth and the earth to Heaven.”. 

The beautiful face of the Assumption—the faces of the people who are by our side

The Pope has further clarified his words: “The most beautiful face of the Assumption is unique; it transcends any possible representation, and yet, at the same time, it is familiar to us: it is the face of the people who are by our side, even at this very moment—the brothers and sisters with whom we share, in faith, the daily offering of our lives.”. 

For this reason, the Pontiff concluded, the community of believers sees itself reflected in the woman of Revelation, and the Second Vatican Council describes Mary as ‘the image and beginning of the Church, […] a sign of certain hope and comfort’ (Dogmatic Constitution Lumen gentium, 68). In her holy humanity, by the grace of God, lies ours as well; we are called to live her same fullness of life and to share in her same glory.”.

Angelus: The Assumption, a feast day of great importance

Following the celebration of Holy Mass, Leo XIV led the congregation in reciting the Marian prayer of the Angelus from Liberty Square in Castel Gandolfo, before a large crowd of faithful from Italy and other countries

At the beginning of his address, the Pope noted that the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary is “a feast of great importance, both for Catholic theology and for popular piety; indeed, it is a celebration that is deeply cherished in many communities, especially where the cathedral or parish church is dedicated to Our Lady of the Assumption.”.

Two iconographic depictions: the ‘Dormition’ of the Mother of God and the Virgin in Heaven

To contemplate this mystery of the faith, we can turn to the two iconographic models that artists have used over the centuries to depict it, he explained.

The first, the oldest—and the only one for nearly a millennium—depicts the “Dormition” of the Mother of God: she is shown reclining on a coffin, asleep in death; surrounding her are the apostles, who venerate her, deeply moved, in prayer; standing in the center is the risen Jesus, who holds Mary’s soul in his arms, as if she were a newborn child. 

Second, the more recent iconography, which developed later in the West, shows us, by contrast, the Virgin Mary in full figure, in heaven, surrounded by light, often with angels and saints around her. 

The fullness of life “awaits us as well, at the end of time”

Some artists have combined both depictions, the Holy Father explained, portraying the glorious Virgin above and her empty tomb below—often filled with flowers of various colors—with the apostles gazing up at her in heaven. This second model highlights the truth that Mary was assumed into heaven body and soul—that is, in the entirety of her person. 

“The fullness of life, which we joyfully admire today in Mary, ‘also awaits us at the end of time,’ as Leo XIV emphasized, when—as St. Paul says—the Risen Christ ”will transform our humble body, in the likeness of his glorious body’ (Phil 3:21), clothing what is corruptible with incorruptibility and what is mortal with immortality (cf. 1 Cor 15:54).”.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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ColumnistsAntonio Moreno

María, the Eclipse, and the Blindness of Love

Devotion to Mary leads us to Christ, but making the Virgin Mary the center can cause us to lose sight of the «Sun that rises from on high.».

August 15, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes

A few years ago, a well-known brand of baby food conducted an interesting test on a group of children to demonstrate that the sense of beauty changes from childhood to adulthood. To do this, the children were brought one by one in front of a table covered with portraits of women and asked to choose the prettiest one. Most of the images were of advertising models, but among them was one of a woman who was, let’s say, quite ordinary. Surprisingly, all the children thought the most beautiful woman was, in fact, the least striking one according to the beauty standards of fashion magazines. The explanation had nothing to do with a shift in perception from childhood to adulthood; rather, the photo of the woman chosen as the most beautiful was, in fact, that of the mother of the child taking the test. 

When it comes to our mothers, we tend to exaggerate and let love cloud our judgment. Our mother is the most beautiful, but she also makes the best potato omelet and the best rice dish. And what about the meatballs? Our mother is usually unbeatable at almost everything, and she makes us lose our objectivity so many times. 

We also go too far with our heavenly mother, the Virgin Mary—not out of malice, but out of an excess of love—and it is good for us to make this known and take precautions so that we do not err ourselves or lead those who observe us from the outside into error. 

During these days, when the Feast of the Assumption is celebrated throughout the Catholic world, bringing together millions of the faithful, we can reflect on what the Catechism tells us about the veneration of Mary. It states that she «is rightly honored by the Church with a special devotion. And, in fact, from the earliest times, the Blessed Virgin has been venerated under the title «Mother of God,» under whose protection the supplicating faithful seek refuge in all their dangers and needs»; though it also warns us that «this devotion […] although entirely unique, is essentially different from the worship given to the Incarnate Word, as well as to the Father and the Holy Spirit.» Although, it adds, «it promotes it very powerfully.» Herein lies the key to the famous «Ad Jesum per Mariam» (To Jesus through Mary), which explains that devotion to Mary is a very good path to reaching the true God. 

When Devotion Is Limited to Mary Alone

However, there are still manifestations of popular piety that remain stuck in a loop focused on «per Mariam» without reaching «ad Jesum» and what it entails to become his follower. There are also those who, despite the Council’s insistence that «we must not expect another public revelation before the glorious manifestation of our Lord Jesus Christ,» spend more time paying attention to supposed new revelations from the Virgin Mary than to the Gospel—the place where Christ, the Incarnate Word. He is the Word we must listen to.

Putting Mary before God can lead us down the same path as those who, despite the warnings, watched last Wednesday’s solar eclipse without proper protection and ended up in the emergency room. It is true that Mary, like the moon, is sweeter to look at, more pleasing, because she is closer to us. Marian devotion is more appealing because the girl from Nazareth is one of our own, but let us not forget that her radiance is only a reflection of the light of the «Sun that rises from on high.» If we insist on equating her so closely with God that she hides His face from us, we may become blind—that is, we may end up believing in anything but the true God revealed in Jesus Christ. 

The moon that lights the way to heaven

The identification of the Virgin (or her archetypal figure, Mother Church) with the moon—the famous «mysterium lunae»—dates back to the early centuries of Christianity. The «woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet» from the Book of Revelation—an image so perfectly embodied by Our Lady of Guadalupe—is Mary clothed in Christ, according to the Church Fathers. The moon, with its cycles, is also a symbol of the passage of time. Therefore, by placing her above it, we are shown a woman who transcends time, for she was chosen even before she came into existence (Immaculate Conception) and, after her time on earth, now lives forever in body and soul in heaven (Assumption).

Pope Francis also shared another lunar image of Mary with us on the very day of the Assumption. He said that, just as the first man to set foot on the moon said, «This is one small step for a man, but one giant leap for mankind,» so too did little Mary, through her Assumption, take the first step as one of us into heaven, thereby opening the way for all of humanity along with her.

So, let's congratulate ourselves on this small but significant step we're celebrating these days, and let's not forget our protective glasses when we contemplate the mystery of a mother we love madly—lest her beauty blind us.

The authorAntonio Moreno

Journalist. Graduate in Communication Sciences and Bachelor in Religious Sciences. He works in the Diocesan Delegation of Media in Malaga. His numerous "threads" on Twitter about faith and daily life have a great popularity.

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Initiatives

MerydeMaria, Catholic jewelry by a young entrepreneur: «The Virgin Mary is the undisputed star»

Meritxell Abadia, a young woman from Catalonia, turned her own conversion into an evangelization project through blessed jewelry and social media.

Teresa Aguado Peña-August 15, 2026-Reading time: 4 minutes

At just 22 years old, Meritxell Abadia (Mery), an advertising and marketing student, has launched MerydeMaría, a jewelry brand founded with a purpose: to bring people closer to God through beauty, social media, and pieces blessed at various Marian shrines.

Her story is intertwined with that of her own conversion. Although she grew up in a Catholic family, Mery says her faith was superficial. Adolescence, personal problems, and a few relationships led her to drift away from God until she hit rock bottom. It was then, one morning, that she entered the church in her town with her mother and grandmother. There, before the Blessed Sacrament, she experienced a peace she hadn’t felt in years.

«I felt that God was waiting for me behind the church and saying to me, »You’re finally here,’” she recalls. Since then, Meritxell has shared how she began to heal, to leave behind environments that weren’t good for her, and to trust in God. From that experience came MerydeMaría, a project that aims to put his knowledge and creativity to work in the service of evangelization. «I am the hands, but they are the true driving force behind all of this,» he says, referring to God and the Virgin Mary.

In this interview, Meritxell talks about her conversion, the founding of MerydeMaría, and her understanding of evangelization.

What has life been like before and after you encountered God personally?

–Encountering God has changed the way I understand life: it has led me to rethink my work, some of my friendships, and the way I treat others—but also the way I treat myself. I’ve incorporated habits like prayer and have learned to seek out what brings me closer to the Lord.

It has been a process marked by fears and difficulties, even within my own family, because people may have a certain image of you and expect you to always remain the same. But we can change, listen to the Lord, and grow. For me, conversion has been precisely that journey of transformation.

What was it like to combine your work with your faith?

–When I became a believer, I asked myself what I was contributing through my work. My business was doing well and bringing in money, but it no longer fulfilled me. Through prayer, I gradually placed everything in God’s hands and realized that He was calling me to a different purpose.

I had always worked with jewelry, so I realized I could do it from a place of faith. That’s how the idea was born to create Catholic jewelry, made in Spain and blessed at various shrines. It all came about through prayer, and over time I’ve been able to reinvest the brand’s profits to visit those places, have the jewelry blessed, and personally experience that journey.

For me, MerydeMaria isn't just about jewelry—it's also about my own journey of faith. In order to share that with others, I have to live it myself. I also believe that a piece of jewelry can be something beautiful that sparks an interest in faith and leads to conversations about God.

What role does the Virgin Mary play in your life and in MerydeMaria?

–The Virgin Mary has always played a very important role in my life. Ever since I was little, I’ve visited the Pilar Shrine in Zaragoza often, and I’ve always worn the Pilar ribbon, so this is the devotion I feel closest to.

The Virgin Mary is very much on my mind, both personally and in the brand name itself. “Mery” comes from my name, and “María” refers to the Virgin Mary, who is the central figure of MerydeMaria. For me, the name expresses exactly that: that everything be done according to God’s word.

Over time, I have come to appreciate the richness of the various titles of the Virgin Mary. I know that they all refer to the same Virgin Mary, but each one reminds me of a different aspect of her story and her mission. Fatima, for example, speaks to me of prayer and peace; Lourdes instills in me hope and trust in the midst of suffering.

I talk to the Virgin Mary every day. I feel as though she is my mother and the great intercessor who brings our petitions to the Lord. Visiting her shrines and learning about the history of each of her titles has greatly deepened my devotion and helped me grow closer to her.

You take all the jewelry to Marian shrines…

–Yes. It was important to me not to talk about the various titles of the Virgin Mary without first having visited her shrines and learned about their histories. That’s why, whenever possible, I’ve taken the jewelry to these places to have it blessed and to personally experience what they represent.

When it hasn't been possible to visit a shrine, I've looked for other ways to bless them, such as taking them to a cathedral or using holy water. The goal is for all the jewelry to be blessed, whether at a shrine, by a priest, or with holy water.

How have young people responded to your evangelization efforts on social media?

–In my prayer, I asked the Lord and the Virgin Mary to bring MerydeMaria to the people who need to get to know her. That’s also how the idea came about to use social media not only to showcase the jewelry, but also to offer something more and spread the Gospel.

I started sharing stories about Marian devotions like Fatima, important dates in the Church’s calendar, and everyday situations related to faith. After all, we’re young, and we all experience fears, doubts, or moments when we don’t understand what God is asking of us. I try to convey those experiences in my posts so that others can relate to them.

The response has been very positive. I get messages from people telling me that a post has helped them better understand something they were going through. For me, even if a post reaches a lot of people, if it truly helps just three, it has already served its purpose.

What do you think young people need to hear? 

–Young people need to hear words of hope and, above all, Pope Leo XIV’s words: «Lift up your eyes,» which made me reflect deeply.

We all face challenges and have our own crosses to bear, but we must try to face life with confidence, love, and hope. Social media can be frustrating because it presents an idealized image of life, when in reality we all go through difficult times.

Faith does not promise that everything will turn out well or that we will not face trials. It reminds us that God is present even in those trials and that our lives have a purpose. That is why my message to young people is to trust and keep hope alive.

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The Day Heaven Lost Its Breath

The author presents a short story about the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her coronation as Queen of all creation.

Eloy Asenjo, Carpenter-August 15, 2026-Reading time: 8 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsOrigins of the liturgical celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary

In a small house in Ephesus, time seemed to have stood still. For many years now, Mary had been the beacon of the nascent Church; she was the one who sought out the disciples one by one to comfort them, and she cared for them all with the tenderness of a hen caring for her chicks, but her strength was gradually failing her.

That August 15th dawned like any other day. Seeing that María was taking a long time to come downstairs, one of the holy women cautiously went up to her room and found her in bed, her face more beautiful and serene than one could imagine, as if she were in a deep sleep. When she approached and gently touched her side, there was no response.

“Juan, come quickly!” she whispered, with tears in her eyes. 

Soon the house was completely filled. The disciples, the neighbors, and a legion of children who sincerely loved Mary came running. But there was no cold, no fear, and no smell of death. There was a gentle light enveloping the room, and a peace so deep that you could almost touch it. Amid a sacred silence, broken only by the occasional sigh or the tender sniffles of the little ones, Mary opened her eyes. She smiled, sought out the gaze of each person to say goodbye, and began to rise. Jesus had decided to take her, body and soul. She who had been preserved from sin was now preserved from corruption by death. She was going to Heaven, yes, but so that she could simultaneously be at the side of each of her millions of children on Earth.

While the world was filled with a mystical joy, a blessed chaos broke out in Heaven, because Mary’s arrival caught the angels completely off guard.

“But how can he already be here?!” exclaimed Saint Gabriel as he ran through the heavenly hallways with a bundle of scrolls under his arm.

The welcoming committee was completely overwhelmed. There was no time to rehearse a new symphony; the heavenly looms couldn’t keep up with the millions of orders for formal gowns, and the cooks were running back and forth from the pantry to the stoves with their hands on their heads, because there wasn’t enough time to prepare anything worthy of Her.

Gabriel, who had had a complete soft spot for Mary ever since the day of the Annunciation, swallowed hard. He knew that to convince Saint Michael, the unyielding leader of the heavenly host, he needed to present a solid and irrefutable argument; that’s why, before going to find him, he ran toward the great hangars of light to speak with Saint Raphael, the director of the Custodians’ department.

“Rafael, the Mother has arrived, and up here everything’s a mess!” Gabriel exclaimed breathlessly. “If we go to Miguel, he’ll tell us that protocol is sacred.” But if you come with me and explain to him the immense preparations your guards need to make in her honor, he won’t be able to refuse. We can’t botch things up for Her sake!

Raphael, whose gaze always radiated infinite peace and wisdom, smiled immediately and nodded. With the combined weight of the two archangels, they went to meet Saint Michael. They conveyed their deep concern to him, and—to Gabriel’s surprise—Raphael’s intervention and the logic of the situation caused Michael to set aside his usual rigidity.

“You’re right,” Miguel agreed firmly. “When it comes to Her, we can’t wing it. Come with me so you can present your case to Headquarters.”.

The three Archangels plucked up their courage and knocked on the door of the Holy Trinity. When they entered, God the Father, Jesus, and the Holy Spirit looked at them with amusement, since, naturally, nothing had taken Them by surprise.

“There’s no time, is there?” said the Father, breaking the silence with a smile. “No, Lord, because it’s Her!” exclaimed Gabriel, his heart in his throat.

Jesus stepped in, winking at Gabriel to assure him that he would speak with his Mother and apologize for not having given her advance notice of his Coronation, while the Holy Spirit offered a full week’s extension. The three archangels breathed a sigh of relief. For the first time in the history of eternity, Saint Michael called an emergency meeting to change the plans, and when he announced to all the angels that the Coronation was being postponed for seven days so that everything would be perfect, the entire Heaven erupted in applause. Only Mary could work the miracle of making St. Michael be flexible!

It was seven days of feverish activity. While the choirs rehearsed and Saint Michael organized the protocols, Mary walked around happily, taking in the grandeur of her new home. She had encounters that brought Heaven to tears of joy: she embraced Saint Joseph, her parents Joachim and Anne, and her cousin Elizabeth. But without a doubt, one of the most moving moments was the incredible snack party she organized with the Holy Innocents: a vast gathering of children whom the horror of abortion had prevented from seeing the light of day on Earth. Mary surrounded those innocent and pure souls—who were never born—with overflowing love, showering them with affection, kisses, and caresses, making them feel the warmth of the Mother whom the world had denied them.

However, what fascinated María most during those seven days of truce were not the golden palaces, but the immense, light-filled hangars where the Guardian Angels worked. Saint Raphael, grateful for having been part of the entourage that managed to halt time, welcomed her with a deep bow.

“Mother,” he said in a melodious voice, “I know your body is here, but your heart is still down there, beating for your children. Let me show you how your army works.”.

Raphael guided Mary through endless legions of angels, who were preparing themselves in sections as small as a millimeter. Maria watched the feverish activity with eyes full of wonder and a protective zeal that set her soul ablaze. Saint Raphael first pointed out a section where the angels were reviewing maps crisscrossed with golden threads, explaining that they were the guardians of young people, children, and adolescents. Their mission was to whisper in their ears amid the storms of adolescence, to safeguard their innocence, and to help them discover the beautiful calling that God had planned for each of them.

María approached one of those young guardians who was sharpening his invisible wings before setting off for Earth, and touched his shoulder with divine tenderness: 

“When my son suffers because he doubts his path,” María whispered to the angel, “tell him that I myself will sustain him. Don’t let him stumble.”.

Saint Raphael then took her to a vast wing bustling with activity, where four entire legions were assigned to watch over men and women with a vocation to marriage—a section where Saint Gabriel was lending a hand by coordinating them. Raphael explained to her that they had an extremely difficult task: to keep the fire of everyday love alive, to offer patience on weary nights, to heal the wounds of pride, and to protect the homes of the Earth. Mary, moved as she recalled her own little home in Nazareth, thought that through them she herself would enter the kitchens, the living rooms, and the sleepless nights of every family to be the Peacemaker.

They continued walking, and Rafael showed him the two legions assigned to guard those who had dedicated themselves to God through apostolic celibacy, and two others dedicated to the families of religious, whose angels were dressed in the colors of the religious habits of Earth. Finally, they beheld the ministerial archangels, whose sole purpose was to assist the priests and deacons at the altar.

Upon seeing this marvelous display, Mary understood the magnitude of Divine Love. The angels were the bridges, but she would be the map. Looking at Saint Raphael, Mary smiled with a heavenly determination:

“Rafael, your department is going to have a lot of work to do. Because from now on, every prayer, every Hail Mary, and every tear my children shed on Earth will become a direct order for you. You will be my hands and my feet down there.”.

Rafael, moved by the brilliance of his new Queen, nodded enthusiastically, assuring her that everyone was ready and that they were just waiting for her crown so they could begin flying under her command.

And then, the big day arrived. A brilliant path, like the moon’s reflection on a calm sea, stretched from Mary’s house to a staircase of flowers where the Trinity awaited. Heaven was an ocean of colors: the martyrs were dressed in red, the virgins in blue, and the saints in the purest white, and some of them wore a beautiful green border that ran along the edges, sleeves, and collars of their robes. They were the lay saints, «the saints next door.».

This chromatic detail holds a profound meaning: while the great saints on the altars were celebrated for their miracles or extraordinary martyrdoms, they represented the holiness of ordinary life. The white of their garments proclaimed the purity of their baptism, but green was the color of hope and of ordinary life on Earth: the color of days spent in unseen labor, of patience in sleepless nights, and of hidden faithfulness within the home.

They were the mothers and fathers who made the dining table a sacred place, the professionals who worked with integrity, and the ordinary neighbors who quietly lent a helping hand—souls who did not live on the margins of the world, but who reflected God’s love in the heart of their own neighborhoods, walking side by side with each and every one of us.

At twelve o’clock sharp, the bells rang out, and the Angelus began to sound as the procession set off. First came the mothers and grandmothers, scattering rosemary; then, young virgins, perfuming the air with orange blossoms. Just before Mary appeared, that blessed group of boys and girls dressed in red stepped forward: the Holy Innocents whom Mary had comforted days earlier, who now walked with immense, heavenly smiles, scattering joyful jasmine petals along the way.

When She appeared, the music ceased for a moment, and the entire Heaven held its breath, for no one had ever seen such beauty. Mary wore a white gown so radiant that she seemed «clothed in the sun,» a radiance that illuminated without hurting the eyes. She wore a blue Immaculate Conception cloak and a simple hairstyle adorned with jewels that shone like the moon and the stars.

Upon seeing her, the orchestra began to play a heavenly and majestic rendition of the Magnificat. Mary, blushing at so much love, began to climb the staircase, while the seraphim scattered rose petals and filled the air with their fragrance. Upon reaching the top, she prostrated herself in adoration.

Jesus stood up, gently took her by the hand, and turned her around so she could face all her people. The Father stood to her right, Jesus to her left, and the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, fluttered just behind her head. Saint Michael stepped forward carrying a splendid crown with twelve stars, and at that moment, all of Heaven knelt on the ground. The voices of millions of angels and saints thundered in unison, reciting the litanies: «Mother of God! Gate of Heaven! Queen of Angels! Queen of Peace!». 

The Trinity placed the crown upon his head, and Heaven erupted in applause. The most magnificent fireworks ever seen painted impossible patterns of light across the celestial firmament, bringing the spectacle to a close with a silhouette that moved everyone to tears: a giant rosary formed by stars of light.

And then the grand procession began! Saint Michael set out behind majestic banners bearing the Queen’s regalia, followed by his ministering archangels. Behind them marched the legions of religious and consecrated persons. Next, Saint Gabriel led the four legions of guardians of marriage with a steady stride. And bringing up the rear of the procession, with a joyful and hopeful radiance, appeared Saint Raphael, guiding the guardians of young people and children.

As he passed before Mary’s throne, Rafael raised his pilgrim’s staff, and all the guardian angels spread their wings at once, offering a tender and solemn greeting. They knew that, from that moment on, their missions on Earth would be imbued with the spirit and support of the Queen of Heaven.

When the grand *Salve Regina* ended—sung with such enthusiasm that it made the stars tremble—the banquet began. But Mary, true to her maternal nature, did not sit on her throne. Wearing her magnificent sun-like gown and blue mantle, she began to walk among the tables. She tasted a bite of each dish, laughed with Saint Raphael as they discussed the upcoming «protection strategies» for the next day on Earth, and with her gentle gaze, she made sure that none of her children—neither in Heaven nor on Earth—would ever feel alone again.

The authorEloy Asenjo, Carpenter

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RelatedRelated NewsOrigins of the liturgical celebration of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary
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León XIV Calls for Protection of Displaced Minors

Pope Leo XIV has released his message for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, focusing on displaced children.

Paloma López Campos-August 14, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

Pope Leo XIV has published his message for the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees, to be held on September 27, 2026. Under the theme “Even just one of these little ones,” the Pontiff calls for attention to be focused on children affected by migration, whom he describes as “the most vulnerable among global migration flows.».

In the document, dated August 11, 2026, the Pope denounces the fact that millions of children and adolescents are forced to flee their homelands due to wars, poverty, violence, and environmental disasters. Leo XIV warns of the many tragedies these minors face, including separation from their families, “deaths along the way, human trafficking, recruitment into armed conflicts,” sexual violence, and forced marriages. Given this situation, he warns that migrant children are easily “relegated to invisibility because they lack adults to protect them.”.

The Dignity of Minors

Recalling Pope Francis’s message from 2017, Leo XIV reiterates that these children They are vulnerable because they are “minors, foreigners, and defenseless.» However, the article also highlights the spirit of solidarity shown by families, educators, volunteers, and communities who do not look away and “dedicate themselves to healing the invisible wounds of these children.».

Drawing inspiration from the Gospel, the religious leader calls on society to overcome indifference and not to reduce human beings to mere statistical data. He emphasizes that every child possesses infinite dignity and that welcoming a migrant child is an act of humanity and faith.

The message concludes with a strong call for collective responsibility structured on several levels: at the personal and ecclesial levels, it calls on Christian communities to make hospitality “a constant pastoral practice” and to integrate refugees and immigrants, preventing their isolation and rejection.

In interfaith dialogue, it encourages different faith communities to cooperate in creating safety nets to prevent the “risk of radicalization by extremist groups.” And it urges civil institutions to reaffirm the “best interests of the child” and to adopt effective legal protections, “promoting family reunification.».

Protecting Human Rights

On this last point, Pope Leo XIV cites his recent address to the Spanish Parliament in Madrid, delivered on June 8, 2026, to call for a shift in the focus of the debate: “from the mere management of migration flows” to the protection of human rights through a “coordinated, supportive, and effective response.”.

Finally, the Pontiff emphasizes the need to take action in the countries of origin to eliminate the causes of flight and entrusts migrant children to the maternal protection of the Virgin Mary.

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Evangelization

Miracles of the Virgin Mary and Nature: ‘The Sun Danced,’ Snowfalls, Flowers…

On the occasions of the Virgin Mary’s most well-known apparitions, inexplicable, miraculous events related to nature have occurred. The ‘dance of the sun’ in Fátima, the flowers blooming in winter at Tepeyac (Guadalupe), and the snowfall on August 5, 358, in Rome.

Francisco Otamendi-August 14, 2026-Reading time: 5 minutes

Throughout the history of the Church, some apparitions of the Virgin Mary have been associated with extraordinary events that, in popular parlance, are often referred to as ‘miracles of the Virgin’ and are linked to natural phenomena.

At times, there is a certain reluctance to use the term “miracles,” even in church language. However, the miracles of Jesus recounted in the Gospels were indeed numerous. 

One need only read, as early as chapter 8 of the Gospel of Matthew, the first three miracles cited by the evangelist: the healings of a leper, a centurion’s servant, and Peter’s mother-in-law. Before that came the turning of water into wine at the wedding in Cana and the miraculous catch of fish, followed by the multiplication of the loaves and fishes, the raising of Lazarus from the dead, and many other miracles.

With the miracle at the wedding at Cana (the episode of *The Chosen* on this topic is magnificent), which St. John recounts at the beginning of chapter 2, the manifestation of the glory of the Son of God begins. “At Cana in Galilee, Jesus performed the first of his signs (miracles), through which he revealed his glory, and his disciples believed in him,” writes St. John. And there was his Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, collaborating in Jesus’ work of salvation.

The extraordinary events that have occurred in connection with apparitions of the Virgin Mary have not been formally declared miracles by the Church, but we can note a common thread among several of them: they involve nature—the sun, snow, flowers…. Let’s briefly look at some of them.

Pope Leo XIV leaving the Basilica of Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome (Photo: CNS/Vatican Media).

The August Snow at Santa Maria Maggiore in Rome

One of the oldest Marian stories of this kind is set in Rome in the 4th century. This is how it has said Gerardo Ferrara.

“According to tradition, the founding of Santa Maria Maggiore began with a dream and culminated in a snowfall—something rare enough in Rome, let alone in August—in the year 358, during the pontificate of Pope Liberius (which is why the basilica is also called “Liberian”). The Virgin Mary appeared in a dream simultaneously to the Pope and to a Roman patrician named John, commanding them to build a church on the spot where, the following day, they would find snow. And on the morning of August 5, on the Esquiline Hill—one of the seven hills of Rome—snow was indeed there.”.

The memory of the August snow lives on today in a celebration: Every August 5, the basilica commemorates the “Virgin of the Snows” with a shower of white petals falling from the top of the dome during Mass, similar to the shower of red petals at the Pantheon on Pentecost.”.

Fátima: The Sun That “Danced” in 1917

Perhaps no other phenomenon related to a Marian apparition has achieved as much notoriety as the so-called ‘miracle of the sun’ at Fátima. On October 13, 1917, during the last of Our Lady’s apparitions to the three shepherd children—Lúcia dos Santos and her cousins Francisco and Jacinta Marto, now canonized—a crowd gathered at Cova da Iria that the Shrine of Fátima estimates numbered between 50,000 and 70,000 people.

Lucia had announced that a sign would occur that day. Following the apparition, the phenomenon that would later be known as the ‘dance’ or the ‘dance of the sun’ took place. The account from the Portuguese newspaper O Século, published on October 15, 1917, describes how the sun appeared to tremble and make sudden movements that observers considered extraordinary. The Shrine of Fátima itself reproduces the testimony from that time and estimates that some 70,000 people were present.

Among other things, Manuel Fernando Sousa e Silva mentions the name of the author—the journalist Avelino de Almeida, a non-believer—in his book published by Homo Legens titled *The Little Shepherds of Fátima*. He also includes testimonies from scientists who visited the site. Ricardo Cardoso In *Omnes*, he has explained all the relevant aspects of these apparitions, based on Sister Lucia’s accounts (‘Memoirs of Sister Lucia”)’).  

The solar phenomenon, combined with the message from Our Lady

It could be said that, at Fátima, the sign—the solar phenomenon—was linked to the Virgin’s message: prayer, conversion, and penance, and, in a very special way, the daily recitation of the Rosary. 

It is significant that the phenomenon was witnessed by a crowd. It is precisely this circumstance that explains much of Fatima’s historical impact. And above all, the fact that Our Lady had repeatedly promised that in October she would perform a miracle so that everyone would believe in the authenticity of the apparitions, writes Sousa.

The Virgin of Guadalupe appears to the native Juan Diego (Wikimedia commons).

Guadalupe: The December Flowers and the Image on the Tilma

According to the guadalupana tradition, in December 1531, the Virgin Mary appeared several times to Juan Diego Cuauhtlatoatzin, an indigenous man who has since been canonized, on Tepeyac Hill (Mexico). During these apparitions, the Virgin asked him to go see Bishop Fray Juan de Zumárraga to request that a church be built on that site and to convey her message of love. The bishop asked for a sign as proof of the message’s authenticity.

In the next apparition, our Blessed Mother Mary of Guadalupe instructed Juan Diego to cut roses of Castile that miraculously bloomed in Tepeyac -something impossible in that time, December, and place- and to take them to the bishop wrapped in his tilma. 

When he unfolded it before Fray Juan de Zumárraga, the flowers fell away, and the image of the Virgin Mary was miraculously imprinted on Juan Diego’s tilma, revealing her face and figure. In light of this sign, the bishop believed and ordered the construction of the requested church, giving rise to a deep devotion to Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico, throughout the Americas, and around the world. 

On the other hand, there are numerous facts—at least nine—that experts have concluded are scientifically inexplicable, upon analyzing the ayate or tilma belonging to the indigenous man Juan Diego, which bears the image of the Virgin. These conclusions concern the tilma itself and, above all, the eyes of Our Lady.

Lourdes: The Spring That Gushed From the Rock

In Lourdes, on February 11, 1858, the Virgin Mary appeared for the first time to Bernadette Soubirous in the grotto of Massabielle. The apparitions continued until July 16, for a total of eighteen. In 1862, the Bishop of Tarbes, Monsignor Bertrand-Sévère Laurence, officially recognized the authenticity of the apparitions following an investigation.

One of the decisive moments took place on February 25. According to Bernadette’s account, the Lady told her to drink and wash herself at a spot in the grotto. The young girl dug into the ground with her hands, and water began to flow. That spring later became one of the defining symbols of Lourdes and the source of the water used by pilgrims.

The Healings

Lourdes has one exceptional feature: healings. Since the apparitions, thousands of cases have been reported of people who claim to have regained their health after visiting the shrine. To study these cases, the Office of Medical Verifications was established in 1883, specifically for the purpose of subjecting the alleged healings to rigorous, peer-reviewed medical investigation.

Caution is important. Not every healing that occurs in Lourdes is considered miraculous by the Church. The Shrine currently reports more than 7,000 recorded cases of healing, 70 of which have been recognized as miraculous by the Church. The procedure requires that doctors determine that the healing cannot be explained by current medical knowledge and that it meets the criteria for being considered extraordinary, lasting, and complete. It is then up to the competent ecclesiastical authority to rule on its miraculous nature.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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Culture

From Mexico to the Vatican: The Catholic shrines that draw millions of people each year

From Mexico to Jerusalem, Catholic shrines and churches are scattered throughout the world, welcoming millions of visitors each year.

Paloma López Campos-August 14, 2026-Reading time: 5 minutes

Whether out of sincere devotion, admiration for architecture, or simply curiosity to witness large-scale cultural events, religious tourism draws huge crowds all over the world.

From Mexico City to Jerusalem, these are the most visited Catholic shrines on the planet, the history behind them, and the impressive visitor numbers they attract.

Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe (Mexico City)

With between 18 and 20 million visitors annually, it is the undisputed queen of Marian pilgrimages. Located at the foot of Tepeyac Hill, its history dates back to 1531, when the Virgin Mary appeared to the indigenous man Juan Diego.

The image miraculously imprinted on her tilma (blanket) is today the most venerated object of faith in the Americas. Every December 12, the site is flooded with a massive tide of devotees who arrive on foot, by bicycle, or on their knees to sing “Las Mañanitas” to her.

Image of Our Lady of Guadalupe (CNS photo / Paul Haring)

St. Peter's Basilica and the Vatican (Vatican City)

It is the nerve center and spiritual heart of the Catholic Church. It receives between 15 and 18 million visitors annually. Built over the tomb of the apostle Saint Peter, the current basilica—the work of artists such as Michelangelo and Bernini—is both a sacred temple and one of humanity’s most important open-air museums.

Between the Wednesday papal audiences and the endless lines to see the “Pietà,” the Vatican is a constant hub of faith and tourism.

St. Peter's Square at the Vatican (CNS photo / Vatican Media)

National Shrine of Our Lady of Aparecida (Brazil)

Latin America has once again set a record with the world's second-largest basilica by floor area, second only to St. Peter's. This basilica welcomes between 12 and 13 million visitors annually.

Its history began in 1717, when three fishermen pulled a small terracotta statue of the Virgin Mary from the waters of the Paraíba do Sul River. Today, Brazil’s patron saint is honored at a massive shrine in the state of São Paulo capable of accommodating tens of thousands of worshippers at the same time.

Exterior of the Cathedral of Our Lady of Aparecida (OSV News photo / Carla Carniel, Reuters)

Notre-Dame and Sacré-Cœur (Paris, France)

Paris isn't just about the Eiffel Tower. The Sacré-Cœur Basilica, perched atop Montmartre Hill, draws crowds with its views and its uninterrupted Eucharistic adoration, which has been taking place since the late 19th century.

For its part, the legendary Notre-Dame Cathedral, following the devastating fire of 2019, regained its splendor, drawing more than 10 million visitors in its first year after reopening and reaffirming its status as a jewel of world Gothic architecture.

Each of these two temples receives between 10 and 12 million visitors annually.

Sacré-Cœur Basilica in France (OSV News photo / Stefan Wermuth, Reuters)

Shrine of St. Pio of Pietrelcina (San Giovanni Rotondo, Italy)

There is a small corner of the Apulia region that became a mass phenomenon thanks to Padre Pio, a Capuchin friar famous for his stigmata, his mystical gifts, and his dedication to the confessional during the 20th century. His tomb and the modern church designed by Renzo Piano welcome a constant stream of pilgrims seeking solace or miracles, with annual visits reaching as high as 7 million.

Pope Francis prays before the body of Padre Pio, which is preserved at his shrine (CNS photo / courtesy of the Shrine of St. Pio of Pietrelcina)

Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes (France)

In 1858, a young shepherdess named Bernadette Soubirous claimed to have seen the Virgin Mary in the grotto of Massabielle. A spring flowed from there, and it is said to have miraculous properties.

Today, Lourdes is the premier destination for the sick and people with disabilities from around the world, known for its torchlight processions and baths in holy water. It welcomes about 6 million people each year.

Facade of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes (CNS photo / Paul Haring)

Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima (Portugal)

In the midst of World War I (1917), three shepherd children claimed to have witnessed the apparitions of the Virgin Mary and the famous «three secrets of Fátima.» The vast esplanade of the shrine, which is twice the size of St. Peter’s Square, is particularly impressive on nights in May and October, when thousands of lit candles illuminate the darkness. That is why it welcomes nearly 6 million pilgrims each year.

Procession at the Shrine of Our Lady of Fatima (OSV News photo / Pedro Nunes, Reuters)

Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (Spain)

The final destination of the historic Camino de Santiago, this cathedral It has been the guardian of the tomb of St. James the Greater since the 9th century.

Although it attracts conventional tourists, what makes it unique is the thousands of pilgrims who walk hundreds of kilometers on foot from different parts of Europe to embrace the Saint and watch the famous Botafumeiro swing. Together, they account for nearly 5 million visitors annually.

Pilgrims arrive at the Cathedral of Santiago de Compostela (OSV News photo / Felix Ordonez, Reuters)

Church of the Holy Sepulcher (Jerusalem, Holy Land))

Theologically speaking, there is no place more sacred to Christianity. The basilica encompasses Golgotha (where Jesus was crucified) and the empty tomb of the Resurrection.

Its custody is shared among several denominations (Franciscan Catholics, Greek Orthodox, Armenians, among others), making it a fascinating—and sometimes complex—mosaic of traditions and liturgy.

Each year, the Holy Sepulcher It receives between 2 and 4 million visitors.

Facade of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
Facade of the Basilica of the Holy Sepulchre in Jerusalem.
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Evangelization

Saints of Auschwitz: Kolbe, Stein, the Salesians… The Goal: Education

Educating young people was “dangerous” to the Nazi occupiers. For this reason, Auschwitz-Birkenau—the German name for the Polish town of Oświęcim—and Dachau were large extermination and detention camps. In addition to Maximilian Kolbe, whose feast day the Church celebrates on August 14, and Edith Stein, there are other saints from Auschwitz.

Francisco Otamendi-August 13, 2026-Reading time: 5 minutes

One night in 1941, a prisoner escaped from the Auschwitz concentration camp, and according to the Nazis, for every man who escaped, ten others were to be put to death. The first to be chosen was 41-year-old Polish Sergeant Franciszek Gajowniczek. Amid the silence, he began to weep and say, “My God, I have a wife and children. Who will take care of them?” Maximilian Kolbe volunteered to take his place, saying, “I volunteer to take this man’s place; I am a Catholic priest and a Pole, and I am not married.”.

The officer agreed, and Father Kolbe was sent, along with the other nine, to a cell where they would receive neither food nor water. On the second or third day, some of them began to die. Meanwhile, prayers and hymns to the Virgin Mary could be heard coming from that dungeon.

August 14, 1941

The Germans had a Polish guard in charge of removing the bodies of those who died and emptying the latrine in the cell. He has recounted this, and his account is on file with the courts and in the Vatican archives. Kolbe and three others survived until the fifteenth, Pedro Estaún has said. The commander needed the cell for a new group of prisoners and ordered the camp doctor to administer an injection of carbolic acid to extinguish the last breath of their lives. It was August 14, 1941. Kolbe was 47 years old.

Kolbe's sacrifice was not an isolated act of heroism. His life was filled with surrender to God. At the age of thirteen, he entered the seminary of the Conventual Franciscan Friars in Leopolis. In 1931, the Pope called for missionaries to evangelize Asia. Maximilian volunteered and was sent to Japan, where he remained for five years. 

Survivors at Auschwitz-Birkenau in 1945 in Oswiecim, Poland, where it is estimated that more than one million people perished (Photo OSV News/Yad Vashem Archives via Reuters).

At the Nazi extermination camp, he was sent to forced-labor camps, and, like his fellow prisoners, he endured humiliation, beatings, insults, dog bites, and jets of ice-cold water when he was racked with fever, thirst, and hunger, as well as the endless back-and-forth of dragging corpses from the cells to the crematorium… Auschwitz was the antechamber to hell, Estaún recounts.

Beatified by St. Paul VI, canonized by St. John Paul II

Pope Saint Paul VI declared him blessed in 1971. Among the pilgrims who came from Poland was an elderly man named Franciszek Gajowniczek: he was the man for whom Kolbe had offered his own life thirty years earlier. 

Years later, St. John Paul II, following his election as Pope, visited Auschwitz and said, “Maximilian Kobe followed Jesus” example; he did not suffer death but gave his life.” On October 10, 1982, the Polish pope canonized him before a crowd in St. Peter’s Square.

The Auschwitz State Museum, where approximately 1.3 million people were deported and about 1.1 million were murdered, documents that as many as 149 male Catholic priests and religious were exterminated at the camp; they belonged to 23 different religious congregations, in addition to diocesan priests.

Just as well known as Maximilian Kolbe—or perhaps even more so—is the Carmelite nun Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), about whom the Argentine spoke on the 9th Irene Chikiar, author of the biography “Edith Stein: Jew, Philosopher, Saint,” in an interview titled “The Saint Teresa of Our Time.”.

Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints (center), at the Shrine of St. John Paul II in Krakow, Poland, on June 6, 2026, concelebrating the Mass of beatification for nine Polish Salesian priests murdered in German Nazi concentration camps during World War II. (Photo by OSV News/Courtesy of Malgorzata Latawiec).

Leo XIV: “victims of persecution by totalitarian regimes”

Nine Polish Salesian priests, who were murdered in Auschwitz and Dachau, were beatified at the Shrine of St. John Paul II in Kraków, during a Mass presided over by Cardinal Marcello Semeraro, prefect of the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints, on June 6 of this year. 

The ceremony highlighted not only their martyrdom, but also their lives as educators, pastors, and mentors to young people.

Pope Leo XIV, after leading the Angelus prayer on June 14, remembered those who had recently been beatified, and said: “They were all beatified as martyrs, as victims of persecution by totalitarian regimes because of their faithfulness to Christ.”.

“They gave their lives to educate young people, and that is why they posed a threat to the occupying forces,”, told OSV News Father Dariusz Bartocha, provincial superior of the Salesian Province of Kraków. 

Destroying Education 

Father Bartocha stated that the Nazi occupation authorities viewed the Polish clergy, teachers, and intellectuals as obstacles to their plans to destroy national identity and suppress the resistance. 

In fact, Dachau became the main concentration camp for imprisoned Catholic clergy. Nearly 2,800 clergymen were held there during the war, including some 1,780 Poles, according to Poland’s Institute of National Remembrance. These clergymen ranged in age from 30 to 60. Some were parish priests, others were teachers, seminary professors, school administrators, and youth ministry coordinators. 

The True Winners

For Father Pierluigi Cameroni, Postulator General of the Salesians, the significance of the new martyrs goes far beyond the history of the war. 

Citing St. John Paul II’s description of the 20th-century martyrs as “anonymous soldiers in God’s great cause,” Father Cameroni told OSV News that the nine Salesians demonstrate that “when death seems to have triumphed, the true victors are those who, by suffering for the faith, share in an extraordinary way in the Cross of Christ and adhere to his plan of salvation.”. 

Stanislawa Leszczynska, a midwife at Auschwitz

Among the people on whom the Church has focused its attention are also married women with children, such as the midwife Stanislawa Leszczynska.

Since the Nazis executed pregnant women, Stanislawa She had to improvise a “delivery room” next to the boilers, which were full of insects and damp. 

That place, however, became a refuge for thousands of mothers and unborn children. The midwife’s Catholic faith led her to baptize every newborn by making the sign of the cross on their foreheads. “Mutti,” as she was called, remained in Auschwitz until its liberation by Soviet troops on January 26, 1945; she died in 1974, and her cause for canonization has been introduced in the Diocese of Łódź.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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Experiences

Why Serve? Young People’s Experience of God at the Order of Malta Camp

More than 550 young people from 25 countries are gathering in Javier to serve people with disabilities and, through service, discover a concrete way to encounter God.

Teresa Aguado Peña-August 13, 2026-Reading time: 5 minutes

Last week, Javier Castle served as the meeting place for more than 650 young people from 24 countries. Young people with disabilities and volunteers between the ages of 18 and 35, along with helpers (volunteer assistants) participated in the 41st International Summer Camp of the Order of Malta. From August 3 to 10, a gathering took place that, year after year, builds a community in which serving others is also a way of encountering God.

The camp was held, not by chance, at the birthplace of St. Francis Xavier, one of the great missionaries of the 16th century and co-founder of the Society of Jesus. His life, dedicated to evangelization and service, inspired this year’s gathering, whose motto was «Surge et ambula,» «Arise and walk.».

A community, not a welfare project

The Archbishop of Pamplona, Monsignor Florencio Roselló, officially opened the camp and explained to the participants the meaning behind this year’s theme.
«This isn’t just a motivational slogan; it’s not just a theoretical concept,» he said. The goal, he added, «is not to eliminate vulnerability, but to ensure that no one is trapped in it.».

The Grand Commander of the Order wanted to emphasize that the Malta Camp should not be viewed as a charitable project, but rather as «a temporary community where we help one another,» he said. An experience that, in his opinion, will ultimately transform those who participate «far more than you can imagine.».

Alongside the Grand Commander, the Grand Hospitaller, Josef D. Blotz, and the Order’s Prelate, Monsignor Luis Manuel Cuña Ramos, have participated over the past few days. Pope Leo XIV also wished to be present with a message addressed to the young people. The Pontiff expressed his spiritual closeness and hoped that the week would be «an opportunity to contemplate the beauty of God, forge friendships, and strengthen the sense of Christian responsibility.» In addition, he encouraged them to respond generously to the Lord’s call to serve others and to help build «paths of authentic brotherhood and peace» in their communities.

This year, young people from 24 countries participated, and more than 14 languages were spoken during the event. Peru, Mexico, and Estonia were represented for the first time, while Lebanon returned after a two-year absence due to the ongoing conflict in the country. Since 1984, the gathering has brought together young people with disabilities and volunteers from around the world every summer. This year, the event has also been marked by a return to the Order of Malta’s roots and to spirituality, with a special focus on the sacramental life, the celebration of daily Mass, and extended periods of Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament, as Father Pablo Lora, chaplain of the Order of Malta and one of the twenty priests who accompanied the young people, highlighted to Omnes.

«With My Mind on Heaven»

For Juan Martínez Luque, this isn't his first camp. He attended his first one, held in Rome, «just to put it on his resume.» But that first experience left a lasting impression on him: «The first year was such a great experience that I’ve been coming back for five years now,» he says.

For him, the camp is an opportunity to pause and look at his own life in a different way. Interacting with families and people with disabilities makes him realize the effort it takes to cope with certain situations and leads him to feel «quite grateful for what we have.» Volunteering, he explains, allows him to break out of his routine and discover other realities.

And it is precisely during that service that Juan says he encounters God. «Absolutely, all the time,» he replies when asked if he discovers God during camp. He experiences this especially in the closeness among all the participants. Juan says that he leaves every camp «with his mind on Heaven.».

Praying While Working

Lucía Roca de Togores also came to Javier because of a personal connection. Her sister is participating in the camp, and it was important to her to accompany her on an experience she knew meant a great deal. Among the memories she takes with her is a conversation with Guedal, a sister of the Order, in which they discussed how those who receive service can end up teaching more to those who serve.

After a year and a half of preparation, he acknowledges that the work has been intense. However, it is precisely in the midst of that exhaustion that he discovers a spiritual dimension: «That’s when you really see how God is at work in the service we’re performing, no matter how hard it may be.».

The camp, she says, is «full of spirituality, but also full of work.» It is in the midst of that work that Lucía says she encounters God. For her, talking with those she serves is «a way of talking with God.».

Why serve it?

The experience described by these young people is directly linked to the charism of the Order of Malta itself. Monsignor Luis Manuel Cuña Ramos explains that faith and service are inseparably linked in the Order’s identity. Its original charism is expressed in the defense of the faith and in service to the poor and the sick, whom it traditionally refers to as «poor lords» and «sick lords.».

The difference, the prelate explains, lies in our perspective. «Through faith, through prayer, the Lord gives us the ability to see Jesus himself in the sick, in the poor, and in the pilgrim.» That is why, he emphasizes, the Order does not simply engage in philanthropy: «We practice charity.».

Prayer and service feed into one another. In order to recognize Christ in others, we must first encounter Him through the Word of God and prayer. And that encounter then allows us to «pray while we work,» as Lucía explained.

For Cuña Ramos, Christian service also stems from a prior experience of love received. A young person may begin serving because they feel called, but they stay because they discover the joy of giving of themselves. «It’s not done as a job; it’s not done out of obligation,» he affirms. If that were the case, they would eventually give it up. When asked why they serve, the ultimate answer is one: «The Lord.».

The prelate explains this by recounting an anecdote about one of Mother Teresa of Calcutta’s nuns. After seeing her tend to the wounds of a dying man, a journalist told her that he wouldn’t do that even for a million dollars. The nun replied, «Neither would I.».

That, explains Monsignor Cuña Ramos, is the secret: «Doing it because we feel loved, forgiven, cherished, and desired by God.» Those who know they are loved can pass on to others that same love they have received.

The Future of the Order of Malta

The camp also holds significance for the future of the Order of Malta. According to its prelate, these gatherings allow young people from different countries to discover that, although they come from different cultures, they share the same charism and the same desire to serve the Lord through the poor and the sick.

«It is an experience of the Church, of catholicity,» he says. And it is also an opportunity for participants to discover a possible vocation within the Order itself: «They are the future of the Order.» From these gatherings, he explains, future vocations may emerge—as knights, ladies, members of the Order, or chaplains.

But the future could also take a different form. With a touch of humor, Monsignor Cuña Ramos speaks of a reinterpretation of the acronym for the Sovereign Military Order of Malta: «Sovereign Matrimonial Order of Malta.» At the camps, he explains, many young people get to know one another because they share the same charism and the same outlook on life—including marriage and love as a form of service.

These gatherings have also given rise to families connected to the Order, who in turn can become «young evangelizers and evangelizing families.».

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Gospel

The Test of Faith: Raising the Bar. 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Vitus Ntube discusses the readings for the 20th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A), corresponding to August 16, 2026.

Vitus Ntube-August 13, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

Today’s Gospel passage reveals a side of Jesus that we are not accustomed to seeing. At first glance, it may surprise us and even baffle us. However, upon deeper reflection, we discover a valuable lesson about faith and about God’s openness to all peoples, races, and nations.

The Gospel recounts the test of a foreign woman’s faith. It is as if Jesus were gradually raising the bar to see how far her faith could go. The scene resembles a high jump competition: every time the bar is raised, the athlete manages to clear the new height. That is precisely what happens in today’s Gospel.

Three times the woman encounters what appears to be rejection. First, she is ignored. She respectfully pleads, “Have mercy on me, Lord, Son of David. My daughter is possessed by a very evil demon.”. However, Jesus does not say a single word to her. Undeterred, she persists. Through the disciples—who intercede on her behalf—she continues to plead. But even their intervention receives another discouraging response: “I have been sent only to the lost sheep of Israel".

Then comes the final test, the most difficult of all. Jesus says to him, “It's not right to take the children's bread and feed it to the puppies.”. Many would have walked away hurt and offended. But this woman refuses to give up. With admirable humility, she replies: “You're right, Sir; but even little dogs eat the crumbs that fall from their masters' table”. At that moment, she surpasses the highest standard. She has passed every test of faith. Her perseverance, humility, and trust win Christ’s heart. Not only is her daughter healed, but she also receives one of the greatest compliments ever spoken by Jesus: “Woman, how great is your faith!”. We see, then, that God is not indifferent to our needs or our pleas. The Gospel encourages us to continue asking with humility and perseverance.

What makes this woman’s faith even more impressive is that she is a foreigner: a Canaanite. Yet, through her faith, she ceases to be a stranger. It is interesting that the Canaanite woman remains anonymous. We do not know her name. We cannot call her by name as we do with Mary Magdalene, Martha, or Veronica. Yet it is precisely her anonymity that directs our attention to what truly matters: faith. She is remembered not for her social status or her achievements, but for her faith. In her faith we behold God’s irrevocable gift, a gift open to all.

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Pope Leo XIV will visit the Republic of San Marino and Rimini on a busy pastoral trip on August 22

Pope Leo XIV will visit the Republic of San Marino and Rimini on August 22, a one-day trip with a packed schedule.

Paloma López Campos-August 12, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

Pope Leo XIV will make a pastoral visit to the Republic of San Marino and the Italian city of Rimini on Saturday, August 22, 2026. During the visit, the Pontiff will also participate in the «Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples.».

An Institutional and Religious Morning in San Marino

– Supernatural agenda The Holy Father’s visit will begin early, with takeoff scheduled for 8:00 a.m. At 9:00 a.m., the Pope will land at the Torraccia airfield, from where he will travel to Piazza della Libertà in San Marino. There, he will be received at 9:45 a.m. with military honors and the playing of the official national anthems, before entering the Public Palace alongside the Captains Regent.

Inside, after being introduced to the Secretaries of State, the Pope will hold a private meeting and sign the Book of Distinguished Guests in the Council of the Twelve Chamber. Subsequently, at 10:40, he will hold a meeting in the Grand and General Council Chamber. At 11:15, Pope Leo XIV will step out onto the central balcony of the Public Palace to greet and bless the faithful gathered in the square.

The visit to San Marino will continue at the Basilica at 11:45 a.m., where he will be received by the Bishop of San Marino-Montefeltro, Monsignor Domenico Beneventi, and the rector of the Basilica, Don Marco Mazzanti. At the basilica, the Pope will participate in the adoration of the Blessed Sacrament and the veneration of the relics of San Marino alongside priests and diocesan representatives. After a final greeting to the faithful outside the Basilica and a farewell to the authorities, the Pontiff will depart from San Marino at 12:45.

Before arriving in Rimini, the itinerary includes a strictly private stop in Pennabilli, where the Pope will visit the community of Augustinian nuns at the Monastery of St. Anthony of Padua.

Afternoon at the «Meeting» and a Mass attended by a large crowd in Rimini

At 2:45 p.m., the Pope will arrive at the Rimini Fairgrounds heliport to join the «Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples.» His itinerary will begin at 3:00 p.m. with visits to the exhibitions dedicated to St. Augustine and Leon Harmel. Later, at 3:30 p.m., he will greet participants at the «Villaggio Ragazzi» and hold a large gathering in the Main Auditorium at 4:00 p.m.

The final leg of the trip will take place in downtown Rimini. At 5:30 p.m., the Holy Father will go to the Cathedral for a heartfelt meeting with the sick, people with disabilities, and people living in poverty who are assisted by Caritas.

The grand finale of the pastoral visit will take place at the Port of Rimini, where at 6:30 p.m. he will preside over a solemn Eucharistic celebration. At the conclusion of the Mass, at 8:00 p.m., Pope Leo XIV will bid farewell to the authorities and depart for the Vatican, where he is scheduled to land at 9:00 p.m.

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Pope Leo XIV urges people to attend Mass on Sunday—not just virtually

At Wednesday’s General Audience, the Holy Father encouraged the thousands of pilgrims in St. Peter’s Basilica to sanctify Sunday by participating in Holy Mass, “not just by attending virtually.” He once again prayed for the victims of the earthquake in Colombia and recalled the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Virgin Mary.

Editorial Staff Omnes-August 12, 2026-Reading time: 4 minutes

Before more than 5,000 faithful gathered in St. Peter's Basilica, Pope Leo XIV consecrated the Audience on Wednesday, regarding the Liturgical Year, while commenting on the Second Vatican Council’s constitution ‘Sacrosanctum Concilium.’. 

In his address in various languages, the Pontiff has stated that “celebrating the Eucharist is essential for sanctifying Sunday,” since, according to the Council Fathers, listening to the Word and participating in the Body of Christ entails the festive gathering of the faithful. 

In his remarks to Portuguese-speaking pilgrims, for example, he encouraged them to “sanctify Sunday by participating in Holy Mass, not just by attending virtually”

This assembly “cannot be replaced by a merely virtual presence, nor can it be reduced to a merely passive gathering,” he noted. The liturgical assembly, in fact, takes place through the active participation of brothers and sisters, gathered together to “give thanks to God, who has brought them to new life through the living hope of the Resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead.”.

The Foundation of the Liturgical Year: Sunday

“The liturgical year should be understood as a constant renewal of the work of salvation that Christ carries out throughout history. Throughout this annual cycle, the Church remains in touch with the Lord’s redemptive action, so that the faithful may be filled with the grace of salvation.”.

Leo XIV quoted Pope Pius XII in the encyclical Mediator Dei, when he wrote that the liturgical year “is not a cold and lifeless representation” of the past or the “recreation of a reality from times gone by,” but rather “Christ himself who perseveres in his Church” and continues his “journey of mercy” so that “the souls of men may come into contact with his mysteries,” which are present and constantly at work.

The Pope went on to emphasize that the encounter with Jesus, who died and rose again for us, is the goal the Church pursues and the center of every celebration. The Council Fathers established Sunday—the “dies Domini,” “the Lord’s Day”—as the foundation of the liturgical year. 

St. John Paul II taught in his Apostolic Letter *Dies Domini* that Sunday is the Lord’s Day, the Church’s Day, humanity’s Day, and, finally, ‘the day of days,’ since Sunday is the weekly Easter. 

“Even in those languages where the reference to the ‘day of the sun’ has prevailed (Sunday, Sunday), one can glimpse the connection with Christ: «Christ is the true »sun of righteousness’ who enlightens every person!” said the Pope.

At the beginning of his catechesis, Leo XIV recalled that the term “liturgical year,” used to describe the annual sequence of Christian celebrations, was introduced into the Church by the Servant of God, Abbot Prosper Guéranger (1805–1875), and since then, it has been defined and explained in the papal magisterium.

Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Commemoration of Martyrs and Saints

Before concluding his catechesis, the Successor of Peter noted how each celebration has been added to the liturgical year, intertwining “the faith and devotion of the Church”: the celebration of the weekly Passover since the second century A.D.; then the annual Easter, “the greatest solemnity”; Pentecost 50 days later…

“The subsequent development of the Christmas season, modeled after the Easter season, has allowed us to relive the mysteries of the Incarnation of the Word of God, of his birth, and of his manifestation to the world.”.  

Similarly, the inclusion of the veneration of the Blessed Virgin Mary and the commemoration of the martyrs and the other saints. He noted that “the liturgical year thus represents, in a sacramental way, the teaching of the history of salvation, guiding the faithful from the expectation of the Messiah to the fullness of the Paschal Mystery and the anticipation of future glory.”.  

Assumption of the Virgin Mary, Saint Maximilian Kolbe

In his remarks to the Polish pilgrims, the Pope recalled the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which the Church celebrates on August 15, and the feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe on the eve of that day.

“August is a month filled with important anniversaries for you. Through Mary’s intercession, victory was achieved on August 15, 1920, in the Battle of Warsaw, which changed the course of Polish and European history. On the Vigil of the Assumption, we celebrate the liturgical memorial of Saint Maximilian Maria Kolbe, who offered his life for a fellow prisoner in the German Nazi camp at Auschwitz. May the memory of these events guide us along the path of peace shown by the Immaculate Conception. My blessing to all!” 

Solidarity with the people of Colombia

Addressing the Spanish-speaking pilgrims, the Holy Father he reiterated his “solidarity with the Colombian men and women who suffered the effects of the recent earthquake, which caused numerous deaths and injuries, as well as extensive property damage. While I pray to the Lord for the eternal shame of sinners, I offer my prayers for their families and for all those affected by this tragedy. I express my gratitude to all those working on rescue efforts and providing assistance to the victims.”.

After the final blessing, the Pope said, “In a few days we will celebrate the Solemnity of the Assumption of the Blessed Virgin Mary. I am pleased to urge you to constantly direct your prayers to the Mother of God, following her example by fully embracing the vocation to closeness with the Lord and concern for others. My blessings to all of you!”.

The authorEditorial Staff Omnes

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«Technology for Disarmament» will be the theme of the upcoming World Day of Peace

For the 2027 World Day of Peace, Pope Leo XIV has chosen the theme: "Disarming Technology, Serving Peace: Politics as a Preventive Responsibility.".

OSV / Omnes-August 12, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

The Vatican announced on August 11 that Pope Leo XIV’s message for the 2027 World Day of Peace will focus on «disarming technology» and the moral responsibility of political leaders.

The theme will be «Dismantling Technology, Serving Peace: Politics as a Preventive Responsibility,» according to the Vatican’s Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.

«His Holiness wishes to draw attention to the moral responsibility of those called to serve in the public sphere, and urges everyone to defend human dignity and contribute to building peace, beginning with «disarming technology,»» the dicastery said in a statement.

World Peace Day is celebrated each year on January 1, the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. The Pope sends a message for the occasion, which the Vatican forwards to governments around the world.

The Risks of Delegating War to AI

Based on Pope Leo XIV’s encyclical, «Magnifica Humanitas,» on the ethics of artificial intelligence and the protection of the human person, the message will contain a warning about the risks involved in entrusting military decisions to artificial intelligence.

The announcement comes after several Nobel laureates, inspired by the Pope’s encyclical, gathered in Rome on July 16 to sign a declaration calling for a global treaty that would ban the use of artificial intelligence in nuclear launch systems.

Protecting Human Responsibility

«Pope Leo XIV makes a fervent appeal to the international community to promote common agreements capable of safeguarding human responsibility and humanitarian principles in situations where human life and peaceful coexistence among peoples are at stake,» the statement said.

This will be the 60th World Day of Peace, a tradition established by Pope Paul VI and inspired by Pope John XXIII’s encyclical «Pacem in Terris.».

– – –
Courtney Mares is Vatican editor for OSV News. Follow her on X @catholicourtney.

The authorOSV / Omnes

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Diane Foley: «I could not have endured the murder of our son without my faith in God»

Diane Foley, the mother of journalist James W. Foley, recounts in American Mother (Albada) on how her faith sustained her after her son's murder and led her to meet with one of the men involved in his death: "I wanted to give him the chance to vent and explain himself."

Teresa Aguado Peña-August 12, 2026-Reading time: 5 minutes

Diane Foley is, as she says, first and foremost a mother. She is the mother of American journalist James W. Foley, who was kidnapped in Syria in 2012 and killed by the Islamic State two years later. But Diane’s story was marked not only by loss, but also by a journey of faith, forgiveness, and the search for truth—a journey that even led her to come face to face with one of the men involved in Jim’s death.

Founder of the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, an organization dedicated to defending the safety of journalists and supporting U.S. citizens who have been kidnapped or unjustly detained abroad, Diane has turned her suffering into a call for hope.

In October 2021, he met with Alexanda Kotey, one of the members of the jihadist group known as «the Beatles,» to listen to him and talk to him about his son.

That experience, along with the Irish writer Colum McCann, was documented in American Mother (Albada), a book that is not only the story of a tragedy, but also a reflection on pain, dignity, mercy, and the possibility of continuing to love in the wake of horror. «I am a mother. That’s all, and it’s more than enough,» Diane says in its pages.

After being received in audience by Pope Leo XIV, Diane Foley has spoken on numerous occasions about how faith and prayer were the source of strength that enabled her to endure her son’s captivity and murder. In this interview, she remembers Jim as a man committed to truth, peace, and service to others, and she shares how mercy can open a path even in the midst of the deepest suffering.

In the book, you say that, above all else, you are a mother. How has the meaning of motherhood changed after everything you’ve been through with James?

– Motherhood has been and continues to be one of the greatest gifts of my life. I’ve always loved children, and I feel deeply fortunate to have had five healthy children.

The joy of motherhood has only grown deeper over the years, with the arrival of our adult children’s loving spouses and the arrival of each of our eight beloved grandchildren. We now have grandchildren ranging in age from 6 months to 19 years.

James continues to inspire me to feel a deep sense of gratitude for family, regardless of the challenges each family faces.

During James's kidnapping, how did you manage to cope with the uncertainty without losing hope?

– I managed to get through it thanks to my deep faith in a loving and merciful God, and the support of my family and friends.

Jim returned from his unjust detention in Libya, by the grace of God, so I held onto a deep hope throughout his captivity in Syria.

At the time of Jim's kidnapping in Syria, I was working on the fourteenth meditation of the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola, which proved to be of great help to me.

The book reveals a constant tension between the need for justice and the desire not to let oneself be consumed by hatred. How have you learned to live with those two realities?

–Both of these realities are part of my faith. God judges, but He always offers His infinite mercy, love, and forgiveness.

What led you to meet with Alexanda Kotey, one of the men involved in the kidnapping and murder of your son? Was there ever a moment when you thought you wouldn't be able to do it?

–Kotey offered to speak with the victims, so he showed himself to be open to dialogue. He knew that Jim would have met with him to try to understand why he had become a jihadist and had harmed so many people. He wanted to give him a chance to vent and explain himself; and he hoped that Jim would also listen to what I wanted to share about him. He also hoped that Jim would tell us where he had been buried. He was curious and hopeful to learn something about Jim’s final days.

On the morning of my first meeting with him, I began to lose the courage to face him, and I had to get down on my knees and pray, asking for God’s mercy and grace. I had to pray before each of my three meetings with Kotey.

During that encounter, did you discover something about evil, forgiveness, or the person standing before you that you never would have imagined?

–First of all, I was surprised that the twenty people in the room seemed to fade into the background; I felt as if only Kotey and I were talking.  Alexanda had a lot to say about his hatred for the West and how everything he had done, he had done as a loyal soldier of ISIS. He tried to justify his actions and downplay his role in Jim’s kidnapping and torture. She also expressed deep regret for my pain as a mother at every turn, both in person and in the three letters that followed. However, she never apologized for what she did to Jim.

I felt the presence of the Holy Spirit as I was surprised by the great compassion I felt for him. He is the same age as one of our youngest children. We all make mistakes and need forgiveness. Hate hurts everyone… His hatred and the murder of Jim and so many others have caused terrible pain and loss not only to us, the victims, but also to himself. It is very likely that Kotey will never see his four young daughters, his wife, his mother, or his former home in the United Kingdom again; so he has lost his freedom and a large part of his life. Hatred causes pain and loss to everyone involved.

What role has faith played throughout your career?

–My faith has played a vital role over the past 12 years. I could not have endured the horrific murder of our oldest son without my faith in God and in the goodness of others.

After James's death, you founded the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation. What have you learned from supporting other families going through the terrible ordeal of a kidnapping or wrongful detention?

–I have learned that channeling my pain to support other families whose loved ones have been kidnapped or unjustly detained abroad, as well as to protect journalists, has brought me comfort and joy.  Furthermore, Jim’s challenge to me to have moral courage and to inspire others has challenged and inspired me to persevere and remain hopeful.

What message or lesson do you hope readers will take away when they close the last page of American Mother?

–I hope that others will be inspired by Jim's life to use their talents and their lives to benefit others.

I also hope that readers will reflect on how important faith in God and participation in a faith community can be in their own lives. I am certain that I could not have endured Jim’s captivity and murder, nor would I have had the strength to establish the James W. Foley Legacy Foundation, without my faith, my faith community, and the kindness of others.

Each of us has the opportunity to bring hope and love to others every day.

American Mother: Courage in the Face of Terrorism

Author: Colum McCann
EditorialAlbada : Albada
Year of publication: 2026
Pages: 316
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Books

Is God greater than a dragon?

When a young child wonders how big God is, his father has the answer: ‘Let’s find out together.’ The versatile actor, director, and film producer David Henrie, his wife María, and the publisher have begun promoting the book *Is God Bigger Than a Dragon?*, although it officially comes out in November.  

Francisco Otamendi-August 12, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes

‘Is God Bigger Than a Dragon?’ is a Christian picture book by David Henrie and his wife María about God’s love. Perfect for bedtime stories, baptism gifts (and other occasions), and family Bible reading time, according to the publisher. Ascension Press.

On August 6, @DavidHenrie posted the following message on X: “I’m so excited to finally share something María and I have been working on… our first children’s book, *Is God Bigger Than a Dragon?*. I just announced it on @GMA (Good Morning America).’.

A story that sparks the imagination

“The book was inspired by the questions our own children ask about God, faith, and the world around them,” Henrie added. “We wanted to create a story that sparks the imagination, directs families to Scripture, and reminds children that no matter how big their fears are, God is greater.”

“It's been a ”special experience‘ for the family,’ said the actor, best known for his role as Justin Russo alongside Selena Gomez in Disney's *Wizards of Waverly Place*, and for the series ‘Seeking Beauty,’ which she created and hosted in collaboration with EWTN Studios.

On his Instagram account, @davidhenrie's post—which included a few photos—was similar and also had a promotional angle. “We can't wait for you to read it this November. Pre-order the book at Amazon. I'm starting a group chat for everyone who requests it in advance on Instagram, and I'll add you to our chat so you can learn more about the book and the @Ascension Press movement.”.

David Henrie presented the book on the famous morning show ‘Good Morning America,’ broadcast by the American network ABC.

About the Book: Bringing the Bible to the Family

Created in collaboration with the publisher behind the chart-topping podcast ‘The Bible in a Year’ (with Father Mike Schmitz), ‘Is God Greater Than a Dragon?’ offers parents, grandparents, and the whole family a valuable resource for introducing the Bible to children ages 3 to 7 and starting conversations about faith at home. 

It is illustrated by Adam Gustavson, whose work has appeared in more than 30 children's books, as well as on posters, in periodicals, and on murals.

María Cahill Henrie

María Cahill Henrie is passionate about her faith and her family. In 2011, she was crowned Miss Delaware and embarked on a career in the entertainment industry. In 2017, she married David Henrie, and they began their journey together in the Catholic faith and family life. They have three children.

His first book is about a boy who asks his father if God is bigger than whales, dinosaurs, dragons, monster trucks, and even New York City. 

Jonathan Roumie: “The Timeless Wisdom of Scripture”

One of the best-known endorsements for David and María Henrie’s book comes from Jonathan Roumie, the star of ‘The Chosen.’ The Catholic publishing house Ascension Press includes it as a featured recommendation: 

“David and María beautifully and poetically capture the timeless wisdom of Scripture in a warm, accessible, and family-centered storybook, revealing to children the immensity of God’s love for them,” wrote Jonathan Roumie.

David Henrie and his wife, María, with the Archbishop of Los Angeles, Archbishop José H. Gomez, in a photo from his Instagram account @davidhenrie.

He was introduced to them by the Archbishop of Los Angeles

In January of this year, actor David Henrie announced on Instagram that the Archbishop of Los Angeles, José H. Gómez, had introduced him to his wife, María. He posted a video showing him alongside María and Archbishop José Gómez during the red-carpet premiere of the EWTN+ original series ‘Seeking Beauty,’ as reported by ChurchPop, the Colombian media outlet Razón y Fe, and others.

“Thank you, Archbishop Gómez, for introducing me to her!” David Henrie wrote about his wife María following the premiere of his EWTN+ series, *In Search of Beauty*, according to Jacqueline Burkepile.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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Latin America

The Pope Expresses His Solidarity and Prayers in the Wake of the Earthquake in Colombia

The Holy Father Leo XIV has sent a telegram of condolences to the Archbishop of Cartagena and President of the Colombian Episcopal Conference, Monsignor Munera Correa, in which he prays for and expresses his solidarity with the victims and all those affected by the earthquake in Colombia.  

Editorial Staff Omnes-August 11, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

In a telegram In a message signed by the Vatican Secretary of State, Cardinal Pietro Parolin, Pope Leo XIV has sent his condolences and prayers for the victims, all those injured and affected, and the entire Colombian people, following the earthquake that struck the country on Monday.

The text of the telegram reads as follows: “The Holy Father, deeply moved upon learning the painful news of the earthquake that has severely affected several areas of Colombia, causing deaths and numerous injuries, as well as serious material damage, including to many churches, offers prayers for the eternal rest of the deceased, and offers his prayers to the Lord for the speedy recovery of those affected by this tragedy.”.

Cardinal Parolin also asks the president of the Colombian Bishops“ Conference to convey ”the heartfelt condolences of His Holiness Leo XIV to the families who, in this hour of deep sorrow, are mourning the loss of their loved ones.”.

Likewise, the Vatican Secretary of State assures the Pope’s “spiritual closeness” and “expresses his gratitude to all those who, with generous dedication, are working to search for, rescue, and assist the victims.”.

Ask for the gifts of strength and hope

Finally, “through the intercession of the Blessed Virgin Mary,” the Holy Father “asks the Lord to pour out upon the beloved people of Colombia the gifts of spiritual strength and Christian hope, and he cordially imparts his apostolic blessing to them.”.

Monday's earthquake in Colombia, a month and a half after Venezuela, has so far left around 130 dead, more than 500 injured, and numerous people missing.

The figure does not include the deaths and injuries reported in surrounding municipalities and towns, where buildings have also collapsed and hospitals, airports, public services, and transportation systems have sustained damage.

The Church in Colombia: One Family in the Face of Adversity

The Colombian Episcopate has stated He also expressed his solidarity with the victims of the 7.4-magnitude earthquake and called for a response to the emergency based on solidarity, responsibility, and fraternity. 

Cardinal Luis José Rueda Aparicio, the nation’s primate, has called on people to turn this tragedy into an opportunity to “rebuild ourselves from the heart” and overcome divisions.

As it happens, just four days ago, the new president of the Republic, Abelardo de la Espriella, took office for the 2026–2030 term.

The authorEditorial Staff Omnes

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  • José Molero: “The important thing is to put the right story in the hands of each child at the right time”
Books

José Molero: “The important thing is to put the right story in the hands of each child at the right time”

In this interview, writer José Molero describes the keys to helping young and old alike appreciate and enjoy reading.

Maria José Atienza-August 11, 2026-Reading time: 6 minutes

José Molero (Alfacar, Granada, 1937)—known as Pepe—has led a rich and happy life, but above all, a surprising one, especially during his youth. This native of Granada, a mining engineer—a field to which he devoted his early professional years—eventually found his way into teaching, a field in which, in addition to his dedication and undeniable talent, he also began to make his mark as a writer. Focused on young adult literature, though with a few forays into poetry, 

His latest book Ariadne and the Whispering Forest, published by the Strogoff Publishing House, delves into a magical forest, filled with voices and characters through whom a young girl, Ariadna, unravels the essential questions of life: friendship, respect, solidarity… 

In this conversation with Omnes, Molero emphasizes that today the enemy is not “a shortage of books—more are being published than ever before—but the dictatorship of distraction.”. 

Mining engineer, professor… How did you get into writing for children and young adults? 

–I think I got into it quite naturally, although even back in high school I was writing short stories and enjoyed making up stories. When I chose a primarily technical major, creative writing took a back seat.

The real turning point came years later when I began teaching. My daily interaction with students reignited my passion for writing, and, almost without realizing it, I discovered that children’s and young adult literature was an extraordinary way to spark curiosity, instill values, and inspire a love of reading. Since then, I have published more than 500 short stories and several young adult novels.

Over time, I’ve come to realize that teaching and writing are two activities that feed into each other. Spending time with children and teenagers allowed me to better understand their way of thinking, their concerns, and their sense of humor, and all of that found its way into my stories. Thus, what had started out as a youthful hobby has ended up becoming one of the most exciting aspects of my life.

You've been a teacher for many years—how has young people's access to reading changed? 

–I think people have never read as much as they do now, at least if we consider the number of words that pass before our eyes every day. Just look at how glued we are to our cell phone screens: instant messages, subtitled videos, constantly updating news… 

Today, the greatest enemy is by no means a shortage of books—more are being published than ever before—but rather the tyranny of distraction. We live under a constant barrage of stimuli that push us to quickly move from one piece of content to another, making it increasingly difficult to engage in the slow, reflective, and quiet reading that a good book demands—and that leaves an indelible mark. 

That’s why I always encouraged my students to set aside at least ten minutes a day for reading. I didn’t suggest they start with the great classics or turn reading into a chore, but rather that they discover the pleasure of opening a book on their own initiative. Once that small habit takes root, everything else follows almost naturally: concentration improves, vocabulary expands, expression becomes more refined, and, above all, one’s understanding of reality broadens. 

I believe that every child or young person who discovers the joy of reading represents a small victory over the superficiality of our times. And that discovery almost never happens by chance. Behind it, there are usually parents who read with their children at first, or a teacher who enthusiastically recommends a book. That is almost always where a reader’s true journey begins—a journey that, once truly embarked upon, lasts a lifetime.

Are there any «surefire» stories? What books do you consider essential for a family library?

–I don’t think there are any foolproof stories, because every reader is different—just as there are no definitive lists of books. Rather than searching for the perfect book, what’s important is putting the right story in each child’s hands at the right time.

In a family library, however, I do consider the great classics to be essential—The Little Prince, Alice in Wonderland, Peter Pan, Pinocchio, The Wizard of Oz…— because they have stood the test of time and continue to captivate generations of readers. Alongside them, it’s worth including magnificent contemporary works such as The Chronicles of Narnia, poetry books—encountering poetry is essential during childhood—and adventure novels that fuel curiosity, imagination, and the desire to continue discovering the world.

But, above and beyond any list of titles, the best book is the one that, once finished, sparks a child’s desire to pick up another one. That’s where the true habit of reading begins—and with it, a journey that can last a lifetime.

These days, many parents feel «overwhelmed» by the vast selection of children’s and young adult literature. How can they choose books of high literary quality that also convey a sound worldview and a positive view of humanity? 

–That’s a very timely question, because there have never been as many children’s and young adult books as there are now, and yet that very abundance can be overwhelming for many families. My first piece of advice is not to be swayed by trends or bestseller lists. A good book isn’t necessarily the one that sells the most or the one with the biggest marketing campaign. marketing not the most striking one, but the one that lingers in the reader's memory after the book has been closed.

It’s a good idea to look for well-written works with careful language, believable characters, and clever plots. But literary quality, while essential, isn’t enough. Books also nurture sensitivity and help shape a way of looking at the world. That is why it is important for them to convey a hopeful vision—so necessary today—of what it means to be human, where values such as friendship, truth, generosity, hard work, good humor, responsibility, and forgiveness are embodied in the characters’ lives rather than presented as a sermon.

I would also advise parents not to try to navigate the thousands of new options on their own. It’s worth trusting the judgment of good teachers, librarians, and digital platforms such as Delibris or prestigious institutions and media outlets. And, whenever possible, read with your children or, at the very least, take an interest in the books they read. Sharing a story and talking about it is one of the best ways to educate.

Ultimately, a good book does not indoctrinate, but neither is it morally neutral: every story or poem conveys a certain view of people and life. The best literature does not lecture; it offers guidance. I know from experience that a child learns much more from an admirable character than from a brilliant speech.

Children's and Young Adult Literature: What Can It Teach Us Adults? 

–Children’s and young adult literature can teach adults a great deal because it doesn’t trivialize life’s big issues; it makes them clearer. Children retain a sense of wonder that we adults lose almost without realizing it. That’s why, when a writer truly connects with a child, they’re also building a bridge to adult readers.

The best children’s books don’t have two levels of interpretation: one for children and another for adults. They convey a single truth, told with such depth and simplicity that anyone can be moved by it. They explore themes of friendship, fear, loss, hope, and love with an authenticity that we often miss in many books written exclusively for adults.

It's no coincidence that some of the great classics of children's literature continue to stay with us throughout our lives. Platero and I, for example, was never intended by Juan Ramón Jiménez to be a book exclusively for children. In fact, in the preface he admits that he wrote it «…I don’t know for whom…,» making it clear that it was intended for any reader capable of being moved. The same is true of The Little Prince and so many other works that, over time, have come to find readers of all ages.

This shows that great books are ageless; they have readers. And perhaps that is one of the main lessons of good children’s literature: to remind us that growing up isn’t about losing the ability to be amazed, but about preserving it. An adult who shares a good book with a child isn’t just teaching them to read; they’re also rediscovering, almost without realizing it, a purer, freer, and more human way of looking at the world.

What does your latest book of short stories offer, Adriana and the Whispering Forest?

–My latest book, Adriana and the Whispering Forest, is, in a way, the embodiment of everything I’ve been telling you about children’s and young adult literature. It brings together fifteen stories featuring Adriana—though it could be any boy or girl—during her adventures in a forest where fantasy becomes a path to discovering reality.

Each adventure presents a different challenge and offers readers the chance to grow alongside the protagonist. There is a clear homage to some of the great classics of children’s and young adult literature, from The The Chronicles of Narnia, from C. S. Lewis to characters and myths such as Merlin or King Midas, because great stories never cease to engage with one another and continue to have much to say to readers of different generations.

I wanted to write a book in which adventure, humor, mystery, and imagination are not merely a form of entertainment, but rather a vehicle for exploring essential questions: good and evil, fear and courage, friendship, solidarity, the importance of knowing how to listen, and the ability to marvel at the beauty of nature.

If, upon closing the book, a child feels the urge to keep reading and also asks themselves an important question about life, I’ll consider the goal achieved. 

As an author, it gives me great satisfaction to see that Adriana and the Whispering Forest It is winning over young readers, educators, and families alike.

Adriana and the Whispering Forest

Author: José Molero Fernández
Editorial: Strogoff
Year of publication: 2026
Pages: 180
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  • The Immense Power of “I Love You”
ColumnistsLupita Venegas

The Immense Power of “I Love You”

Love doesn't just need to be felt—it also needs to be expressed: psychology, neuroscience, and the Christian faith explain why hearing «I love you» can strengthen bonds and heal the heart.

August 11, 2026-Reading time: 4 minutes

María had spent the entire afternoon preparing dinner. It was her fiftieth birthday that day. Her children arrived one after another, hugged her affectionately, gave her flowers, and began to chat. Her husband arrived a little later. He kissed her on the forehead and said, “I’m so glad dinner’s ready.” During dinner, they talked about work, politics, and their grandchildren. As the day drew to a close, María smiled and gave thanks to God… but as she went to bed, a tear rolled down her cheek. It wasn’t ingratitude. She had been hoping to hear a phrase that never came: “I love you.”

Her husband loved her deeply. They had spent thirty years together. He worked hard, was responsible, and had never let her down. However, she needed to hear what he took for granted.

How many stories like this are there? Parents who never tell their child how much they love them because they think it “will go to their head.” Adult children who never express their affection because they’re too shy. Friends who say goodbye without knowing that it will be the last time they see each other. Marriages where love exists, but remains hidden behind the daily routine.

Why do two such simple words hold so much power? Because human beings were created to love… but also to know that they are loved.

Contemporary psychology confirms this. Psychiatrist Daniel Siegel, one of the leading experts in interpersonal neurobiology, explains that our brain does not develop in isolation. It is literally shaped within emotional relationships. The quality of our bonds alters the neural connections that regulate our emotions, our ability to trust, and even the way we cope with suffering.

Neuropsychiatrist Allan Schore has shown that repeated experiences of affection during childhood shape the development of the right hemisphere, which is responsible for emotional regulation. In other words, the brain learns a sense of security when it experiences expressed love. It is not enough simply to love; love needs to be felt.

Research by Dr. John Gottman, based on decades of tracking thousands of married couples, shows that the happiest couples are not those who never have conflicts, but those who maintain a very high proportion of positive interactions. Among these, verbal expressions of affection, admiration, and gratitude stand out. Words strengthen the bond because they constantly remind the other person, “You’re still important to me.”.

Neuroscience also explains this phenomenon. When a person hears sincere words of love, the brain releases oxytocin, a hormone associated with attachment, trust, and cooperation. Neuroeconomist Paul Zak found that higher levels of oxytocin promote empathy, reduce distrust, and strengthen social bonds. At the same time, levels of cortisol—the primary stress hormone—decrease.

A genuine “I love you” doesn’t just stir our emotions. It also calms the brain. But we can go even deeper.

The psychiatrist Viktor Frankl asserted that the highest human experience consists in discovering the unique and irreplaceable value of another person. To love means to see in another person possibilities that they themselves may not yet be able to see. When we say “I love you,” we are implicitly saying, “Your existence is of immense value to me.” That explains why the absence of those words leaves such deep wounds.

Many adults remember perfectly well that their homes were never lacking in food, clothing, or education. However, they grew up with a painful inner question: “Am I really important to anyone?”

The philosopher Edith Stein wrote that a person only comes to know themselves fully when they are looked upon with love. Our identity awakens under the loving gaze of another. First, that of our parents; then, that of those who walk alongside us; and, finally, that of God.

St. John Paul II developed this same idea from the perspective of Christian anthropology: human beings cannot fully understand themselves except through love. We were created for communion. That is why isolation is so painful and why loving words have such healing power.

St. Thomas Aquinas defined love as “desiring the good of another” (wish another well). That desire must certainly be expressed through actions, but also through words. Because words make the invisible visible. They are the bridge between the heart and the one who longs to be loved.

God himself chose to reveal himself in this way. The entire history of salvation can be understood as the story of a God who insists on telling humankind, “I love you.” The Father’s voice resounds at the Jordan: “This is my beloved Son” (Mt 3:17). Jesus repeatedly tells his disciples: “I have loved you” (John 15:9). And Saint John sums up Christian identity with an extraordinary phrase: “We have come to know the love God has for us, and we have believed in him.” (1 John 4:16).

Before asking us to love, God lets us know that we are loved. Perhaps that is the secret. Words of love do not create love, but they do reveal it, strengthen it, and make it believable.

Let’s never assume that others “already know.” They may sense it, but the human heart needs to hear it. A child who frequently hears “I love you” builds a stronger sense of self-worth. A teenager finds refuge from the pressures of the world. A married couple strengthens their bond. A grandparent discovers that they are still valued. A friend regains hope.

We don’t know what our last conversation with our loved ones will be. That’s why we shouldn’t hold back. Maybe today, someone close to us doesn’t need advice, a correction, or a gift. Maybe they’re just waiting to hear, from our lips, those two words that have the power to calm the mind, strengthen the heart, and remind them that their life is worth living:

“I love you.”

The authorLupita Venegas

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Gospel

Heaven is where God is. The Assumption of Mary (A)

Vitus Ntube discusses the readings for the Assumption of Mary (A) on August 15, 2026.

Vitus Ntube-August 11, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

Today the Church celebrates the great Marian solemnity of the Assumption: “that the Immaculate Mother of God, the ever-virgin Mary, having completed the course of her earthly life, was assumed body and soul into heavenly glory”. Defined as dogma by Pope Pius XII on November 1, 1950, this truth of the faith continues to bear abundant spiritual fruit in the life of the Church.

Today’s Gospel helps us understand why Mary was assumed into heaven. Two virtues stand out in particular: her humility and her faith. During her visit to Elizabeth, Mary sings the Magnificat, a hymn that reveals the secret of her greatness. Mary does not exalt herself; she acknowledges that it is God who has done great things for her. She recognizes herself as the Lord’s humble servant. “He has looked upon the humility of his servant”, he proclaims, and “exalts the humble".

Mary did not lift herself up to heaven; it was God who lifted her up. Her humility made her receptive to God’s grace and action. The proud seek to exalt themselves, and in doing so, they become incapable of being lifted up by God. The humble, on the other hand, allow themselves to be lifted up by Him.

G. K. Chesterton once wrote that “Angels can fly because they don’t take themselves too seriously”. Pride weighs us down; humility gives us wings. It is no coincidence that Fra Angelico painted angels with extraordinary lightness, almost like butterflies. The Assumption reminds us that God exalts the humble and lifts up those who surrender themselves completely into His hands.

Mary's faith is equally central to today's celebration. Pope Benedict XVI observed that Mary's true greatness lies in her faith. Even before Mary sang the Magnificat, Isabel had already recognized this greatness: “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!””. But Isabel goes even further and identifies the deepest reason for Mary’s blessedness: “Blessed is she who has believed, for what the Lord has told her will be fulfilled.".

Mary’s faith was a total commitment to God’s plan, a complete surrender of herself into His hands. Her faith allowed God’s greatness to work within her. Because she believed, God worked wonders in her life, culminating in her assumption into the glory of Heaven.

Mary was taken up into heaven to be with God forever. Heaven is where God is. To be in heaven is to be with God. And in God there is room for all of us. As we celebrate this solemnity, we can ask Our Lady to intercede for us, so that we may grow in humility and faith—qualities that allow God to accomplish great things in our lives.

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Evangelization

The Tears of Saint Lawrence: When the Stars Remember a Martyr

Every August, the Perseids light up the sky, and Christian tradition links them to the tears shed by Saint Lawrence during his martyrdom.

Teresa Aguado Peña-August 10, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsThe star shower named after a saint

Every August, one of the year’s most famous astronomical spectacles takes place. It is the Perseids, a meteor shower that peaks around August 10–13 and which, in Spain and other countries with a Christian tradition, is known as «the tears of Saint Lawrence.» The coincidence with the saint’s feast day, which the Church celebrates on August 10, gave rise to a tradition that for centuries has linked the memory of a martyr with the stars that seem to fall from the sky.

The Perseids are dust particles and other debris left behind by Comet Swift-Tuttle that the Earth passes through each year as it orbits the sun. When these particles enter the atmosphere at high speed, they heat up, burn up, and produce the flashes of light that we see from Earth as shooting stars. Their radiant—that is, the point in the sky from which they appear to originate—is located in the constellation Perseus. This is the source of their astronomical name: the Perseids.

But science does not explain the popular name «Tears of Saint Lawrence.» To understand it, we must look back at the story of a young deacon of the Church of Rome, whose memory became associated with that August night.

A Deacon in the Service of the Poor

Saint Lawrence was a deacon in Rome and one of the men closest to Pope Sixtus II. As archdeacon, his responsibilities included administering the Church’s assets and caring for those most in need. He devoted himself to caring for the sick and to looking after orphans, widows, and marginalized people. Lawrence became a much-loved figure in Rome, and even after his death, he was immediately the object of popular veneration.

According to tradition, during the persecution under Emperor Valerian in the year 258, Pope Sixtus II was arrested and executed along with several of his deacons. Lawrence was arrested shortly thereafter. The prefect of Rome then demanded that he hand over the Church’s property.

The deacon asked for a few days to gather them. But, according to tradition, he used that time to distribute among the poor the goods entrusted to his care. When he returned before the authorities, he did not bring with him riches or material treasures. He was accompanied by a crowd of needy people whom the Church was helping. Pointing to them, Lawrence is said to have uttered one of the most famous phrases associated with him: «These are the treasures of the Church.».

Lorenzo was sentenced to be burned to death on an iron grate, suffering a slow and agonizing death. It is said that in the midst of his martyrdom he exclaimed, «Turn me over—I’m already done on this side.» According to legend, his tears are the «stars» that will fall from the sky in the coming nights.

Why «Tears of Saint Lawrence»?

According to an ancient Christian tradition, the shooting stars that appear in the sky around the feast of Saint Lawrence are said to be his tears, shed from the heavens in remembrance of his martyrdom. Another tradition speaks of small particles, or «lapillis,» coming from the flames of the gridiron on which he was burned.

Thus, the image of a saint’s tears appearing to fall upon the earth transformed a celestial phenomenon into an expression of the Christian memory of Lawrence.

Saint Lawrence is also one of the best-known martyrs of the Church of Rome. His veneration has been documented since the 4th century, and his name has become closely associated with the city of Rome and Christian tradition.

What Really Falls from the Sky

The Perseids, then, are neither falling stars nor tears turned into light. They are meteors produced by particles entering Earth's atmosphere at very high speeds.

Every year, around August 12, Earth passes through the region of space containing the debris left behind by the aforementioned comet Swift-Tuttle. This comet, composed of dust and ice, follows an orbit around the Sun that takes about 133 years to complete. Its last close approach to the Sun occurred in 1992, and the next one is expected in 2126.

When the tiny particles in that swarm enter the atmosphere, friction with atmospheric gases causes them to heat up and burn up. The flash we see from Earth’s surface is what we call a meteor. So, even though we commonly refer to them as «shooting stars,» we aren’t actually seeing stars—we’re observing the luminous trail produced by tiny fragments of cometary material.

RelatedRelated NewsThe star shower named after a saint
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  • Whatever Happened to the Working Man's Restaurant? 
ColumnistsBryan Lawrence Gonsalves

Whatever Happened to the Working Man's Restaurant? 

The disappearance of simple, affordable restaurants reflects a society in which eating out is no longer a daily necessity but has increasingly become a luxury.

August 10, 2026-Reading time: 6 minutes

A few weeks ago, I called the only Mexican restaurant in my city that advertised a party platter. I was planning a small gathering with friends and liked the idea of everyone assembling their own tacos.

I asked if they offered takeaway. I would place the order, walk there myself, pay, collect it, and leave. "No," they said. "We only offer dine-in."

Disappointed, I began searching for alternatives. Surely another Mexican restaurant in the city would offer something similar. None did.

Instead, I found menu after menu charging extraordinary prices for what should be ordinary food. Burritos that once sold for three euros when I was a university student now cost nine. Other restaurants charged nearly twenty euros for a plate of enchiladas.

Twenty euros!? Unbelievable! My first thought was almost "those enchiladas better cure cancer if they cost that much."

It wasn't merely shock from the high price and small quantity. It made me wonder what had happened to restaurants that existed simply to feed people.

When Dining Out Becomes a Luxury

I will admit that maybe my shock is because I tend to be unfashionable. When I go to a restaurant, I am not looking for exposed brick walls, artisan lighting fixtures, handcrafted ceramic plates, fancy menus. I do not particularly care whether the furniture was designed by Scandinavian architects or whether the waiter explains where every ingredient was sourced.

I simply want an affordable meal that tastes good and leaves me full. In many ways, I have what could only be described as plebeian tastes. An example being that I drink cheap instant coffee, the type that serious coffee enthusiasts, like my fiancée would probably refuse to acknowledge as coffee at all. I eat to live rather than live to eat. If a meal is affordable, filling, and enjoyable, I am happy.

Somewhere along the way, however, restaurants seem to have forgotten people like me.

Dining out increasingly feels less about eating and more about purchasing an experience. Restaurants seem to be competing on aesthetics, branding, exclusivity and who can keep increasing prices without driving away customers. The food itself almost becomes secondary. Meanwhile, ordinary working-class people are left wondering when a burrito became a luxury purchase.

A Lesson from Warsaw

Whenever I think about this, my mind returns to a trip I made to Warsaw while I was still at university. A Polish friend took me to a Vietnamese restaurant tucked away on an ordinary street. It was not the sort of establishment that would ever appear in travel guides or Instagram posts. If you are not careful when walking the street, you would miss the entrance to the restaurant. 

The tables were made from cheap white plastic, while the menu was a single laminated sheet of paper and the décor was almost non-existent.

At the counter sat a Vietnamese girl, perhaps eleven years old, quietly doing her homework. My friend placed our order in Polish, and she responded fluently before taking our payment and returning to her mathematics.

Her parents cooked in the kitchen behind her. When the food was ready, she rang a small bell and invited us to collect our bowls.

For five euros I received an enormous bowl of steaming Vietnamese noodles. It was fresh, delicious and to me, a poor university student without a job, it was honest and filling.

There was no show or drama, no attempt to sell us an "experience." No theatrical presentation. Just a hardworking Vietnamese immigrant family feeding their community.

Years later, I remember almost nothing else from that day in Warsaw. I don’t remember the places I visited or the people I met or even what that day looked like, but I do remember those noodles and that Vietnamese restaurant.

The Disappearance of the Ordinary

What happened to places like that? They once existed in nearly every city. Small family businesses where the owner knew regular customers by name. Restaurants that did not aspire to attain Michelin stars but simply sought to provide good food at fair prices.

These establishments served students living on tight budgets, they fed construction workers looking for a quick lunch. They served young families who wanted a simple night out. They gave poor pensioners the experience to eat something affordable without worrying about their wallets. In general, they helped people who simply wanted a decent meal without wondering whether they had just spent half their grocery budget.

Today, many of these places seem to be disappearing. Some have undoubtedly been driven out by rising rents, inflation, increasing labor costs or competition from larger chains.

Cities are often increasingly filled with restaurants designed for special occasions rather than everyday life. Reservation-only dining, with carefully curated interiors and where premium pricing is presented as normal.

There is nothing inherently wrong with fine dining. The problem arises when ordinary dining begins to disappear altogether. Every society needs places where ordinary people can gather without feeling excluded by price. 

A Catholic Perspective

This is more than just food. Restaurants have always been places where communities gather and by doing so, they bind a neighborhood together. 

Economic life should never exist solely to maximize profit. Markets are valuable servants, but they make poor masters. Businesses naturally seek to earn a living, and there is nothing immoral about making a profit. Yet profit should remain the reward for serving society, not society's ultimate purpose.

When businesses can no longer afford to serve ordinary people or choose not to, something valuable is lost.

The Church has long taught that economic life exists for the human person, not the other way around. Pope St. John Paul II, in Laborem Exercens, reminded us that work possesses dignity because it serves people and families. Likewise, the Church teaches that society should be ordered toward the common good, ensuring that ordinary people can participate fully in economic and social life.

The little Vietnamese restaurant in Warsaw embodied many of those principles without ever preaching them. You had a family worked together in service to their neighborhood, they charged prices that ordinary people could afford, their labor was not glamorous, but it was dignified and no doubt, a worthy sanctification of its own when offered up to God. They were not selling a premium sense of exclusivity either but rather were offering hospitality in their own way.

The Gospels repeatedly place Christ around a table. He dined with fishermen, tax collectors, and sinners, and when He fed the multitudes, He did so not with extravagant delicacies but with loaves and fishes, the simple food of ordinary people. 

In first-century Galilee, barley bread and fish from the Sea of Galilee formed the staple diet of labourers, fishermen and the poor. Even after His Resurrection, Christ prepared breakfast of bread and fish over a charcoal fire for His disciples on the shore, meeting them once again amid their ordinary working lives.

The Last Supper reminds Christians that a shared meal is more than a means of satisfying hunger; it is an expression of communion, fellowship, and hospitality. It is no coincidence that so many of Christ's encounters with others took place over and around food, 

The Christian tradition has long understood that welcoming others to the table is one of the simplest and most profound acts of charity. 

What We Have Lost

I do not believe every restaurant should be inexpensive. There will always be room for fine dining, ambitious chefs and culinary artistry. But there should also be room for the working man, for the students with 10 euros in his wallet, for a young family celebrating a birthday, for a pensioner who simply wants a hot meal without worrying about the bill and for friends gathering around tacos without needing to reserve a table weeks in advance.

Maybe what I miss is not cheap Mexican food at all, maybe I miss a society that made space for ordinary people.

The little Vietnamese restaurant in Warsaw had no designer furniture, no polished branding, and no carefully curated image. Yet it possessed something increasingly difficult to find: honest work, fair prices, genuine hospitality and food that welcomed everyone.

Those are the hidden gems our cities once had and I cannot help but wonder whether, in chasing sophistication, we have forgotten the simple virtue of feeding our neighbors well.

The authorBryan Lawrence Gonsalves

Journalist and essayist born in the United Arab Emirates and based in Lithuania. He is a contributor to Omnes, EWTN News and CNA Deutsch.

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The Pope Puts Young People (and Wars) at the Center of His Attention

Following the news about World Youth Day in South Korea and the gathering in Assisi, Leo XIV once again turned his attention to young people during the Angelus, encouraging them to draw inspiration from saints such as St. Dominic, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), St. Lawrence, and St. Clare of Assisi. He also called for peace in Sudan, Ukraine, and Russia.

Francisco Otamendi-August 9, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes

The Pope has once again turned his attention in a special way to young people during these summer months. To young people and to wars.

In the Angelus on this 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time, after greeting the young people from the St. Mary Magdalene Community of the Diocese of Milan, he stated that “the presence of so many youth groups, who choose to devote a few days of their vacation to educational activities and fellowship, is a sign of hope; just as was the gathering of the young Franciscans, whom I had the pleasure of meeting last Thursday in Assisi.”.

Saints: Getting to Know Exemplary Witnesses to the Gospel

He then strongly urged young people to let themselves be “inspired by exemplary witnesses to the Gospel” whom the liturgical calendar presents to us during these days.

And he referred to “some wonderful saints whom I invite you to get to know better: yesterday, the great Saint Dominic, founder of the Order of Preachers; today, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Edith Stein, a Carmelite nun murdered in Auschwitz and co-patroness of Europe; tomorrow, Saint Lawrence, deacon of the Church of Rome; the day after tomorrow, Saint Clare of Assisi, who left a life of comfort to follow Jesus—poor and humble—following the example of her fellow citizen, Saint Francis. ”Dear young people, let yourselves be inspired by these exemplary witnesses to the Gospel!”.

In the Storm on the Sea of Galilee: Jesus Does Not Abandon Us

Before reciting the Marian prayer of the Angelus, the Successor of Peter commented on this Sunday’s Gospel, which tells us of “Jesus, who, on the Sea of Galilee, walking on the water, joins the disciples in the midst of a storm (cf. Mt 14:22–33).”.

Toward the end of the night, Jesus came out to meet them on the choppy waters, and they, frightened, mistook him for a ghost (v. 26). But He said to them, ‘¡Cheer up, ’It’s me—don’t be afraid!” (v. 27). 

The Lord’s presence changes everything, the Pope said. “Peter even manages to take a few steps across the waves toward Him; then he becomes frightened, begins to sink, and Jesus saves him. When the Master gets into the boat, the storm subsides, and then a profession of faith springs spontaneously from the disciples‘ hearts: ’Truly, you are the Son of God” (v. 33).”.

“Don’t let success go to our heads”

This miracle teaches us something important, the Pontiff emphasized. “First and foremost, not to let ourselves be carried away by success and never to be presumptuous; and, at the same time, not to despair, even in moments of darkness, when we feel powerless in the face of problems and, despite our efforts, it seems to us that we are moving backward rather than forward.”. 

“No matter what, Jesus never abandons us, and if we welcome him humbly into the boat of our lives—through prayer, the sacraments, and listening to his Word—we will find peace in him, as well as light and strength for our journey.”.

Sudan, Ukraine, Russia

After reciting the Angelus, the Holy Father expressed his solidarity with all the people of Sudan, especially those in the city of El Obeid, and renewed his call on the authorities to guarantee humanitarian corridors for the civilian population, and urged the international community to support efforts aimed at achieving an immediate ceasefire. 

In closing, he encouraged prayer, “asking the Lord to sustain those who are suffering, to convert the hearts of those who sow violence, and to grant the peace we so long for.”.

Along the same lines, he revealed that he continues to receive distressing reports of innocent people being killed and wounded in Ukraine and Russia. These tragic events are occurring one after another—indeed, they are multiplying—resulting in an ever-increasing number of civilian casualties, including children. 

War only leads to more war and immense suffering

”I stand in solidarity with the families of the victims, with the wounded, and with all those who are suffering as a result of the ongoing conflict," said Leo XIV.  

“In the face of so much suffering, I renew my impassioned call for respect for international humanitarian law and for both sides to put an end to attacks on civilian targets. War only breeds more war and causes immense suffering. It is time to stop the spiral of violence and make way for diplomacy and dialogue to pave the path toward peace.”.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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Edith Stein, the Saint Teresa of Our Time

In a definitive biography, Irene Chikiar examines the life of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross as a quest for meaning.

Jose Maria Navalpotro-August 9, 2026-Reading time: 7 minutes

August 9 marks the feast day of one of Europe’s greatest contemporary saints: Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Edith Stein. An outstanding philosopher and disciple of Husserl, she was Jewish, converted to Catholicism, became a Carmelite, and was martyred during the Nazi persecution at the Birkenau concentration camp. She is one of the patron saints of Europe. Possibly the best biographical account ever written about her can be found in the monumental biography Edith Stein. Jewish. Philosopher. Saint, Published by Taurus in 2025 and written by the Argentine author Irene Chikiar Bauer. 

The author of the book holds a Ph.D. in Literature from the National University of La Plata in Argentina, a master’s degree in Sociology of Culture and Cultural Analysis, and is a professor at the University of San Martín and the University of San Antonio de Areco; she is also the author of another comprehensive biography of Virginia Woolf. She is in charge of Omnes in Madrid to promote the book about a leading philosophical and religious figure.

What attracts you to Edith Stein's profile? Why did you become interested in her? 

–When John Paul II canonized her in 1998, I first learned about this woman. I find her journey—from Judaism to her departure from her parents’ faith at age 13—truly remarkable. She considered herself an agnostic, devoted herself to her studies, and loved literature and history. Then she discovered philosophy and began asking herself the great questions of human existence—which are the great philosophical questions—but ones focused more on experience, on understanding the world, and on understanding oneself. Through this process, she came to conversion.

I believe he is a key figure for our times—times in which reason and religion are often seen as separate, at least among the general public. 

And she chose the religious path when they wouldn't let her be a teacher or lecturer, despite her success; she had always wanted to be a Carmelite, and when that path was cut off, she felt it was time to do what she had always wanted: to enter the Carmelite Order.

She has many qualities that make her special. In the book, for example, her pioneering feminism is highlighted.

–Virginia Woolf, who is the subject of my other, earlier, voluminous biography, is also a pioneer and a forerunner of feminism, but she did not define herself as such. And she was born in 1882. Edith was born nine years later, but unlike Virginia Woolf, she did go to college, and there she discovered she was a feminist, because she believed that women should have the same rights as men. Some of her friends were studying at the university, but they were grappling with their “double vocation”: What if they got married? Would they have to give it all up? Many didn’t see having a family as compatible with having a career. She firmly believed that it was possible to do both. In that sense, she considered herself a feminist and said so. 

She is also a political activist, because she was active in the Weimar Republic. Of course, she soon became disillusioned, because she says that to be in politics, you need a strong conscience and a thick skin. 

From that moment on, he devoted himself entirely to philosophy—and through philosophy. It was during this phase of phenomenology that his path to conversion took shape. She was not the only one, because Husserl had also converted to Christianity, and Adolf Reinach—an exceptional figure who was Husserl’s chief assistant—also converted. Some conversions stem from a deep, personal conviction, occurring during truly tragic moments. This is extremely striking to us today—to people who lack religious experience. We see people going through truly horrific experiences, and instead of resenting life and giving up on everything, they find this religious experience and the search for the transcendent.

As a nurse

Edith Stein worked as a nurse during World War I. How did this work influence her? 

–It’s essential. She can’t stand the fact that while Reinach and all her male friends are at war, she can’t do anything. She volunteers to be a nurse. First, she goes to the clinic where her sister Erna is a doctor, gets trained, and then leaves.

This is extremely important for nurses. In fact, she devotes the longest section of her autobiography to her time as a nurse, and she does so with great precision. She writes with a deep commitment to what the work entails. She has such empathy for the sick that I believe that experience served her well when she wrote her thesis on empathy. Because of what she experienced there—she had to care for patients who couldn’t even speak, who had to communicate with their eyes, or who didn’t speak the language—, 

The theme of empathy in Stein is a very modern one, in the sense that it’s highly relevant today, isn’t it? 

–Empathy is a word that is often used but rarely put into practice. Edith Stein contrasts with earlier views that claimed empathy was simply feeling for someone; she says that is not the case, but rather feeling what the other person feels, while recognizing that those feelings belong to the other person. That is true communication; anything else is mere contagion. That empathy also requires an ethical decision, and in that regard, Edith Stein was a master.

She always made ethical decisions with regard to others, and she asserts that “the purpose of humanity is for one’s voice to resonate with those of others.”. 

There is also something very interesting about how she never renounced her Judaism, at a time when there was tremendous anti-Jewish propaganda in Germany. As a professor and lecturer—and already a Catholic—she said this: “The Lord chose a people to be born among them; during his earthly life he spoke the language of this people, thought in their metaphors and images, observed their customs, devoted all his energies to them, and has given each people a mission on this earth and for eternity, and to each individual, a mission within this people.” She is an ecumenical, forward-thinking, incredible woman.

He is a leading figure, but I'm not sure if he is well enough known. 

–She is little known, except in Catholic circles—especially among Carmelites—because once she entered the Carmelite Order, she was no longer interested in being a renowned philosopher. Then the Nazis came, they killed her, and no one wanted to remember her.

I'm very pleased to have brought in a publisher like Penguin (Taurus)—which is a global publisher and not a religious imprint—to publish this author.

A book by Alasdair MacIntyre has been tremendously helpful to me, because he, too, from a philosophical perspective, writes about the importance of Stein and many of her insights—which, had she been able to continue working within philosophy, who knows where they might have led—and which were later developed by phenomenology as well. She made some remarkable contributions, such as her attempt to reconcile phenomenology with St. Thomas Aquinas.

It's also a bridge between faith and reason, isn't it? 

–That’s what struck me so much. A person who turns her back on her parents’ faith, who declares herself an agnostic, who throws herself into her studies like a madwoman—brilliant—and values reason above all else, eventually finds her way to religion and that reconciliation between knowledge and spirituality, which are not mutually exclusive. That’s really striking.

To Faith Through Reason

She comes to faith through reason…

–Yes, it stems from agnosticism. So how did she come to have such a profound religious experience? When Edith Stein wrote her autobiography, Nazism was already at the height of its power, and her confessors, within the Catholic community, asked her to write her story because they saw it as a way to counter the horrific Nazi propaganda.

So she writes to portray the reality of Jewish family life, which had nothing to do with what Nazi propaganda depicted. But since she was writing within that context as well, there are also many things she likely left unsaid. 

Why did she convert while reading St. Teresa? 

–When she begins to think about a transcendent figure—about God—she says, “My path will lead me to Christianity,” but she doesn’t know whether she’ll become Lutheran, like most Germans, or Catholic. Like Edith Stein, she doesn’t just sit around waiting to see what happens; instead, she starts reading everything she can: Lutheran theology, Catholic theology… At one point, she comes across the book by Teresa of Ávila, The Book of Life. And she realizes that this is her path, and she wants to become a Carmelite. Why? One thing Teresa doesn't mention is that her grandfather was Jewish. When you read the Book of Life, it's clear that Teresa is always saying that what matters is how you act in the world—your actions—not where you come from. 

To me, Edith Stein is the Saint Teresa of our time, although the context is different, because we don’t live in a religious society. Saint Teresa and Saint John lived in a very religious society; they had many enemies, but they also had many followers, which is why they were able to bring about reform and found convents. Edith Stein came along in the 20th century, at a time characterized—following positivism—by the reign of reason.

It's truly incredible that, even so, she would return to the path of spirituality. 

It should also be noted that St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa, even though they had many enemies, were surrounded by people who loved them at the end of their lives. Edith Stein died alone in a concentration camp, surrounded by victims like herself. 

Could he have avoided his martyrdom? 

–She could have escaped. At one point, the Carmelites in Germany, in order to protect her, proposed sending her to the Netherlands, but when the war broke out and the Nazis invaded the Netherlands, they tried to get her out of there. They tried to take her to Switzerland, but one of her sisters, who had also converted, was working as a gatekeeper at the convent, and Edith Stein refused to leave without her sister. Amid these delays, the Nazis finally took her away in retaliation for the Dutch bishops’ letter against Nazism, as part of a campaign of vengeance aimed at rounding up all Jews who had converted, as well as many people who had married Jews. These were the first deportations of Jews to concentration camps. That is where she was killed—in Birkenau.

What is his most notable trait?

–The name she chose when she entered religious life is telling. She chose Teresa, obviously after Teresa of Ávila; Benedicta, because she spent a lot of time with the Benedictines (many wondered why she didn’t become a Benedictine); and de la Cruz. Her name says it all—it embodies that consistency and those values. 

What is striking about Edith Stein, what is moving about her, is that search for meaning. Many Catholic biographies have described her as a seeker of truth. But from a more secular perspective, she is a seeker of the meaning of life.

Edith Stein. Jewish. Philosopher. Saint

Author: Irene Chikiar Bauer
Editorial: Taurus
Year of publication: 2025
Pages: 768
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Integral ecology

Acutis AI: This Is How Leo XIV Wants Us to Experience the AI Revolution

Peter Cooney, co-founder of Acutis AI, analyzes the encyclical Magnifica Humanitas and explains why Pope Leo XIV urges us to face the challenges of artificial intelligence without fear.

OSV / Omnes-August 9, 2026-Reading time: 4 minutes

Artificial intelligence is rapidly bringing about the end of the world as we know it, but Pope Leo XIV has an urgent message for everyone: don't run away from the changes brought about by AI; instead, face them head-on.

That was just one of the conclusions reached at a conference held on August 1 at the St. John Paul II National Shrine in Washington, where the Pope’s recent encyclical was discussed: «Magnifica Humanitas: »On the Protection of the Human Person in the Age of Artificial Intelligence.” Peter Cooney, co-founder of the Acutis AI web platform—named after St. Charles Acutis and designed as a Catholic alternative to conventional AI systems by offering answers based on Church teaching—explained Pope Leo XIV’s extensive document to the attendees.

«It starts off strong: humanity faces a crucial decision. It gets right to the point. If you look at other encyclicals, they usually start off in a much gentler tone,» said Cooney, a 21-year-old senior majoring in economics at the University of Dallas. «So I think what Pope Leo is telling us is: this is important; listen up; pay attention.» And there are good reasons for that, given the speed at which AI is spreading into all areas of daily life.

Unprecedented technology

Cooney noted that on November 30, 2022, the launch of ChatGPT, a generative AI chatbot, was announced on the social media platform Twitter, now known as X. Within five days, it already had more than one million users; now, less than four years later, it has more than one billion monthly active users. «This is the fastest-growing technology we’ve ever seen in the world,» Cooney said. «And I think there are some aspects of this technology worth highlighting that set it apart from those of the past.».

Among those differences, he said, are the diversity of AI users (ranging from children to the military); the concentrated ownership of AI (Cooney estimated that fewer than 10 companies control 95% of the current market); and the competitive race for AI between the United States and China (with the goal of turning this powerful technology into a weapon). «What we have is a handful of companies in two of the world’s most powerful nations competing to create the most advanced AI models to gain a military advantage,» Cooney emphasized. «And that same technology is present in the Chromebooks children use in their classrooms. This is the world the Holy Father is heading into.».

Even so, the Catholic Church is not without answers. With this encyclical, Pope Leo XIV has «established the Church as a moral authority on this issue,» Cooney said. «Which gives technology leaders good reasons to read the rest of what it has to say.».

The Three Dangers of Artificial Intelligence

According to Cooney, the pontiff points out three particular dangers of AI: the ease with which results can be obtained; its appearance of objectivity where none actually exists; and its ability to simulate human communication.

While AI can be truly useful, «if we stop thinking things through and simply delegate all of that to AI, we’ll lose the ability to think,» Cooney suggested, «which is a fundamental part of what makes us human.» He also confirmed that, when it comes to AI, «every response is based on probability. Basically, it’s about doing mathematical calculations and finding the highest probability that the next word will be correct,» Cooney said. «AI is not neutral.».

On the subject of human communication, Cooney added, «If we’re not careful, we may allow AI to gradually take away our human relationships… it can erode human relationships.».

What's at stake

Cooney noted that Pope Leo XIV asserts that these threats endanger truth, work, and freedom.

Truth, because AI exacerbates the problem of misinformation through its ability to manipulate images or videos; work, because using AI to replace employees undermines their human dignity; and freedom, because it’s easy to feel like you’re making a choice when, in reality, your decisions are heavily influenced by AI.

However, Cooney confirmed that Pope Leo remains hopeful. «He doesn’t say we should hide from AI or run away from it. He acknowledges all the dangers and the state of confusion and fear that prevails in the world,» Cooney said. «But he calls on us to build. He says that, despite this downward spiral, we can also glimpse a large part of humanity striving… to build the holy city.».

Don't run away—build instead

Pope Leo XIV’s exhortation, «Magnifica Humanitas,» calling on people to embrace their role as disciples of Jesus Christ in an «era of digital transformation,» is undoubtedly thought-provoking.

«Let us not be afraid to get our hands dirty in the «work in progress» of our time,» writes Pope Leo XIV in the encyclical. He urged people «not to be passive spectators of social and cultural divisions, nor mere commentators on what is falling apart, but men and women willing to enter into the works of history —research laboratories, technology companies, schools, the media, institutions, and local communities—to rebuild what has collapsed and protect what is under threat.».

According to Cooney, Pope Leo’s call to the men and women of today «is to build without fear, to protect our children, and to entrust everything to Mary.».

Disciples of Christ in the Digital Age

In response to Pope Leo’s call, Cooney offered three personal suggestions. «We can’t be afraid of AI. We have to learn how to use it—and learn how to use it well,» he said.

He also urged parents to «talk to their children and their schools to find out how AI is being used. Because it’s being used in practically every school… it’s important for them to understand how it works and the problems it sometimes presents.» And finally, Cooney recommended prayer. «I would say try to pray a few Hail Marys every day for world peace,» he said, «and that the world may resolve this together.».

OSV News correspondent Kimberley Heatherington reported from Washington.

The authorOSV / Omnes

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Culture

Hidden for Centuries: How the Recently Identified Sermons of St. Augustine Were Discovered

After lying hidden for centuries, a research team has identified two new sermons by St. Augustine.

OSV News Agency-August 9, 2026-Reading time: 5 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsWho are the Augustinians, the order of Pope Leo XIV?Related News10 times Pope Leo has quoted St. Augustine in his speeches

– OSV News / Katarzyna Szalajko

Two previously unknown sermons by St. Augustine have been identified in a 12th-century manuscript preserved in Poland, offering researchers a rare and new window into the mind of one of Christianity’s greatest theologians more than 1,600 years after he preached them.

The discovery was made in a 12th-century manuscript preserved in the diocesan library in Pelplin, in northern Poland, following nearly two years of research by experts from Germany and Austria. The sermons, which will be published in a critical edition in late 2026, address Saul’s encounter with the witch of Endor in the Book of Samuel.

The manuscript had long been cataloged in the library’s collection, but no one had studied it in depth prior to the recent collaboration with researchers from Germany and Austria, Father Jan Walkusz, director of the Pelplin Diocesan Library, explained to OSV News.

“Only recent research by experts from Bad Doberan, Würzburg, and Vienna has shown that the manuscript contains two previously unknown sermons by the Bishop of Hippo”, said the priest.

How the Rigorous Academic Research Began

The story began with a phone call.

“In 2024, Paul Nebauer from Bad Doberan contacted me… who had found a medieval manuscript containing sermons attributed to Augustine in the diocesan library in Pelplin,” Christian Tornau, a Latin scholar and professor at Julius-Maximilians University in Würzburg, told OSV News.

“He asked me for help identifying and translating the texts,” the professor added.

Nebauer, a member of the Bad Doberan Monastery Association, has spent years tracking down medieval manuscripts from the former Cistercian abbey. Its library was destroyed during the Thirty Years' War in the 17th century.

During his research visits to Pelplin in 2024 and 2025, Nebauer identified six manuscripts that clearly originated in Bad Doberan. One volume immediately caught his attention.

Two keywords caught the researcher's attention

“At first, the brief table of contents offered little information about the content,” Nebauer told OSV News. “It was only the keywords ‘Phytonissa’ and ‘Resuscitatio Samuelis’ that drew my attention to the biblical story of the witch (diviner) of Endor.”.

In the First Book of Samuel, chapter 28, King Saul consults a medium who summons the prophet Samuel before his final battle against the Philistines. This episode has long posed a challenge for Christian interpreters, as it appears to show a medium exercising power over one of God’s prophets.

Nebauer “found the text very unusual: words like that from St. Augustine?” he recalled. Realizing that the manuscript required expert analysis, he contacted Tornau. The 12th-century manuscript was copied in Bad Doberan, possibly from a now-lost manuscript from Amelungsborn Abbey.

Two new sermons that have never been identified before

Father Walkusz explained that the manuscript arrived in Pelplin through the Cistercian monks. When the monks of Bad Doberan established a daughter abbey in Pelplin in the 13th century, “it was customary among the Cistercians to provide the new community with the necessary liturgical and theological books,” he told OSV News. “That is how this volume containing the sermons of St. Augustine, along with other manuscripts from Bad Doberan, came to Pelplin.”.

Of the six sermons preserved in the manuscript, four were already known to experts, while two had never been identified.

“We were, of course, fascinated by the idea of having discovered new sermons by Augustine,” Tornau told OSV News, “but we soon became skeptical because in some passages the sermons did not seem to have been written by Augustine.” The team, which was joined by researchers Dorothea Weber and Clemens Weidmann from the Corpus Scriptorum Ecclesiasticorum Latinorum (CSEL) in Vienna, spent nearly two years transcribing and analyzing the texts, including during a summer school in 2025 attended by about 20 specialists.

“Ongoing philological work” for nearly 2 years

“Our final conclusion that they are indeed authentic is the result of nearly two years of ongoing philological work,” Tornau said.

The experts based their conclusion on liturgical, linguistic, and theological evidence that consistently points to St. Augustine as the author. Clemens Weidmann of the CSEL, who also worked on the edition, noted that attributing the manuscript to St. Augustine was only the starting point. “However, this alone is not enough to prove Augustine’s authorship, because many inauthentic sermons are falsely attributed to him in the manuscripts,” he told OSV News.

“Since the preacher is thus indistinguishable from Augustine, we consider it methodologically sound to attribute the work to Augustine rather than invent an anonymous ‘student’ or ‘follower,’” Tornau explained to OSV News. “No disciple or later author would have been so familiar with Augustine’s style and thought as to compile an ‘Augustinian sermon’ that brings together so many stylistic features found throughout his entire body of work,” Weidmann added to OSV News.

Cultural and Religious Treasures from the Pelplin Collection

Father Walkusz stated that the discovery also highlights the importance of the Pelplin collection itself. “The discovery of these sermons proves beyond a doubt that the meticulously preserved collections in Pelplin hold immense cultural and religious treasures, accessible to researchers from around the world,” he told OSV News.

“New discoveries of works from Late Antiquity are always a sensation,” Weber, a retired professor and longtime scholar of Augustine at the CSEL, told OSV News. The newly identified sermons also offer an unusually personal glimpse of St. Augustine as a preacher, she emphasized.

“It’s extremely fascinating to see how Agustín explained to the congregation why he hadn’t had a chance to prepare the Bible passage he was supposed to preach on,” Weber told OSV News. “He initially tried to buy some time to organize his thoughts, and yet, despite improvising, he achieved his usual stylistic brilliance and a clear structure in his complex argument,” he added.

The sermons focus on one of the most debated episodes in the Old Testament. According to Tornau, early Christian interpreters generally proposed two explanations for Saul’s encounter with Samuel: either God allowed the prophet to appear despite the sorceress’s actions, or Saul was deceived by an evil spirit posing as Samuel. Rather than insisting that only one interpretation is correct, St. Augustine carefully examines both.

What St. Augustine Addresses in His Sermons

“In his new sermons, Augustine analyzes both options—their pros and cons—and concludes that both are acceptable because neither runs counter to the Christian faith,” Tornau explained to OSV News.

“This openness to differing interpretations of Scripture is characteristic of Augustine in general.”.

Weber pointed out that this approach sets St. Augustine apart from many other early Christian authors.

“Augustine’s goal is not to prescribe a single ‘correct’ interpretation, but rather to explore the range of possible interpretations that remain within the framework of Church doctrine,” he said. “There aren’t many of Augustine’s sermons that take such a systematic approach to an exegetical problem and that, therefore, demand a high level of intellectual engagement from the audience.”.

St. Augustine “resolves the issue in a very elegant way”

Nebauer believes that this openness is precisely what makes the newly discovered sermons relevant today. “The story of the ‘witch of Endor’ poses a challenge to faith in God,” he told OSV News. “However, St. Augustine resolves the issue very elegantly.”.

“It presents several possible interpretations, refrains from passing a definitive judgment, and allows its listeners to draw their own conclusions.” Researchers note that the most surprising theological insight appears near the end of the newly identified texts. “The most notable element of the new sermons is the idea that Saul, after hearing Samuel’s prophecy, may have repented and been redeemed,” Tornau explained to OSV News.

“It is indicative of Augustine’s independence of judgment and his willingness to consider that everyone—even those who seem most wicked—is capable of being saved through God’s grace,” Tornau told OSV News. “This combines intellectual honesty and episcopal humility in a remarkable and deeply Augustinian way.”.

This article was first published in OSV News. We are reprinting it on Omnes with permission. You can read the original article in English. HERE.

The authorOSV News Agency

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RelatedRelated NewsWho are the Augustinians, the order of Pope Leo XIV?Related News10 times Pope Leo has quoted St. Augustine in his speeches
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Evangelization

From Prisoner to Deacon: Robert Ehnow Found God in Prison

Robert Ehnow went from serving a prison sentence to being ordained a deacon and dedicating his life to supporting prisoners, convinced that justice does not end with punishment but must pave the way for forgiveness and restoration.

Charlie Camosy / OSV News-August 8, 2026-Reading time: 5 minutes

How does one go from serving a prison sentence to having a closer relationship with God? Robert Ehnow, director of the Office for Life, Peace, and Justice for the Roman Catholic Diocese of San Diego, is in a unique position to answer this question, as he went from prison to being ordained a deacon in 2025 and on to working in prison ministry. He recently spoke with Charles Camosy of OSV News about his experience and what Catholics should know about the prison system. 

Can I ask you about your story and how it led you to write a book titled *All Things New: A Journey from Fragility to Restoration*?

—My story really begins after I retired from the Marine Corps in 2008; I had a successful 20-year career as a Marine Corps officer. My wife and I bought a business when I retired from the Marine Corps, and the business did very well for three years.  

I was making more money than I could ever have imagined, and my goal was to make even more. I suppose you could say that my moral compass wasn’t pointing north at that point in my life. In January 2011, 25 federal agents raided my home and my business and informed me that I was the subject of a federal investigation. 

In an instant, my life changed completely. Over the next decade, I faced criminal charges, a federal trial, incarceration, the collapse of my business, personal bankruptcy, and multiple civil lawsuits. The difficult time my wife and I were going through coincided with God’s call for us not only to draw closer to Him, but also to equip ourselves to serve Him and His Church. Both Colette and I were shattered and humiliated, and through God’s grace, we were able to rise above our suffering and pain to be transformed into something new—hence the book’s title: «All Things New.».

When I started working for the Diocese of San Diego in 2018, I began sharing my personal story about my experience with the criminal and civil legal systems. Many people encouraged me to write a book, but I wasn’t ready because my story wasn’t over yet. Colette and I didn’t emerge from our «valley» until 2020, and then the COVID-19 pandemic presented us with a different kind of «valley» for all of humanity. 

It was during this time of the COVID-19 pandemic that God called me to consider the possibility of being ordained a deacon in the Church, and I began my diaconal formation in the summer of 2020. The formation process to become a deacon lasts five years, and, to be honest, I had serious doubts about my suitability and my commitment to becoming a deacon. It was my sister Colette, my pastor, and others who encouraged me to take things slowly, one year at a time.  

When I was ordained in May 2025, my story of personal growth—from adversity to restoration—was complete, and that was also when I finished the draft of *All Things New*. It was not my decision, but God’s, that allowed me to finish the book after my ordination.

I'm going to talk with you about your story and your book during a webinar on August 10, which is also the feast day of St. Maximilian Kolbe. How does his story relate to yours?

“While I was in prison, I watched a documentary about St. Maximilian Kolbe. I followed his story and discovered that he was the patron saint of prisoners. I began to ask for his intercession and asked him to guide me toward a better relationship with God.”. 

I was released from prison in 2015, and for a couple of years—while I was back in college completing my doctorate—I drifted away from St. Kolbe in my prayer life. In July 2018, I began working for the diocese, directing the diocesan prison ministry. The following month, in August, one of my colleagues gave me an icon of St. Maximilian Kolbe to inspire my work in prisons. 

The icon of Father Kolbe still hangs at the entrance to my office; it is a reminder of the sacred nature of our work and of the sacrifice he made so that another might live. Father Kolbe is a modern saint who voluntarily gave his life for another—an example of unconditional self-sacrifice, in the manner of Christ. As I began to carry out my ministry in the diocese, I once again asked Father Kolbe to guide me and intercede before the Lord for the success of our ministry.  

In Chapter 2 of *All Things New*, I write about the story of St. Kolbe and how his story, along with those of other saints, provided me with guidance and inspiration during my time in prison and, later, in the work I do on behalf of prisoners in the diocese.

In what ways do the ideas that interest you manifest themselves today?

“No one wants to be in prison, but it also offers abundant opportunities for growth, especially spiritual growth. My Catholic faith not only endured but grew exponentially during my incarceration.”.  

During my time in prison, I read voraciously, and that reading led me to reflect deeply on issues that concerned me, particularly justice. I had broken the law and had to face the consequences of my actions. In my opinion, the process I went through within the system focused less on justice and more on punishment and retribution. 

Through my own experience within the system and my research following my incarceration, I discovered that our justice system rarely aligns with our values as citizens and Christians. Jesus is perfect justice. God’s justice is not focused solely on punishment. Accountability and punishment are elements of justice, but they are meant to be sanctions that lead to restoration.  

Divine justice focuses on restoring relationships and making amends for the harm caused. God perfects justice through love, mercy, and forgiveness. I believe we must strive to align our justice system with the divine model, where mercy and forgiveness provide the opportunity for true reconciliation and restoration.

As is often the case with many problems, these seem so vast and deeply rooted that it can be difficult to know where to start when trying to bring about change. How might people who are moved by your story and your advocacy work address this issue in their own lives? 

— «All Things New» seeks to transform hearts. We all make mistakes, and we all fall short of the ideal God has for us. Yet God loves us despite our mistakes and sins. All too often, we condemn others and seem not to care whether there is a path to forgiveness and restoration. As Catholics, we live in the world, but we are not of this world. 

Ideally, justice for us should be aligned with God’s justice, where accountability and punishment may be necessary, but mercy, forgiveness, and restoration are the ultimate goals.  

I believe that for all of us who think about or care about justice, it all begins with a change in perspective and a refocusing on divine justice. Once we understand justice according to God’s purpose, we can begin to advocate for it and educate others about it.

Charles Camosy teaches moral theology and bioethics at The Catholic University of America in Washington.

The authorCharlie Camosy / OSV News

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Culture

Catholic Scientists: Enrique Gutiérrez Ríos

Enrique Gutiérrez was a great chemist born in Madrid who went on to hold professorships in inorganic chemistry.

Ignacio del Villar and Alfonso V. Carrascosa-August 8, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

Enrique Gutiérrez Ríos (December 12, 1915 – August 8, 1990) was a chemist born in Madrid who, in 1940, began his doctoral dissertation at the Institute of Soil Science under the supervision of Father José María Albareda, who greatly influenced his scientific and administrative training. He later held the chair of Inorganic Chemistry at the University of Granada and the Complutense University of Madrid. At the latter, he served as rector (1964–1967).

His scientific career was also closely linked to the CSIC, where he held various positions: director of the Zaidín Experimental Station in Granada (1954–1957) and of the «Elhuyar» Institute of Organic Chemistry (1983–1984), as well as vice president (1967–1971) and president (1973–1974).

He also held important positions at various institutions: he served as president of the Royal Spanish Society of Physics and Chemistry (1966–1970) and of the National Council of Education (1968). He also earned his doctorate honoris causa from the University of Granada in 1972 and received the Individual Research Award from the Juan de la Cierva Foundation (1948), the Francisco Franco Prize for Science (1966) and the José María Albareda Prize (1969), as well as the Grand Cross of the Civil Order of Alfonso X the Wise. Furthermore, he was a member of the Royal Academies of Pharmacy and of Exact, Physical, and Natural Sciences, and held prominent positions in government and scientific circles: he served as president of the Advisory Commission on Scientific and Technical Research of the Office of the Prime Minister, as a Councilor of the Realm representing Spanish universities, and as director of the CSIC’s «Elhuyar» Institute of Inorganic Chemistry.

As a researcher, he focused on structural inorganic chemistry, with a special emphasis on clays, bentonites, and montmorillonites, introducing innovative techniques such as X-ray crystallography for the thermal and structural characterization of silicates. He published more than 150 papers in national and international journals, obtained patents on minerals and interlaminar compounds, and wrote seminal books such as Inorganic Chemistry, who influenced several generations of chemists. He also took an interest in science outreach and culture, publishing various works and biographies of Spanish scientists.

As for his faith, he joined Opus Dei in 1954 and remained a member until his death, which occurred in Madrid. He was married and had six children.

The authorIgnacio del Villar and Alfonso V. Carrascosa

Public University of Navarra and SCS-Spain / Researcher at the CSIC.

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Integral ecology

Where is God not?

In the face of the throwaway culture, we must uphold the value of every life and our duty to tenderly support those who suffer the most.

Eloy Asenjo, Carpenter-August 8, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes

From a strictly scientific point of view, it is becoming increasingly difficult to uphold the theory that we are merely a cosmic accident, a simple product of chance. At the very least, in the most immediate sense, we are the fruit of the love of a man and a woman who have loved us, love us, and will love us regardless of what we were, are, or will become. But for those of us who also view the world through the eyes of faith, the perspective broadens infinitely: we know that we are the dream of a God who is Father. A Father who, like anyone who loves their children, has planned for us a kind of «novel» in which we are called to be the true protagonists.

Sometimes we decide to stray from the script and ignore the call. However, what is truly revolutionary about this Author is that He never closes the book. As Pope Leo XIV recalled during his recent and moving visit to the Brians 1 Correctional Facility, the mistakes we make do not define us. God always waits.

If our existence is so valuable, if every person is a unique and irreplaceable embodiment of dignity, at what point did we start to believe we had the right to play at being the directors of life and death?

Where is God in suffering?

It’s true that life can be tough. It deals us setbacks, throws our plans into disarray, and confronts us with situations that, at first glance, we can only describe as bad. In the midst of the shipwreck, when pain is at its worst, the human temptation is to fall into despair, indifference, or resentment, crying out the eternal question: “Where is God?” I prefer to turn the question around by drawing on an old lesson my mother taught me when I was a child: the real question we should be asking ourselves is, “Where isn’t He?”

It lies in fragility, in vulnerability, in those who have no voice. That is why, when faced with the turmoil of a high-risk pregnancy or the diagnosis of a serious and terminal illness, the response of a mature and compassionate society can never be the easy way out. In keeping with the prayer intention the Holy Father proposes for this month of July, the true challenge is to ask the Lord of life to «heal our hearts of indifference» so that we may learn to «tenderly support the fragile and courageously defend those who have no voice.» Succumbing to the throwaway culture through abortion or euthanasia is not a sign of progress, but of surrender.

Those of us who have been close to those crossroads know all too well the weight of reality. The initial fear and pain in the face of the uncertainty of a pregnancy are immense. But how few speak of the other reality—that of the immense joy and deep peace that fills a mother and a family when, overcoming adverse prognoses and social pressures, they courageously decide to carry that pregnancy to term. There is no greater human triumph than discovering that life, even when it comes with difficulties, always finds a way if given a chance.

To be there until the very last breath

That same truth applies to the other extreme of our existence. I have experienced this firsthand just this past two weeks, with the passing of my brother Javier. If we had chosen the path of indifference, the laws of cold pragmatism would have robbed our entire family of something sacred: more than a week of shared emotion, of necessary goodbyes, of forgiveness
comforting and, paradoxically, a source of immense joy at the gift of his life and at being able to be by his side—thanks to good palliative care—until his last breath.

Respect for human life is neither an abstract concept confined to a laboratory nor an ideological debate on a political platform; it is the defense of the mystery that dwells within every person from their very first moment until their last breath on earth. To love life as God loves it means to embrace it in its entirety—with its light and its cracks. It means proclaiming, through the steadfast witness of our daily actions, that fragility is not eliminated—it is sustained.

The authorEloy Asenjo, Carpenter

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United States

Kansas Opens a New Seminary in Wichita After 20 Years of Planning

A diocese in Kansas will open its own seminary in late August, fulfilling a dream that has been in the works for more than two decades.

OSV / Omnes-August 8, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes

- Gina Christian, OSV News

The Diocese of Wichita, in Kansas, announced on August 6 that Bishop Carl A. Kemme will formally establish The San Felipe Neri Seminary. The name comes from the 16th-century priest and founder of the Congregation of the Oratory, who helped revitalize both the clergy and the Church during the Counter-Reformation.

“The seminary's rector was ”known for his joyful spirit, his profound holiness, and his dedication to the formation of priests and to evangelization through genuine friendship,' Bishop Kemme stated in a diocesan press release.".

Starting August 26, The New Seminar It will succeed the St. Joseph Formation House, which Bishop Kemme inaugurated in 2017 “to provide local formation for university seminarians,” according to the diocese.

Father Chad Arnold, a diocesan priest who has directed the formation house since 2023, has been named founding rector of St. Philip Neri Seminary. Fathers Garett Burns and Michael Brungardt, who are also diocesan priests, have been appointed vice-rectors for pastoral formation and academic formation, respectively.

20 years of planning and development and sentences

The seminar’s opening marks the culmination of more than 20 years of planning and development for the project. It had even been “shelved” for more than a decade after initial discussions and feasibility studies were conducted in the early 2000s, according to the seminar’s website.

Bishop Kemme revived the idea in 2017 and opened the St. Joseph Formation House as a two-year program. The initial enrollment of seven seminarians soon doubled to 16, prompting the diocese to purchase a convent to house them and expand the formation team.

Bishop Carl A. Kemme of Wichita, in an undated photograph (Photo by OSV News/Courtesy of the Diocese of Wichita).

By 2019, the formation house had become a full-fledged four-year university seminary, partnering with Newman University in Wichita to educate seminarians. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the first class of graduates from the Diocese of Kansas—five in all—completed the program in 2020.

42 men are preparing for the priesthood

The program's first priests were ordained in 2024, bringing the total to 10 to date, and three dioceses in Kansas —Wichita, Salina, and Dodge City—will be served by the future seminary.

“What began with seven seminarians has grown into a thriving community of 42 men preparing for the priesthood and serving in three dioceses in Kansas,” the diocese said in its press release.

“The growth of this program has been made possible by the prayers, generosity, and sacrifices of countless faithful Catholics throughout our diocese,” said Father Arnold. “This achievement belongs to the entire diocesan family. We are deeply grateful to all who have supported priestly vocations and helped make this day possible.”.

“The founding of St. Philip Neri Seminary is a moment of deep gratitude for the Diocese of Wichita,” Bishop Kemme said. “It reflects the Lord’s abundant blessings on our efforts to foster the priestly vocations ”and our commitment to forming holy, joyful, and faithful priests who will serve the people of God for generations to come.".

—————–

Gina Christian is a multimedia reporter for OSV News. You can follow her on X @GinaJesseReina

This information was originally published in OSV News. You can consult it here.

The authorOSV / Omnes

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The Vatican

Here's What Pope Leo XIV's Visit to France Will Look Like

Pope Leo XIV will visit Paris, Lourdes, and Metz from September 25 to 28 on a trip that will include a private meeting with victims of abuse; the trip’s logo is inspired by the rose windows of French Gothic cathedrals.

Teresa Aguado Peña-August 7, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes

The Holy See has released the itinerary for Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic visit to France from September 25 to 28, a visit that will combine meetings with the country’s leading authorities, an address at UNESCO headquarters, liturgical celebrations in Paris, Lourdes, and Metz, and various events with young people, bishops, members of religious orders, and people in vulnerable situations. Over the course of the four-day trip, the Pontiff will deliver nine speeches and four homilies, in addition to presiding over several celebrations and moments of prayer.

The Vatican has also announced that, during his stay in France, the Pontiff will hold a private meeting with several victims of abuse committed within the Church. According to the Holy See, the victims themselves will be involved in preparing for this meeting, the details of which will be announced at a later date. Below is the complete itinerary for the Holy Father’s apostolic trip.

Friday, September 25

Rome – Paris – Saint-Denis – Paris

  • 07:50 Flight from Rome-Fiumicino International Airport to Paris.
  • 10:00 Arrival at Paris-Orly International Airport. Welcome ceremony.
  • 11:00 Visit with the President of the Republic at the Élysée Palace.
  • 11:45 Meeting with government officials, civil society representatives, and the diplomatic corps at the Élysée Palace.
  • 15:00 Visit to the headquarters of the United Nations Educational, Scientific, and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).
  • 17:15 Celebration of Vespers with the bishops, priests, deacons, men and women in consecrated life, and seminarians at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris.
  • 21:00 Prayer vigil with young people at the Stade de France in Saint-Denis.

Saturday, September 26

Paris – Lourdes

  • 09:00 Visit to the Maison Bakhita Support and Social Integration Center.
  • 10:15 Meeting with members of the Provincial Synodal Assembly, catechumens, and new believers at the Catholic Institute of Paris.
  • 15:00 Holy Mass at Plaza de la Concordia.
  • 17:45 Flight from Paris-Orly International Airport to Lourdes.
  • 19:05 Arrival at Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées International Airport.
  • 19:40 Prayer at the Grotto of the Apparitions in Massabielle, at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Sunday, September 27

Lourdes

  • 09:00 Meeting with the bishops of the French Episcopal Conference in the Santa Bernardita Chamber at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.
  • 11:00 Holy Mass at the Meadow of the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.
  • 15:30 A gathering with the staff and residents of Accueil Notre-Dame at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.
  • 16:45 Private meeting with the contemplative nuns at the Carmelite Monastery in Lourdes.
  • 21:00 Prayer of the Holy Rosary and torchlight procession at the Shrine of Our Lady of Lourdes.

Monday, September 28

Lourdes – Metz – Rome

  • 07:40 Flight from Tarbes-Lourdes-Pyrénées International Airport to Metz.
  • 09:20 Arrival at Metz-Nancy-Lorraine International Airport.
  • 10:00 Interfaith gathering at the Robert Schuman Convention Center in Metz.
  • 11:00 «At the Roots of Europe: For Peace and Unity» conference at the Robert Schuman Convention Center in Metz.
  • 16:00 Holy Mass at St. Stephen's Cathedral.
  • 18:30 Farewell ceremony at Metz-Nancy-Lorraine International Airport.
  • 19:00 Departure by plane to Rome.
  • 20:50 Arrival at Rome-Fiumicino International Airport.

Logo and motto of Pope Leo XIV’s apostolic journey to France

Logo for Pope Leo's Trip to France

The logo for the Holy Father’s apostolic journey to France depicts a circular stained-glass window, reminiscent of the rose windows found in Gothic cathedrals, and symbolizes the beauty of the Church’s communion and unity. In the center, the pointed arch and the cross express the apostolic and liturgical dimensions of the visit. The dove, hovering in the center of the image, symbolizes the Holy Spirit and carries an olive branch as a sign of peace for all humanity. The colors blue, white, and red represent France; they intertwine with the colors of the Vatican to create the orange of light and the green of hope, highlighting the spiritual dimension of the visit.

The chosen theme: «That the world may have life» (cf. Jn 6:51), is an invitation to recognize the greatest gift that Christ the Savior has bestowed upon us. It is also a call to hope and communion, which encourages us to overcome divisions in order to share in peace, reconciliation, and fraternity—signs of new life in the world. These words of Jesus also express the spirit with which the Church in France welcomes the Holy Father’s visit—that is, with joy, openness, and a deep desire to bear witness to the gift of life that comes from God.

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  • The project that aims to prevent thousands of women from continuing to give birth at home
The World

The project that aims to prevent thousands of women from continuing to give birth at home

The renovation of the Malaika Health Center will make it possible to provide safe care to some 2,000 women and reduce maternal and infant mortality in one of the poorest areas of the Democratic Republic of the Congo.

Teresa Aguado Peña-August 7, 2026-Reading time: 4 minutes

For many families in the rural areas of Isangi, in Tshopo Province (Democratic Republic of the Congo), the birth of a child remains a time marked by fear. The lack of healthcare infrastructure, long distances to health centers, and poverty force many women to give birth in their own homes or under extremely precarious conditions, without professional assistance and at risk of complications that endanger both their lives and those of their babies.

In this region, maternal and infant mortality rates remain high. Many of these deaths could be prevented with adequate care during pregnancy and childbirth. However, the progressive deterioration of the Malaika Health Center, managed by the Diocesan Office of Medical Works (BDOM) in Isangi, has significantly reduced its capacity to care for pregnant women. What had been a lifeline for the most vulnerable families for years eventually lost much of its capacity due to the deterioration of the facilities and a lack of equipment.

To address this situation, Harambee Spain and Harambee Switzerland, in collaboration with the Diocese of Isangi, have launched the «Born with Dignity» project, an initiative that will renovate and equip the delivery room at the Malaika Health Center. The project includes a complete renovation of the facilities, the purchase of obstetric equipment, training for healthcare staff, and an awareness campaign to encourage women to go to the center rather than give birth at home.

The goal is to improve childbirth care for some 2,000 women, reduce maternal and neonatal mortality, and restore the facility’s role as a safe place for the birth of a new life.

Sister Agathe Franka, director of the Diocesan Office for Medical Works (BDOM) in Isangi, explains the reality faced by women in this region and how they hope this project will transform the future of thousands of families.

What is life like for women in rural areas of Isangi when it's time to give birth?

–On the one hand, in rural areas, only a small number of women give birth at health posts, health centers, or hospitals. These are generally women whose husbands or relatives have some financial resources that allow them to cover the associated costs, and, in most cases, they are women who live in areas where it is still possible to find a health facility capable of providing childbirth-related services.

Furthermore, the vast majority of women in rural areas give birth outside of delivery rooms and outside of health centers. The reasons include, among others: difficulties in reaching the hospital quickly due to distance and road conditions, and economic hardship (women prefer to seek the help of a midwife who does not charge much for her services). Sometimes, a woman arrives with only a single garment to wear and has not prepared anything—neither clothes nor maternity supplies—for the newborn. Most women face significant risks: the delivery bed is uncomfortable, and childbirth takes place on the floor, on a mat, on a table, or on a mattress.

It should be noted that the Congolese government has made maternal care free of charge and has banned home births.

As can be seen, in rural areas, the consequences of inadequate maternal care include: hemorrhage, cervical lacerations, infections, postpartum complications, infant mortality…

What specific consequences are unassisted births having on maternal and neonatal mortality in the region?

–The consequences of unassisted childbirth are very serious for both mothers and newborns. High-risk pregnancies are often not detected in time, and the necessary precautions are not taken to prevent complications such as uterine rupture. Furthermore, in the event of hemorrhage, the appropriate medication to treat it is often unavailable. There is also a lack of knowledge and equipment to perform resuscitation procedures when a newborn has breathing difficulties, as well as insufficient understanding of the progression of labor and the use of basic tools such as the partogram. Added to this are inappropriate practices, such as rupturing the amniotic sac before the cervix has fully dilated—which can cause tears—delayed transfer to a hospital when complications arise, and a lack of hygiene and adequate medical supplies, all of which contribute to increased maternal and infant mortality.

What did the Malaika Health Center previously mean to the families of Isangi, and what do they hope its renovation will bring?

–Previously, the Malaïka center played a very important role for families in Isangi by providing care to vulnerable families, including pregnant women, malnourished children, people with leprosy, and women and men who had difficulty accessing other primary health care services.

With the renovation of the delivery room, many women will be delighted to give birth in good conditions. This joy is shared by their entire family. We believe that the infant mortality rate will decrease and that postpartum complications will disappear. Furthermore, this could lead to a significant reduction in home births and an increase in the number of women who come to the center to give birth. They will be delighted to give birth in good conditions.

How can we encourage women to trust the facility and choose to give birth with professional care rather than at home?

–This will be possible thanks to certain aspects and specific practices at the facility. In fact, the trust of women can be earned by providing a warm welcome to patients, adequately educating them during prenatal consultations (CPN), and showing them—or allowing them to see for themselves—how well-equipped the delivery room is and that hygiene and well-being are the center’s top priorities. Another important aspect is also offering an affordable fee (if necessary).

How can we ensure that the project remains sustainable over time?

–We ensure the project’s sustainability through the involvement of the local community. To this end, the Diocesan Office of Medical Works will strive to mobilize the community to take ownership of the project. Thus, the opening of a pharmacy, raising chickens and pigs, farming, and the income generated by this center will contribute to the project’s sustainability.

If you had to explain in one sentence why this project is necessary, what would you say to someone who is considering supporting it?

–«Thanks to this project, childbirth conditions will improve, which will reduce infant and maternal mortality rates as well as the number of home births; this is a great relief for the Isangi community and a source of hope.».

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The World

Labor Prime Minister Burnham Advocates for Palliative Care

The new British prime minister, Andy Burnham, A Catholic and a Labor Party member, he has called for palliative care services to receive adequate funding. Catholic leaders have expressed their satisfaction.

OSV / Omnes-August 7, 2026-Reading time: 5 minutes

– Andy Drozdziak, OSV News

Bishops in the United Kingdom and leaders of Catholic organizations have welcomed the support of the new Catholic prime minister, Andy Burnham, to palliative care. In addition, Catholic charities have been encouraged to draw on their faith to support the poor and take action against the climate crisis.

Archbishop John Sherrington of Liverpool, the lead bishop for life issues at the Catholic Bishops“ Conference of England and Wales, has publicly endorsed Burnham’s call for ”palliative care services to receive adequate funding.”.

Significant Support for Palliative Care

Prime Minister Burnham has stated that it is necessary to “address” the funding of palliative care and social services so that vulnerable people can have “peace of mind” regarding the care they receive at the end of their lives.

“It is highly significant that the Prime Minister has reaffirmed his position on the need for adequate palliative and social care ahead of the second reading (in September) of the bill on terminally ill adults (end-of-life care), which contains fundamental flaws,” Archbishop Sherrington said in a July 29 statement. 

Another vote on assisted dying on September 11

Following the failure of the first attempt to legalize euthanasia in the British Parliament last spring, it is expected that another try to introduce the bill on September 11.

“People who are dying are vulnerable and need compassionate care and spiritual support until their last breath,” said Archbishop Sherrington, urging lawmakers to “vote against this dangerous legislation” during the September 11 session “and to work together to ensure that our palliative care and social services can be held up as examples of truly dignified end-of-life care for everyone.”.

“We have consistently advocated for significant investment in palliative and end-of-life care as an appropriate approach to upholding the dignity of all at the end of life, and we have opposed a bill that seeks to legalize assisted suicide,” Archbishop Sherrington added.

Burnham: “Catholic social teaching underpins my politics”

Burnham, the first British prime minister born into the Catholic faith, has long spoken about the influence his faith has on his political views, stating, “Catholic social teaching underpins my politics.”.

As soon as Burnham took office as prime minister, messages began to arrive urging him to put his faith into practice.

His Catholic influence: ending poverty 

Burnham’s Catholic influence was evident even before he took office, as he visited The Passage, a charity for the homeless in London, just hours before his appointment. The Passage’s values and philosophy are inspired by the teachings and example of St. Vincent de Paul. During his inaugural address as prime minister, Burnham promised to “end homelessness in our country.”.

“It’s about putting the right values and standards at the heart of government,” he said on July 20.

Caritas Salford is a charity that helps homeless people and those living in poverty in Greater Manchester and Lancashire, where Burnham served as mayor. Burnham, who was once an altar boy, previously served as Secretary of State for Culture and Secretary of State for Health before becoming mayor in 2017.

Referring to his own interactions with Burnham, Director Patrick O’Dowd told OSV News that “Andy Burnham has visited our Cornerstone day center in Manchester, which provides support to people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless.”. 

O’Dowd praised Burnham’s commitment to ending homelessness, describing Burnham as «a leader who is undoubtedly aware of the importance of Catholic social teaching.».

Call for Urgent Help for Children Living in Extreme Poverty

Caritas Salford is appealing for urgent help for children living in extreme poverty, after recent data revealed that many children live in precarious conditions and arrive at school with holes in their shoes. 

O’Dowd said, “We see all too often families living in cold, damp homes. We want Andy Burnham to drive rapid change and to put people at the center of the decisions he makes.”.

In October 2025, during a lecture given by Theos, a group of religious experts, Burnham advocated for a new approach to politics based on “trust, community, faith, beliefs, and connection.”. 

Ending homelessness is not the only issue that Catholics want the new prime minister to address from a Catholic perspective. The British Catholic aid organization CAFOD is urging Burnham to draw on his Catholic faith to take decisive action on the climate crisis and support the poorest countries.

In February 2025, the government announced that the foreign aid budget would be reduced from 0.5% to 0.3% of gross national product, and later added that the money saved would be used to fund defense spending. 

“The issue of foreign aid is crucial”

Neil Thorns, director of advocacy and education at CAFOD, told OSV News on July 22: “The issue of foreign aid is crucial. We want the aid budget to be restored. For us, as Catholics, it is an expression of our solidarity with our brothers and sisters.”. 

Thorns added that Burnham should focus on «issues of financial reform» and allow «countries to work toward a prosperous future.».

In a letter In a letter dated July 16 addressed to Burnham, CAFOD pledged, along with other faith-based charities, to “work side by side with you in the service of the common good.”.

The letter urged Burnham to “put the climate and nature at the center of his government’s mission” and to provide “clean and affordable energy.” CAFOD also asked Burnham to “take a strong lead as G20 chair, taking action on debt, taxation, and illicit financial flows.”.

Proposal from Private Lenders and Debt Relief

With a focus on debt relief, CAFOD wants the government to pass a law requiring private lenders to participate in debt relief on the same terms as other lenders, so that they can no longer reap huge profits from countries struggling with unsustainable debt. 

Thorns told OSV News that the debt crisis “is affecting these low-income countries and preventing them from investing in climate change response, health care, and education. ”Burnham really needs to look beyond our national borders and see the world as Catholic social teaching teaches us: How do you recognize your brothers and sisters around the world?”

Catholic charities also have high hopes that Burnham will make an impact on justice issues. The Catholic justice group Caritas Social Action Network (CSAN) has invited Burnham to discuss how to “build thriving communities,” while the UK Jesuit Refugee Service has urged the British prime minister to “build a humane asylum system.”.

Respect for Human Dignity at a Decisive Moment

In his congratulatory message on July 20, Archbishop Richard Moth of Westminster, president of the bishops“ conference, called on Burnham to ”respond with genuine concern and respect for human dignity and for the needs of families, the marginalized, and the vulnerable.”.

Meanwhile, Bishop Peter Collins of East Anglia has described the reintroduction of the bill on terminally ill adults (palliative care) as a “defining moment for our country,” and has called for more resources to be allocated to palliative care services. 

Bishop Collins stated that the bill “leaves many questions unresolved regarding its practical implementation and its far-reaching implications for people with disabilities or those who are vulnerable.”.

“Instead of considering assisted suicide, our society should address the need to establish and fund a universal palliative care system throughout the country,” the bishop added.

——————–

Andy Drozdziak writes for OSV News from Barnard Castle, England.

This information was originally published in OSV News, and you can read it there here.

The authorOSV / Omnes

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The World

Pope Leo XIV to Young People in Assisi: “Europe and the world are looking to you for new saints”

More than two thousand young people welcomed Pope Leo XIV in Assisi at the conclusion of the ‘GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting.’ The Holy Father invited them to seek holiness, “build a civilization of love,” and be “peacemakers.”.  

Editorial Staff Omnes-August 6, 2026-Reading time: 4 minutes

On the Solemnity of the Transfiguration of the Lord, as part of the Pontiff’s pastoral visit on the occasion of the 800th anniversary On the anniversary of St. Francis’s death, Pope Leo XIV invited more than two thousand young people to Assisi to commit themselves to “the civilization of love,” and encouraged them, saying, “Dear young people, today Europe and the entire world are looking to you for new saints.”.

“Have the courage to believe in the word of the Gospel, be truly human through the freedom of Jesus Christ, and embrace our sister, poverty!”, has stated the Holy Father to the young people in Piazza Santa Maria degli Angeli (Assisi).

The title of their gathering—“Go!”—is a mission, a sending forth along paths for which we have no maps, because they open up as we listen to our hearts, obey the Spirit, and follow the Risen One wherever He has chosen to go before us, the Pope added.

“Go! Go ahead! Better yet: let’s go! Let’s go! To the marginalized places, where the injustice and arrogance of a few deny the dignity and dreams of many—of far too many of God’s sons and daughters.”.

“Take a chance, dear young people,” he later encouraged them, “on the civilization of love, the first signs of which you have encountered in so many examples of selfless giving, and which—in the image of Christ—transforms countless peacemakers who, even today, are committed to serving life in the most tragic settings of death.”.

Replies to Karolina from Zagreb or Giovanni from Bologna

For example, when Karolina from Zagreb asked how to remain faithful to the Gospel without losing the joy and simplicity of the Franciscan charism, the Pope reminded her of the Franciscan presence in the Balkans. He told her that this presence had for centuries fostered dialogue among Catholics, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims, even in a region recently marked by war and divisions. In that context, he invited young people to become true builders of reconciliation. “Christians will be called upon more and more to become peacemakers.”.

What has sustained the Pope: he has never walked alone

Giovanni, from Bologna, expressed the fear that many young people feel about lifelong commitments and asked the Pope what had sustained him on his vocational journey.

León XIV pointed out that the current cultural context fuels uncertainty and the illusion that it is always possible to postpone important decisions. However, precisely for this reason, making a definitive commitment is today “the most revolutionary act.”.

“Making a decision for life does not lock us in a cage, but rather opens us up to greater dynamism,» said the Pontiff, because true love is always a journey of stepping outside of oneself, traveled alongside God.

León XIV recalled that he has never walked alone. “The Lord has never abandoned me: He has always been with me,” he revealed, reflecting on his vocation: priest, Augustinian religious, missionary, and Successor of Peter.

Homily at Mass: The Transfiguration of So Many…

At 10:30 a.m., at the Basilica of St. Mary of the Angels at the Porziuncola, the Holy Father presided over Holy Mass with the participants in the ‘GO! Franciscan Youth Meeting 2026.’. 

"The Feast of the Transfiguration, which we are celebrating, is a mystery of light that helps us deepen our encounter—one that is so joyful, yet also fraught with questions about the present and the future," the Holy Father began by saying in the homily.

Today we contemplate Jesus being transfigured precisely as he converses with the Father, with those who came before him—Moses and Elijah—and with his contemporaries, the disciples. (…) “The Church exists to draw us into this dynamic of listening and decision-making, in which we come to understand for whom to live and how to live,” he added. 

“We are in Assisi, a city that has drawn many pilgrims for centuries—and today, we are among them—because here, everything whispers to us that our lives can take on a new form, radiate light, and heal the world.”. 

”It was here that the transformation of Francis, Clare, and thousands of other young people began: they embraced the Gospel without reservation—as we would say, without compromise—and the life of Jesus has been reborn in them.”.

“We see its dawn in the canonized saints, such as St. Francis and St. Clare”

Easter morning, the Pope said, “is the light of a new day, toward which we are drawn, even as darkness still surrounds us—and sometimes dwells within us.”. 

”We see this dawn in the canonized saints, such as St. Francis and St. Clare, and in a myriad of brothers and sisters who respond to evil with good. We are not alone!” emphasized the Successor of Peter.

They've experienced it these past few days: they've come together and listened to one another, moving beyond the clamor of conflicting voices to master the art of conversation. 

Temptations, Misunderstandings: Trusting in God

Pope Francis, drawing inspiration from the Poverello of Assisi, has warned us against the “temptation to be Christians while maintaining a prudent distance from the Lord’s wounds.” But Jesus wants us to touch human misery, to touch the suffering flesh of others (Evangelii gaudium, 270), as Leo XIV reminded us.

We may not even be understood by those in our own homes, as happened to St. Francis. (,,,) “Trusting in God means rediscovering, like Francis and Clare, a world of brothers and sisters to love and serve—not to exploit and dominate. Not a world to defend, but one to embrace.”.

Assisi, a magnet for pilgrims

Upon his arrival in Assisi, the Pope was greeted with a welcome address delivered by Fr. Marco Vianelli, Provincial Minister of the Friars Minor of Umbria and Sardinia, who recalled that “here, at the Porziuncola, St. Francis came to understand his vocation; here he welcomed the first brothers; here, St. Clare consecrated her life to the Lord; here, the Indulgence of the Pardon of Assisi flourished, a sign of God’s boundless mercy. Today, this same grace continues to attract pilgrims from all over the world.”.

The authorEditorial Staff Omnes

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Five Moments to Pray ‘On the Go’

It is possible—and easier than you might think—to develop the habit of praying during the busiest times of the year, both for you and for your children.

OSV News Agency-August 6, 2026-Reading time: 4 minutes

– OSV News / Colleen Pressprich

As Catholics, we are called to constantly turn our hearts toward the Lord. As parents, it is our responsibility to teach our children to do it. That might seem impossible, especially during the summer.

I know that for us, this is an even busier time than the school year. Between camps, sports, and the swim team, we're constantly on the go, and our schedule rarely stays the same from one week to the next.

This can make it difficult to find a rhythm, especially when it comes to prayer.

But it is possible—and easier than you might think—to cultivate the habit of prayer during the busiest times, both for you and for your children.

Here are five opportunities to incorporate prayer into your family’s daily routine this summer—opportunities that will deepen your family’s prayer life and will be easy to maintain once the school year begins again. In fact, you’ll notice that all of these are “on-the-go” moments. This comes with an added bonus: praying in the car means fewer distractions. Time in the car opens up opportunities for meaningful conversations, for our children to ask us questions, and for us to better understand their hearts.

As you consider incorporating these brief moments of prayer throughout the day, keep in mind the words of St. Paul VI, who wrote: “People today are more willing to listen to witnesses than to teachers.”.

What does this have to do with family prayer? It means you’ll probably have to step a little outside your comfort zone. I know I had to. Praying out loud doesn’t usually come naturally to us, but it’s the best way to teach our children. It might feel awkward at first, but I promise you it will pay off.

Prayer When Passing by a Catholic Church

Every time our family drives or walks past a Catholic church, we make the sign of the cross and say this short prayer: “Jesus, I love you.”.

Recognizing Christ as truly present in the tabernacle reinforces in our children the idea that the Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith, and helps them understand the importance and centrality of our belief in the Eucharist. Although it may seem simple, this practice has sparked many conversations with our children. It has given us the opportunity to explain to them Eucharistic theology, the differences among various denominations, and even the importance of making the sign of the cross with reverence—which is, in itself, a powerful prayer.

Prayer When You Hear Sirens

Whenever our family hears a siren, we stop whatever we’re doing and say, “Dear Jesus, please help the paramedics, the police officers, the firefighters, and everyone they’re going to help.”.

Short and to the point, this prayer shows our children the importance of looking beyond themselves, of recognizing the needs of others, and of entrusting them to God in prayer. Over the years, we have seen that our children notice when others are in need and ask us to join them in prayer. I am often amazed by what their eyes see that I might have overlooked. Intercession has become a habit.

A Prayer When We See a Homeless Person

Our family has a tradition of praying for the homeless people we see along the way. If it's safe to do so, we stop and ask them their names so we can pray for them specifically.

As Catholics, we believe in the inherent dignity and worth of every person. Taking the time to truly see those on the margins of society, to recognize them as individuals, and to offer a prayer for them provides our children with a powerful witness and shapes the way they treat others. We have had wonderful conversations with our children about the corporal and spiritual works of mercy and about the Church’s social teaching, and we have seen our children grow in love and respect for everyone they encounter.

Prayer When Passing by a Cemetery

I learned this practice from my own grandmother. Whenever we drive past a cemetery, we say a Hail Mary for the souls of those who are buried there and who are still being purified in Purgatory. The souls in Purgatory cannot pray for themselves; instead, they depend on the prayers of others. This simple habit has allowed us to explain the communion of saints in a real and tangible way to our children, and it has given them the opportunity to pray for those who may no longer have anyone to pray for them.

Prayer While Contemplating Beauty

The last time we try to incorporate prayer into our daily lives is when we contemplate something beautiful in the natural world. In those moments, we offer a prayer of gratitude aloud for whatever it may be. “Thank you, Jesus, for this breathtaking sunset.” “Thank you, Father, for the smell of freshly cut grass.”.

Say out loud everything you’re grateful for. This was the part I found hardest to put into practice comfortably, but it has also been so beneficial for my children that I’m grateful I overcame the awkwardness of my first attempts.

Prayer on the Go

Cultivating a Life of Prayer in family It doesn't have to be complicated. These small, spontaneous moments will lead to deeper conversations, longer moments of prayer, and a more vivid understanding of the gift that our Catholic faith represents.

This article was first published in OSV News. It is reprinted in Omnes with permission. You can read the original in English. HERE.

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«It's Good That We Are Here»: A Reflection on the Transfiguration of Jesus

The Transfiguration reveals who Jesus is and shows how prayer allows us to enter into the mystery of God’s glory.

OSV / Omnes-August 6, 2026-Reading time: 7 minutes

Every year, the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of the Transfiguration on August 6. The story of Jesus’ Transfiguration appears in the three Synoptic Gospels (cf. Mk 9:2–10; Mt 17:1–8; Lk 9:28–36). Almost all biblical scholars and spiritual writers agree on the importance of this fascinating story. They also agree that it almost defies interpretation.

The renowned biblical scholar Julius Wellhausen (1884–1918) was the first to suggest that this account was originally a description of an appearance by the risen Jesus. He suggested that the account originally dealt with the appearance of the Crucified One to the three disciples. This theory was very popular for many years, but it is not currently supported by most commentators.

The context in which the story appears is the same in all the Gospels, and it is quite easy to describe. Jesus asks his disciples who they think he is. They all give the same answer: the Messiah. Jesus then explains what this means by offering the first of his three predictions about his passion, emphasizing his suffering, death, and resurrection. The disciples cannot grasp the idea of the Messiah in connection with suffering and death. It is at this point that Jesus takes Peter, James, and John, leads them up a high mountain, and is transfigured before them.

The true purpose of the story of the Transfiguration is to reveal Jesus’ true identity. It is almost as if each of the three evangelists had been gradually unveiling it as they told their stories. Suddenly, in the middle of the narrative, they stop speaking and visually show us this amazing event in which Jesus is spectacularly transformed.

It is like an apocalyptic vision that invites us to discover who Jesus really is and to catch a glimpse of his future glory. However, this event of the Transfiguration begins and ends almost immediately. Everything quickly returns to normal.

However, we are left with some important questions. What just happened? What did we just see and hear?
The three Synoptic Gospels offer a unique perspective on these questions, as well as on the meaning of the story of the Transfiguration. They even agree on the main points of the account. However, we must pay attention to the details provided by each evangelist.

Marcos

Mark provides the basic plot that Matthew and Luke follow faithfully. The Transfiguration is presented as a revelation intended for the disciples to deepen their understanding of Jesus’ identity. This theme of Jesus’ true identity is a recurring one throughout the Gospel of Mark. With the Transfiguration, Mark’s Christology is further developed. Alongside the transfigured Jesus, Moses and Elijah appear, conversing with him. Peter fails to grasp the meaning of all this, but suggests building three shelters: one for Jesus, one for Moses, and another for Elijah.

The disciples were terrified, but perhaps they thought this was similar to the Feast of Tabernacles, which commemorated the giving of the Law to Moses on Mount Sinai, as well as their journey through the wilderness (cf. Lev. 23:34–44).

At this point in the story, a mysterious cloud covers them all, and a voice says, «This is my beloved Son. Listen to him.» (This is similar to the experience Moses had in Exodus 24:15–16: «Moses went up the mountain. Then the cloud covered the mountain. The glory of the Lord rested on Mount Sinai. The cloud covered it for six days, and on the seventh day, from the midst of the cloud, He called to Moses»). This divine voice affirms Jesus« identity as the Son of God, the Messiah, and the Son of Man who is to come. The disciples are commanded to »listen to him!”.

Immediately after the voice fell silent, the vision would end and everything would return to normal. As they were all coming down from the mountain, Jesus instructed the disciples not to tell anyone what they had experienced until after the Resurrection. Only then would the true meaning of the Transfiguration be understood. .

Matthew

Matthew interprets the Transfiguration as an apocalyptic vision directed at the disciples Peter, James, and John. This apocalyptic tone, which underscores Jesus’ status as the Son of Man, is based in part on Daniel 7:9 and 10:6. Matthew also emphasizes Jesus’ sovereignty (cf. Matt. 17:4).

Furthermore, it adds the detail that Jesus’ face shone like the sun, and that his clothes were dazzlingly white. Matthew’s account, similar to Mark’s, includes Moses and Elijah conversing with Jesus. Many commentators interpret Moses as a symbol of the Law and Elijah as a symbol of the prophets. Together, the Law and the prophets constitute the fullness of divine revelation.

In Matthew 5:17–19, Jesus proclaimed that he had come to fulfill the Law and the Prophets, not to abolish them. Here, at the Transfiguration, it is shown that Jesus not only fulfills the Law and the Prophets, but surpasses them. Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration adds some details at the end. The disciples fall to the ground when they hear the voice from the cloud. Jesus calms their fear by touching them and encouraging them not to be afraid.

Lucas

Luke’s account is also similar to Mark’s, but it includes some unique details. First, the Transfiguration is presented as an experience for both Jesus and the disciples. For Luke, prayer is of the utmost importance. Almost every significant aspect of Jesus’ ministry is preceded by prayer in the Gospel of Luke. Therefore, Jesus takes Peter, James, and John with him and goes up the mountain to pray (cf. Luke 9:28).

During prayer, Jesus« face is transformed and his clothes become dazzling white. For Luke, Jesus» transfiguration is an experience of prayer. In describing what happens to Jesus and his clothes, Luke does not use the term «transfiguration» (in Greek, “metamorphosis”). Instead, he refers to Jesus’ face and clothes as transformed.

Luke also mentions the presence of Moses and Elijah, who are conversing with Jesus. Although Mark and Matthew also depict Moses and Elijah speaking with Jesus, they do not reveal the content of that conversation. Luke, however, tells us that they were discussing Jesus« departure (in Greek, »exodus«), which was about to take place in Jerusalem (cf. Luke 9:31). This, of course, is a reference to his death, understood as a new redemptive act, just like the first Exodus of antiquity. Although the disciples are described as fast asleep, they are fully awakened upon seeing Moses and Elijah. Once again, the mysterious cloud covers them all, and the divine voice declares: »This is my chosen Son; listen to him” (9:35). Jesus replaces both Moses and Elijah.

According to Luke, Jesus is a prophet mighty in deed and word. He is the prophet like Moses mentioned in Deuteronomy 18:15. Therefore, Luke’s account of the Transfiguration confirms Peter’s original recognition that Jesus is the Messiah and, furthermore, elaborates on what that messianism entails. It is an exodus that passes through suffering and death to reach glory.

Possible Meanings

Most commentators and scholars focus on the encounter between Jesus, Moses, and Elijah as the central meaning of the story of the Transfiguration. As mentioned earlier, Moses symbolizes the Law and Elijah symbolizes the prophets. Jesus, standing between them, symbolizes how he fulfills the Law and the Prophets—or even how he surpasses them. This is confirmed by the voice that comes from the cloud, declaring Jesus’ identity as the beloved Son of God. And because of this relationship, we must listen to Jesus.

Another way to understand the Transfiguration is to view it as a mystical encounter in which Jesus« identity is revealed through this »cloud of mystery.” At the center of the encounter are Jesus, Moses, and Elijah. Watching from the outside are Peter, James, and John. The challenge for all of them is not to decipher the meaning of the cloud, but simply to step into it.

In other words, the encounter is what matters most. From this perspective, the Transfiguration is part of Jesus« identity; it is not merely the result of it. This search for identity cannot be reduced to a name. Let us recall Moses“ fruitless effort to discover God’s name. ”God said to Moses, “I am who I am.” And he added, »This is what you are to say to the Israelites: “I AM has sent me to you”’” (Exodus 3:14). Jesus’ identity is intimately linked to this cloud. The cloud is the very presence of God. Jesus’ Transfiguration is an invitation to enter this mysterious cloud and experience the glory of God. This is what the glory of God looks like: a great, radiant cloud.

This experience answers the two questions posed earlier when describing the Transfiguration: What has just happened? What have we seen and heard? What has just happened is that the disciples have entered the sacred cloud and, in doing so, have experienced the fullness of Jesus as they beheld the glory of God. This is who Jesus truly is. All of this is confirmed by the divine voice that reaffirms Jesus’ true identity.

Venturing into the Cloud

It is tempting to think that the challenge posed by the story of the Transfiguration lies in deciphering the symbols and uncovering the meaning behind the figures and the cloud. This is understood as part of the search for Jesus’ true identity. The problem with this approach is that it will never allow us to go beyond the limits of the story. From this perspective, we will never discover Jesus’ true identity.

The true challenge of the Transfiguration lies in entering the cloud. Once inside, we will discover Jesus, Moses, and Elijah, and the fullness of God’s glory. And how can we enter that cloud? I suggest that Luke’s approach may hold the key. And that key is prayer.

Remember that, for Luke, the entire event of the Transfiguration was an experience of prayer. It was through prayer that Luke came to understand the meaning of this new exodus that Jesus was undertaking. And it was through prayer that Peter, James, and John were able to overcome their fear and enter the divine cloud. Only then will we be able to say with Peter, «Master, it is good for us to be here!» (Luke 9:33). Once inside, in the presence of God’s glory, we too will be able to hear the voice that says, «This is my chosen Son; listen to him.».

By Eugene Hensell, OSV News

Eugene Hensell is a Benedictine monk at St. Meinrad Archabbey in St. Meinrad, Indiana, and an associate professor of Sacred Scripture at St. Meinrad Seminary and School of Theology.

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Integral ecology

Investing According to Catholic Social Teaching, Four Years After the Publication of *Mensuram Bonam*.

Financial management based on Catholic values can go hand in hand with strong economic performance. Four years after *Mensuram Bonan*, investing is an integral part of following Christ.

Michele Mifsud-August 6, 2026-Reading time: 4 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsMensuram Bonammeasures consistent with the faith for Catholic investorsRelated NewsMensuram Bonam. Economic investments consistent with the Catholic faithRelated NewsVatican encourages investments consistent with faith

Those in leadership roles within Catholic institutions—priests, bishops, treasurers, and committed laypeople—bear an important responsibility: to manage the financial resources entrusted to them in a way that safeguards the Church’s mission, reflects Catholic social teaching, and ensures the long-term vitality of the Church’s ministries.

For many, however, this responsibility is accompanied by a recurring question: Is it possible to invest in a way that is consistent with the Catholic faith without sacrificing financial returns?

For years, this issue has been a source of uncertainty and doubt. It was often assumed that a portfolio built on ethical and religious principles would inevitably yield lower returns than conventional investments. However, practical experience shows us that the reality is different.

An analysis of the experience accumulated by certain organizations that have specialized for decades in faith-based investing shows that adherence to the principles of the Church’s Social Doctrine has not, historically, resulted in lower long-term returns. On the contrary, financial management based on Catholic values can go hand in hand with strong financial performance.

In other words, good stewardship and faithfulness to the Gospel are not mutually exclusive; they are part of the same mission.

Why It Is Important for the Church

Financial decisions are a concrete form of witness. When the investments of a diocese, a religious congregation, or a Catholic institution do not align with the teachings of the Church, an important opportunity to lead by example is lost.

Conversely, when Church leaders understand how faith-based investing works, their ability to explain and promote these options within their communities increases. This creates a virtuous cycle: understanding builds trust, and trust fosters generosity and participation.

Recognizing that short-term performance differences do not necessarily compromise long-term competitiveness also allows financial management to be viewed as a genuine form of pastoral leadership. This awareness gives leaders the confidence they need to act with conviction.

Mensuram Bonam: A Call for Consistency

In 2022, the Pontifical Academy of Social Sciences published *Mensuram Bonam*, in which it called on the Church and all the faithful to align their investment decisions with the principles of the Catholic faith.

The document reminds us that the Church’s mission does not end at the doors of our churches. On the contrary, it permeates every aspect of Christian life, including the way we manage the financial resources entrusted to us.

Investing, therefore, is neither a neutral nor a purely technical activity. It is an integral part of following Christ. Through our financial decisions, we can bear witness to the Gospel, defend human dignity, and promote the common good.

The guidelines provided in *Mensuram Bonam* also generally align with those developed by various national Episcopal Conferences—including those of the United States, Germany, Italy, and Austria—since all of them draw from the same sources: the Gospel, the social doctrine of the Church, and Catholic tradition.

The Three Pillars of Faith-Based Investing

Mensuram Bonam identifies three fundamental dimensions of Catholic investment: commitment, improvement, and exclusions.

Commitment: Promoting the Common Good Through Dialogue

The commitment involves using our position as an investor to promote more responsible corporate behavior.

This is achieved through direct dialogue with companies and the exercise of shareholders’ voting rights. In this way, Catholic investors can help steer corporate policies toward greater respect for human dignity, responsible stewardship of the environment, and the common good.

Improvement: Prioritize best corporate practices

The improvement involves giving priority, all other things being equal, to companies that demonstrate stronger social, environmental, and governance practices.

The goal is not to sacrifice returns, but to seek out investment opportunities that combine financial quality with ethical responsibility.

Exclusions: Avoid involvement in activities that are incompatible with the faith

The third pillar—exclusions—is perhaps the best known and, at the same time, the one that raises the most concern.

It involves avoiding investments in companies involved in activities incompatible with human dignity and Church teaching, such as those related to abortion or the production of weapons of mass destruction.

This is where the most common question arises: What is the financial cost of excluding certain companies from the investment universe?

The Myth of Lower Returns

For many years, this question was difficult to answer.

Traditional comparisons were based on broad market indices that included all publicly traded companies, including those whose activities conflicted with Catholic values. To a large extent, there were no adequate tools available to measure the actual impact of exclusions on returns.

In the absence of clear data, many concluded that restricting the investment universe would necessarily lead to lower returns.

Another challenge reinforced this perception. Identifying companies that violate the fundamental principles of Catholic doctrine requires specialized knowledge, constant research, and ongoing ethical discernment—skills that are rarely part of the standard training for priests and Church administrators.

Therefore, it is not surprising that concerns about performance continued to be one of the main obstacles to faith-based investing.

A reassuring conclusion

Practical experience and data analyzed by specialized professionals point to an encouraging conclusion: it is possible to invest in a manner consistent with the Catholic faith while still achieving returns comparable to those of the broader market.

Comparative analyses of Catholic indices and conventional market indices indicate that, historically, the exclusion of companies that are incompatible with the Church’s principles has not prevented investors from achieving competitive long-term returns.

The experience of real portfolios managed according to Catholic principles also confirms that strong financial performance can coexist with strict adherence to the Church’s social teaching.

For Church leaders, this means looking to the future with confidence. Faithfulness to the Gospel does not require abandoning the sound stewardship of resources. On the contrary, financial management consistent with the faith can become a tangible expression of Christian witness, capable of sustaining the Church’s mission today and for generations to come.

The authorMichele Mifsud

Assistant Econome General of the Congregation of the Mission of the Vincentian Fathers, registered financial and investment advisor.

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Gospel

Recognizing the God Who Passes By. Nineteenth Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

Vitus Ntube discusses the readings for the 19th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A), corresponding to August 9, 2026.

Vitus Ntube-August 6, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

Today’s liturgy is centered on the theme of God’s presence—the God who passes by—and on our ability to recognize Him. The Gospel is a continuation of last Sunday’s account of the feeding of the five thousand. After feeding the crowd, Jesus sends the people away and has the disciples go ahead of him in a boat, while he stays behind to pray. During the night, as the disciples struggle against the headwind and the waves, Jesus comes toward them walking on the sea, but they fail to recognize him.

Christ, passing by them, is mistaken for a ghost. Walking majestically on the waves, Jesus demonstrates his sovereignty over the forces of nature. To the frightened disciples, he says: “Don’t worry, it’s me—don’t be afraid!””. He even invites Peter to share in his power by calling on him to walk on the water.

The disciples“ experience is not so different from our own. Just a few hours earlier, they had witnessed the joy and abundance of the miracle of the loaves. Yet now the boat is “tossed about by the waves” and battling the wind.

How often does this happen in our own lives as well? One moment we experience God’s blessings and closeness; the next, we find ourselves overwhelmed by difficulties, anxieties, disappointments, or suffering. The boat of our life seems on the verge of sinking. In those moments, we struggle to recognize Christ as He comes toward us. We mistake His presence for something else.

The first reading offers us a profound lesson on how to recognize God’s presence. Elijah is commanded: “Go out and stand on the mountain before the Lord”. A hurricane came, then an earthquake, then a fire, but God was not in any of them. Finally, Elijah heard the whisper of a gentle breeze. Then he covered his face, because he recognized that the Lord was present.

The God who revealed himself in the storm is the same God who reveals himself in a gentle whisper. We run the risk of thinking that God’s presence is found only in the extraordinary, but God also allows himself to be found in silence.

Silence is needed to hear a whisper. We find God in silence. God makes Himself present when we set aside the distractions, the winds, and the waves of digital culture that wear us down physically and mentally.

Like Peter, we should pray constantly: “Lord, if it's you…”. And the Lord will grant us the grace to recognize Him, to trust Him, and to move toward Him even in the midst of storms.

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The World

Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru will welcome Pope Leo XIV in November

The Holy See has confirmed Pope Leo XIV’s upcoming trip to three Latin American nations. This will be the Pope’s sixth apostolic journey, as he returns to Peru, where he once served as bishop.

Editorial Staff Omnes-August 5, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

«The Holy Father Leo XIV will make an Apostolic Journey to Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from November 6 to 17, 2026, accepting the invitation of the Heads of State and ecclesiastical authorities of those respective countries, His Holiness will visit Montevideo, Paysandú, and Florida from November 6 to 8; Buenos Aires, Córdoba, and Luján from November 8 to 11; and Lima, Chiclayo, Cuzco, and Pucallpa from November 11 to 17.».

With this brief statement, the Holy See has confirmed the upcoming trip of Leo XIV, who, following his upcoming trip to France in September, will cross the Atlantic to set foot on the American continent for the first time as the successor of Peter.

Although the itinerary will not be announced until approximately one month before the trip begins, this papal visit is expected to draw one of the largest crowds to a region well known to Pope Leo XIV. Not surprisingly, Robert Prevost lived as a missionary at the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas, in the Piura region of Peru, for one year (1986–1987), and after residing in the United States for his pastoral work, he returned to Peru in 1988 to the Augustinian mission in Trujillo, where he remained for 10 years.

On November 3, 2014, Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of the Peruvian diocese of Chiclayo, and he was named titular bishop of that diocese a year later. He remained there until 2023, when he moved to Rome as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America.

As Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine, Robert Prevost also visited Uruguay in 2011. Also, during his term as Prior General of the Order, he was able to visit Argentina on several occasions, during which he toured various Augustinian communities—such as in 2004, when he learned about the work of the Augustinians in provinces like Catamarca, Córdoba, Mendoza, and Salta, and in 2013, when he visited Buenos Aires and La Plata, where he participated in the Mass for the episcopal ordination of Monsignor Alberto Bochatey at the Church of San Agustín in the Palermo neighborhood.

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Leo XIV: “In our time, prayer may seem pointless”

In his catechesis this Wednesday, the Pope encouraged people to rediscover prayer in its true sense. The Pontiff recalled the value of “the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours” as “the breath of life of the Church that causes the Holy Spirit to flow through her Body.”.

Editorial Staff Omnes-August 5, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

St. Peter's Basilica hosted Pope Leo XIV's catechesis on this first Wednesday in August, due to today's high temperatures in the Eternal City. The Pope resumed his reflection on the conciliar constitution on the liturgy. Sacrosanctum Concilium (SC) focusing, on this day, on the “ecclesial dimension of the prayer »liturgical.".

 First, the pontiff recalled that “it is the Holy Spirit who teaches us to pray” and stated that 
“In our time, in contexts dominated by a mindset focused on efficiency and consumerism, prayer may seem pointless and ridiculous,” or even “a form of escapism.”. 

The pontiff also pointed out that “in many Christian families, prayer is no longer passed down, while many people run the risk of confusing it with just another technique—one that is psychological in nature and geared toward personal well-being.” These realities further highlight the need to discover the truth of Christian prayer.

On this point, the Pope sought to bring the content of *Sacrosanctum Concilium* up to date, noting how this Apostolic Constitution recognized this need for prayer. Liturgical prayer is the place where God and each one of us meet, the Pope explained.

«In the Constitution, in fact, the term “prayer” refers to the entire liturgy. This perspective is decisive, because it guided the liturgical reform, making it the cornerstone of the faithful’s active participation. »The liturgy is, above all, a place of encounter—the initiative of God who draws near to humanity in his Son,” he affirmed.

At this point, the Pope highlighted the Liturgy of the Hours as the backbone of the Church’s liturgical prayer, which «must be embraced and lived out more and more in the daily lives of the baptized and of communities. »For so many people who want to learn to pray—especially catechumens—it can offer the path and the school of Christian prayer.”.

The Liturgy of the Hours, which, as the Pope has emphasized, is linked to the Eucharist and in which «every hour is an act of hope: during our earthly pilgrimage, we keep vigil with the whole Church, awaiting the Lord’s glorious return.».


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Evangelization

Santa María la Mayor: A Home for Everyone

Santa María la Mayor is the oldest Marian church in the West. A celebration is held on August 5 to commemorate its founding.

Gerardo Ferrara-August 5, 2026-Reading time: 5 minutes

Anyone who lives in Rome knows how rare it is to see snow falling. A wonderful song was written about the extraordinary nature of this event: “La nevicata del ’56” (The Snowfall of ’56). The original lyrics were written by a great Roman singer-songwriter, Franco Califano, but it was made famous by one of the greatest performers in Italian music: Mia Martini.

“Do you remember? Once, all you could hear was the sound of the river in the afternoon / The fountain sang, and that water was clear—tell me it was like that / The sun was always shining, and the night was beautiful, just like you / The moon was there too, so much better than now, so much more than this / How is it, how is it, how is it that there was even room for fairy tales? / And quiet, so quiet, the snowfall of ’56 / Rome was all white, all clean and sparkling / You tell me yes: have you seen it like that again? What times those were!” 

And, somewhere between dream and reality, that is exactly how that house came to be—the first house of the Mother of God in the West and the home of all her children—with the aim of making Rome and all her children pure, clean, and radiant, as only a mother knows how.

According to tradition, in fact, the founding of Santa Maria Maggiore began with a dream and culminated in a snowfall—something rare enough in Rome to begin with, and even more so in August of the year 358, during the pontificate of Pope Liberius (which is why the basilica is also called “Liberian”). The Virgin Mary appeared in a dream simultaneously to the pope and to a Roman patrician named John, commanding them to build a church on the spot where, the following day, they would find snow. And on the morning of August 5, on the Esquiline Hill—one of the seven hills of Rome—snow was indeed there.

The memory of the August snow lives on today in a celebration: Every August 5, the basilica commemorates the “Virgin of the Snows” with a shower of white petals falling from the top of the dome during Mass, similar to the shower of red petals at the Pantheon on Pentecost.

The End of a World

In the articles on Guadalupe, we saw how the Virgin literally came to the aid of a people—or rather, two peoples—who had lost all hope. This happened at a time when ancient traditions were falling into decline, the universe as it had been imagined was ceasing to exist, and there was no longer any reason to believe in the future.

Such was the situation at a time when Rome was losing its role as the capital of a vast empire and was on the verge of becoming little more than a village; the ancient gods were gradually being abandoned, a new faith—no longer persecuted—was emerging, and new authorities, both civil and religious, were rising from the catacombs.

And although historians debate the episode involving the snow—and most of them attribute the actual founding to Pope Sixtus III rather than to Liberius—the fact remains that it is an ancient monument: Sixtus had it built between 432 and 440, immediately after the Council of Ephesus in 431, which defined Mary as “Theotokos,” Mother of God, in opposition to the teachings of Nestorius, who sought to limit the title to “Christotokos,” Mother of Christ. A dogma that proclaimed Mary to be the Mother of God and, through the Son, the Mother of all mankind.

Of Rome’s four papal basilicas, Saint Mary Major is the only one that has preserved its early Christian structure intact: the same floor plan, the same naves, and the same 5th-century mosaics still in place. And in a sense, it was the architectural response to the dogmatic definition, as well as the «refounding» of a world—a new “axis mundi” based no longer on pagan religion, but on a Christian theophany. It was, moreover, not just a temple, but a home for the Mother and her children, who would also venerate her here as “Salus populi romani.”.

The Basilica: Mosaics, Icons, and a Taste of the New World

The mosaics, the basilica’s main feature, are visible from the old façade, which is partially covered by the newer one. Upon entering, one cannot help but be amazed by those in the central nave.

They were created during the papacy of Sixtus III, between 432 and 440, and are among the oldest Christian mosaics in the world, as well as still being in their original location.

The panels in the nave date from the 5th century and depict scenes from the Old Testament: Abraham, Moses, Joshua, and the life of Jacob, all set against golden backgrounds—a true visual catechism for a population that was overwhelmingly illiterate.

The triumphal arch depicts the Annunciation, the Adoration of the Magi, the Presentation in the Temple, and the Flight into Egypt; Mary is now depicted as a queen on the throne, dressed in purple and gold, in accordance with the proclamation of the dogma of Ephesus.

On the ceiling, Pinturicchio designed—at the request of Pope Alexander VI Borgia in the late 15th century—a coffered ceiling made of gold that, according to tradition, was donated by the Catholic Monarchs of Spain: the first gold to arrive from the Americas, brought back by Columbus upon his return. Every time I accompany Latin American groups to Santa Maria Maggiore, I welcome them home right beneath that gold that comes from their continent and hangs up there, forty meters high, illuminating the home of their Mother.

The apse features a 13th-century mosaic by Jacopo Torriti: *The Coronation of the Virgin*.

The crypt beneath the presbytery, known as the Chapel of the Manger, houses what is believed to be the oldest fragment of the Nativity scene: five sycamore wood planks, encased in a silver reliquary, representing the wood of the manger in Bethlehem.

“Salus Populi Romani”: Salvation for All

The Pauline Chapel houses one of the most venerated Marian icons in Christian history: the “Salus Populi Romani,” or “Salvation of the Roman People.” Tradition holds that it was painted by Saint Luke the Evangelist on a table in the Virgin Mary’s home and later brought to Rome by Saint Peter. Scholars, however, date it to between the 6th and 13th centuries. Whoever its creator may be, the devotion of the faithful and the popes toward it is immense. Pope Francis, for example, would spend time in prayer here before each departure and upon his return from apostolic journeys, and he has expressed his wish to be buried there, not far from his favorite icon.

It is worth pausing to consider the term “Romans.” This does not refer only to the inhabitants of Rome, but to all those baptized into the faith of the Roman Catholic Church, and even to every man and woman who turns to Mary as mother. It is the salvation of the universal people—those who belong to the Church and those who do not, those who arrive at the basilica amid the bustle of an organized group and those who enter alone, in silence, perhaps bearing the weight of something they cannot bring themselves to say aloud.

The “Salus Populi Romani” is a figure that looks down upon those who are small, those who are sick, and those who are pilgrims—in Rome and throughout the world.

The Baroque exterior and the Column of Majencio

The façade visible today dates from the 18th century and is the work of Ferdinando Fuga. The column standing in front of the façade, however—nearly fifteen meters tall and topped by a statue of the Virgin Mary—comes from the Basilica of Maxentius in the Roman Forum and is the only surviving column from that building. It was moved here in 1614 by Pope Paul V. The bronze doors of the central nave, meanwhile, come from the Forum of Nerva and were brought here in 1574.

Sub tuo praesidium

It is worth concluding with what is perhaps the oldest prayer written in honor of Mary, preserved on an Egyptian papyrus dating from around the year 250 A.D.:

“We take refuge in your protection, / Holy Mother of God; / do not despise our pleas / in times of need, / but rather, deliver us from all danger, / O glorious and blessed Virgin!” —

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United States

Court Protects Nuns from New York's Assisted Suicide Law

Following a lawsuit filed by several religious orders with a presence in New York, a court has granted them protection under the new assisted suicide law.

OSV News Agency-August 5, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes

– OSV News / Kate Scanlon

On July 30, a federal judge temporarily granted an injunction protecting four religious orders and Catholic health care ministries from the enforcement of a New York state law that allows doctors to assist terminally ill adults in dying by suicide.

Catholic organizations—the Carmelite Sisters for the Elderly and the Sick, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, the Missionary Sisters of St. Benedict, and the Little Sisters of the Poor— They sued the state on July 17, arguing that the law would require them to facilitate such deaths for their patients, in violation of their faith.

“Families entrust their loved ones to us because they know that our homes will be places of tenderness, dignity, and faithful care,” said Mother Mary Rose Heery, prioress general of the Carmelite Sisters for the Elderly and the Sick, in a July 31 statement. “We are grateful to be able to continue honoring that trust and to remain by each resident’s side until the very end.”.

Deadline for the New York Attorney General to Respond

The temporary restraining order issued by U.S. District Judge Anne M. Naracci also sets August 20 as the deadline for New York Attorney General Letitia James to respond to the emergency motion.

James's office did not immediately respond to OSV News's request for comment.

Supporters of physician-assisted suicide argue that this practice protects the autonomy of people who are suffering or have terminal illnesses in their final days, but opponents contend that the practice disregards the dignity of human life and leaves the sick or dying vulnerable to coercion, among other concerns.

The Catechism of the Catholic Church explicitly condemns the practice of euthanasia and physician-assisted suicide as “morally unacceptable” and as a violation of the Fifth Commandment, “You shall not kill.”.

Governor Kathy Hochul, a Democrat from New York and a Catholic, signed the Medical Assistance in Dying Act in February, arguing that she had “ensured” safeguards during the legislative process that guaranteed the “integrity of the patient’s decision and the preparedness of medical institutions.” The state’s Catholic bishops were among those who opposed the law, which allows New Yorkers with terminal illnesses and less than six months to live to request physician-assisted suicide.

“Forcing nuns to participate in a suicide is illegal and unjust”

“Forcing Catholic nuns to participate in a suicide—and depriving New Yorkers of the option to receive faith-based, life-affirming care—is both illegal and unjust,” said Mark Rienzi, president of Becket, a law firm specializing in religious freedom and the lead counsel for the health care ministries, in a July 31 statement.

“This agreement protects the sisters and their caregivers as we fight to end New York’s suicide mandate once and for all,” she said.

Bishop John O. Barres of Rockville Centre, New York, said in a statement released through Becket: “This agreement is an important first step toward protecting religious freedom.”.

“New York cannot force the Church to respond to suffering with suicide or to abandon the sick and dying when they need care the most,” he said. “Until our legal battle is resolved, this temporary agreement keeps our ministries free to serve every patient in accordance with the Gospel. We continue to proclaim that every human life is sacred and worthy of love until its natural end.”.

“Misguided” public health legislation”

Also on July 31, the New York State Catholic Conference submitted a public comment to the state Department of Health, describing the Medical Assistance in Dying Act as “the most significant—and misguided—public health legislation in many years.”.

They argued that the regulations proposed by the state to implement the law fail to “provide adequate oversight of the practice of medical assistance in dying (MAID)” and fail to “address the shortcomings in the conscience protection provisions of the MAID Act.”.

The lawsuit filed by Catholic organizations against the assisted suicide law is one of several lawsuits filed by Catholic nuns against recent laws passed by the State of New York.

Earlier this year, the Dominican Sisters of Hawthorne, who operate a 42-bed palliative care program for the poor who are dying, challenged a law that imposed requirements regarding gender identity accommodations for nursing home residents.

New York is one of 13 states, in addition to the District of Columbia, that have legalized assisted suicide. The state law is scheduled to take effect on August 5.

This article was first published on OSV News. We are reprinting it on Omnes with permission. You can read the original article in English. HERE.

The authorOSV News Agency

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ColumnistsAntonio Ruiz Valverde

The Favor I Didn't Want to Do

That man doesn't know that the way he treated me helped me pray better, nor that his thoughtfulness made me see my friend in a different light. He'll probably never know. Perhaps many people pass through our lives this way: without knowing that they are instruments of grace.

August 4, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes

There are days when the Lord doesn't enter our lives through the front door, but through a small office window, through an appointment that never materializes, or through a folder of documents that someone hands to us with more urgency than we expected.

A colleague was being assigned to the area with his family. He was facing the familiar burdens of moving with children: a new home, school, paperwork, and deadlines.

"Antonio, would you mind giving me a hand with this?"

—No, man. Of course not.

I really meant it. Then the documents, authorizations, and instructions arrived. The favor began to take up an entire morning in my head. I went to the city hall website. The first available appointment was almost twenty days later.

In between were my family vacation—which I'd already paid for—and the exhaustion of a long year. And my partner's voice echoed in my mind:

—It just has to be done as soon as possible. Otherwise, the kids might not be able to start school.

He didn't say anything offensive. But I felt as though a part of his urgency had just taken up residence in my home.

I started doing the math. Comparing things. Defending myself on the inside.

«When I had to do it, I took action. I got on a plane, took care of the paperwork, and came back. I didn't burden anyone else with it.».

There was some truth to that thought, and it showed good judgment. It’s easy to talk about friendship and service. Then a favor comes along that doesn’t quite fit into one’s schedule, and the true measure of the heart is revealed.

A few days later, I went to City Hall. It wasn't my appointment. I went to explain the situation. At the entrance, an employee was assisting those who were arriving.

—Good morning. I'm in a bit of a bind.

—Go ahead.

I told him the essentials: a colleague stationed in the area, several children, a school, and a deadline that could complicate everything.

The man listened without interrupting me. He looked at the screen.

—I can't give you another appointment right now. But let me check. If there's an opening, I'll try to reschedule it for you.

—I'd really appreciate it.

"I can't promise anything, but I'll take a look.".

And he said it in a way that made it easy to believe him.

I left without having resolved anything. That man could have brushed me off with a «You’ll just have to wait.» He would have been right. Instead, he paused and, for a few minutes, made someone else’s problem his own.

The mail arrived mid-morning.

The appointment was moved up a week.

I stared at the screen. I wasn't calculating the loss anymore. I was giving thanks.

That's when I realized that I had gone to City Hall thinking I was doing a friend a favor, but the Lord had led me there to do something with me as well.

First, he helped me see my shortcomings, my struggles, and my difficulty in loving when love disrupts the status quo. Then, through that employee’s simple diligence, he showed me a concrete way to sanctify work. There were no religious words. Just a man doing what was before him well, with humanity and kindness.

Sometimes the communion of saints is like that.

A concerned father asks for help, albeit imperfectly. A friend agrees, even if it takes some effort. A coworker listens for just one more minute. A family breathes a sigh of relief. And God, without making a sound, brings those small acts of faithfulness together to sustain us.

I also began to view my partner more kindly. I had clearly seen what his request meant for me; I hadn’t considered what the move meant for him in the same way. Children can make us pushy, clumsy, even intrusive. Not always out of selfishness, but out of love.

That doesn’t mean that charity requires living without order. My family, my rest, and my responsibilities mattered too. If it had been necessary, I could have set a limit. But there’s a huge difference between setting a limit peacefully and setting it out of resentment. The problem wasn’t just about managing things, but the hardness that had taken root inside me.

The Lord was gentle. He didn't lecture me from a distance. He let me observe a small scene: a folder, a scheduled appointment, an employee listening, an email that arrived mid-morning.

Perhaps holiness often begins this way: not when we do something heroic, but when we stop defending ourselves inwardly and allow a small setback to become an opportunity to love.

That man doesn't know that the way he treated me helped me pray better, nor that his thoughtfulness made me see my friend in a different light. He'll probably never know. Perhaps many people pass through our lives this way: without knowing that they are instruments of grace.

And perhaps we, too, can be like that—even when our “yes” is tinged with weariness, calculation, or inner protest. God does not wait for the heart to be perfectly pure before working through it. Sometimes He purifies it as it moves forward, as it obeys, as it does the favor it didn’t want to do.

In the end, I found myself giving thanks for everything: for my friend, for my struggles, for that employee, and for the Lord, who remains determined to make us saints through the little things.

You can also make an appointment.

The authorAntonio Ruiz Valverde

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Books

A theologian discusses his new book, «A Catholic Guide to Being Human,» in these confusing times

Theologian John S. Grabowski warns that artificial intelligence and technological advances have deepened our confusion about human identity and asserts that Christ holds the key to understanding who we are and our true dignity.

OSV / Omnes-August 4, 2026-Reading time: 4 minutes

Is society forgetting what it means to be human? In this age of artificial intelligence and new technologies, John S. Grabowski, professor of moral theology and ethics at The Catholic University of America, presents his new book: *A Catholic Guide to Being Human*. He recently spoke with Charles Camosy of OSV News about how identity in Christ addresses the lack of self-knowledge and the confusion that exists in the world regarding our own humanity.

One might think that a book that serves as a guide to «being human» is a bit strange. Isn’t being human simply what human beings do? Why do we need a guide?

–It would be understandable to think that this topic and a book devoted to it are rather strange. After all, we don’t have to do anything to be human; it’s simply who we are. Why would we need any kind of guide?

But, in fact, we are deeply confused about what it means to be human. More than 60 years ago, the fathers of the Second Vatican Council, in the pastoral constitution on the Church, *Gaudium et Spes*, pointed out that, despite our growing scientific knowledge and technological prowess, we do not understand ourselves. As a result, we do not know how to think about these technologies or how to use them well. The passing of the decades and the emergence of new and even more powerful technologies have not changed this situation. They have made it worse.

The truth is that we cannot fully understand ourselves without God’s self-revelation to us in Jesus Christ. The Council document itself states: «Christ, the last Adam, through the revelation of the mystery of the Father and his love, fully reveals man to himself and makes clear his supreme vocation.».

There is growing interest in the idea that large language models (so-called artificial intelligences) might be a kind of person. How should Catholics What do you think about this kind of speech?

–This is a perfect example of the problem identified by the Council. Because we are unsure of what it truly means to be human and what our ultimate purpose is, powerful machines that can generate and compile data better than we can seem very human. This, in turn, tends to create either an exaggerated optimism that AI will fix us, or an excessive fear that it will dominate and enslave us. Think of all the movies Hollywood has given us over the years that play on these fears.

But, as Pope Leo XIV points out in «Magnifica Humanitas»: «So-called artificial intelligences do not experience, do not possess a body, do not feel joy or pain, do not mature through relationships, and do not know from within what love, work, friendship, or responsibility mean.» They lack the capacity to feel empathy or to make moral judgments. While they are «useful tools,» they are not—nor can they be—persons. They lack the capacities and relational nature that constitute the essence of a person. They can only be a «thing,» not a “someone.”.

The very fact that this is even a question reveals the depth of our confusion about ourselves.

Speaking of technology, your book warns about all kinds of technological distortions of our humanity when it comes to the creation of new human life. Why did this capture your attention in such a particular way?

–I think there are two reasons. One is more practical; the other is more substantive.

On a practical level, my main areas of teaching and writing over the years have been marriage, family, and sexuality. Therefore, I believe I am more attuned to the ways in which our culture gets these issues wrong, because that is where I tend to focus my attention.

But on a deeper level, I believe that a recurring theme in Scripture is that when we lose sight of who God is, this manifests itself in a distorted understanding of sexuality. On the contrary, disordered sexual practices easily cloud our minds, harden our hearts, and distance us from our Creator. That is why the Church considers sexual sin to be always serious—not because of an underlying puritanical mindset.

Sexual difference and fertility are deeply rooted in our identity as people. They are not merely biological or superficial. After all, when we bring children into the world, we cooperate with God in His creative work of bringing human beings into being in His image and likeness. This is not something to be taken lightly. Our sexually differentiated bodies are made to give life and express love.

Unfortunately, our culture tends to view sex in terms of recreation rather than love and procreation. Fertility is often regarded as a disease to be treated through mechanical, chemical, or surgical means rather than as a gift and a blessing. When people seek or desire children, it is sometimes as if they were mere adornments or accessories to adult happiness. Some people turn to the fertility industry to help them obtain «designer babies» tailored to their specifications regarding gender, race, and abilities.

Modern contraceptive and fertility treatments share a common drive with transhumanism. We seek to transcend our nature rather than understand it and live in accordance with it. We need the humility to seek and strive to live in accordance with God’s plan for us as embodied men and women, not to find technological means to remake ourselves.

Let's end on a more positive note. Where do you see the most hope for this vision of humanity to take root in our culture?

–I believe the key is evangelization. If it is true that «When God is forgotten… the creature itself becomes incomprehensible,» then it is also true that knowing God and His plan helps us discover ourselves, our true dignity, and our destiny. True humanism has God at its center. The fact that we are hearing and seeing reports of a growing number of people joining the Church in places where faith seemed to be waning is, without a doubt, a source of hope.

I also think about the growing awareness of the potential harm caused by screens and social media, which are often used as substitutes for real human interaction and connection.

Finally, I sense in the students I have the privilege of teaching a deep longing for friendship, lasting love, and the beauty of marriage or consecrated life. They are aware of the devastation the sexual revolution has wrought on our culture and of the destructive nature of casual relationships and pornography. They know there is something more for them, and they long for it.

By Charles Camosy, OSV News

Charles Camosy teaches moral theology and bioethics at The Catholic University of America in Washington.

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Family

Full Classrooms and Empty Cribs

We cannot overlook the fact that in June, Pope Leo XIV wanted to stop in Spain—even at the risk of delaying the start of the events—to bless hundreds of babies and young children.

Eloy Asenjo, Carpenter-August 3, 2026-Reading time: 3 minutes
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After the Apostolic Journey During Pope Leo XIV’s visit to Spain, the official account described it as a resounding success: packed squares, overflowing stadiums, the Congress of Deputies paying tribute with a historic ovation, and a sea of young people cheering the Pontiff at every stop along the way.

Spain once again demonstrated exceptional warmth and a remarkable ability to rally together. However, behind the collective euphoria and the camera flashes, this journey has left us with an uncomfortable and devastating assessment of our own reality.

The paradox is as undeniable as it is troubling: Leo XIV found a country with packed squares but empty cradles; a society capable of filling churches to capacity to hear messages of hope, yet mired in the worst demographic and existential winter of its history.

Throughout his homilies, speeches, and meetings with people from all walks of life, the Pope did not come just to entertain us. With the insight of one who knows how to read the soul of a people, he wove a common message that connects the parliamentary chamber with the outlying neighborhoods, and the great cathedrals with social service centers. His motto, “Lift Up Your Eyes,” was in fact a comprehensive remedy for the existential weariness of a Spain that seems to have forgotten how to look toward the future.

The Mirage of the Crowd

It would be a journalistic and sociological mistake to focus solely on the aesthetics of the masses. In his homilies, the Pope praised the deep spiritual roots of our culture and the vitality of a popular faith that refuses to fade away. But immediately afterward, he tempered that praise with a stern warning about the existential void that threatens the very foundations of our society. What good is it to fill a square today if tomorrow there are no generations to whom we can pass on the torch of life? 

Spain’s demographic winter is not just a matter of numbers, pensions, or economic statistics; it is, above all, a spiritual symptom. A society that stops having children is a society that fears the future, one that has replaced the boldness of hope with the comfort of the present or the paralysis of nihilism.

In his meetings with the young people, the Pope accurately identified this «virus of real disconnection»: a youth that is hyperconnected to screens yet deeply lonely, numbed by the noise of algorithms and lacking any goals worth risking an entire lifetime for. The Pope called on them to stage an “insurrection of reality,” reminding them that human existence is not consumed in a digital showcase, but is shaped and ennobled through face-to-face encounters with others.

A Crisis of Internal Sovereignty

This existential weariness carries over directly into our institutions, bringing us full circle to what the Pontiff denounced before the legislators. When a society loses the strength to shape the future, its laws ultimately reflect that same decline.

In the Congress of Deputies, Leon XIV warned against the danger of an omnipotent state that, under the banner of absolute legal positivism, ends up encroaching on the most intimate sphere of individuals: freedom of conscience.

This is where the journey reached its peak of anthropological coherence. The Pope recalled that true democracy is not built on arithmetic majorities that impose laboratory-derived truths, but rather by safeguarding the inner sanctuary where each individual processes their existence.

If we strip citizens of their conscience, if we subject it to the invisible coercion of political correctness or social engineering, what remains is not a free society, but a moral wasteland. A law—he reminded us relentlessly—is not just by the mere fact of being formally enacted; it is just when it can look the intrinsic dignity of the person in the eye without shame.

The Final Exam Assignment 

León XIV's visit to Spain He laid his cards on the table. He reminded us that a nation’s true progress is not measured by its technological advancements or its macroeconomic indicators, but by its ability to protect life and dignity in its most vulnerable moments.

We saw it in his gestures and words toward the sick and the marginalized, where the Pope highlighted the failure of a materialistic welfare system that prefers to dismiss suffering or hide it rather than accompany those who suffer and treat them with humanity.

The crowded squares of recent days have been a beautiful mirage of vitality, but reality awaits us when the lights go out. Spain is confronted with the mirror of its own contradictions: a people with an immense spiritual heritage who, nevertheless, are failing to pass on life and hope.

«Lifting Our Eyes» is not, therefore, an invitation to abstract idealism. It is an urgent call for profound moral renewal. If the political leaders, institutions, and citizens themselves who cheered the Pope are not willing to change course, to enact laws for real, flesh-and-blood people, and to restore families’ confidence in the future, the applause of those days will become the bitter echo of a society that applauded itself while silently gazing at its empty cribs.

The authorEloy Asenjo, Carpenter

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ColumnistsMiriam Lafuente

Diversity That Enriches

Anyone who possesses a charism within the Church should not take pride in it, for the gifts received are not meant for personal self-aggrandizement or individual benefit, but rather to open one’s hands in a gesture of service.

August 3, 2026-Reading time: < 1 minute

A person who has a specific vocation within the Catholic Church possesses a charism. A charism is a free gift from the Holy Spirit for the building up of the community, the good of the people, and addressing the needs of the world.

The various charisms enrich the Church: the Ignatian, the contemplative, the Franciscan, the Cistercian, the Benedictine, the Augustinian, Communion and Liberation, the Focolare Movement, the Carmelites, La Consolata, and Opus Dei.

Anyone who possesses a charism within the Church should not take pride in it, for the gifts received are not meant for personal self-aggrandizement or individual benefit, but rather to open one’s hands in a gesture of service.

Pope Pope Leo He is an Augustinian and often mentions St. Augustine, since when charisms are lived out with humility and placed at the service of others, they promote peace.

It is good for anyone who has a charism to explore it more deeply in order to live it fully; this will give them a deep sense of security, because that is where God wants them to be.

There is a danger, as pointed out by Pope Francis (a Jesuit), of becoming self-referential. That is why we must look toward a broader horizon and respond to the challenges that arise from our encounter with God’s overflowing love.

Peace within the Church is the harmony of the Holy Spirit, for, as St. Paul said, there are various gifts that come from the same Spirit.

Diversity enriches the Church and makes it universal and capable of welcoming everyone.

The authorMiriam Lafuente

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The Vatican

León XIV Calls for Solutions That Promote Peace, Stability, and Justice for Ceuta 

The pontiff has spoken out about the terrible tragedy unfolding in the autonomous city of Ceuta, following the invasive entry of more than 50,000 people into Spanish territory.

Maria José Atienza-August 2, 2026-Reading time: 2 minutes

The Pope chose to address this new crisis in his closing remarks following the Angelus prayer—the first he has led in Rome again after his summer break at Castel Gandolfo. 

The pontiff stated that he is following “with concern the alarming situation in Ceuta, praying to God, through the intercession of Our Lady of Africa, that solutions promoting peace, stability, and justice may be found.”. 

In his commentary on the Gospel, the Pope wished to emphasize that the signs of Jesus, which we read about in the Gospel, “reveal his special self-giving for us—that is, the salvation He brings to the world. The Lord presents Himself as the One who gives meaning to life, freeing it from evil and sin.”. 

León XIV explained that when Christ heals the deaf and the blind, “He reveals the magnificent work of redemption that is accomplished in Him” and that by miraculously feeding the multitudes—and even through food—“He demonstrates that the Lord’s gift is universal, and that His Providence toward us never fails.”. 

The Pope has stated that “hoarding and discarding, on the other hand, are two sides of the same evil: greed. This disease of the soul causes one to lose one’s senses because it intoxicates with riches, to the point of forgetting those who weep from hunger and cry out from thirst.”. 

This is an all-too-common oversight in our society, and the pontiff has urged us to “as we savor the grace of the Eucharist, commit ourselves to bearing witness to its beauty in our daily actions, beginning with the blessing of the table, when we share bread with family and friends. In the company of Jesus, even vacations can become a time of serene fellowship, including those who are by our side and in need.”.

At the conclusion of the Marian prayer, Leo XIV referred—along with the prayer for Ceuta—to the need to continue praying for peace, “so that wars may cease throughout the world and diplomatic solutions may be found to conflicts,” and he sought to once again place the focus on the greatest victims of these situations: “the weakest and most defenseless: children, the elderly, and the sick.”. 

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ColumnistsOnésimo Díaz

St. John Paul II, Twenty Years After His Departure to Heaven

St. John Paul II left an indelible mark on his era with his charisma. His experience of persecution enabled him to denounce injustices and lead the Church into the third millennium, exerting a significant influence on the end of the Cold War, despite surviving an assassination attempt in 1981.

August 2, 2026-Reading time: 5 minutes

In the novel The Fisherman's Sandals (1963), Australian writer Morris West predicts the election of a Slavic pope in a world on the brink of World War III. After seventeen years as a prisoner in a gulag, a Slavic priest is released from prison and, shortly thereafter, elevated to the See of St. Peter. Five years later, this simple and entertaining play was loosely adapted into a film of the same name, The Fisherman's Sandals (1968), directed by Michael Anderson and starring Anthony Quinn. 

In 1978, this prophecy was fulfilled, breaking the five-century-long tradition of Italian popes. Furthermore, there were three popes that year. Following the death of Paul VI, the Patriarch of Venice, Albino Luciani (1912–1978)—a simple man raised in a humble Christian family and the eldest of four siblings—assumed the papacy. John Paul I’s pontificate lasted thirty-three days. He did not have time to write an encyclical, nor even to move his books and belongings to the Vatican. The “Smiling Pope” died suddenly on September 29, 1978. Once again, the council fathers gathered to vote. In the conclave, they elected the Cardinal of Krakow, Karol Wojtyla, as his successor; he took the name John Paul II. 

With both feet on the ground

On election day, Stefan Wyszynski, the Cardinal Primate of Poland, spoke some prophetic words to the newly elected pontiff: “The new pope’s task will be to lead the Church into the third millennium.” Another prophecy that came true. 

Also on the very day of the election, John Paul II issued the message “Do not be afraid” at a time when the world seemed to be on the brink of World War III (as in The Fisherman's Sandals). At that time, Europe was undergoing a deep economic crisis, and the process of de-Christianization in the West was accelerating. The Catholic Church was still suffering the consequences of the post-conciliar period.

Thus, a Polish pope was elected who had a deep concern for the problems of contemporary society. Poland had not undergone the process of increasing secularization seen in Western countries; instead, it had experienced religious persecution in recent years. In his encyclicals, the Polish pope denounced the disparities between rich and poor countries, criticized both Marxist and capitalist systems, and proposed ideas—drawn from moral theology and Christian anthropology—in favor of a labor market and economy tailored to human beings rather than to states and multinational corporations. 

Humanistic Concerns

Another defining characteristic of this pontiff was his philosophical training; he was well-versed in the works of the great masters, from Thomas Aquinas to Max Scheler, which led him to explore anthropological issues in depth. In the encyclical Fides et ratio (1998) explained that reason and faith should go hand in hand because they were not opposed to one another. He then pointed out the existence of truths that transcend reason—that is, truths that can only be attained through faith. On the one hand, faith goes beyond reason; it is a complement that neither destroys nor replaces human rational capacity. On the other hand, reason plays a fundamental role in accessing truth through philosophy, which helps resolve many of the questions surrounding human existence. 

His oratory and gestural skills, acquired during his youth when he devoted part of his time to theater and literature, were evident in his speeches and addresses, such as the one he delivered on human rights and freedom at the UN in 1995. He called for respect for every person, for the family, and for every people, and proposed a new world order governed by a balance between the particular (family and people) and the universal (states and international organizations). He concluded his address with a plea: to join forces to overcome fear of the future and thus build a civilization based on love and freedom. 

In short, among the most distinctive traits of this pontiff, it is worth highlighting his Slavic heritage, which brought a fresh perspective to the papacy—which had been linked for more than four centuries to Italian culture— his humanistic education as someone who, from his youth, was connected to theater, poetry, and philosophy; and his capacity for openness and dialogue in addressing the great challenges of today’s world. Stanisław Dziwisz, his personal secretary from 1966 to 2005, summarized his multifaceted personality in three traits: a man of letters, a man of piety, and a man of dialogue.

This kind and magnanimous man turned out to be a thorn in the side of some people. On May 13, 1981, the Turkish national Ali Agca shot the pope as he was greeting the faithful gathered in St. Peter’s Square. Up until that day, this assassin had never failed in his attempts. Everything seems to point to the Bulgarian secret police—and likely the KGB as well—orchestrating the attack that wounded, but did not kill, the pontiff.

A Genuine Pope

Through his travels, his writings, and his actions, John Paul II was a pope who left his mark on an era in the history of the Church and the history of humanity. To a certain extent, he influenced recent events during his nearly twenty-seven-year pontificate, becoming the second-longest-serving pope in history, after Pius IX’s 32-year reign. He was the pope who lived through the end of the Cold War and the emergence of the radical Islamist threat. He was the pope who prayed in Assisi with representatives of other religions. He was the pope who observed a Day of Forgiveness (March 12, 2000) for unedifying events in the history of the Church (divisions, violence, etc.), for the use of methods that were far from evangelical in spreading the truth, and for sins committed against human rights. He was the pope whose funeral was attended by more than two hundred heads of state. Some have even described him as the pope who changed the course of history. Twenty years have now passed since his death in 2005, and many more years will pass before we can access valuable documentation held in the Vatican archives to uncover the magnanimity of one of the greatest pontiffs in human history.

The magazine was not wrong Time when he was named Person of the Year in 1994. John Paul II knew how to draw in young people from all over the world and captured the attention of all kinds of media outlets. He was undoubtedly a charismatic figure. 

Shortly before his death, Polish film director Krzysztof Kieślowski completed a trilogy titled Three Colors, as a tribute to the principles of the French Revolution and the tricolor flag. Red (1994) is the third film, an ode to brotherhood. It begins with the appearance of a young, very beautiful model (played by Irène Jacob) who runs over the dog of a retired widower. This elderly, lonely man falls platonically in love with her because she reminds him of his first love. A curious relationship begins—one that changes their lives as they search for happiness. Red It brings the trilogy to a close with an ode to understanding and compassion, even among people who seem to be polar opposites. In this film, as in the other parts of the trilogy, the Polish director dares to explore themes vital to every human being—such as love—within a framework that remains open to transcendence.

All things considered, the life of John Paul II could be compared to that of the protagonist of Red, a good person who always tries to help others. May the legacy of this holy pope be brought to life in today’s polarized world.

The authorOnésimo Díaz

Researcher at the University of Navarra and author of the book History of the Popes in the 20th century

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Who Were Jesus' Apostles?

Are there “apostles” today? Yes, as the Catechism states in paragraph 863, the entire Church is apostolic and is sent by Christ himself.

Alejandro Vázquez-Dodero-August 2, 2026-Reading time: 4 minutes
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When we speak of Jesus’ apostle, we are referring to the witness chosen and sent on a mission by Christ himself, who, at the beginning of his public ministry, would choose a few who would become the foundation of the Church he intended to establish.

We are referring primarily to the 12 Apostles, although it is true that Jesus, in the early days of the Church, chose a group of disciples—including women—to whom he would convey, more fully and intimately, the Word he had come to preach.

The Greek word “apostoloi” means just that: “sent.” Sent to do what? To proclaim the kingdom of God, which they would hear from Christ himself.

When the Lord chooses a few, He tells them what they must do, as recorded in the Gospel of Saint Matthew (28:19): “Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit; teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you.”.

It is worth noting that these chosen individuals were ordinary people of the time—rather simple folk, many of them fishermen who lived from day to day and had no prominent social standing.

Thus, they were humble and—we might say—trusting in the Master, whom they followed with an attitude of total surrender. And if they made mistakes—because they had flaws and were fragile, just like Peter himself, who went so far as to deny Jesus—they returned with renewed spirit. Men who loved Christ, at least in words.

But are there “apostles” today? Yes, and this is mentioned in the Catechism in paragraph 863, noting that “The entire Church is apostolic insofar as she is «sent» to the whole world; all members of the Church, though in different ways, share in this mission.”.

Following Christ—and that is what it means to be a Christian—is in itself an acceptance of the apostolic mission, and it means embracing the Lord’s command when He says, “Go into all the world and preach the Gospel ”to all creation” (Mk 16:15). Thus, every Christian, by virtue of being a Christian, is an apostle, for they are called to proclaim the Word of God, which they will do primarily through the example of their lives. This is because the Redemption or Salvation of humanity is still unfolding, and Jesus did nothing more than begin it.

The 12 Apostles and their successors, the bishops

In a general sense, we have just seen that one is an apostle simply by virtue of being a Christian, and that those first disciples of the Master were therefore apostles, and that today—and not just twenty-one centuries ago—any Christian is an apostle.

That said, strictly speaking, we could say that the Apostles are the 12 whom Jesus called directly, who received and shared in his mission and bore witness to his words and deeds.

In addition to having been eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus, what primarily characterizes the Apostles is their pastoral ministry of preaching, governing, and administering the sacraments.

Simon Peter was the apostle whom the Lord appointed as head of the Church, and we know him as the first pope. He preached mainly to the Jews and was martyred in Rome.

Andrew, Peter's brother, was first a disciple of John the Baptist; he then followed Christ and introduced his brother Peter to him.

James, son of Zebedee, known as the Greater, and brother of the apostle John, was present at the Lord’s most significant miracles. According to tradition, he preached the Gospel in the far reaches of the West, where the Virgin Mary appeared to him in Zaragoza and encouraged him to continue his evangelization.

John, the brother of James, “the beloved disciple of Jesus” (cf. Jn 13:23), was the only one of the Apostles who stood at the foot of the Cross with the Virgin Mary and other devout women, and it was he who was entrusted with the care of the Mother of the Redeemer. According to tradition, he was the youngest of the Apostles and went to evangelize in Asia Minor. He is recognized as the author of the fourth Gospel of the canon, the three letters bearing his name, and the Book of Revelation.

Philip, who was born in Bethsaida, would preach the Gospel throughout Asia Minor and the Middle East.

Bartholomew, also known as Nathanael, preached the Gospel in India, where he left a copy of the Gospel of Matthew in Aramaic and received the crown of martyrdom.

Matthew, also known as Levi, was working as a tax collector when Jesus called him. He is recognized as the author of the Gospel that opens the New Testament. According to tradition, he preached in many places, including Ethiopia, where he was martyred.

Thomas, also known as Didymus, who, according to tradition, evangelized India, where he was martyred.

James, son of Alphaeus, presided over the Church in Jerusalem, where he took part in what is recognized as the first council, and died a martyr. He is considered the author of a letter in the New Testament.

Thaddeus, also known as Lebeo or Judas, son of James, is the apostle who, at the Last Supper, asked the Lord why He was revealing Himself to His disciples and not to the world.

Simon, also known as the Zealot, who, according to Western tradition as reflected in the Roman liturgy, met Saint Simon in Mesopotamia, and the two preached for several years in Persia, where they were martyred.

Judas Iscariot, who later betrayed the Lord, was replaced by Matthias to take his place as a witness to Christ's resurrection.

That is what is known as the “apostolic college,” which came to an end with the death of the last of the Apostles. But that college will continue through the bishops, who—beginning with what we might call the second generation—continue to exercise the ministry entrusted by Jesus to the Twelve. We call this “apostolic succession” or the continuation of the Apostles in the history of the Church.

Certainly, the bishops have not been eyewitnesses to the life of Christ, but through the action of the Holy Spirit they inherit their pastoral duties from the Apostles, and in this way Christ himself reaches all the people of God through the Word, the sacraments, and the duties of governance to which we were referring.

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