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The Vatican

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

The 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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Photo Gallery

Archbishop of Los Angeles led Prayer Vigil in response to immigration raids

José Gómez called for a day of prayer for peace and unity, with Masses, and invited the parishes of the Archdiocese of Los Angeles to commit to prayer in the coming days.

Editorial Staff Omnes-June 16, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute
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The Vatican

Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati to be canonized on Sept. 7

And Blessed Ignazio Choukrallah Maloyan, Peter To Rot, Vincenza Maria Poloni, Maria del Monte Carmelo Rendiles Martinez, Maria Troncatti, Jose Gregorio Hernandez Cisneros and Bartolo Longo will be canonized on Sunday, October 19.

Rome Reports-June 16, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute
rome reports88

The Vatican has officially confirmed that Carlo Acutis will be canonized on September 7, 2025, together with Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati. The ceremony will be held in Rome and will be presided over by Pope Leo XIV.

Carlo Acutis, known as "God's influencer," and Frassati, a model of faith and social commitment, will be proclaimed saints in an event that will mark a historic moment for Catholic youth.

Now you can enjoy a 20% discount on your subscription to Rome Reports Premiumthe international news agency specializing in the activities of the Pope and the Vatican.

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United States

Chicago celebrates the election of one of its own as Pope 

The city of Chicago (Illinois, United States) celebrated this weekend the election of one of its own, Leo XIV, as Pope. During the celebration, at Rate Field, home of the baseball team Chicago White Sox, Chuck Swirsky, voice, spoke. of the Chicago Bulls John Merkelis, and a former teacher, Sr. Dianne Bergant.  

OSV / Omnes-June 16, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

- Simone Orendain, Chicago, United States (OSV News). 

On what began as a cloudy afternoon, in the bright and sunny stadium of Pope Leo XIV's favorite baseball team, the Chicago faithful cheered the election of one of their own to the papacy. 

The June 14 celebration, organized by the Archdiocese of Chicago, included a series of short video clips and the first-ever broadcast of a video message Pope Leo XIV to the youth of the world at Rate Field, home of the Chicago White Sox baseball team on the Southside of Chicago, Illinois.

Recognize that God is calling you

In the message, the Papa Leo encouraged the young people to look within themselves, to recognize God's presence in their own hearts. "Recognize that God is present and that, maybe in many different ways, God comes to you, calls you, invites you to know his Son Jesus Christ, through the Scriptures, maybe through a friend or a relative...a grandparent, who might be a person of faith." 

He emphasized the importance of recognizing this, especially "that yearning for love in our lives, for... searching, for a real search, for finding ways in which we can do something with our own lives to serve others."

Pope Leo also extended an invitation to join this Holy Year to the cheering, lulled crowd, eyes on video monitors throughout the field. 

"In this Jubilee Year of Hope, Christ, who is our hope, in fact calls us all to unite, so that we can be that true living example: the light of hope in today's world," he said. (Full text available here).

Bulls broadcaster, Fr. John Merkelis, and a teacher, Fr.

The program before the scheduled Mass at the stadium included a three-way interview. With host Chuck Swirsky, known to locals as the broadcaster for the Chicago Bulls NBA team. With Pope Leo's classmate, Augustinian Father John Merkelis, president of Augustinian Providence High School in a south Chicago suburb. 

And with Sister Dianne Bergant of St. Agnes, a former teacher of his at Catholic Theological Union, who said he was a very good student.

Father Merkelis spoke about the down-to-earth and humble way of his friend 'Bob' Prevost. He shared his thoughts on what kind of pope his high school classmate and close friend would be. "He's deliberate, he's thoughtful. He will listen to everyone, but he will make his own decision. He will be clear... He is a canon lawyer, and he knows how to apply the law in a pastoral way. He is a man who prays. And having worked that out, he's a normal guy," Father Merkelis said. 

White Sox invite Pope to Chicago

White Sox senior vice president Brooks Boyer addressed the pope directly, in case he was watching the live broadcast.

"On behalf of the White Sox and all of our fans, it would be an honor to have him back here at Rate Field for a ceremonial first pitch. His fans are certainly ready and his team, the White Sox, is here with open arms," he said. 

The program included an archdiocesan-produced music video of Augustinian Brother David Marshall singing and playing the piano to a song he composed about Pope Leo's Chicago roots, 'One of Us'. The song combines a mix of English, Spanish and Latin lyrics, highlighting the phrase "In Illo uno unum" (In the One we are one), the motto of Pope Leo XIV.

Sport, "a valuable means for human and Christian formation".

On the morning of the Sunday of the Holy TrinityThe Pope celebrated the concluding Mass of the Jubilee of Sport in St. Peter's Basilica, attended by several thousand people.

In the homilyLeo XIV has stated that "the binomial Trinidad-Sport is not exactly commonplace, yet the association is not absurd. In fact, every good human activity carries with it a reflection of God's beauty, and sport is certainly one of them."

"After all, God is not static, he is not closed in on himself. He is communion, a living relationship between the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, who opens himself to humanity and to the world. Theology calls this reality perichoresisthat is to say, "dance": a dance of reciprocal love".

The Pope has called sport "a valuable means for human and Christian formation".

And "the way to build peace" (Angelus).

After the Mass and the greeting to the thousands of faithful in St. Peter's Square, Leo XIV prayed the Àngelus with the faithful. 

In his words, he said that "sport is a way to build peace, because it is a school of respect and loyalty, which makes the culture of encounter and fraternity grow. Sisters and brothers, I encourage you to practice this style in a conscious way, opposing all forms of violence and oppression".

Middle East, Ukraine, Africa...

The Pontiff then mentioned the armed conflicts in Myanmar, Nigeria (terrible massacre with 200 dead two days ago), Sudan, the Middle East, Ukraine and the whole world. "We continue to pray for peace in the Middle East, in Ukraine and throughout the world."

The Pope also recalled the beatification this Sunday afternoon at St. Paul Outside the Walls of Floribert Bwana Chui, a young Congolese martyr. "He was killed at the age of twenty-six because, as a Christian, he opposed injustice and defended the little ones and the poor. May his witness give courage and hope to the young people of the Democratic Republic of Congo and of all Africa!".

Appeal to young people from July 28 to August 3

In conclusion, he quoted to the young people: "I will be waiting for you in a month and a half at the Youth Jubilee! May the Virgin Mary, Queen of Peace, intercede for us". The Jubilee of young people will take place from July 28 to August 3 in Rome.

—————-

Simone Orendain writes for OSV News from Chicago.

This article is a translation of the original which can be found at here. 

The authorOSV / Omnes

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The World

Archaeological discoveries reveal facts about the Holy Sepulcher

Recent findings point to the existence of a historic garden beneath the Church of the Holy Sepulcher. While they do not conclusively confirm the location of Jesus' tomb, they support the description found in the Gospel of St. John.

José M. García Pelegrín-June 16, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

In the venerable walls of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre, a team of researchers led by Francesca Romana Stasolla, a professor at the University of Rome and a professor at the University of Rome La Sapienza University of Romehas uncovered the remains of an ancient garden. This extraordinary find sheds new light on the biblical tradition. Stasolla is a member of the Pontifical Roman Academy of Archaeology and of the scientific council of the Italian Center for Early Medieval Studies in Spoleto (CISAM).

The discovery corroborates the Gospel accounts of a garden at the site of Jesus' crucifixion and burial: "There was a garden in the place where they crucified him, and in the garden a new tomb where no one had yet been buried" (Jn 19:41).

The research team also found a circular marble base beneath the aedicule; that is, the sanctuary surrounding the tomb. This could have belonged to the original church of Constantine, attested by ancient sources from the 5th and 6th centuries; scientific investigations have now provided tangible evidence for this hypothesis. In addition, pollen and root remains of olive trees and vines more than 2000 years old were identified in soil samples.

The grounds of the Holy Sepulcher

The history of the land on which the Church of the Holy Sepulchre stands goes back to ancient times. Findings in soil samples, dating back to pre-Christian times, indicate that the area went from being a quarry, at the latest in the 1st century BC, to agricultural land, before finally becoming a burial site. In particular, the remains of olive trees and vines about two thousand years old are consistent with the accounts in the Gospel of St. John. The owner of the garden probably belonged to the upper class, suggesting that Jesus' tomb was in an affluent setting.

In addition to olive trees and vines, scientists discovered the remains of fig trees, cultivated plants typical of the region for millennia. Therefore, in the surroundings of the tomb of Jesus, it is necessary to imagine a green place.

Tradition and restoration

Excavation began in 2022 as part of a restoration project, constituting the first comprehensive renovation of the church since the 19th century. The work had to be approved by the three main church administrations: the Greek Orthodox Patriarchate, the Roman Custody of the Holy Land and the Armenian Patriarchate. A license from the Israel Antiquities Authority was also required. "During the renovation work, the religious communities also permitted archaeological excavations under the ground," Stasolla explains. This site is not only one of the holiest sites in Christianity, but also has great historical and symbolic value.

After the destruction of Jerusalem In 70 A.D., Emperor Hadrian ordered the reconstruction of the city, including the Golgotha area. To curb the growing Christian cult, he had a temple dedicated to Venus built there. Paradoxically, this attempt at eradication had the opposite effect: the Christians preserved the memory of the sacred place in their tradition. When Emperor Constantine elevated Christianity to the preferred religion of the Roman Empire in the 4th century, he initiated large-scale excavations to uncover the tomb of Jesus.

According to tradition, Constantine's mother, Empress Helena, personally traveled to Jerusalem to identify the site. After the demolition of the Temple of Venus, a monumental church was built there by order of Constantine, the precursor of the present-day Church of the Holy Sepulchre.

The history of the building is marked by destruction and reconstruction. Major renovations were carried out, especially during the Crusades. For centuries, a huge slab covered with pilgrims' graffiti remained unnoticed on a wall of the church. Close examination revealed that it was the back of an elaborately crafted 12th century altar.

Historical sources indicate that the Crusaders, during their rule of Jerusalem (1099-1187), made a magnificent decoration for the church. However, after a devastating fire in 1808, the altar was considered destroyed. It has now been discovered that it was hidden in the church during this time. This discovery provides valuable information about the medieval design of the Church of the Holy Sepulchre and the religious life of the Crusaders. Experts are currently working to reconstruct the original location of the altar in the church.

Use of technology

Of particular note is the discovery of a previously inaccessible subway chamber. Ancient pilgrims' accounts mention a cavity under the church, and now researchers confirm the existence of an unexplored structure. Its exact nature - natural cave, ancient tomb or early Christian architecture - remains unclear for the moment.

"Modern technology makes it possible to obtain an unprecedented insight into the history of the church," explains Francesca Romana Stasolla. In addition to classical archaeology, cutting-edge methods are used. 3D scanners and high-resolution radar analysis of the ground make it possible to see hidden structures without the need for physical excavations. "Each discovery brings us closer to the truth, although some questions will remain unanswered," summarizes the excavation director. The final phase of excavation will resume this year, but documentation and publication of the findings will likely take years.

For centuries, pilgrims from all over the world have flocked to the Church of the Holy Sepulcher to pray. Stasolla avoids pronouncing on the authenticity of Jesus' tomb. According to current knowledge, it cannot be scientifically proven. However, he stresses: "The millennial faith in the sanctity of this place has allowed its existence and development". He adds, "Regardless of personal belief in the historicity of the Holy Sepulcher, intergenerational faith in it remains an objective fact." Its history is "the history of Jerusalem."

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  • Tribune
  • The Heart of Christ in the heart of Spain
Tribune

The Heart of Christ in the heart of Spain

The spirituality of the Heart of Christ, whose feast we celebrate this June, is a path to holiness today and a privileged way to understand the mystery of Jesus Christ.

Manuel Vargas Cano de Santayana-June 16, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

The Cerro de los Angeles is not only a geographical place in the center of the Iberian Peninsula. Since time immemorial, Our Lady of the Angels has been venerated on this hill by the people of Getafe. But when His Majesty Alfonso XIII consecrated Spain here, in 1919, to the Sacred Heart of Jesus, this place became a spiritual sanctuary that welcomes thousands of people from all over our nation, a school of prayer and restorative love. In the silence of its esplanade, before the monument and the basilica, resounds the ever-present invitation that the Lord made to St. Margaret Mary Alacoque in 1675: ''At least you love me''. This supplication, which springs from the pierced Heart of Christ, encapsulates the core of this spirituality: to let ourselves be loved by the Lord and to love him in response.

The spirituality of the Heart of Christ is not a devotion of the past, nor is it merely a pious aesthetic. It is a path to holiness today and a privileged way to understand the mystery of Jesus Christ: his humanity continues to be the visible sacrament of the invisible love of God. This was forcefully recalled by Pope Francis in his latest encyclical Dilexit NosThe Pope's spiritual testament, the culmination of his magisterium, is the true spiritual testament of the recently deceased pontiff. In it he said: The Sacred Heart is a synthesis of the Gospel''. (Dilexit Nos, 83).

The Cerro de los Ángeles is, from this perspective, much more than a place of pilgrimage: it is a prophetic sign that challenges the Church and the world. The five martyrs who gave their lives here for Christ, faithful witnesses of the Love that does not die, teach us that to love the Heart of Christ is not an evasive spirituality, but to commit one's life to the point of total surrender, even in a hostile context. They knew how to trust, love and make reparation, making their lives an oblation for the Church and for Spain.

This watchtower near Madrid has attracted countless saints who, moved by the Holy Spirit, prostrated themselves before the Sacred Heart: St. Maravillas de Jesús inaugurated the convent of the Discalced Carmelites in 1926, responding to an inspiration of the Lord who told her: My Heart needs to be consoled (...), Spain will be saved by prayer''. St. José María Rubio, the Jesuit apostle of Madrid at the beginning of the 20th century, came many times to celebrate the Eucharist here, teaching the people of Madrid to trust in the Divine Heart as a safe refuge in difficult times. St. Josemaría Escrivá was also here and encouraged his spiritual children to discover in the Heart of Christ the source of the lay apostolate in the midst of the world. St. Manuel González, the bishop of the Abandoned Tabernacles, saw in this place a source of renewal for the pastoral work of the Church, and even Mother Teresa of Calcutta, on one of her visits to Spain, wanted to come here to pray, recognizing that in the Heart of Jesus is found the strength to love and serve the poorest of the poor.

In a society that has so often chosen to live with its back turned to God, the spirituality of the Heart of Jesus is an invitation to recover our gaze towards Love first. As Benedict XVI said in Deus Caritas estWe do not begin to be Christians because of a great idea, but because of an encounter with a Person who gives a new horizon to our life. That horizon is the pierced Heart of Jesus who, from the Cerro de los Angeles, continues to say: Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest''. (Mt 11:28).

The Christian family, the domestic Church, finds in this spirituality a source of renewal. In an environment that exalts individualism, the Heart of Christ invites us to build homes where we adore, trust, repair and love. As it teaches Dilexit NosIt is in the Heart of Christ that we learn to live a culture of tenderness and gratuity, where every human wound can be touched and healed by the self-giving love of Jesus.

The Cerro de los Angeles wants to be just that: a school of restorative love; a call to personal holiness; an invitation to look at history, the Church and the world from the open side of Christ. There, like Mary at the foot of the Cross, we learn to be beloved and sent disciples. And from there we want to be apostles of the wounded and glorious Heart, convinced that there is no human desert that cannot become a land of grace if it allows itself to be fertilized by this Love, unceasing living water. From the geographical heart of Spain springs an ardent call to trust, love and repair, certain that the Heart of Christ continues to be the answer to the deepest concerns of today's man.

The authorManuel Vargas Cano de Santayana

Vicar of Cerro de los Ángeles. Diocese of Getafe

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Cinema

A cowardly and quiet mafioso

Jakov, a Yugoslavian immigrant in Sweden, is torn between loyalty to his fellow criminals and helping a policewoman dismantle a network.

Pablo Úrbez-June 16, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

Series

AddressTomas Jonsgården, Mani Maserrat Agah
DistributionKatia Winter, Christian Hillborg, Jens Hultén
Platform: Filmin
Country: Sweden, 2025

Jakov - Filmin: Radovan Jakovic, "Jakov", is a Yugoslavian newcomer to Sweden in 1990. He is shy, introverted, a bit of a coward and does not attract attention. His relatives and compatriots have been living in Sweden for several years. Some make money by smuggling tobacco, others by robbing banks and petty theft. Jakov is not comfortable helping his countrymen. Gunn Törngren, on the other hand, is a policewoman assigned to superficial tasks and looked down upon by her colleagues. When she discovers the contraband tobacco business, she will seek to partner with Jakov to prosecute all the culprits. However, Jakov will hesitate between collaborating with justice or snitching on his fellow countrymen.

This six-part miniseries is a dramatic acting duel between two highly engaging characters: Jakov, the gray one, and the spunky Gunn. As the story progresses, they each have their conflicts, desires and interests, trust each other, fight, pursue their goals and strive to save those they love. The two carry the weight of the story in a balanced co-starring role, with individual subplots following each other and rarely coinciding on the same plane.

Jakov tells us about the sense of justice, ambition, betrayal and loyalty. It also, on a second level, speaks of nationalism. Yugoslavians from Serbia and Croatia coincide in Sweden when the Yugoslavian war breaks out, so that belonging to one or the other people shapes alliances and relationships in organized crime. At the same time, we witness the transformation of Sweden in the 1990s from a peaceful country to a new environment marked by violence and large-scale crime, which disconcerts the police force.

The pace of the story is slow and calm. Events are sometimes rushed, there are murders, but calm and sobriety prevails. In a way, the pace is a consequence of Jakov's personality: a low profile, quiet and unobtrusive, but slowly changing his environment and blowing it up. Perhaps the length of six chapters is excessive, but, even so, it maintains the suspense until the denouement, mainly because of the dramatic evolution of the characters, the real attraction of this miniseries about ambition and justice.

The authorPablo Úrbez

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  • Catholic scientists: Juan Marcilla Arrazola, agricultural engineer
Culture

Catholic scientists: Juan Marcilla Arrazola, agricultural engineer

On August 16, 1950, Juan Marcilla Arrazola, Spanish agricultural engineer and vice-president of CSIC, died. This series of short biographies of Catholic scientists is published thanks to the collaboration of the Society of Catholic Scientists of Spain.

Alfonso Carrascosa-June 15, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

Juan Marcilla Arrazola (December 27, 1886 - August 16, 1950), founding vice-president of the CSIC, was born in Madrid and orphaned at the age of 14, so he had to pay for his studies, including piano studies, with the additional effort of giving private mathematics lessons.

He brilliantly completed his academic training as an Agronomist Engineer in 1910, reaching the number 1 position in his class. He immediately oriented his professional life towards viticulture and moved to the Oenological Station of Villafranca del Penedés. The wine industry was going through a deep crisis related to the French occupation at that time.

In 1915, after a stay abroad, specifically at the Estación Vitivinícola de Montpellier, he was assigned to the Estación Ampelográfica Central de Madrid, where the former Servicios Vitícolas had been centralized. During this period, he specialized in the fight against the phylloxera insect pest, a pressing need in the sector, through the use of American rootstocks.

In 1924, he won the Chair of Viticulture and Oenology at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingenieros Agrónomos de Madrid. Scientifically, he devoted himself to oenological microbiology. He applied for state funding and was appointed director of the first scientific research center for oenology, the Centro de Investigaciones Vinícolas, which belonged to the National Foundation for Scientific Research and Testing of Reforms (FENICER)created by the JAE.

In 1939, he received international recognition when he was appointed Vice-President of the Office International de la Vigne et du Vin, now the OIV, the highest international authority on viticultural matters.

Marcilla introduced European wine microbiology in Spain. Sensitive to all the advances and new developments in oenological microbiology, he wrote his magnum opus "Tratado de viticultura y enología españolas" (1942), awarded by the OIV.

Shortly thereafter, and continuing his role as an institutionalizer of scientific microbiology, he was founding President of the Spanish Society of Microbiology (SEM) in 1946, whose extraordinary work continues to this day. He was also a deeply religious man and had the merit of raising 11 children despite being widowed at the age of 50.

The authorAlfonso Carrascosa

Spanish National Research Council (CSIC).

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ColumnistsAntonio Moreno

Real saints

One of the worst favors that can be done to the saints is to sweeten their biographies, putting the focus on their personal virtues and thus hiding the primordial role of grace.

June 15, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

That boy wanted to buy a birthday present for his father, but he had no way to get to the mall.

"If you want, I'll give you a ride," the father offered. Once there, the boy didn't know what gift to choose. "How about a pair of racquets to play together," Dad proposed. The boy thought it was a very good idea, but there was a problem: he had no money to buy them. "Don't worry, son, I'll pay for them," his father reassured him gently.

When he got home, the son asked him to wrap the rackets himself in wrapping paper, because he was terrible at it. The father agreed, wrapping them neatly and decorating the package with a beautiful red ribbon.

At the birthday party, just after blowing out the candles, the son handed the father the gift and the father ran to unwrap it with a pounding heart. At the sight of the rackets, a tear of emotion ran down his cheek. His wife, who knew the whole story, asked him: "But how can you be so happy when your son has done nothing? It was you who went to the store, you chose a gift for him, you paid for it, and you even wrapped it yourself. To which the husband replied, with shining eyes and a calm voice: "It's the thought that counts!

Saints and grace

I heard this story a few days ago in a homily in which the priest was explaining how God's grace works on the saints. It is so little that they do and so much that God puts in! And yet, how the Father rejoices when one of His children opens himself to this grace that He gives them freely! What a great gift it is for Him!

– Supernatural holiness is a difficult path to which we are all called, but which very few succeed in reaching. In the face of the gratuitousness of God (gratuitous comes from "gratia" -gratia-), there is the freedom of the human being to accept it. Our weaknesses are many, our sins are many, as were those of the son who is the protagonist of the parable I have just recalled. It was enough for him to have the intention of opening himself to grace for the Father to carry out his work, overcoming his many and evident imperfections.

One of the worst favors that can be done to the saints is to sweeten their biographies, putting the focus on their personal virtues and thus hiding the primordial role of grace. The sins of the saints are tiptoed over, as if with shame, when the opposite is true: "where sin abounded, grace abounded".

Much of the blame is due to the fact that hagiographies are commissioned from like-minded people and supervised by spiritual children who tend to idealize their founders. It would happen to anyone: who would want the faults of their mother, father or someone dear to them to be brought to light? Affection and admiration make us minimize them and, on the contrary, magnify their merits. But the lives of the saints should not be panegyrics for the enjoyment of their faithful followers, but writings that lead readers to want to imitate the lives of those who have allowed themselves to be made by the Lord, because they are just that, earthen vessels.

Truthfulness

Showing the failures of Jesus' followers is, in fact, one of the criteria used by critics to demonstrate the historicity of Jesus, the veracity of the Gospels. It is called the criterion of difficulty or embarrassment and is based on the fact that, if the followers of Jesus had wanted to invent a story, it would not be logical for them to bring up, for example, the abandonment of his disciples in Gethsemane; the denial of his right hand, Peter, or the lack of faith of the apostles at the news that he had risen from the dead. The fact that the Gospel account does not hide the weaknesses of the first followers of Jesus assures us that those who compiled the first writings did not intend to sell us a motorcycle, but to explain how the Son of God becomes incarnate and how he does not really choose the capable, but enables those he chooses.

Patron saints of Malaga

In this sense, I have had the good fortune to follow very closely the birth of ".The mud fish" (Mensajero), a historical novel by Ana Medina and Antonio S. Reina that narrates the life of the patron saints of Malaga, the young St. Ciriaco and St. Paula, martyred in the time of Diocletian. The work transports the reader to the beginnings of Christianity, when the first communities lived the joy of the Good News in the face of the failure of pagan religions. In this fiction (we preserve hardly any data of their lives) Ciriaco and Paula are two normal young people who live their Christian vocation as so many young people live it today, among doubts and blunders, but when the time came, grace gave them the power to change their lives in a heroic way to the point of giving the supreme testimony of martyrdom.

Set at the beginning of the fourth century, "The Mud Fish" reflects on such current problems for the dialogue of faith with today's culture as the changing of the times, abortion, interreligious dialogue, political corruption, the abuse of the powerful, the exploitation of women or the care of the last. It also deals with current ecclesial issues such as the role of women in the communities, the vocation to marriage or consecrated life, synodality or the discernment of the members of the Church who participate in its life in an imperfect way.

In the novel, as in life, the saints live with their feet in the mud, and sometimes they get dirty so that they can say with St. Paul: "I do not do the good that I desire, but I do the evil that I do not desire". Have we not experienced it this way in real life? Will fiction help us to make the real lives of the saints credible?

At the end of their earthly lives, the "martyrs", as the young Ciriaco and Paula were affectionately known in their city, presented to God, as a precious gift, the palm of martyrdom. Do you know what the Father exclaimed to them with his eyes bathed in tears: "It is the intention that counts!

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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Evangelization

What are the Emmaus retreats?

Pastoral experience endorses the fruits of conversion and evangelization produced by the Emmaus retreats, when they are lived according to the proper method, with docility to the Holy Spirit and in full ecclesial communion.

José Miguel Granados-June 15, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

A "spiritual getaway" to free oneself from overwhelming materialism? A Christian "shot" of emotions obtained in the sentimental market? A "fashionable" religious experience for wealthy Catholics? Let's leave clichés and prejudices aside and explain the reality lived by so many people.

The Emmaus retreats are an instrument or tool of evangelization, and especially of first proclamation, recently born in the heart of the Catholic Church, organized by lay people and directed mainly to lay people, under the protection of a parish, under the guidance and supervision of the parish priest.

The most intense and characteristic event of these "retreats" (different from the classic retreats with preachers' talks and meditative silence) consists of two days of encounter with the Lord and a community. It is organized with great generosity and enthusiasm by a team of servers, who are ordinary faithful, and usually in a house of spirituality. The celebration of the Holy Mass with much devotion and with a festive tone, as well as the offer of dialogue in freedom with a priest, with the possibility of receiving the sacrament of reconciliation and blessing, constitute important elements of the retreat.

These retreats are not a movement, association or ecclesial institution with the pretension of embracing all the dimensions of the Christian's life, nor do they offer an integral Christian formation. They are only a humble resource, especially suitable for people far from the faith. They are open to men and women of all social classes and of various sensibilities. In fact, in some retreats the majority of the participants are migrants of scarce economic resources.

Pillars of the Emmaus retreats

These retreats are based on three pillars, what we could describe as the "tripod", namely: testimonies, adoration and friendship. Each The testimony consists of the sincere and authentic account of the healing and transforming action of the Holy Spirit in one's own history. The presentation of these personal experiences is prepared in faith, with much prayer and with the advice of an experienced person.

Adoration is intended to help to appreciate and frequent the presence of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament of the Eucharist, creating a suitable atmosphere to accompany and treat Him with intimacy.

– Supernatural friendship is concretized here in bringing fraternal charity to deep conversations in which the personal search for God as the one who saves and gives full meaning to one's existence is shared.

For all this, it is necessary to form a simple community, normally within the parish. For this reason, its members usually participate in weekly meetings for prayer, formation and preparation for the upcoming retreats, in a cordial atmosphere. In addition, a minimum of organization and coordination is required.

The fruits

Many pastors and faithful note with joy and gratitude the profound spiritual renewal that, thanks to Emmaus, leads many men and women to change in their Christian life, to grow and mature in their commitment to the life of the Church.

In short, pastoral experience endorses the great fruits of conversion, sanctification and evangelization that have been produced in recent years by our pastors. retreats of Emmaus, when they are lived according to the proper method, with docility to the Holy Spirit and in full ecclesial communion, counting on the closeness and care of pastors. For this reason, in our society, which unfortunately is rapidly de-Christianizing, they constitute a great reason for hope.

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The Vatican

Pope to canonize Blessed Acutis and Blessed Frassati on Sept. 7

Pope Leo XIV will canonize together Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati on September 7, the Vatican announced. In the same consistory, Pope Leo confirmed that seven other blessed will be canonized on October 19, World Mission Sunday. Among them, Venezuelans María Rendiles Martínez and José Gregorio Hernández Cisneros.    

CNS / Omnes-June 14, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

- Justin McLellan, Vatican City (CNS). Pope Leo XIV will canonize Italian Blesseds Carlo Acutis and Pier Giorgio Frassati on Sept. 7, the Vatican has announced.

Meeting with the resident cardinals visiting Rome for an ordinary public consistory on June 13, Pope Leo approved the new date for the canonization of the two young blessed. He also set October 19 as the date for the canonization of seven others. This includes the first saints of Venezuela, José Gregorio Hernández and Carmen Rendiles. The Pope announced the dates in Latin.

Carlo Acutis, Eucharist and evangelization on the Web

The Blessed Carlo Acutis is a teenager known for his devotion to the Eucharist and the creation of an online exhibition of Eucharistic miracles.

His canonization had originally been scheduled for April 27, during the Jubilee of Adolescents. It was postponed following the death of Pope Francis on April 21.

Born in 1991 and raised in Milan, the beato Acutis used his technological skills to evangelize and stood out for his joyful faith and compassion for others before he died of leukemia in 2006 at the age of 15.

Pier Giorgio Frassati, deep spirituality and service to the sick

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

The two Italian lay people will be the first saints to be proclaimed by the new Popewho was elected on May 8.

Change of dates

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

Wanda Gawronska, Blessed Frassati's niece and longtime promoter of his cause for sainthood, told Catholic News Service that she was disappointed by the date change: "Thousands and thousands of people have tickets to come to Rome for the canonization in August."

Seven more on October 19: two Venezuelans

During the same consistory, Pope Leo also confirmed that seven other Blesseds will be canonized on October 19, World Mission Sunday. They are men and women from five countries, including martyrs, founders of religious congregations and lay people recognized for their heroic virtue and service. They are:

- Blessed Ignatius Maloyan, Armenian Catholic Archbishop martyr of Mardin, in present-day Turkey; born in 1869, he was arrested, tortured and executed in Turkey in 1915.

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

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

- Blessed María Rendiles Martínez, Venezuelan foundress of the Congregation of the Servants of Jesus. Born in Caracas in 1903, she died in 1977. She will be the first woman saint of Venezuela.

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

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

- Blessed Bartolo Longo, Italian lawyer born in 1841. He had been a militant opponent of the Church and involved in occultism, but converted, dedicating himself to charity and the construction of the Pontifical Shrine of the Most Holy Virgin of the Rosary of Pompeii. He died in 1926.

The authorCNS / Omnes

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Books

How the spirit acts in the world

Javier Sánchez Cañizares' book explores the relationship between faith, science and spirituality from a contemporary philosophical and scientific perspective. He defends the compatibility between the spiritual soul and quantum physics, and proposes an integral vision of the human being as a bridge between matter and transcendence.

José Carlos Martín de la Hoz-June 14, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

Javier Sánchez Cañizares (Córdoba 1970), professor at the University of Navarra, physicist and theologian, has succeeded in synthesizing, in the book we now present, in an admirable way the intense relationship between faith and science today and how the Spirit, the human soul and the spiritual reality interact with the material reality.

The subtitle he has given to this interesting work is very significant: "God and the soul in the context of contemporary science". Indeed, Professor Javier Sánchez Cañizares openly recognizes the existence of the spirit and, moreover, its capacity to relate to matter. Moreover, he points out: "what cannot be measured is of great interest to science" (p. 11).

The great problem that the author has had in writing this work is as simple as realizing that "the book of science is written in mathematical characters" (p. 34), hence the difficulty in disseminating, for example, quantum mechanics or ultraviolet radiation.

Understanding the complex

Throughout the reading of this exciting study the important thing is not to stop, even if at some point the reader loses the thread of reasoning. At that moment, the reader must continue and will be able to pick up the thread again later, since it is not necessary to understand everything and every mathematical formula. It is convenient to learn to trust scientists and their mathematical way of reasoning, knowing that among them they exercise a rigorous and uncompromising criticism. 

He then establishes an interesting comparison between the great systems to enlighten us in the current discussions: "Indeterminism is probably the quantum feature most conducive to a non-reductionist vision of nature, in clear contrast to the mechanistic visions based on a deterministic universe. According to determinism, the state of the universe at any given moment, together with the natural laws that govern its dynamics, univocally determine the state of the universe at any given moment. Quantum indeterminism, on the other hand, seems to leave room for a kind of activity that goes beyond what is quantifiable and determinable by physics in a mechanistic way" (p. 93).

Shortly afterwards he will add: "the framework provided by quantum mechanics could be indicating the compatibility and complementarity of the behavior of free agents with the laws of physics, which remain open in their fundamental indeterminacy" (p. 94).

In addition, he will explain the complexity of the possible causes involved in a physical process and, therefore, the patience to arrive at the "principle of sufficient reason" so that the fact is explained (p. 111). And, of course, how scientific theories and models work (p. 112).

Matter and spirit

In the second part of the book he will speak of the "real reasons for a renewed vision". The aim will be to shed light that avoids a rupturist vision and gives way to an integral vision of the world of matter and spirit in the perspective of "creative nature" (p. 143).

It is logical that he goes deeply into the hylemorphist theory of Aristotle and its retouched and improved version of St. Thomas, with contributions from physics itself: "We could describe life as a rebellion of systems in the face of the general tendency of increasing entropy in the universe" (p. 147).

Likewise, he will also bring concepts from evolutionary theory itself in its current version: "The bottom line is that the selective pressure of the environment also changes because the environment itself does so, albeit on much longer time scales. The outcome of success or failure, in the short or long term, for a species can be a highly nontrivial and difficult matter to predict" (p. 149). 

Then, he will clearly state: "with the arrival of the human being, evolution seems to take a giant leap, in such a way that we are no longer simply in a random evolution, in which we advance by trial and error, but we are capable of generating culture, learning through the transmission of ideas, symbolic languages, history or sense of transcendence" (p. 171).

The human soul

Faced with the direct question about the origin of the soul, our author will also answer directly: "Man comes entirely from evolution and entirely from God: evolution is nothing but the way in which the creative action of God unfolds. That the human soul is created directly and immediately by God does not mean that God breaks directly into the specific temporality of evolution, it means that the human being, bearer of an immaterial soul, is for this reason the subject of a direct and immediate relationship with God. Our misunderstandings about how to combine evolution and creation ultimately stem from a faulty understanding of creation" (p. 182).

The concept of "ontological emergence" handled by our author is interesting, but we will let him explain it: "we will show how the ontological emergence that we have called 'take-off of immateriality', could be understood as an ontological change where the tendency of the type of granularity that we observe in the emergence of natural systems is reversed" (p. 183).

In the last section on how God acts in the world, he will continue his approach from the philosophy of science and the world of physics to recall the basic notions of theodicy: "God does not emerge in creation, God is eternal and is not subject to temporal succession, to the change and movement typical of the natural world in which we exist" (p. 213).

Later, he will remind us of the difficulty of language to express questions of great depth: "the challenge lies in articulating that divine causality, the activity ad extra of God, with natural or created causality" (p. 214). That is to say: "how to understand the articulation of transcendence and immanence in the divine activity" (p. 216). He will also add: "how to articulate the created, temporal being and the subsistent, eternal Being, which are alike in existence and dissimilar in almost everything else" (p. 217).

How the Spirit acts in the world. God and the soul in the context of contemporary science.

AuthorJavier Sánchez Cañizares
Editorial: Encounter
Year: 2025
Number of pages: 278
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Culture

The Christian in public life

The Christian in public life is called to be a person of dialogue: dynamic, flexible, open to change but not one who will change for change’s sake. While these words are relatively easy to write, they are demanding to carry out.

Leonard Franchi-June 14, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

In this brief article, I will reflect on how Catholic academics can embody the Catholic intellectual tradition in their professional and personal lives. To do this, we must be aware of what we mean by Catholic intellectual tradition.

To be clear, Catholic intellectual tradition refers to how the Christian community has engaged (and still engages) with the complex world of ideas through the lens of faith and reason. When the early Christians sought to align their new beliefs first with Jewish thought and then with the world of Greek philosophy, they were offering us an example of the seeds of the Catholic intellectual tradition. This historical reality reveals a nascent Church that is outward-facing, open to dialogue and seeking to frame its core beliefs so that they would be heard and understood by their interlocutors. It would take many books to offer a detailed treatment of how the Church has continued to engage in this important mission ad extra. We think in particular of the rise of the European universities ex corde ecclesiae and of the extent to which contemporary universities, whether Catholic or secular, can offer society and individuals the means of human flourishing. ad extra. Let us think in particular of the emergence of European universities ex corde ecclesiae and the extent to which contemporary universities, whether Catholic or secular, can offer society and individuals the means for human development.

The purpose of the university

To keep the focus on the university, it is necessary also to anchor our thinking on the purpose of the university in society. Is it first and foremost a place of credentialism? How can students and staff work together to explore common aims? Indeed is it possible for staff and students to share objectives? These are important issues and need serious thought. This is where deep engagement with the Catholic intellectual tradition can help Catholic academics to contribute meaningfully to wider theoretical debates in both Catholic and secular institution.

One question that arises in the debate surrounding the Catholic intellectual tradition is whether it allows sufficient scope for the exercise of individual academic freedom. Popular discourse often caricatures Christian belief, and any other religious belief, as constraining and limiting the important exercise of individual freedom. In this worldview, religion is a burden that must be lifted if human freedom is to be appreciated and promoted. The Christian view of freedom, however, focuses on how freedom is about having the ability to do what is right and encouraging others to follow the path of virtue. It is not to be confused with an autonomous "right" to do what we want, when we want.

University culture

The concept of intellectual culture provides a useful entry point to this and related debates. Culture, of course, is a term much discussed in academic journals and monographs. It is also part of the broader vocabulary of society: soccer coaches try to integrate a certain culture into their teams, companies can take pride in their collegial and ethical culture, and so on. For the Catholic intellectual, culture has a different root: it comes from liturgy (cultus) and refers to how liturgy should be the root and inspiration for the way we love, the choices we make, and the way we develop our relationships.

This leads, of course, to another question: how can the liturgy be an inspiration for the Church’s intellectual apostolate? First, and in broad terms, the liturgy is the public worship of the Christian community. It is where the baptised gather to celebrate the goodness of God and to receive His grace. This provides the inspiration for each of the baptised in the exercise of their particular vocation, the academic no less than the shopkeeper. Second, as the liturgy is a public event and not a private ceremony for selected individuals, it has a natural overflow in the world of ideas, theories, philosophies and such like. 

Pragmatism and the search for truth

Pondering such issues collectively has pedagogical consequences. In particular, it opens the question of how to find and engage with truth. 

One way forward is to reconsider the relationship between ratio and intellectus as forms of knowledge. The former refers to how we use reason to evaluate, discuss, assess; the latter shows a more contemplative approach that recognizes the limits of the former and seeks to ground our search for meaning in a deeper reality. It is through the intellectus that the Christian scholar, through prayerful study and a mind open to the transcendent, can find the light that complements the exercise of ratio.

To explore such questions leads us, almost inevitably, to the work of St John Henry Newman on the intellect. As is well known today, Newman would be content with the university as a site of pure intellectual culture with no explicit practical aims to the university syllabus. Whether such a position is tenable today is another question for another time. Newman was also aware that the mind enlightened by a refined intellectual culture could not be anything but a positive influence on wider society. This is an important dimension of Newman’s thoughts, as is his insistence that there should be no gap between serious theological study and the exercise of piety.

To move forward in line with Newman’s thinking, here are three things to think about as we reflect on the place of the Catholic intellectual in the Church and society today.

  • Show in our work how all that we do is to be done to the highest human standards, appropriating the various aids available for the effective dissemination of ideas.
  • Read well and often. Love the classic texts and seek new works and authors. Build professional relationships with people who are trying to contribute something meaningful to debates.
  • Take the initiative to contribute in a positive way to the development of new ideas. Be there at the start, middle and end of conversations around policies and practices.

To conclude, let’s refresh our mind with some words of Pope Francis on why we renew our dedication to the study of Church history. In his recent letter on this topic, Pope Francis says:

"A proper sense of history can help each of us to develop a better sense of proportion and perspective in coming to understand reality as it is and not as we imagine it or would prefer reality to be. Setting aside dangerous and disembodied abstractions, we are able to relate to reality as it summons us to ethical responsibility, sharing and solidarity".

The audience for this letter is primarily priests and those preparing for priesthood. Nonetheless, his words capture something essential about academic study and how ideas need to be assessed in an honest way. The Christian intellectual should take these words to heart.

The authorLeonard Franchi

professor at the University of Glasgow and the University of Notre Dame, Australia

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  • Sánchez Orantos: "Non-pragmatic knowledge that illuminates life is very urgent".
Education

Sánchez Orantos: "Non-pragmatic knowledge that illuminates life is very urgent".

The magazine 'Diálogo filosófico', which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, in collaboration with the Pontifical University of Salamanca (UPSA), has organized its 12th Congress from June 19-21. Its director, Antonio Sánchez Orantos, cmf, told Omnes: "Sadness is taking over human life. Non-pragmatic knowledge that illuminates human life is more urgent than ever.

Francisco Otamendi-June 13, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

On the 40th anniversary of 'Philosophical DialogueThe journal directed by Professor Antonio Sánchez Orantos, cmf, will be attended by a large group of speakers, philosophers and academics from different universities. They will analyze from June 19 to 21 in the Pontifical University of Salamanca (UPSA), important human challenges.

Antonio Sánchez Orantos (Madrid, 1957), a Claretian missionary, assumed the responsibility for the direction of Philosophical Dialogue in 2023, replacing the previous director, José Luis Caballero Bono, also a Claretian. 

In addition to other professional occupations, Sanchez Orantos has been a professor for 22 years of Anthropology, Metaphysics and Ancient History at the Comillas Pontifical Universitywho heads the Society of Jesus and is now in retirement. 

But he is still very busy. At present he continues to teach Spiritual Theology at the Claretian Theological Institute (affiliated to the Pontifical University of Salamanca), in addition to directing the magazine 'Diálogo Filosófico'. Today we talk with the philosopher about some current issues.

Professor, two preliminary brushstrokes. Where you were born and studied. You are a philosopher and a Claretian. 

- I was born in Madrid in 1957, on July 17. I entered the Congregation of the Missionary Sons of the Heart of Mary (claretian missionaries) in 1974, and I made my first profession of vows in 1975. 

I was consecrated a priest by Bishop Vicente Enrique y Tarancon on April 24, 1983. I have a bachelor's degree in Theology from the Claretian Theological Center of Colmenar Viejo (affiliated to Comillas University). I have a degree in philosophy from Comillas University. Dr. in Philosophy from the same university. Degree in Theology from the Pontifical Athenaeum San Anselmo of Rome, and master's degree in philosophy and mysticism from the same Athenaeum in Rome.

Tell me about some of the topics that you have dealt with in the magazine in recent times. You are now celebrating 40 years of 'Diálogo Filosófico'. 

- The journal, of high philosophical dissemination, has sought to critically confront the most pressing problems of our culture, reserving an annual issue (the journal is published every four months) to update the proposals of the most representative authors of the philosophical tradition. 

I mention only the last ones: Kant (No. 119), Maritain (in press, No. 122), homage to Benedict XVI (No. 117). 

Throughout the forty years of its existence, many others have been treated: Husserl, Heidegger, Zubiri, Rorty, Habermas, Simone Weil, the Frankfurt School (you can see here).

With respect to the topics covered, they are five reflective fields: ethics and politics, epistemology and neurosciences, problems of foundation and meaning of human life (anthropology/metaphysics), human transcendence and theodicy (problem of God), critical reflection on cultural modes/modes. 

Recent issues have dealt with: Digital Humanities (115), Poverty (116), Thinking uncertainty (118), Moral: a foundation (120).

I suppose that the collaboration with the Pontifical University of Salamanca goes back a long way.

- The founder of the journal, Pr. Dr. Ildefonso Murillo Murillo, professor emeritus and former dean of the Faculty of Philosophy UPSA, and former director of the Ibero-American Institute of Philosophy (UPSA), marked from the beginning and with clarity the objectives of the journal.

"The desire to contribute to the investigation of philosophical truth at the height of our time. (Because) many philosophers seemed to be motivated by goals other than truth.

"The concern to offer a radical and hopeful orientation to human life."

Maybe there was some underlying idea ...

- The Spain of the eighties faced great challenges: times of crisis, of change, of hope. The stagnation of philosophy in an outdated scholasticism provoked a reaction towards positivist, nihilist, structuralist, postmodern or postmetaphysical proposals. 

In this cultural environment, the "great dream" of creating an open space for dialogue to critically rethink these reactions and to provoke the presence of a philosophical reflection that would clearly present the wisdom contained in Christian humanism. This year we celebrate forty years of presence in fidelity to this task.

You are now addressing, at UPSA, crisis and hope.

- Sadness is taking possession of human life. Sadness that shatters all hope for a better future. And when hope is shattered, demoralization permeates all dimensions of social life. And at the heart of this cultural crisis, the disruptive irruption of AI threatens the identity of the human being. 

This is why, more than ever, we need knowledge that invites human beings to listen to the desires of their hearts (reflective silence as opposed to superficial verbiage) and offers hopeful and realistic projects of moral life: the future of our societies is at stake.

Along these lines, I don't know if philosophy, and the humanities in general, are too often considered as a certain "useless knowledge", not very pragmatic. What would you say?

- The pragmatic dimensions of human life are sufficiently addressed and, therefore, non-pragmatic knowledge, which illuminates human life, is more urgent than ever. 

Apparently useless knowledge, but knowledge that is being sought by human beings to give meaning to their lives.

Offering spaces for dialogue for this knowledge is the commitment of the journal and the fundamental objective of our Congress. Because only in dialogue with those who are different, breaking the temptation of social polarization, can we find paths of justice and peace for the people of today.

We conclude our conversation. The attractions of the congress are numerous, and the program will present important speakers. At the inauguration will be Monsignor Luis Argüello, the Claretian Cardinal Aquilino Bocos Merino, the Grand Chancellor, Bishop José Luis Retana, and the Rector of the UPSA, Santiago García-Jalón. And also, as is obvious, Professor Ildefonso Murillo, cmf, founder of the magazine, and the director, Antonio Sánchez Orantos. 

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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  • How to get your child to read and become literate this summer
Education

How to get your child to read and become literate this summer

To get a child to read and be cultivated in the summer, it is recommended to plan impactful, age-appropriate educational visits and create a family environment that encourages daily reading. Activities prepared in advance and parental involvement are key to meaningful and lasting learning.

Álvaro Gil Ruiz-June 13, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

With the arrival of June, the beginning of the desired and longed-for summer approaches, and the annual challenge of filling the almost three months of our children's vacations with all kinds of activities is activated: urban or country camps, soccer clinics, days with the grandparents at the beach or in town... But in addition to entertaining them, we can aspire and get them to carry out educational and formative activities with an impact on the family, if we take into account two things: choose them well and prepare them with a little bit of time.

Positive educational experiences at the summer resort

If we stay in our usual home or if we travel (before arriving at the summer resort), we can take the opportunity to look for museums, castles, archaeological sites, churches... and prepare a good explanation for the visit to be enriching and impacting. The key is for adults to soak ourselves in readings, podcasts or videos of people who know the place, to create a story adapted to the characteristics of our children, depending on their age and tastes. There may be several stories if we get together several families with children of different ages, explained by several adults in several groups, if there are no guides.

It is important to generate great expectations and enthusiasm for the visit. For children who like to communicate, and it is connatural to them, we can encourage them to make a video like a youtuber or an audio like a podcaster to send to the family after the explanation. Others can be invited to write a news item for a blog, or a chapter of a homemade book. In any case, when you tell what you have learned, it shows that you know and consolidates what you have learned. Because narrating what you have seen, either in person or through any medium, helps you to memorize, enjoy and learn to communicate properly. 

Before this phase arrives in which our children tell what they have learned, there must be a previous phase in which there is an impact on their brains. For two reasons, because of how impressive what we visit is and because of how we expose them to what they are going to see, generating an appropriate context.

Concrete examples

Let's take an example, although it could be any other. In the Gallery of Royal Collections -next to the Royal Palace-, there is a large projection room where you can see a video of the history of the wall of Madrid, at a certain time the inside of a window that is on the side of the room lights up and you can see an authentic piece of the wall, which was found during the construction of the building, this for a child or for someone who wants to learn is something shocking. Not only because you see something authentic in the place where it was built but because there is an explanation that contextualizes it.

In the same place, but in another room, you can see the rich and spectacular rostrillo, crown and halo of the Virgin of Atocha. If, before contemplating this marvel, the parents or grandparents of the child-spectator have told him or her the story of how the priest Merino tried to attack Queen Isabel II near the basilica of Atocha, and how she, unharmed, interpreted what happened as a miracle of the Virgin and donated the jewels she was wearing to create this work of art, then the experience will make more sense. This historical-emotional context will favor a deeper and more lasting learning experience.

All of this learning has to be related to what was learned earlier in school, at home or in other areas. But in any case, summer is a great time to have these experiences.

To get a child to read

Reading is a great way to shape our family, respecting the way of being of each of our children, since reading is an autonomous activity, born from the initiative of each one and carried out individually. But the example of parents and older siblings has a great influence on the beginning and continuity of this intellectual activity in our children. In addition, parents, as role models, can help to program the most appropriate readings for each of their children. Parents are also essential to create the right conditions at home and in the family. Generating an environment of family reading and good readers requires time, advice from good readers, but above all, a real desire for our children to achieve this good hobby.

It may seem somewhat utopian for the times we live in, but whoever sets his mind to it and provides the means to achieve an adequate reading environment at home, how? By adapting a corner or place in the house to make it pleasant to read for a long time, establishing times during the day to read with the family and to achieve silence by turning off the TV, console and tablets,... and to achieve an inner silence that facilitates an environment conducive to reading. But choosing a good book requires having references, literature magazines or websites that suggest books to read, whether they are current, classics of children's literature, classic works adapted by age... but it is something that is not improvised.

There are two fundamental tools to generate good readers and a good environment that invites reading: a visit to an attractive bookstore and to a good library that unleashes the "reading concupiscence".

Going to a large bookstore, with displays that show a great variety of books, with colorful covers and suggestive authors generates the desire to read. Just as a good library invites you to read and enjoy different titles, making it easier to read them thanks to the lending system. A regular visit to the neighborhood library and to the bookstore as a family are highly impactful experiences that leave their mark if they are made in time. 

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Theology, science and Magisterium

Joseph Ratzinger dedicated his thought to reconciling faith and reason, stressing that the Christian faith should not oppose or submit to reason, but rather dialogue with science, philosophy and the Magisterium. His theology defends a concrete truth -Jesus Christ- as the historical and experiential foundation of faith, in a community that welcomes, interprets and transmits it.

Reynaldo Jesús-June 13, 2025-Reading time: 5 minutes

It is impossible to find in the writings of Cardinal Joseph Ratzinger We do not find any reference, or at least, it does not come close to the question about the conflict between "faith and reason"; the incessant search for harmony between these two elements marked a whole experience of reflection on God, what he does, what he is and what he means.

To put this in context, recently in my theology school one of the theological subjects was revitalized around some of the writings of Joseph Ratzinger. I must admit that it filled me with enthusiasm and I took it as a challenge to enter a little more into the thought and the person of the German theologian of the twentieth century.

Thus, with the help of the work The Church and scientific theologycontained in the Theory of theological principles (Barcelona, 2005, p. 388-399), a particular itinerary began, a path to the truth from the hand of one of the most iconic preachers on the Truth -in capital letters-, and its meaning in the Christian life. For Ratzinger "faith must never and under no circumstances be opposed to reason, but neither can it be subjected to it"; a distinction that constitutes him as the central axis on which all the thematic development of his lines will run. Contrary to the above, he insisted on many occasions on the close union and link that must exist between faith and reason, without the intention of promoting a reduction of this reality to the methods of modernity.

Theology, science and Magisterio

Now, in the fragment that concerns us, we find a brief exercise that should make us think about the place of the Church and theology in a world that is more and more based on reason than on the criteria of faith. theologythe science and the Magisterio. At the same time, he discovers in his letters a theology capable of recognizing the limits of science, but, in spite of this, a clear conviction that dialogue with science should not be renounced, and he takes a step towards recognizing the importance of a faith that is not reduced to a simple adherence without content, a simple closeness or adoption of ideas and concepts that do not link the vital experience with the Risen One.

Without prejudice to the foregoing, it is curious that the many comments on the interpretation of Sacred Scripture, or that the definition of the doctrinal elements depends to a large extent on the intervention of the Church, especially those who exercise an important role in the interpretation of Sacred Scripture, are dealt with in its lines, or that the definition of the doctrinal elements depends to a large extent on the intervention of the Church, especially those who exercise an important role in the interpretation of Sacred Scripture. work docendi in the ecclesial reality.

This tension is not something new, it is not a reality that the Church has had to face in modern times, since the Middle Ages we know of a multiplicity of cases where the intervention of the Church, in the person of its pastors (bishops), has been necessary, despite the fact that the general criterion is that, under penalty of of the justification of the autonomy of the sciences (adducing its own logic and method), the generalized position of an entire collegiate body, such as the Magisterium (Pontifical Biblical Commission), is to be set aside, Biblical interpretation in the Church1993, n. 32. 3b).

The autonomy of science

But what does this autonomy of science imply? Ratzinger himself, in another of his theological commentaries, questions the idea of the complete autonomy of science, pointing out that science is generally marked by prior interests and values; in fact, the very conclusions that each of these offers in various areas are conditioned by data that are already pre-existing. This is the so-called neo-Marxist critique who pointed out the close relationship between science and power.

The comparison he makes between other religions, in particular between Hinduism and Christianity, is curious. Kraemer expresses that while Hinduism lacks a strict orthodoxy and is based on common religious practices without the need for a shared conviction, Christianity, on the other hand, depends on an orthodoxy, a common conviction that is capable of articulating essential beliefs such as life, death and resurrection; thus, the knowledge of truth in Christians is not only symbolic, but realistic, it is a historical truth-, and on the other hand, the diversity between the concepts of truth, revelation and religious knowledge.

As a Christian - personal commentary, if I may - just these brief lines in a sort of comparison and contrast, have aroused in me an inner feeling of gratitude for the gift we undeservedly receive, having this reality that surpasses us, that embraces us without exhausting us, that we assume without corrupting it, with which we unite without losing our personal being, our individuality.

Community dimension of faith

Now, we go a step further, we cannot remain in the experience of faith lived in individuality, but we must enter into the community dimension, and in community we are able to receive a particular and fundamental impulse in the life of Christians: the mission, a mission that arises from the certainty that the Christian revelation is something real and concrete, and not just a set of empty ideasIt is not an interpretation that is diluted in the midst of other religions "similar" to this one, that is not the point. It is a project that was born in a specific subject, which has had its own history, its own process of foundation and institution.

Christianity attempts to understand and develop revealed truths within a coherent framework, focusing attention on producing a theology capable of dialoguing with reason and philosophy, making it inseparable from faith itself.

However, in spite of the greatness of the Christian faith experience, it is curious that since then there has been talk of a crisis of theologyIn other words, of reflection. The root of the root is to have manipulated Sacred Scripture, coining a series of historical and literary methods, reducing it in every sense of the word.

Revelation, in itself, does not depend entirely on the data that Sacred Scripture can contain, although it does correspond to what the sacred book offers. The entire content of faith cannot be justified by what Scripture indicates, without taking into account the other fields of Revelation, namely Tradition and the Magisterium.

The faith of Christians is based on a living community of faith that is capable of giving meaning and context to Revelation, that assumes it, that shares it; it is a community that not only interprets the texts, but lives them through the sacraments and catechesis, which no longer depend on the will of the Church, but on its very nature. 

Finally, taking up again the idea raised by Ratzinger, I would like to echo an element that has attracted my attention, and that is the fact that it is affirmed that faith is a "Yes" to a concrete Truth, a Truth that demands to be announced and understood, a Truth that is proclaimed, or at least should be, by Christianity, a Truth whose identity has a concrete face: Jesus of Nazareth.. A Jesus who is not a symbolic element of faith, on the contrary, is real, an authentic historical event with real implications for the whole of humanity, which is why he cannot be interchanged with other accounts of religions that preach about divinity.

The authorReynaldo Jesús

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Education

Not afraid to talk about sexuality

Rafael Lafuente has a solid background in the field of affective-sexual education and family counseling. Although he works full time as a Language and Literature teacher, in recent years he has become one of the most sought-after speakers in the field of affectivity, giving more than 100 sessions a year.

Rafael Lafuente-June 13, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

Affective-sexual education is undoubtedly one of the greatest challenges in the formation of children and young people. It is a difficult area because the failure rates in the healthy and full experience of sexuality are high, but at the same time it is fundamental, since the consequences of a good or bad education in this aspect can determine the happiness or suffering of a person throughout his or her life. Therefore, we can no longer ignore it or leave it to social networks or entertainment to educate in this area. It is unavoidable to address it in schools and parishes, places where young people should receive clear, deep and adjusted answers to their development, from an integral perspective that encompasses the body, mind, heart and spiritual dimension.

To achieve this, it is essential that more and more training agents are trained in this field. Initiatives such as the programs for monitors Teen Star o Let's Learn to Love offer effective tools to accompany children, adolescents and adults in their affective and sexual growth. 

A few years ago, I took the course of monitors of the Teen StarThis training not only empowered me, but also changed my understanding of affective-sexual education. Since then, I have incorporated this new perspective not only in my personal life, but also in my language classes and in every meaningful conversation I have with young people and adults.

Today, I teach about a hundred sessions a year and they have all come about thanks to the word-of-mouthHow did it all start? Simply by talking to my students. They were the first to become interested, to spread the word and invite me to other forums where they were active. When someone finds answers to their deepest concerns, they share them, and this is how this training, which I consider fundamental, has been expanding.

Speak clearly and gently

Along the way, I have discovered that the key to approaching affective-sexual education lies in finding a balance between clarity and delicacy, between argumentation and personal testimony. It is not just a matter of giving information, but of helping to understand and live one's affectivity in a full and authentic way.

Giving metaphorical answers about sexuality does not help young people because, far from clarifying their doubts, it generates confusion and leaves room for erroneous interpretations. Stork stories may sound nice, but they do not clearly explain the reality of the body, the meaning of surrender or the deep reasons behind a full experience of affectivity and sexuality. 

Young people need direct, well-argued answers, adapted to their level of understanding, to help them make conscious and free decisions. When they do not find these answers at home or at school, they look for them elsewhere, where they often receive distorted or ideologized information. Therefore, it is essential to talk to them truthfully and straightforwardly, in a language they understand and that allows them to see the beauty and responsibility of human sexuality.

I have taught sessions of an hour and a half and up to five hours. I have spoken to high school teenagers, college students, professionals from different fields, singles and married couples, priests and married couples, parents of young children and older adults. Each group has its concerns, its questions, its doubts. And in all of them I have seen how, with the right formation, paths of light open up in the midst of confusion.

Speak early

One of the most valuable experiences I have had is to see how this training transforms those who receive it. I have been told many times: "Now I understand", "For the first time this makes sense.", "Now it is clear to me that I want to be a virgin when I get married.". These words do not come from people outside the faith, but from young people with a solid Christian formation, who simply had never had a clear, open and deep conversation about these issues.

And not only young people. I have seen parents of six, seven, eight-year-olds overcome their fears and dare to talk to their children about affectivity and sexuality. They have taken the step and, after doing so, they are delighted with the consequences. Because affective-sexual education is not a single talk or a specific moment; it is a path that is walked from childhood, naturally, truthfully and with love.

In my sessions with parents I always say that "better to speak a year early than five minutes late.". It is preferable to address issues of affectivity and sexuality in advance, rather than waiting for problems or irreversible situations to arise. Early education allows young people to make informed and responsible decisions, strengthening their self-esteem and capacity for discernment. 

Talking to them before they face pressures or doubts prevents them from resorting to inappropriate sources or making hasty decisions without understanding the consequences. On the other hand, if you wait too long to address these issues, it may be too late to prevent painful mistakes or to correct ingrained misconceptions. Therefore, it is better to anticipate and accompany the maturation process with clear, accessible and appropriate information for each stage of life.

Catholic schools, parishes and institutions

To talk about affectivity and sexuality is to talk about life itself. However, for too long, these topics have been considered taboo in educational and religious environments, leaving young people at the mercy of contradictory, superficial and often harmful messages they receive from their environment, society and the media. In fact, in the last two decades we have allowed young people to be educated by pornography. 

For this reason, it is essential that affective-sexual formation be given priority in two key institutions in the lives of children and young people: schools and the parishes or ecclesial realities in which they live. Both are places of reference in which not only the mind, but also the heart and conscience are educated, helping to form persons of integrity, capable of living their affectivity and sexuality with maturity and responsibility.

Young people have questions, concerns and doubts about their bodies, emotions and relationships. If they do not find answers in a safe and educational environment, they will look for them on the internet, on social networks or in conversations with their peers, where information is often incomplete, biased or outright wrong. The school has the responsibility to offer an adequate framework to learn about affectivity and sexuality with depth, rigor and coherence.

But it is not only about biological information. It is necessary that this training be given from an integral perspective, helping students to understand the beauty of human love, the value of commitment and the importance of self-discipline and respect. It is not enough to talk about anatomy and risk prevention; we must talk about dignity, meaning, responsibility and vocation.

In addition, if Catholic schools have as their mission to educate in the light of the Gospelto ignore affective-sexual education is a serious omission. The Church has a very rich vision of sexuality, the family and human love, which should be transmitted with the same naturalness with which other subjects are taught.

The authorRafael Lafuente

expert in affective-sexual education

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The Vatican

Vatican bank boosts profits and charitable giving

The Vatican bank obtained a net profit of 32.8 million euros in 2024 and gave Pope Francis a dividend of 13.8 million euros, which it allocated entirely to charity. It also reaffirmed its commitment to ethical investments, excluding sectors contrary to Catholic doctrine.

OSV / Omnes-June 12, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

By Cindy Wooden, OSV

The Institute for Works of Religion (IOR), commonly known as the Vatican bank, reported higher profits in 2024 and gave a slightly larger dividend check to Pope Francis, who used the entire amount for charity.

On June 11, the bank published its financial report 2024, detailing in almost 200 pages its objectives, achievements and ethical investment criteria.

Its net profit in 2024 was €32.8 million (about $37.6 million), up 7% from 2023, according to the report.

The institute paid Pope Francis a dividend of 13.8 million euros ($15.8 million), it said. The dividend for 2023 was 13.6 million.

"The Holy Father decided for the first time to allocate the entire dividend paid to charitable works," wrote Jean-Baptiste de Franssu, president of the institute, in the introduction to the report. No further details on the charitable activities supported by Pope Francis were included.

Vatican bank projects

The bank also has its own charitable projects, approved by a charity committee. Around €1 million was distributed, according to the report. "The most common donations from the Charity Committee are direct financial aid to needy families, generally through parishes, specific aid for missionary and charitable works, or contributions to young student priests to complete their university studies."

The institute also offers low-cost or free rent to some nonprofit charities that provide housing for migrants, refugees, single mothers, people with mental health problems and families with financial difficulties, he said.

The bank has about 12,000 clients in more than 110 countries around the world; clients are limited to Catholic entities such as Vatican offices, religious orders, cardinals, Vatican employees and bishops' conferences.

The financial report indicated that the bank managed some €5.7 billion ($6.5 billion) in total assets, including deposits, current accounts, assets under management and securities. This total represented a slight increase from the €5.4 billion managed in 2023.

Investments consistent with faith

The 2024 report also detailed the principles included in its "faith-consistent investment" guidelines. "The Institute does not invest in companies that, directly or indirectly through subsidiaries, own or operate hospitals or specialized centers that provide abortion services, produce abortion products, produce contraceptive products, or are involved in the use of embryonic stem cells or tissues derived from human embryos or fetuses," it stated.

It does not invest in: arms manufacturers, including those that produce or distribute small arms; companies that have a negative impact on the environment; and companies directly or indirectly involved in gambling, pornography, lending at usurious rates, the production and sale of tobacco or the production and sale of alcohol.

The report notes that the bank also does not invest in companies that "seriously violate the 10 principles of the UN Global Compact" by violating human rights, workers' rights, business ethics or environmental protection.

The authorOSV / Omnes

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Initiatives

Friends of Monkole and the Clínica Universitaria de Navarra fight cervical cancer in vulnerable women

A volunteer team from the Friends of Monkole Foundation and the Clínica Universidad de Navarra will leave on June 21 for the Democratic Republic of Congo to promote the Elikia project, which seeks to detect and treat cervical cancer in vulnerable women.

Editorial Staff Omnes-June 12, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute

While in Spain vaccination against human papillomavirus (HPV) and screening programs have managed to reduce deaths from cervical cancer by 13.2% between 2011 and 2019, in the Democratic Republic of Congo the situation is much more dramatic. There, more than 4,800 women die each year because they were not diagnosed in time, making this type of cancer the most frequent and lethal among the female population.

Faced with this reality, the foundation Friends of Monkole The Elikia project - which means "Hope" in Lingala - is being promoted by the Dr. Luis Chiva and a multidisciplinary team of doctors, nurses, pharmacists and students, aims to serve as many women as possible and implement a sustainable early detection system. Since 2017, the initiative has screened more than 3,000 Congolese women thanks to the solidarity and efforts of volunteers and donors.

In this year's campaign, the challenge is even greater: to screen more than 500 women in just 15 days, for which it will be necessary to raise 6,000 euros. The fundraising campaign is supported by the athlete Daniela Fra Palmer, champion in the World Relay 2025, and is being carried out through the platform Migranodearena.org. The team hopes that international solidarity will continue to save lives and sow hope in Kinshasa.

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The Vatican

China recognizes papal appointment of underground Church bishop

The Vatican announced that China officially recognized Pope Leo XIV's appointment of Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou. This marks a breakthrough in the interim agreement between the two parties on the appointment of bishops, in force since 2018.

OSV / Omnes-June 12, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

By Carol Glatz, OSV

Chinese authorities recognized Pope Leo XIV's appointment of an auxiliary bishop in Fujian province, China, the Vatican announced June 11.

It was the first appointment of a bishop by the Pope in China since his election on May 8.

In accordance with the provisional agreement between the Vatican and China on the appointment of bishops, Pope Leo had appointed Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan, 73, auxiliary bishop of Fuzhou. That appointment was recognized and the bishop was installed on June 11, the Vatican said.

The agreement for the appointment of bishops

The Vatican and the Chinese government renewed their agreement on the appointment of bishops in October 2024, extending it from two to four years. The interim agreement, first signed in 2018, outlines procedures to ensure that Catholic bishops elected by the Catholic community in China receive the approval of the pope prior to their ordination or investiture. However, the agreement has never been published .

Matteo Bruni, director of the Vatican press office, commented on the investiture ceremony held in the cathedral of Fuzhou: "We are pleased to know that today, on the occasion of Bishop Lin's installation as auxiliary bishop, his episcopal ministry is also recognized for the purposes of civil law."

"This event is one more fruit of the dialogue between the Holy See and the Chinese authorities and is an important step in the diocese's journey of communion," wrote Bruni.

Fides, the Vatican news agency, stated: "The official recognition of Bishop Joseph Lin Yuntuan as auxiliary bishop of the diocese of Fuzhou was an event long awaited by the local community. Until now, Chinese authorities and government agencies had not recognized Bishop Lin's episcopal office." He received his episcopal ordination in December 2017.

The official inauguration ceremony was presided over by Bishop Vincent Zhan Silu of Mindong, who also participated in the Synod of Bishops on synodality in Rome in October 2024. And the Mass was presided over by Bishop Joseph Cai Bingrui of Fuzhou, reports Fides.

The concelebration was attended by several bishops from the dioceses of Fujian province: in addition to Bishop Zhan Silu, Bishop Lin Yuntang and Bishop Wu Yishun of Minbei, together with about 80 priests and more than 200 religious and lay people.

The authorOSV / Omnes

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Evangelization

St. Leo III, Pope, and St. John of Sahagun, Augustinian

On June 12, the Church celebrates St. Leo III, Pope, who fought against heresy and crowned Charlemagne. And St. John of Sahagún, a 15th century Spanish Augustinian whose life is linked to the city of Salamanca. St. John of Sahagún was an Augustinian apostle of peace and the Eucharist.

 

Francisco Otamendi-June 12, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

St. Leo III, Pope after the death of Hadrian I (795 to 816), was a Roman. Although elected unanimously, he soon suffered opposition from part of Rome, which even tried to assassinate him. had to flee. For his part, St. John of Sahagún was the first Spanish saint of the Order of St. Augustine.

The Roman Martyrology says about St. Leo III: "In Rome, in the basilica of St. Peter, St. Leo III, Pope, who crowned as Roman emperor the king of the Franks, Charlemagne, and distinguished himself for his defense of the true faith and the divine dignity of the Son of God († 816)". Leo III combated the heresy that saw Jesus the man only as an adopted son of God, collects the Vatican Sanctuary

Leo III was buried in St. Peter's (June 12, 816), where his relics are kept, along with those of the also holy Leo I (Leo the Great), Leo II and Leo IV. He was canonized in 1673. The silver denarii of Leo III still in existence bear the name of the emperor in addition to Leo. They show the emperor as protector of the Church and lord of the city of Rome.

Promoter of peace and coexistence

The Church also remembers today the figure of Juan de Sahagún, saint Augustine Spanish who dedicated himself to preaching and to the promotion of peace and social coexistence in a divided and confrontational city. His love for the Eucharist and his charitable attitude towards the most needy people have also been highlighted.

He was born around the year 1430 in Sahagún de Campos (León), a passage for pilgrims on their way to Santiago de Compostela. He received his early education from the Benedictine monks, who then had a monastery in Sahagún. He moved to Salamanca when he was thirty-three years old to dedicate himself to study. There he wore the Augustinian habit Juan de Sahagún, on June 18, 1463. 

Sacred Scripture, Eucharist, Dialogue

He loved study, especially the study of Sacred Scripture. The evangelical freedom of his preaching brought him persecution for truth and justice. His mediation made possible a pact of perpetual concord between two warring factions that were a sign of discord and division in the city of Salamanca. The Eucharist was the source of his strength and courage. Friar John died in the convent of St. Augustine on June 11, 1479, at the age of forty-nine.

With the birth of the new Province (2019), the following were chosen San Juan de Sahagún as the holder of the same, for the element of concord and peace of his person. His capacity for dialogue and mediation, the Augustinians point out, is based on an evangelical value of the Beatitudes: "Blessed are the peacemakers, for they shall be called children of God" (Matthew 5:9).

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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ColumnistsLupita Venegas

Pride as the enemy of marriage

Evidently, problems arise in marriage. In such cases, an adequate solution must be sought, and for this, an essential condition is the opposite virtue to pride: humility.

June 12, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

She walked haughtily out of the law office. Her wounded heart had hardened to suffer no more. She affixed her signature to the divorce agreement.

A few minutes later her husband, whom she already called "ex-husband", arrived. He came in, sat down where he was told to sit and read the agreement. But she did not sign...her eyes filled with tears that she could not hold back; a lump in her throat prevented her from speaking. After a couple of minutes he simply stood up and said: "I won't sign, I can't, I won't do something I don't really want to do".

From the law office the secretary called the wife to tell her what had happened. She listened attentively and surprisingly felt like a shower of cool water, the tension in her heart was relieved, she cried movingly and said, "I don't want to either!"

Forgiveness

Then came the conversation they really needed: "forgive me" they both said to each other... "Please forgive me, I want to be well with you". 

The pride that divides and destroys was broken and the humility that unites and builds was allowed to enter.

A series of necessary events took place after that re-encounter: they resumed their life of faith, they went to MassThey sought a new beginning through a general confession that each one made with full awareness; they took the hand of a therapist who helped them to heal past wounds; they became involved in a marriage apostolate aimed at strengthening conjugal love, and they do it very well!

There is a kind of pride that is positive. It is given when we do a job well done, when we experience the satisfaction of a job well done, or when the success of a child or another loved one rejoices our soul (Gal 6:4).

Harmful pride

On the other hand, pride, which hinders love, is harmful and opposed to the will of God. Satan was cast out of Heaven because of his pride (Isaiah 14:12-15). He had the selfish audacity to try to replace God as ruler of the universe.

When this kind of pride enters a couple's relationship, it digs the grave of love. It starts when he or she does not want to give in or change anything. They experience a kind of moral superiority over the other and demand their change and not their own.  

This misunderstood pride is evident when sentences such as these are pronounced:

"You are the drunk, you must change."

"You're the crazy one, go see who straightens you out."

"You are the infidel, purge your sentence."

"You're the bi-polar one, sink."

"I will never forgive you for that."

"Why should I ask for forgiveness?"

Humility to overcome pride

Evidently problems arise in marital relations, there are differences of opinion and inappropriate behavior in relation to each other. There are duties to fulfill and it may happen that they are not fulfilled. In such cases, it is necessary to look for the right solution, to find the necessary tools to rebuild. For this, an essential condition is the opposite virtue to pride: humility.

He is humble who recognizes that he needs help, who knows that there is much to improve in himself, who decides to learn the best way to fix things. Humility does not mean losing dignity, on the contrary, humility is to walk in the Truth as Teresa the great said.

Both partners require this attitude. Both need to learn, and strive to become a better version of themselves. If there is an addiction problem, one must accept this reality and be determined to ask for help. In the case of infidelity, in the same way, understand what has happened in order to heal it and decide for a new beginning with Christian criteria. If violence is present, all necessary means should be used to stop it completely (even if this means separation).

God desires reconciliation

When one of the two or both do not accept to work on a personal change, we can see that pride has won: "I do not give my arm to twist, that's the way I am, let the other one put up with it".

And... nothing to do... the one who wanted to fight realizes that it takes two to be right in marriage. 

God desires reconciliation, forgiveness and unity, He presents the means, the circumstances, the people who will show the way of love... but He respects our freedom and with His heart pierced with pain, He continues to plead: open your heart to me (Rev 3:20), do not be afraid (Rev 3:20).Joshua 1, 9). 

Listen to that voice and don't end your marriage, end your problems, accept help.

Break your pride, shatter it, may this manifestation of pride not prevent you from growing in love, forgiveness and joy.

The authorLupita Venegas

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Resources

Jesus and the biblical canon

There are several criteria that explain why the New Testament belongs to the biblical canon, among them the multiplicity of sources and explanatory plausibility.

Gerardo Ferrara-June 12, 2025-Reading time: 5 minutes

By "biblical canon" is meant the books recognized as sacred texts by the Church. The term derives from the Greek κανών ("kanon", "reed" or "straight stick") and indicated first a unit of measurement, then, by extension, came to define an official catalog, a model.

Why do these books exist in the Church's New Testament canon?

Already in the second century A.D., especially in response to Marcion, who wanted to exclude from the Christian canon the Old Testament and all those parts of the Old Testament and all those parts of the Old Testament that were not in the Christian canon. New that were not in line with his teachings (for him, the God of the Christians was not to be identified with that of the Jews), Justin (140) and Irenaeus of Lyons (180), followed later by Origen, reaffirmed that the canonical Gospels, universally accepted by all the Churches, should be four. This was confirmed in the Muratorian Canon (an ancient list of the books of the New Testament, dating from around 170).

Precise criteria were followed to establish the "canonicity" of the four Gospels:

  • Antiquity of the sources. As we have seen, the four canonical Gospels, dating from the first century A.D., are among the oldest and best attested sources in terms of the number of manuscripts or codices (about 24,000, including Greek, Latin, Armenian, Coptic, ancient Slavic, etc.), more than any other historical document.
  • Apostolicity. The writings, to be "canonical", had to go back to the Apostles or their direct disciples. Incidentally, the term "according to", placed before the name of the evangelist (according to Matthew, Mark, etc.) indicates that the four Gospels make a single discourse on Jesus, but in four complementary forms, according to the preaching of the individual Apostles from whom they derive: Peter for the Gospel according to Mark; Matthew (and probably Mark) for the "according to Matthew"; Paul (and, as we have seen in the previous article, also Mark and Matthew) for the "according to Luke"; John for the Gospel that bears his name. In practice, it is not so much the individual evangelist who writes the individual Gospel, but the community, or the Church born from the preaching of an apostle.
  • The catholicity or universality of the use of the Gospels: they were to be accepted by all the main Churches ("catholic" means "universal"), that is, Rome, Alexandria, Antioch, Corinth, Jerusalem and the other communities of the first centuries.
  • Orthodoxy or righteous faith.
  • The multiplicity of sources and the numerous and proven testimonies in favor of the canonical Gospels (and here again we cite, for example, Papias of Hierapolis, Eusebius of Caesarea, Irenaeus of Lyons, Clement of Alexandria, Pantene, Origen, Tertullian, etc.).
  • Explanatory plausibility, i.e. the comprehensibility of the text according to a coherence of cause and effect.

Criteria for the historicity of the Gospels

In addition to the early testimonies of the Fathers of the Church and the criteria used as early as the second century A.D. (for example, for the Muratorian Canon), other methods have been developed, especially in contemporary times, to confirm the historical data we already possess about the figure of Jesus of Nazareth and the Gospels.

Réné Latourelle (1918-2017), a Canadian Catholic theologian, identified criteria for attesting to the historicity of the Gospels:

  • Multiple attestation: a fact confirmed by several Gospel sources (for example, Jesus' closeness to sinners) is authentic.
  • Discontinuity: a fact that cannot be traced back to the concepts of Judaism and the early Church is authentic, such as the use of "abba" ("father") for God (the word "father", understood in the sense of intimate and personal filiation to God, appears 170 times in the New Testament, 109 of them only in the Gospel of JohnThe word "national", and yet only 15 times in the Old Testament, but always with the meaning of collective, "national", paternity of God with respect to the Jewish people.
  • Conformity: what is authentic is what is coherent, what conforms to Jesus' environment and teachings (e.g., the parables and beatitudes).
  • Necessary explanation: for example, the "huge" personality of Jesus clarifies a whole series of otherwise incomprehensible events and behaviors (his strength, authority, charisma exercised over the multitudes, etc.).
  • Jesus' style: combining majesty and humility, goodness and absolute coherence, without hypocrisy and without contradiction.

There are also other more specifically literary and editorial criteria:

  • The study of literary forms ("Formgeschichte"), based on the literary analysis of the Gospels, to determine the "Sitz im leben", that is, the life of the community in which they originated, to "incarnate" the existence of Jesus in a living and particular context.
  • Study of the written and oral traditions ("Traditiongeschichte") prior to the Gospels, in order to compare them with the Gospels.
  • A study of the evangelists' writing criteria ("Redaktiongeschichte"), which examines how each evangelist collected data and then put it in writing, organizing it according to particular needs, such as preaching to a particular community.

Semitism and philological analysis

In the first centuries of the Christian era, it was known that at least two canonical Gospels had been written in a Semitic language (Hebrew or Aramaic). However, until Erasmus of Rotterdam (1518), the memory of this older stratum was lost, "hidden" under the Greek language in which the texts have come down to us. Since then, modern philological studies have made it possible to reconstruct the traces of its original Semitic structure.

These traces, called "Semitisms", are of various kinds (borrowings, syntax, style, vocabulary, etc.). Jean Carmignac, thanks to his studies on the language of Qumran and on the works of the Jewish masters of the so-called intertestamental period, has come to the conclusion that the synoptic Gospels, in particular Mark and Matthew, must have been written first in Hebrew (not in Aramaic) and then translated into Greek. In retranslating the Greek text into Hebrew, assonances, rhymes and poetic structures absent in the Greek prose emerge.

This would advance the dating of the Gospels by at least two decades, bringing them even closer to the events narrated and to the direct witnesses. It also places Jesus (and scholars such as John W. Wenham or several Israeli Jewish experts, including David Flusser, insist on this) in a context more in harmony with the Jewish environment of the time, as confirmed by the Qumran manuscripts. 

Let's look at a couple of examples of semitisms.

When we read in the Gospels that Jesus had brothers, the term 'brother', the Greek "αδελφός" ("adelphós) translates the Hebrew and Aramaic "אָח" (aḥ), by which, however, in the Semitic sense, not only 'Germanic' brothers are meant, but also 'unilateral' brothers, cousins, relatives in general, members of the same clan, tribe or people. Even in modern Hebrew there is no term for a cousin: he is simply called 'uncle's son'.

Or again (Matthew 3:9): "I tell you that from these stones God is able to raise up true children to Abraham" (Matthew 3:9).

In Greek: "λέγω γὰρ ὑμῖν ὅτι δύναται ὁ θεὸς ἐκ τῶν λίθων τούτων ἐγεῖραι τέκνα τῷ Ἀβραάμ"; "Lego gar hymìn oti dynatai o Theos ek ton lithon touton egeirai tekna to Abraam."

In Hebrew (a possible translation): "אלוהים יכול לעשות מן האבנים האבנים האלה בנים לאברה"; "Elohìm yakhòl la'asòt min ha-abanìm ha-'ele banìm le-Avrahàm".

As can be seen, only in the Hebrew version there is assonance between the term "sons" ("banìm") and the term stones ("abanìm"). And not only that: this play of rhyming words fits perfectly with the technique of transmitting teachings based on assonance, alliteration, parables, oxymorons and juxtapositions (the famous camel passing through the eye of a needle) that the Tannaìm used to make their maxims memorized.

The example just given may also be present in Aramaic ("stones": 'ebnaya; "sons": banaya), but many are only in Hebrew.

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Gospel

The mystery of the life of God. Holy Trinity (C)

Joseph Evans comments on the Holy Trinity (C) readings for June 15, 2025.

Joseph Evans-June 12, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

Today's first reading shows us what we might call the summits of Israelite wisdom grappling with the mystery of God. We see here, in a text of what we call wisdom literature, the figure of wisdom personified. Who or what is this figure, "at the side" of God, "as an architect, and day after day it cheered him up."who works with God in the creation of the world? And yet Israel continues to grope in the dark.

The psalm continues the theme of confrontation with the mystery of God, focusing this time on the dignity of the human person. Before the splendor of creation, what is man within it? "You made him little inferior to the angels.". But the Hebrew word used here is Elohimi.e., little less than "gods". However, the Greek translation of the Septuagint translates it as "angels," as does the New Testament letter to the Hebrews (Heb 2:9). Man is such a great creature that we are like angels, even like God himself, made in his image and likeness (Gen 1:26-27).

However, we need the New Testament for the full revelation. Here we learn that God's inner being is truly trinitarian: one divine nature, but three divine Persons. We have access to the Father through the Son, who became man as Jesus Christ, and divine love is poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit, himself God's living love, as St. Paul teaches us in the second reading.

Today's Gospel is dense, but it is worth unraveling. Even with the fuller revelation received through Christ, we are still groping before the divine mystery. Jesus taught us so many things about the inner life of God, but "you can't carry them for now.". However, the Holy Spirit is at work in our hearts and in the Church to guide us. "to the full truth". The Spirit takes the teachings of Jesus and leads us to a fuller perception of them: "he will receive of mine and will announce it to you.". If we are docile to the action of the Spirit, the life of the Trinity grows in us, leading us to know and relate to each divine person in a deeper, livelier and more loving way.

The life of God is always a mystery that eludes our understanding, but exploring this mystery is an exciting journey in which the Spirit constantly gives us new insights, ultimately fostering our hope for heaven: He "he will tell you what is to come.". On today's feast of the Holy Trinity, we might consider how real, how alive, is our relationship with each divine Person.

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The Vatican

Opus Dei submits its proposed new statutes to the Vatican

The Opus Dei prelate announced that the prelature has submitted its proposed statutes to the Holy See.

Editorial Staff Omnes-June 11, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

The prelate of Opus Dei, Msgr. Fernando Ocáriz, today made public a message in which he emphasizes that the Work has submitted its proposed statutes to the Holy See, following the path set by the Vatican after the publication of the Motu Proprio Ad Charisma Tuendum.

In a brief message, customary in the prelate of the Opus Dei, Fernando Ocáriz wanted to encourage his children to entrust their work and apostolic labors to the Most Holy Trinity and to St. Josemaríaof which this month marks the fiftieth anniversary of his death. In the last paragraph of this letter, Ocáriz notes "I would like to inform you about the work of adaptation of the Statutes. It had been foreseen to complete its study in the General CongressHowever, as you know, since it coincided with the vacancy of the See, it was considered opportune not to do so. The members of the Congress gave their positive opinion so that, with the new Council and Advisory Council, we could complete the revision of the Statutes and submit them to the Holy See for approval, which we did today. It has been a journey of three yearsI ask you to intensify our prayers in this final stage".

Now the Holy See will have to review and establish whether it accepts the statutes proposed by the Prelature, on which both institutions have worked in coordination.

Three years working on Opus Dei statutes

The Prelature of Opus Dei has been in the process of revising its statutes since the summer of 2022, in response to the indications of Pope Francis contained in the motu proprio. Ad charisma tuendumwhich called for a juridical adaptation in accordance with the nature of this institution of the Church. The journey, which took place in two stages throughout 2023 and 2024, was marked by a spirit of collaboration and obedience to the indications of the Holy See.

Throughout 2023 all the members of Opus Dei were invited to participate in a general consultation on possible adjustments to the statutes of the Prelature. Based on the suggestions received, a first draft was prepared and submitted for deliberation at an Extraordinary General Congress convened in April of that year by the prelate, Fernando Ocáriz.

However, the process did not end there. The publication of a second motu proprio in August 2023which modified canons 295 and 296 of the Code of Canon Law concerning personal prelatures, gave rise to a new phase of work. This time, the focus was on the technical and doctrinal dialogue between two teams of experts: one belonging to the Dicastery for the Clergy and another designated by the Prelature itself.

The final proposal, prepared by the Prelature, was submitted to the Dicastery for the Clergy, which in turn made its observations. The final draft of the statutory document was to be drawn up with these observations, but since the death of Pope Francis A few days before the ordinary Congress planned by the Prelature, the delivery of these new statutes was put on hold pending the election of the new Pontiff and the reopening of the Vatican offices.

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Pope Leo XIV: Bartimaeus helps us never to lose hope 

At this Wednesday's General Audience, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the Gospel passage of blind Bartimaeus. He said that Bartimaeus' attitude before Jesus helps us never to lose hope, even when we feel alone and fallen, because God always listens to our illnesses, both those of the body and those of the soul.

Francisco Otamendi-June 11, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

This morning the Pope took up again at the General Audience the cycle of catechesis for the Jubilee Year, 'Jesus Christ our Hope', and focused on meditation on blind Bartimaeus. Courage! Arise, he is calling you' (Mk 10:49-52). In his address, Leo XIV encouraged us to bring to Jesus "our infirmities, both of body and soul, with the same confidence that inspired the prayer of Bartimaeus".

In today's catechesis we reflect on the Gospel passage of blind Bartimaeus, which brings us face to face with an essential aspect of the life of Jesus, said Pope Leo XIV. "His ability to heal. Bartimaeus, alone and lying by the side of the road, when he heard Jesus passing by, he cried out, knew how to ask, abandoned his cloak, ran to the Lord and received what he longed for, to regain his sight".

"God always listens."

"Bartimaeus' attitude before Jesus helps us to never lose hope, even when we feel alone and fallen, because God always listens. Like him, we all need Jesus to heal us, to lift us up and help us to get back on our way," the Pontiff encouraged.

To be healed by the Lord. "Let us also place before the gaze of Christ, with faith and sincerity, all our vulnerability, sufferings and weaknesses," the Holy Father added. "Let us also be capable of not clinging to our apparent securities, which often prevent us from walking, and let us have the courage to raise our heads to recover our dignity."

"Keep shouting!"

"What can we do when we find ourselves in a seemingly hopeless situation? Bartimaeus teaches us to appeal to the resources that we carry within us and that are part of us. He is a beggar, he knows how to ask, indeed, he can cry out!" the Pope continued.

"If you really want something, do everything you can to get it, even when others berate you, humiliate you and tell you to quit. If you really want it, keep shouting!

The cry of Bartimaeus, recounted in the Gospel of Mark - 'Son of David, Jesus, have mercy on me' (v. 47) - has become a well-known prayer in the Eastern tradition, which we too can use: 'Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, a sinner'".

"Bartimaeus is blind, but paradoxically he sees better than the others and recognizes who Jesus is! At his cry, Jesus stops and calls him (cf. v. 49), because there is no cry that God does not hear, even when we are not aware of addressing him (cf. Ex 2:23)," the Pope meditated.

Holy Trinity Sunday

In his brief addresses to pilgrims of various languages, the Pope encouraged them to bring to Jesus our illnesses (German language). "Our trials, our limitations and our weaknesses, as well as those of our loved ones. Let us also bring the suffering of those who feel lost and cannot find a way out" (French). 

"As we prepare to celebrate the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity next Sunday, I invite you to make your hearts a welcoming dwelling place for the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit." "During this Jubilee of hope, may we too receive the grace to see all things anew in the light of faith, and to follow the Lord in freedom and newness of life." (English language). 

Heart of Jesus

"I wish you to experience in your life the work of the Holy Spirit, to radiate the joy of faith" (Chinese language). "I cordially greet all Poles. In June they celebrate the pious devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. I encourage you to cultivate this tradition, entrusting your worries and hopes to the Heart of Christ, source of life and holiness (Polish). "Let us ask the Lord with faith to cure us of our sicknesses" (Portuguese).

In his greetings in Spanish, he especially addressed "the groups from Spain, Ecuador, Venezuela and Mexico". A Mexican band provided the ambience for Leo XIV's tour in the popemobile before the audience, in which he again greeted numerous babies and small children carried by their parents and relatives.

In Spanish, the Pope invited us "to bring with confidence before Jesus our illnesses and those of our loved ones; not to be indifferent to the pain of our brothers and sisters who feel lost and without a way out, but to give them a voice, certain that the Lord will listen to us and act. Let us ask God, through the intercession of Mary Most Holy, to grant us the grace to follow Him who is the Way, Jesus Christ our Lord".

Prayer for the victims in Graz (Austria)

Already in Italian, before praying the Our Father and giving the Blessing, he prayed for the victims of the massacre in a school in Graz (Austria), and their families. Several hundred people attended a Mass for the victims.

The Pope concluded the Audience by recalling the Solemnity of the Most Holy Trinity. "I hope that the contemplation of the Trinitarian mystery will lead you ever more deeply into divine Love, so that in every circumstance you can fulfill the will of the Lord.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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St. Josemaría and the liturgy

The book "St. Josemaría and the liturgy"published by Juan José Silvestre, professor of Liturgy at the University of Navarra, offers keys to understanding the saint's vision of the Holy Mass.

Juan José Silvestre-June 11, 2025-Reading time: 9 minutes

The work begins with a few words of the saint from Barbastro that constitute the leit motif of the whole book: "Do not forget that liturgical life is a life of love; love of God the Father, through Jesus Christ in the Holy Spirit, with the whole Church, of which you are a part". Words that Bishop Mariano Fazio comments on in the prologue, saying: "This affirmation of the saint runs throughout the book, and as I have read it I have been able to see that the author has identified love as a key aspect in St. Josemaría's understanding of the liturgy.

Indeed, through the pages I have tried to show, with the life and teachings of St. Josemaría, often linked to biographical details, that the words with which the book begins are a reality. Love is a key point.

St. Josemaría and the liturgy

The fascination for the liturgy was manifested in him from a very young age, as I have tried to show throughout the first chapter. It marked his spiritual life and he remained faithful to it throughout his priestly ministry. Finding on October 2, 1928, the date on which he "saw" the Opus Deia transcendental milestone also in his life and liturgical teachings.

As can be seen in the three chapters, it can be said that from a liturgical logic I present his thought as the bearer of a particular richness coming both from the foundational charism received and from his contemplative life, as well as from the incidences of his priestly ministry.

I think we can say, without fear of being mistaken, that St. Josemaría was in love with the liturgy. This love, this entering into the Trinitarian current of love for mankind that is the Eucharist, led him throughout his life to seek always the best way to live, in the Church, that personal and loving encounter that is the Holy Mass. For this reason his preaching will be impregnated by liturgical sources. His life and teachings will seek to embody in the best possible way the very nature of the liturgy. 

Vetus ordo

It was love for the liturgy that led him to "relate" to many of the intuitions of the liturgical movement in the 1930s. This same love for the liturgy, as an ecclesial reality, is what led him to promote an orderly and progressive introduction of the liturgical reform in the celebrations of the centers of Opus Dei, as requested by the Holy See. And it is his liturgical life, understood as an encounter of love with God, which allows us to understand that, after 45 years of seeking to make his own the words and gestures of the Tridentine Missal, he found it very difficult to change to the 1970 Missal and ended up benefiting, without having asked for it, from the indult that allowed him to continue celebrating in the last three years of his life with the rite prior to the conciliar reform.

Both in his published and unpublished writings, as well as in his oral preaching, it can also be seen that love is the center, the heart of his liturgical teachings. 

Divine love

Divine love is poured out on the faithful through the Trinitarian current of love that is the Holy Mass and which awaits the response, also of love, from each Christian. A response which, united to Christ in his Church, they offer to the Father.

Divine love that awaits the correspondence of each person through this loving participation in the gestures and prayers of the Eucharistic celebration, thus showing the importance of exterior and interior participation in it, as St. Josemaría embodied in his mystagogical teachings and his life of liturgical love. 

Love that characterizes the personal response and that goes beyond the ritual celebration, it involves life, as the saint teaches. In his preaching he clearly shows that all of us, as "priests of our own existence" through Baptism, manifest our love to the Father by returning to him the world transformed by Christ in the Holy Spirit, through that "Mass" that each one of us celebrates on the altar of our work, of our daily life. This "Mass" lasts twenty-four hours, and its center and root is the sacramental celebration.

Spanish liturgical movement

If we take a look at the structure of the book, we can see how it is projected in three concentric circles that converge in love: biographical, theological-liturgical and mystagogical notes. Throughout the pages of the first chapter, which is biographical in nature, we can see from the saint's published and unpublished writings, as well as from the testimonies of those who lived with him, how St. Josemaría in the 1930s was a true pioneer, a priest ahead of his time also in the liturgical field. In many of his liturgical decisions and experiences he appears to be related to the incipient Spanish liturgical movement, of which he knew several of its most important promoters and driving forces, who were his personal friends. 

Basic aspects, such as the liturgy lived as a source of spiritual life and the concept of active participation, will be translated into concrete manifestations and decisions that the saint made and with which, in those years as a young priest, he sought to spread liturgical life: the dialogued Masses in the university residences that he promoted, the frequent communion, within the Mass and with consecrated hosts in the celebration itself as something habitual in his Mass and for all the people who participated in it, the use of ample vestments, as well as the indications for the construction of future oratories, are concrete and practical manifestations of that desire, as well as of his relationship with the ideas of the liturgical movement.

Liturgy and personal holiness

Throughout the pages of the second chapter, which is of a more theological nature, I have tried to show how the message that St. Josemaría Escrivá received on October 2, 1928, the universal call to holiness, is connected with the basilar ideas of the Council's teachings on the liturgy. 

How can we fail to see in number 14 of the conciliar constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium In that famous issue we read: "Holy Mother Church ardently desires that all the faithful be led to that full, conscious and active participation in the liturgical celebrations which the nature of the Liturgy itself demands and to which the Christian people, 'a chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a peculiar people' (1 Pet. 2:9; cf. 2:4-5), have a right and obligation by virtue of baptism" (1 Pet. 2:9).

The rediscovery of baptism and the consequent divine filiation, as the foundation of the universal call to sanctity, are directly related to this right and duty to participate in the liturgy. These are conciliar teachings that St. Josemaría had already anticipated in his mystagogical writings, as can be seen in the third chapter of the book, or in his own liturgical life and that of the members of the institution that God made him see, as can be seen in the first chapter, encouraging, for example, active participation in the residences that he promoted by living the so-called dialogued Masses.

The Mass, a Trinitarian action

At the same time, numbers 5 to 7 of the same conciliar constitution are also developed in the teachings of St. Josemaría. Thus the presentation of the Mass as an extension of the Trinitarian current of God's love for us, formulated by the saint, is related to the idea of the history of salvation rediscovered by St. Josemaría. Vatican Council IIThe fundamental component of love is emphasized.

The divine and Trinitarian character of the celebration of the Holy Mass, together with its Christological and ecclesial character, underlined by the saint, lead him to define the Eucharistic celebration as the center and root of Christian life. This expression is not only original in terms of the form or terms used, although we find it in a similar way in the magisterium of Pius XII, the Second Vatican Council and more generally in Catholic doctrine, but it receives a broader and more novel context in St. Josemaría.

The Mass, center and root 

Indeed, the Holy Mass, presented as the center and root of the Christian life, connects with ordinary, ordinary life, the life of work, which is the place of encounter with God, as St. Josemaría had tirelessly preached since 1928. This secular life, this life in the world, a sanctifiable and sanctifying reality, finds its center and root in the celebration of the Eucharist. Therefore, every member of the faithful, by virtue of his or her baptism, as the Second Vatican Council would say, has the right and obligation to participate in liturgical celebrations, and the saint would proclaim it in a stronger and more emphatic way: each member of the faithful is a priest of his or her own existence. Hence the relationship between ordinary and working life and the Mass is intimate, intense, connatural to both realities. And therefore it is called to be prolonged in a Mass that lasts twenty-four hours.

If in the first chapter I tried to show how St. Josemaría was related to the liturgical movement, thus anticipating and preparing the ideas that would be taken up by the Second Vatican Council, in the second chapter I sought to show how the saint's teachings offer the Council's liturgical magisterium a context, a framework in which to live them. In fact, in his oral and written preaching he tirelessly proclaimed that every Christian, called to be a priest of his own existence by baptism, celebrates his twenty-four-hour Mass on the altar of his workplace and daily life, provided that the Eucharistic celebration is for him its center and root.

Liturgy is performative

Finally, in the third chapter I have tried to highlight St. Josemaría's keen awareness of the transforming power of the liturgy of the Holy Mass for the ordinary faithful. His teachings in this regard are many, and appear frequently in his writings. As the saint repeated: "I have always taught you to find the source of your piety in Holy Scripture and in the official prayer of the Church, in the Sacred Liturgy.

In this third chapter I have chosen to focus my attention especially on two texts: first, the homily "The Eucharist, Mystery of Faith and Love," in which, following the various parts of the Eucharistic celebration, St. Josemaría proposes consequences for the spiritual life of Christians. Secondly, I have made use of some commentaries on the Eucharistic celebration that our author was preparing in 1938 and which he intended to publish in a book entitled Liturgical devotions. In the second chapter of our book we have made a study of the project and of the cards that St. Josemaría had written during that year. In using them in our work we have reproduced them literally, that is, with the abbreviations, minor spelling mistakes, etc., that they contain.

Unpublished texts

These writings, dating from the end of the 1930s, seem to me to be a text of particular interest. Not only because of their unpublished character, but also because they show, in my opinion, how the saint read and knew the authors who presented commentaries on the Mass with a marked mystagogical aspect. At the same time, they show how he shared with them a way of understanding the liturgy that was totally advanced for his time, as can be seen, in part, thanks to the first chapter in which I have tried to show St. Josemaría's special relationship with the liturgical movement. 

The commentaries are a perfect conjunction of liturgical history, ars celebrandiThe most characteristic of the saint are the considerations full of love, which are manifested in short phrases, sometimes only words - ejaculatory, darts - that seek to condense, in words, the love for the Mass that overflowed from his heart. 

In turn, the combination of texts written in two different periods of the saint's life, the late thirties and the sixties with an ecumenical council and a liturgical reform in between, will show the continuity and harmony between the two, fruit, I believe, of our author's love for the liturgy.

The Mass explained by St. Josemaría

The commentary on the liturgy of the Holy Mass by St. Josemaría, which occupies the third chapter, seems to me to help us understand why the saint said: "By attending Holy Mass, you will learn to treat each of the divine Persons. In the celebration, the faithful can address the Father in Christ through the action of the Holy Spirit: in entering into dialogue with the divine Persons, their Christian life grows. It is a dialogue to which every gesture and word of the rite invites the faithful, and which thus takes on a special meaning. 

In short, in the last chapter I tried to show that St. Josemaría was preparing to "speak" to the faithful about the Mass, not in a discursive way, but "mystagogically," that is, through the rites. It is logical that this should be so, since the extensive and profound reality of the spiritual effects of the Holy Mass should not run autonomously and independently of the texts and rites that mark the celebration of the Mass.

I would like to conclude with some words of the saint that seem to me to reflect very well all that I have tried to show in the book. It is a text written in 1931, which shows very well his formation and life for the liturgy and from the liturgy, love, divine filiation, the words and gestures of the liturgical celebration itself explain everything:

This morning I asked Jesus - I didn't ask Him, I mean wrong - I told Jesus of my desire to prepare myself very well, during Advent, for when the Child comes. I told Him many things, among them that He teach me to live the sacred Liturgy. I thought that my soul is a thirsty land and I was excited to read in the communio of the Holy Mass: Dominus dabit benignitatem, et terra nostra dabit fructum suum. Lord Jesus, may the poor wasteland of my soul, filled with your grace, bear fruit for eternal life. And I was confused, full of gratitude, when I recited the psalm in first place Confitemini Domino (Ps. 117)..., a faithful expression of what each one of those you have so far chosen for your Work could sing.

St. Josemaría and the liturgy

AuthorJuan José Silvestre
EditorialRialp : Rialp
Year: 2025
Number of pages: 303
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Evangelization

St. Barnabas, Cypriot and apostle with St. Paul 

On June 11, the Church celebrates St. Barnabas, or Joseph, who was among those who gathered around the Apostles after the death of Jesus in Jerusalem. He was a recognized disciple among the early Christians, and later an apostle with St. Paul.  

Francisco Otamendi-June 11, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

The liturgy dedicates June 11 to St. Barnabas, one of the most recognized disciples of the first Christian community. Although he was not one of the Twelve, he was also sent as an apostle. Thanks to him, St. Paul, recently converted on the road to Damascus, was welcomed in Jerusalem by the apostles and the community.

The vatican saints' calendar The fact that many were suspicious of Saul, who had persecuted the Christians (cf. Acts 9:27), but Barnabas took him in and introduced him into the community. 

He did so as follows: "When he (Saul, Paul) arrived in Jerusalem, he (Saul) tried to join the disciples, but they were all afraid of him (...). Then Barnabas took him and brought him to the apostles, and he told them how he had seen the Lord on the road, and what he had said to him, and how he had acted boldly in the name of Jesus in Damascus.

Barnabas, among the first people sent by Jesus

Joseph, called by the Apostles Barnabas - which means 'son of consolation' - was a Levite born in Cyprus who owned a field, sold it and put the money at the disposal of the Apostles, according to the Acts. In addition, the Vatican agency points out that "another tradition - reported by Eusebius of Caesarea, who is inspired by Clement Alexandrinus - includes Barnabas among the 72 disciples sent by Jesus on a mission to proclaim the Kingdom of God.

Considered "virtuous man, filled with the Holy Spirit and faith"Barnabas was sent to Antioch in Syria, from where news of numerous conversions had arrived. Barnabas exhorted everyone "to persevere with a resolute heart in the Lord," and then asked Paul for help, pushing him toward his mission as Apostle to the Gentiles. In Antioch the disciples began to call themselves Christians (Acts, 11, 26).

With St. Paul, "discord among saints".

After the preaching in Antioch, Barnabas and Paul left for a new mission in Cyprus. With them is also John, called Mark (the evangelist), who is also in the saints' calendar, on April 25. The next stage is Pamphylia, but John decides to return to Jerusalem. Barnabas and Paul continue and finally return. Shortly thereafter, the two prepare for a new mission. Barnabas wanted to travel with John, and Paul was against it. Barnabas embarked for Cyprus with Mark, and Paul, on the other hand, chose Silas (cf. Acts 15:36-40).

Commenting on this passage, Benedict XVI said in a AudienceEven among the saints there are contrasts, disagreements, controversies. I find this very consoling, because we see that the saints 'have not fallen from heaven'". And he added: "They are men like us, even with complicated problems. Holiness does not consist in never making mistakes or never sinning. Holiness grows with the capacity for conversion, repentance, readiness to begin again, and above all with the capacity for reconciliation and forgiveness." The rest -St. Paul calls St. Mark his 'collaborator'-, you have it in the text of Benedict XVI.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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God's madman at the end of the world

"El loco de Dios en el fin del mundo" is a work by Javier Cercas, in which he accompanies Pope Francis on a trip to Mongolia to seek answers for his believing mother. Published in early 2025, it has been described as an "existential thriller" that blends spiritual reflection, travelogue and in-depth portrait of the Pontiff.

Andrés Cárdenas Matute-June 11, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

Beyond the luck with the timing of the book, which coincided with the death of Francis, much of the success of "The Madman of God at the End of the World" has to do with its perspective: a writer who defines himself as an atheist and anti-clerical is invited to accompany the Pope on his visit to one of the smallest Catholic communities, that of Mongolia. This, it would seem, would tinge the work with an impartiality that safeguards it from any ideological attempt; at least, from the ideological attempt on the part of Catholicism. And to a large extent it is true.

Cercas, without hiding his opinions, approaches the Church, Francis, those who worked with him and a handful of Christians, with the curiosity of someone who wants to hear what those experiences have of value. He surrenders to the figure of Francis, but that does not hinder his task of outlining a non-idealized contour: a profile compatible with negative testimonies of his youth, with outbursts of tone during his pontificate, or with manifest errors.

The book is also a gesture of love from a son to his mother. Cercas' mother, affected by Alzheimer's, is a Catholic and lives with the certainty that when she dies she will be with her husband again. The writer wants to convey this message to Francis and, if possible, bring a few words back. "With all certainty." But beyond the centrality of this theme - that of eternal life - Cercas' great discovery is that if all Christians were like the missionaries he met in Mongolia, the Church would automatically renew itself.

At least the Church that the Spaniard has in mind would be renewed, a Church that - as Armando Matteo would say - also suffers from demographic winter, which does not give birth to many lives. It is interesting that many Catholics, upon learning of the book's approach, the first thing they ask is: Did he convert? As if that is where all efforts would go, as if faith were not a mustard seed, that grain of wheat that God makes grow in silence during the night, but just another T-shirt in the carnival of the identity dance.

Is seeking not already converted? What will the missionaries in Mongolia think about this?

God's madman at the end of the world

AuthorJavier Cercas
Editorial: Penguin Random Hause
Year: 2025
Number of pages: 488
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Books

Words of hatred and hatred of words

Anna Pintore analyzes how censorship in liberal democracies has mutated from coercive to structural, promoted in the name of the common good, but at the risk of undermining freedom of expression. The only legitimate censorship would be ethical self-censorship, based on human dignity and respect for truth.

José Carlos Martín de la Hoz-June 11, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

There is currently a solid movement of repulsion and indignation against the iron censorship established by the governments of the European community as a result of the intensity of our Western civilization's fight against "hate speech" in the press and media in general, which are even already typified in Community law, together with the intense means of regulation and condemnation that have been established (p. 12).

Professor Anna Pintiore, professor of philosophy of law at the University of Cagliari, has written an intense work on censorship in liberal society, its limits and methodology, in order to stop the birth of a new inquisitorial court in the countries of Europe that will return to judge intentions, beliefs and opinions (p. 15). 

It is worth remembering the juridical principle from Roman law: "De internis neque Praetor iducat", which would pass, as it did, into canon law: "De internis neque Ecclesia iudicat". This principle of not judging intentions and thoughts was so often invoked to achieve the abolition of inquisitorial law.

Inquisition

Indeed, the objective of the modern tribunal approved by Sixtus IV in 1478 to put an end to the Judaizing heresy in Spain that had spread in Castile and Aragon, seemed to them to make "necessary" the implementation of an effective method to achieve the longed-for unity of the faith.

Undoubtedly 75% of the processes took place between 1478 and 1511. Hence, the tribunal should have been abolished and the defense of the faith left in the hands of the diocesan Ordinaries, as was decided after a violent discussion in the Cortes of Cadiz in 1812.

– Supernatural Inquisition It could have been suppressed, but the climate of intense lack of formation of the people and the clergy and the perfect superstructure that had been created favored the maintenance of this unworthy tribunal, for no one should be judged within himself except by God, for "by their fruits you shall know them".

That is the great evil of the tribunal of the Inquisition, to have given way to the inquisitorial mentality that consisted, then and now, in judging the ideas and intentions of others, without contrasted data and causing distrust and destruction of the honor and fame of people for several generations. In fact, the Catechism of the Catholic ChurchThe Catechism of Trent went so far as to affirm that honor and fame were as important as life itself.

Right of defense

At the same time, Professor Anna Pintore points out that the liberal state has the right to defend itself against falsehoods written by an author in a book, in a newspaper article or in the media, since they can undermine the social or moral foundations on which the state and civic coexistence are built (p. 21). In other words, it would be convenient to "redefine censorship in terms of convenience" (p. 23 and 32).

There is no doubt that Michel Foucault revealed himself as an enemy of Hobbes when, in Leviathan, he demanded the surrender of citizens' freedom so that the absolutist state could build a lasting and stable peace. Logically, peace without freedom is impossible to maintain in a culture that has experienced freedom (p. 33).

It is amusing to see how our author entangles herself in a "vulgar play on words" when she pretends to oppose an "external, coercive and repressive" censorship to a "modern censorship" that would be "productive, structural and necessary" (p. 34). 

In fact, throughout the pages of this book, the conviction that the only possible censorship is "self-censorship", derived from common sense, prudence, deep convictions, love for one's own and others' freedom, respect for the opinions of others and the deep desire to contribute with our criticism to the common good and the dignity of the human person and to safeguard the principle of the presumption of innocence and the good faith of individuals, will emerge (p. 38).

Agreed censorships

It is interesting to see how there are fields of "agreed censorship" that are markedly ideologized, even in our democratic times, such as the following exposed by our author: "institutional regulation of free expression, market censorship, cuts in government funding for controversial art, boycotts, prosecution and marginalization and exclusion of artists based on their gender or race, to 'political correctness' in academia and the media, so much so that the term is overwhelmed, even trivialized" (p. 41-42).

Undoubtedly, our author expresses her perplexity before the abundance of literature and opinions that wish to further restrict freedom of expression, especially since the abusive invasion of the Internet, which has filled the web with opinions of the most varied and solid origin. Two apparently conflicting principles are invoked: freedom of expression and equality (p. 51).

It is very important how he arrives at this major conclusion: "hate speech (and pornography) should be banned not insofar as it excludes the voice of its victims from the public arena, but because it is morally reprehensible, that is, because it is unacceptable in the light of the human rights ethic that has been affirmed in the Western world (and we add the dignity of the human person)" (p. 67).

Finally, we take up, by way of our author's conclusion, the last words of her book: "The metamorphosis of censorship that has taken place in recent decades is certainly not the only factor that has determined this situation, but it has certainly created an extremely welcoming intellectual environment for it. Given the success enjoyed today by the ideas that have been criticized here, one cannot be very optimistic about the future of freedom of expression" (p. 85).

Between words of hatred and hatred of words

AuthorAnna Pintore
EditorialTrotta
Year: 2025
Number of pages: 95
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Spain

Spain is once again the country that sends out the most missionaries

According to the 2024 report of the Pontifical Mission Societies, Spain is the country that sends the most missionaries to the whole world, being also the second territory that contributes the most economically to the missions.

Editorial Staff Omnes-June 10, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes
RelatedRelated NewsBe missionaries of illusion!Related NewsIn the Church we are all missionaries

Pontifical Mission Societies Spain presented on June 10 the activity report. The most remarkable of the data is that Spain is again the country in the world that sends more missionaries, reaching almost 10,000. Of all of them, approximately 5,000 are active, more than half are women and most are in America.

Prayer and financial contribution

In addition to this good news, José María CalderónThe director of the pontifical institution, explained that the funds made available to Rome in 2024 were higher than in 2023. This is due in part to a higher collection, but also to the decrease in management and administration costs. The result has been the delivery of almost 15 million euros, distributed among 1,131 mission territories. This makes Spain the second country that has given the most money to OMP.

But as Heliodoro Picazo, a missionary who shared his testimony during the press conference, stressed, money is not the only or the most important part of the contribution to the Pontifical Mission Societies. Prayer is essential to support the thousands of men and women who leave everything and go to evangelize, many of them to remote places where their lives are in danger.

Thanks to the sacrifice of missionaries, one out of every three baptisms in the world takes place in mission territories. Likewise, native vocations are increasing, Catholic schools and medical centers are being opened, and the faith is spreading throughout the world.

Lack of missionary vocations

In spite of the good news, both José María Calderón and Heliodoro Picazo have shown their concern for the advanced age of the majority of missionaries. They are getting older, but there are not enough vocations to ensure the continuity of the missions in all the territories.

In this regard, the two speakers emphasized the importance of prayer and of forming young people in the Christian faith, so that those who feel called by God to be missionaries will respond generously to the invitation.

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RelatedRelated NewsBe missionaries of illusion!Related NewsIn the Church we are all missionaries
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Evangelization

Numerous Blesseds after Pentecost

The liturgy celebrates numerous Blesseds from various places on June 10, two days after Pentecost. Among them, the Italian Dominican John Dominici, archbishop of Croatia and cardinal legate of two Popes. The German Eustace Kugler, victim during the Nazi period. Edward Poppe, Belgian apostle of devotion to the Virgin and the Eucharist. And the English monks Thomas Green and Gualterius Pierson.  

Francisco Otamendi-June 10, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

Two days after the solemnity of Pentecost, in which the Holy Spirit was poured out in abundance on the People of God, said yesterday the Pope Leo XIVThe liturgy celebrates numerous blessed and saints, from different places. 

Juan BianchiniDomínici, surnamed Domínici, perhaps after his father's name, was born in Florence around 1355. He was a member of the Order of Preachers, diplomat and writer. He was the first friar who introduced in Italy the regular observance, promoted since 1348 by the Blessed Raymond of CapuaHe was appointed vicar general of the reformed convents in 1393. He was also promoted to archbishop of Ragusa (Dubrovnik, Croatia) and appointed cardinal legate of Popes Gregory XII and Martin V. He died in Budapest. 

Apostles, caregivers of the sick

In addition to St. Landeric of Paris, the Church celebrates Blessed Diana of Andalusia. Born in Bologna (Italy) around 1200, she helped the first Dominicans to establish themselves in the city. And also the Belgian Blessed Eduardo PoppeHe assimilated in the seminary the Marian doctrine of St. Louis M. Griñon de Monfort, and began to be an apostle and catechist of devotion to the Virgin and the Eucharist. 

Also included in the saints' day is Eustace Kugler, Blessed of Bavaria, who entered the Hospitaller Order of Bavaria at the age of 26. St. John of God. For most of his religious life he was prior of communities and of his religious province. He spent his nights walking the corridors of the hospital looking after the needs of the sick. He suffered greatly under the Nazis, who despised the sick. He died in Regensburg and was beatified in 2009.

More English martyrs

Blessed Thomas Green and Blessed Gualterius Pierson are two of the monks of the Charterhouse of London who refused to subscribe to King Henry VIII's oath of religious supremacy. Thomas was a priest and Gualterius a brother convert. Both were imprisoned in a London jailand died (1537). We can also mention the Italian Vincentian Blessed Marcos Antonio Durando or the Spanish Blessed José Manuel Claramonte, diocesan worker.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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Integral ecology

Artificial Intelligence: between technology and spirit

Artificial Intelligence has gone from being a technical tool to becoming an "emotional companion", which poses profound ethical and spiritual challenges. The text calls not to lose sight of the human, relational and transcendent dimension that AI cannot replace.

Juan Carlos Vasconez-June 10, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

Artificial Intelligence (AI) is becoming a reality that permeates more and more aspects of our lives. From my experience as a school chaplain I have had the opportunity to reflect on this fascinating crossroads between technology and morality. When girls came to my confessional for the first time repenting for having "copied" work on AI I thought it was time to understand it better.

It can shed light on the Vatican document, Antiqua era Novaissued in January by two dicasteries, working together: the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith and the Dicastery for Culture and Education.

When AI enters the intimate

Until now we have associated AI with efficiency, task automation and processing large volumes of data. And certainly, AI remains an invaluable tool for personal and professional productivity, helping us organize our lives, manage schedules or even generate code. However, what the most recent studies reveal is a surprising shift towards much more emotional and personal uses of AI.

Today, one of the main uses of AI is no longer just technical or productivity, but has escalated into spheres such as therapy and companionship. People turn to AI to seek emotional support, to have a "listening ear," or even to converse with simulations of deceased loved ones. Another prominent use is the search for purpose and self-development, with people consulting AI for guidance on values, goal setting or philosophical reflection, even engaging in "Socratic dialogues" with these tools.

Digital Companion

This phenomenon deeply challenges us. AI has become a kind of "digital companion" or "thought partner", capable of personalizing responses and adapting to our emotional states. Users are no longer just passive consumers, but "co-creators" who refine their interactions for more nuanced responses.

This is where, as he warns us Antiqua era NovaWe must be especially vigilant not to lose track of our own humanity. The fact that AI can simulate empathetic responses, offer companionship or even "help" in the search for purpose does not mean that it possesses true empathy or that it can bestow meaning on life.

Artificial intelligence, however advanced, is not capable of reaching human intelligence, which is also shaped by bodily experiences, sensory stimuli, emotional responses and authentic social interactions. AI operates on computational logic and quantitative data; it does not feel, it does not love, it does not suffer, it has no consciousness and no free will. Therefore, it cannot replicate moral discernment or the ability to establish authentic relationships.

Why is it crucial to understand this?

Empathy is intrinsically human: True empathy arises from the ability to share the other's feeling, to understand their pain or joy from our own embodied experience. AI can process a wealth of data about human emotions and generate responses that look like empathetic, but not feel or experience those emotions. It is a simulation, not a reality. Relying on AI for empathy is like expecting a map to give you the experience of walking a path.

The meaning of life is born of relationship and transcendence: the search for meaning, life purpose, fulfillment, are not found in an algorithm or in a machine-generated response. These are born from our authentic relationships with God and with others, from our capacity to love and be loved, from our sacrifice, from the experience of shared pain and joy, from the surrender to an ideal that transcends us. As a priest, I see every day how true fulfillment is found in surrender and in the encounter with the other, something that AI, by definition, cannot offer. It is in the interpersonal relationship, often imperfect and challenging, that we are forged and find deep meaning.

Risks of emotional and spiritual dependence: If we begin to delegate to AI our need for companionship, emotional support or even our search for meaning, we run the risk of developing a dependence that leads us away from genuine sources of fulfillment. We may settle for a "pseudo-companionship" that will never challenge us to grow in virtue, to forgive, to love unconditionally or to transcend our own limits.

The risks of anthropomorphization and the richness of human relationships

The tendency to anthropomorphize AI blurs the line between human and artificial. The use of chatbotsfor example, can model human relationships in a utilitarian way. 

The risks are clear:

  • Dehumanization of relationships: If we expect the same perfection and efficiency from people as a chatbot, we can impoverish the patience, listening and vulnerability that define authentic relationships.
  • Reduction of the human being: Seeing AI as "almost human" can lead us to see the human being as a simple algorithm, ignoring our freedom, soul and capacity to love.
  • Impoverishment of the teacher's role: The teacher's mission is much more than imparting data; it is to form criteria, inspire and accompany personal and moral growth.
  • Delegation of moral discernment: We may be tempted to yield to the AI for ethical decisions that are ours alone.

How to deal with them?

  • Critical awareness: Educate about what AI is and what it is not, demystifying its capabilities.
  • Revalue the human: Promote spaces for genuine interaction, where the richness of the imperfection and complexity of human relationships can be appreciated.
  • Dignify the educator: Emphasize his or her irreplaceable role as a trainer of people.
  • Educate for freedom and responsibility: Insist that moral decision-making is our prerogative. AI is a tool; ethical choice is ours.

An Ongoing Dialogue: Where Do We Leave the Soul?

The irruption of Artificial Intelligence invites us to an unavoidable existential dialogue, beyond technological fascination or simple efficiency. If it can simulate a digital "embrace" or a philosophical "guide", then where is the irreplaceable depth of the human relationship, of the empathy born of flesh and spirit, and of the transcendence that only the human soul can yearn for and attain? 

The real challenge is not merely technical, but anthropological and spiritual: to discern with radical honesty whether we are unconsciously delegating to an algorithm what only the encounter with others and with God can fulfill, risking impoverishing our own humanity in the pursuit of a digital comfort that can never fill the emptiness of the heart.

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Evangelization

Positive didactic experiences in the subject of Religion

In "Educating for Life. Experiences in teaching Religion", edited by EUNSA and soon available in English and Portuguese, 18 Religion teachers from 15 different schools expose their best educational practices.

Ronald Bown S.-June 10, 2025-Reading time: 6 minutes

"Educating for life"The book addresses a multitude of issues related to the teaching of the subject of Religion: from the approach to Sacred Scripture, to the challenges of classes in the pre-basic, elementary and middle school stages, including a multitude of pedagogical resources, as well as offering a proposal for students with special educational needs.

In the Introduction, I mention that I like to dedicate the last minutes of my classes to an activity that I call "Exit Questions" or, more recently: "High Impact" questions. It is a very simple activity, but one that the students are very attracted to: each student is asked to hand in, written on a piece of paper, a question about the class. It can be something they didn't quite understand, an idea they would like to explore in depth, a concept they are especially curious about, etc. These questions allow me to see what they really learned, what their topics of special interest are, and they are a very valuable input for the next class.

Every day, as I review these questions, I am surprised for several reasons: their eagerness to know our faith, the depth of their questioning, their wit and cultural restlessness. I share with you some of the questions I have been asked over the years: How do I know what God wants from me? Can people of other religions go to Heaven? What was there before God? How is original sin evil if God creates all things? Why is choosing evil not true freedom? What can I tell an atheist to convert?

Based on these questions and my experience in the classroom, I dare to affirm that young people like to learn, are interested in knowing more about our faith, want to understand the teachings of the Church in greater depth, are eager to give meaning to their lives and are keenly interested in having a personal encounter with Christ.

Classroom activities

Professor Ángeles Cabido explores the diversity of activities for the secondary classroom: analyzing biblical quotations; consulting what the Catechism or YouCat says about what has been studied;

Santiago Baraona, in the chapter on student participation, recalls that "when I teach the Fundamental Theology course to 17-year-old students, in the first class I ask each one, on an interactive participation platform (Socrative or Mentimeter, for example), to answer the following question: If you had the opportunity to ask a question to someone who could answer them all, what question would you ask them? Students have a few minutes to think and answer. If they want to, they can do so anonymously, with the goal being that it is indeed a reflection of a question that truly interests them. We then analyze everyone's answers and comment on them. 

Perennial issues

Almost all of the questions over many years now - think of a total of about 1,200 students - are more or less elaborate variations of these:

  • What is the reason that God created us and created us the way he did (as intelligent beings in his image and likeness)?
  • Why does suffering exist?
  • What should I do in my life?
  • Does God exist?
  • What happens to me after death? What happens to me when I die?
  • How did it all start?
  • What does the perfect man look like and how can I get closer to being like him?

What is surprising is the coincidence and convergence of these questions. The truth is that it should not be a surprise: man has always been looking for an answer to these piercing questions. For the religion class to be meaningful for the adolescent student, it seems to me that it must start from a concern that he has. We cannot give answers if there are no questions beforehand".

Christ in the center

María José Urenda, writes a chapter on the centrality of Christ, deepening on the true focus and center of the classes. She proposes a reflection on the meaning of the teaching of the Catholic religion, placing at the center the Person of Christ as the foundation, content and goal to be achieved. It is pointed out that the teaching of the Catholic religion should not be limited to transmitting knowledge or preparing for exams, but implies guiding and accompanying students to know, love and follow Christ, which is only possible if the teacher has made Him the center of his or her life. 

The vocation of the religion teacher, and his or her pedagogical practice, is intimately linked to his or her personal testimony of faith, since "no one gives what he does not have".. This chapter stresses that Christ is not only a historical figure, but God made Man himself, whose life and teachings mark a before and after in the history of humanity. For this reason, it insists that the ultimate goal of the Religion class is to foster a personal encounter with Christ, so that He may transform the life of each of its students."

Religion before the age of 6

Francisca Ruiz and Bernardita Domínguez co-wrote the chapter dedicated to the challenges of Religion classes in Pre Basic. It is a chapter with numerous activities explained and accompanied by QR links to observe the results of the activity. For example, to explain the Calm Storm, a boat of about 70 cm. is made with eva rubber or cardboard and some dolls made of cloth representing Jesus and the apostles, we bring the story to life.

Each child holds a blue handkerchief in his hand to participate in the story according to whether the sea is calm or with big waves. When the storm hits the boat, the children shake their handkerchiefs vigorously. When Jesus raises his arms and says: "Calm the sea, calm the wind", we stop moving the boat and the children, their handkerchiefs. "I am with you, do not be afraid!" And we close by commenting how powerful Jesus is that even the sea and the wind obey him.

Other activities that can be highlighted from this chapter: 

Treasure: We place a mirror inside a pretty box lined with some shiny paper. We say quietly, "Inside this box is what God loves most of all creation. He made it very special and unique. I will approach each one of you to see it. And very important, don't tell your partner so he can discover it too." One at a time, each child is invited to see what is inside that box. When they open it and see their reflection, the child gets excited and smiles. It is a very special and important moment in becoming aware of God's love for each one.

Treasure Chest: the first class of the year we enter the room with a chest (gold lined box): "Here inside I bring the greatest treasure we can have, Someone who loves us very much. Who will it be?". The chest is opened and our stuffed Jesus appears. During the year, we reinforce the idea that Jesus is our treasure and we should take care of him. 

The multiplication of the loaves: in the story of this miracle we highlight the presence of a child who wanted to share everything he had. We use a cardboard plate with loaves and fishes folded as a fan, so that at first sight only 5 loaves and 2 fishes can be seen, but when stretched out, many more will be seen, evidencing the multiplication of the loaves. You can also make the representation using a small basket with the seven elements and change it at the moment of the miracle for a large basket with loaves and fish to share among all the children (we recommend using candies or cookies in the shape of fish and loaves).

An effective pedagogy for primary and secondary schools

It is clear then that each chapter tries to be as practical as possible. A couple of final examples: Carolina Martinez explains how to approach Sacred Scripture. Reading the Bible, our starting point, gives concrete advice on how to approach Sacred Scripture, both for the Old and New Testaments. And Catalina Tapia and Verónica García offer pedagogical resources that put into practice different thinking routines that can be useful for our classes: 

I. Visible thinking routines to present and explore:

Seeing - Thinking - Wondering:

-To see: to observe with attention a sacred image (painting, photograph, graphic) that has important elements that offer different levels of explanation. It is important that it is described without interpretation. 

-Thinking: Reflect on what the image makes us think about, give an interpretation, then argue through evidence my reflection.

-Questioning: To formulate questions that are broader, that go beyond interpretation, to challenge curiosity.

The next step is to share with a partner.

Focus

The objective of this routine is to have a blinded portion of a sacred image, which calls for the interpretation of the entire plane, invites to look closely and make interpretations, then a new visual interpretation is presented and you are asked to look closely and reevaluate your initial interpretation. This process allows for a dynamic flexibilization of thought, showing that a partial view can always lead to a biased interpretation of the subject. 

II. Visible thinking routines for Thinking-Questioning-Exploring:

1. CSI: Color, Symbol, Image: capturing the essence through metaphors. Using a color, a symbol and an image to represent the ideas they have identified.

2. Sentence-Phrase-Word: Routine that works with a sacred text, to summarize and extract the main ideas, contexts and knowledge. It seeks to unveil what the reader found important. 

- Prayer: Captures the central idea of the sacred text.

- Phrase: That has captured your attention by provoking an emotion.

- Word: Choose the word that most closely relates to the central idea and evokes a reflection.

In conclusion, reading "Educating for Life. Experiences in teaching Religion" is of real help to teachers of Religion, the subject most important of all.

Educating for Life: Experiences in Religion Teaching

Author: Ronald Bown S
Editorial: EUNSA
Year: 2024
Number of pages: 276
The authorRonald Bown S.

Professor of Religion, Tabancura School.

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Photo Gallery

Pope Leo XIV greets a child from the popemobile

It was before the Pentecost prayer vigil with the participants of the Jubilee of Movements, Associations and New Ecclesial Communities.

Editorial Staff Omnes-June 9, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute
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The Vatican

Lion XIV met with the Italian-American National Foundation

At the end of the meeting Pope Leo XIV put on a cap from his former American university, Villanova.

Rome Reports-June 9, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute
rome reports88

Pope Leo XIV met June 4 with the Italian-American National Foundation, which he blessed for its work in preserving the cultural and spiritual legacy of its ancestors.

Prior to the general audience in St. Peter's Square, the Pontiff received members of the board of directors of this outstanding foundation, thanking them for their initiatives in Italy and the United States. "Your educational work with young people, the promotion of knowledge about Italian history and culture, along with scholarships and charitable aid, strengthen a concrete and enriching relationship between the two countries," he said.

Now you can enjoy a 20% discount on your subscription to Rome Reports Premiumthe international news agency specializing in the activities of the Pope and the Vatican.

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Latin America

Abortion and euthanasia at the forefront of Chilean politics

The Chilean government presented bills to legalize free abortion up to 14 weeks and to reactivate the debate on euthanasia, generating strong rejection from the political opposition and religious leaders. Both initiatives are part of Gabriel Boric's presidential program for the 2025 elections.

Editorial Staff Omnes-June 9, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute

In the first week of June, the government of President Gabriel Boric sent to the Chilean Congress a bill for free abortion -without grounds- up to the 14th week of pregnancy. pregnancy. The presidents of the Chamber of Deputies and the Senate -both from the opposition- declared that it is not their intention to put them on the political agenda.

In addition, 20 opposition senators signed a letter rejecting the bill and other members of the government coalition have expressed their opposition.

The Episcopal Conference of Chile issued a statement rejecting this project. "We deeply regret these initiatives, which attack the sacred and inviolable value of human life. We insist that human life, from conception to natural death, possesses a dignity that must always be protected and promoted." The same has been done by the Evangelical and Anglican communities.

In addition to the above, the Government has given immediate urgency to a bill on euthanasia that has been sleeping in Congress since 2011 and has been reformulated several times.

The bill basically creates the right to voluntarily opt to receive medical assistance for the purpose of hastening death in case of terminal and incurable illness, in cases where the patient has a disease, illness or advanced and irreversible diminution of his capacities which causes him persistent and intolerable physical suffering and which cannot be alleviated under conditions he deems acceptable.

Both issues were in the government program of Gabriel BoricThe President of the Republic, who wants to meet with his constituents before the next presidential election in November 2025.

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Guest writersJarosław Tomaszewski

Rediscovering God in times of distraction

The loss of spiritual sensitivity is not a lack of faith, but the fruit of inner chaos and the culture of distraction that dominates the modern world. Recovering silence, order and devotion to the Sacred Heart is the key to reactivating the senses of the soul and returning to God.

June 9, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

In view of the inner state of their contemporaries, many decline to conclude that it is possible to produce a human being who ceases to be intrinsically open to God and, on the contrary, completely loses the need for contact with the Creator. Are the people of the so-called new age cold atheists? Not at all. Reality must be discerned proportionately, not superficially. Atheism was not, is not and never will be the natural state of the human soul. It is an artificial reservoir of moral engineering in whose thick suspension they try to drown successive generations. Only the state of faith - the primordial certainty of the human spirit as to the nearness of God and His existence - is natural to humans. Why, then, does doubt seem to prevail today?

Again, one must carefully distinguish between dullness of heart and loss of faith. Not so long ago, me more than fifty years ago, somewhere up to the threshold of postmodernity, every person in Western culture was born into a civilization full of signs of the Creator. Everywhere you could hear the ringing of church bells, nuns and clergy strolled the streets, from time to time you saw processions, lines at confessionals, and even a child knew from a young age that Advent or Lent had begun in the Church. The culture itself, full of spiritual signs, naturally put people's inner senses in the presence of God. Someone may have been still at the beginning of his Christian formation, but through civilization he was already in communion with the Creator. Meanwhile, in the laboratory of modernity it was possible to change mercilessly. We should have no illusions: after all, many social, psychological or ethical experiments are directly concerned with effectively erasing the traces of God. Consequently, man today has not so much lost his faith-precisely this virtue he will renounce as the ultimate virtue, because it is the only thing that sustains in him the meaning of existence-as the supernatural capacity to have contact with God. The human person, living in a culture of distraction, very quickly gets rid of the capacity to pray. Spiritual space -liturgy, adoration or recollection- is never boring, but a soul deprived of the sharpness of the interior senses carries within itself a sterile sterility. 

The great John of the Cross was not only a mystic, but also a good anthropologist, educated in the noble school of Salamanca. He knew, therefore, the human construction and based on it the whole path of the soul towards union with Christ. God wisely created the human being and wanted man to communicate reasonably with reality. For this reason he endowed him with senses, as if they were readers who gather information about the world. Man thus explores reality through sight, hearing, imagination or touch. But material reality, insinuates John of the Cross, is not the only world that really exists. God is Spirit and, in order to enter into communication with his environment, every human person is similarly endowed with spiritual senses. Just as he possesses the physical hearing or sight and touch with which he admires music or contemplates the mountains or the sea, so he possesses the spiritual hearing or sight with which he ascends to the summit of God's life.

And here lies the crux of the problem. As long as civilization respected the signs of the Creator's existence, people's spiritual senses honed and functioned. When entire cultures were trapped in the mirages of atheism, the spiritual senses of many were dulled. Man still has faith in God and pretends to renounce it as the last thing in life. Only it is difficult for him to orient himself towards God, to communicate with Him, to find Him, to talk to Him. Can anything be done about it? The spiritual senses are located in the human heart. Yes, the heart in the biblical sense is not a gimmick of sentimental preaching. It is not an object of psychological description, but the center of the personality. The heart is thus the wise administrator of the spiritual senses. If it is able to be formed, ordered and centered, the spiritual senses will quickly recover and strengthen: they will perceive God's presence, hear his teaching and feel his loving touch. But the opposite can also happen. A heart immersed in chaos - and this is what is happening today throughout Western civilization - will daze the senses and separate them an unaccustomed distance on the way to God. From this perspective, devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus will help. The human heart must be molded to the form of the Heart of Christ - harmoniously, in concentration, in order, as far as possible from chaos, from confusion, from too many stimuli. When this is no longer guaranteed by the state of civilization, it must be consciously chosen by inner autonomy. 

The hygiene of the human heart-the seat of the interior senses-should thus once again occupy an important place on the pastoral agenda. In recent times, there has often been an attempt in the Church to dazzle people with an excessive attraction to impulses, movements, lights and sounds, transferred directly from the world to the altar. Pastoral care was to be multicolored like a spectacle, dancing, noisy, humanly attractive. Thus, spiritual formation often lost its mystery and - to use the language of Pope Leo XIV - ended up as a spectacle. In this way, the chaos of people's inner senses becomes even more disordered and pastoral care loses its effectiveness. People receive too many aggressive stimuli every day in the midst of the world, so that in contact with the Lord - in the temple - they need more aesthetics, order, harmony or silence. The cult of the Sacred Heart of Jesus will help them to live and then to pray concentrated, that is, to put together the inner senses in the human heart.

The authorJarosław Tomaszewski

Polish priest, missionary in Uruguay, professor at the Theological Faculty of Montevideo and national secretary of the Pontifical Missionary Works of Poland.

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Evangelization

Holy Mary, Mother of the Church

On Pentecost Monday we celebrate the Memorial of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of the Church. The feast recalls that the divine Maternity of Mary (Mother of God, Mother of Christ) extends, by the will of Jesus, to all men, and also to the Church, the People of God.

Francisco Otamendi-June 9, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

The Blessed Virgin Mary, as pointed out by the Catechism of the Catholic Church in points 963, 964 and 965, she is Mother of Christ and Mother of the Church. Pope Francis, in 2018, fixed this memorial of the Virgin Mary in the next Monday to the solemnity of Pentecost. 

This title is not new, he points out Vatican News. "Already in 1980, St. John Paul II invited us to venerate Mary as Mother of the Church. And even earlier, St. Paul VI, on November 21, 1964, at the conclusion of the Third Session of the Second Vatican Council, solemnly declared" the following.

"Thus, for the glory of the Virgin and our consolation, We proclaim Mary Most Holy Mother of the Church. That is to say, Mother of all the people of God, both of the faithful and of the pastors who call her loving Mother. And we desire that from now on she be honored and invoked by all the Christian people with this most pleasing title".

"Mother of all the People of God".

The Catechism of the Catholic Church contains a paragraph on this subject. Address of St. Paul VI. It states that the Virgin Mary "is recognized and venerated as the true Mother of God and of the Redeemer [...]. Moreover, 'she is truly the Mother of the members (of Christ) because she collaborated by her love in bringing about the birth in the Church of believers, members of that Head'" (LG53; cf. St. Augustine, De sancta virginitate 6, 6)"".

Along with these recent dates, the agency continues, "we cannot forget how much the title of Mary, Mother of the Church, is present in the sensibility of St. Augustine and St. Leo the Great; of Benedict XV and Leo XIII. As we have said, Pope Francis, on February 11, 2018, on the 160th anniversary of the first apparition of Our Lady at Lourdes, decided to make this Memory obligatory." 

Mosaic of Mary, Mater Ecclesiae 

On the other hand, one of the most recent architectural elements in St. Peter's Square is the mosaic dedicated to Mary Mater Ecclesiae, with the text Totus Tuus. It is a sign of St. John Paul II's affection for Our Lady. In an article published in 'L'Osservatore Romano', the architect Javier Cotelo told the story of that mosaic of the Virgin, which you can read here.

The mosaic, inspired by the '.Madonna della colonnawhich came from the Constantinian basilica, was placed on December 7, 1981, and the following day, after the Angelus prayer, it was placed in the basilica., St. John Paul II blessed it.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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Integral ecology

Being "charitable" in practical life

Charity in practical life translates into concrete actions of love, compassion and service to others. It is a virtue that drives us to seek the good of others and to work for a more just and caring society.

Alejandro Vázquez-Dodero-June 9, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

According to the Catechism in its number 1822, "Charity is the theological virtue by which we love God above all things for His own sake and our neighbor as ourselves for the love of God".

In other words, charity and love are intertwined, one leads me to the other and vice versa; and in a radical way, because there are no half measures: either I am charitable or I am not, or I love or I do not love.

The phrase "love and do as you please", attributed to St. Augustineimplies that, if you act moved by love - true love, of course - any action you do will be right and good. It is interpreted as a synthesis of Christian doctrine, where love of God and neighbor is the foundation of every moral act. This is why we can affirm that charity is the "queen" of the virtues. And, as St. Augustine continues to indicate, the culmination of all our works is love.

Since it is a theological virtue -referring to God and coming from God- it is something proper to Christians, which of course does not mean that those who do not belong to this creed cannot love.

The only thing that happens is that the divine grace involved in the manifestation of love alone acts in the Christian's soul, and, so to speak, brings him closer to that God thanks to whom and through whom he loves others: it makes him a saint.

The love manifested by the Christian is charity, in the sense that the human act of loving is elevated to the supernatural realm and opens him to the action of divine grace in his soul.

Practical manifestations of charity

It will be the saying "deeds are loves, and not good reasons" that will make charity, understood as love of God and neighbor, manifest itself in practical life through concrete actions that seek the good of others.

What would that include? Among many other possibilities, we would refer to helping those in need, respectful dialogue, the guardianship of truth and the pursuit of justice.

  • Helping those in need: it is about showing solidarity with the suffering of others, based on empathy; this could take the form of giving alms, donating food or clothing, providing support to the homeless, or volunteering for charitable organizations.
  • Respectful dialogue: constructive communication that avoids mistreatment, destructive criticism and the search for conflict. Only through sincere dialogue can we understand each other's perspectives and seek joint solutions.
  • Custody of the truth: Charity involves guarding the truth at whatever cost, even when doing so is difficult or uncomfortable. This can manifest itself in the defense of human rights, or the denunciation of corruption in so many areas.
  • Pursuit of justice: Charity is not only limited to individual assistance, but also involves working for social justice and equal opportunities for all. This may involve supporting policies that ensure the rights of the oppressed and benefit the most vulnerable.
  • Reconciliation: charity involves forgiving offenses received and seeking reconciliation with others. Forgiveness is not only an act of mercy, but also an act of love that frees people from bitterness and resentment.
  • Rendering the gifts or talents received: Charity encourages each person to use his or her talents and gifts to serve others and contribute to the common good. This can manifest itself, for example, in teaching, helping the sick and finding solutions to other people's problems.

The fruits of charity

After all the above, we could point out that charity in practical life translates into concrete actions of love, compassion and service to others. It is a virtue that impels us to seek the good of others and to work for a more just and supportive society.

But something that should be emphasized is the benefit obtained by being charitable. God does not allow himself to be won over by generosity. And, according to point 1829 of the Catechism, "Charity has as its fruits joy, peace and mercy (...); it is benevolence; it is reciprocity; it is always disinterested and generous; it is friendship and communion" (...). Which, of course, is a reward for those who give themselves for the good of others, in correspondence to our nature, whose design involves surrender, donation.

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Gospel

Respect the Name of God. Jesus Christ High Priest (C)

Joseph Evans comments on the readings of Jesus Christ High Priest (C) for June 12, 2025.

Joseph Evans-June 9, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

In the priestly prayer that the Church gives us today on the feast of Jesus Christ the High Priest, Our Lord prays making known the name of his Father: "I have made known to them and will make known to them your name.". This is something very priestly. We know that the name of God and the name of Jesus are not just any names. In fact, there is a whole commandment dedicated to respect for the name of God: "Thou shalt not utter the name of the Lord thy God falsely." (Ex 20:7). The commandments give us the essential moral instructions for the fulfillment of personal and social life. Only by respecting the name of God will we find personal happiness and our society will function well. When we disrespect God, we end up disrespecting ourselves and others.

When God instituted the priesthood of the Old Covenant, He said: "They are to be holy to their God and they shall not profane the name of their God, for it is they who offer the food to be burned for the Lord, the food of their God. They must be holy." (Lev 21:6). In other words, since they have the sacred task of offering sacrifices to God, they must have a special respect for God's name. In fact, respecting God's name is an integral part of his holiness. As has been said, honoring the name of God is something very priestly, and the laity, in the exercise of their common priesthood, should share this concern. Simply pronouncing the name of God or Jesus, piously and in faith, can be a beautiful form of worship. And then we might consider whether we ever use the name of God or Jesus Christ as a mild expletive. No doubt we would do so with no ill intent but, in itself, as an act, it is a form of blasphemy. Likewise, it is part of our priestly soul to insist, politely but firmly, on respect for the name of God in society and to call attention to it when it is not respected. No one would dare disrespect Muhammad (and they should not: we should not disrespect any revered religious leader). Even more so they should respect the name of God or God made man (Jesus).

The latter is all the more true because the name of Jesus, and this name alone, brings salvation. As the apostles boldly affirmed before the Jewish authorities "There is salvation in no other, for under heaven no other name has been given to men by which we must be saved." (Acts 4:12). (See also Acts 2:21 and, in general, the many uses of "name" in Acts). St. Josemaría wrote about the "Power of your name, Lord!". (The Way 312). It is a power we would all do well to discover.

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The Vatican

Pope beseeches the Holy Spirit for peace, "first of all in hearts".

At the Holy Mass of Pentecost, the conclusion of the Jubilee of Movements and Associations, and at the Regina Caeli, Pope Leo XIV today implored the Holy Spirit for "the gift of peace. Above all, peace in hearts". And to the participants in the Jubilee he asked them to "go and bring to all the hope of the Lord Jesus.  

Francisco Otamendi-June 8, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

Pope Leo XIV, who today marks the first month of his election, has prayed in the solemnity of PentecostThe pilgrims in St. Peter's Square, many of them from the United States and Europe, were Church movementsthat we ask the Holy Spirit for peace. May we "invoke the Spirit of love and peace, so that we may open bordersHe will break down walls, dissolve hatred and help us to live as children of the only Father in heaven". 

Minutes later, in the Regina caeliHe prayed that "through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, we may implore the Holy Spirit for the gift of peace. "Above all, peace in hearts," Leo XIV said. 

Peace, gestures of détente and dialogue

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

As will be recalled, a gesture along these lines of peace is what the Pope asked Russian President Vladimir Putin a few days ago in a telephone conversation in which they discussed the war in Ukraine, among other issues.

"By Pentecost the Church and the world are renewed!"

In the homily of the Mass of the feast day, in which the Church commemorates the coming of the Holy Spirit The Pope forcefully pointed out that "At Pentecost the Church and the world are renewed!

"May the vigorous wind of the Spirit come upon us and within us, open the frontiers of the heart, give us the grace of an encounter with God, broaden the horizons of love and sustain our efforts for the building of a world where peace reigns.

May Mary Most Holy, Woman of Pentecost, Virgin visited by the Spirit, Mother full of grace, accompany us and intercede for us," he said.

The apostles, enclosed, "receive a new look".

Previously, the Holy Father meditated on the Feast of Pentecost. "Jesus Christ, the Lord, after he was risen and glorified by his ascension, sent the Holy Spirit" (St. Augustine, Sermo 271, 1). The gift of the Holy Spirit descends upon us like a mighty wind that shakes us, like a roar that awakens us, like a fire that enlightens us (cf. Ac 2,1-11)".

As we heard in the first reading, the Pope continued, "the Spirit brings about something extraordinary in the lives of the Apostles. After the death of Jesus, they had closed themselves up in fear and sadness, but now they finally receive a new look and an intelligence of the heart that helps them to interpret the events that have taken place and to have an intimate experience of the presence of the Risen One".

"The Holy Spirit overcomes your fear and opens frontiers."

"The Holy Spirit overcomes their fear, breaks their inner chains, soothes their wounds, anoints them with strength and gives them the courage to go out to meet everyone to proclaim the works of God," stressed Leo XIV, who reflected on the words of Benedict XVI.

"As Benedict XVI affirms: 'The Holy Spirit gives the gift of understanding. He overcomes the rupture begun at Babel - the confusion of hearts, which sets us against one another - and opens the frontiers. [The Church must always become anew what she already is: she must open the frontiers between peoples and break down the barriers between classes and races. In her there can be neither the forgotten nor the despised. In the Church there are only free brothers and sisters of Jesus Christ (Pentecost Homily, May 15, 2005)". 

Going out of ourselves

"The Spirit opens the frontiers, first of all, within us. It is the Gift that opens our life to love. And this presence of the Lord dissolves our hardnesses, our closeness, our selfishness, the fears that paralyze us, the narcissism that makes us revolve only around ourselves," the Pontiff added.

"It is sad to observe how in a world where the occasions to socialize multiply, we run the risk of being paradoxically more alone, always connected and yet unable to "establish links", always immersed in the crowd, but subtracting disoriented and lonely travelers."

Transforms what contaminates our relationships

The Pope went on to elaborate further. The Holy Spirit "opens the frontiers within us, so that our life becomes a hospitable space". "And the Spirit also opens the frontiers in our relationships (...). When the love of God dwells in us, we are able to open ourselves to our brothers, to overcome our rigidities, to overcome our fear of those who are different, to educate the passions that rise up within us". 

"The Spirit also transforms those more hidden dangers that contaminate our relationships, such as misunderstandings, prejudices and instrumentalizations," he said, referring also to the cases he called "feminidio".

Relationships intoxicated by violence: "femicide".

"I also think - with great pain - of the cases in which a relationship is intoxicated by the will to dominate the other, an attitude that often leads to violence, as unfortunately demonstrated by the numerous recent cases of feminicide," the Pope pointed out.

The Holy Spirit, on the other hand, "brings to maturity in us the fruits that help us to live authentic and healthy relationships: 'love, joy, peace, kindness, generosity, gentleness, goodness and trust' (Gal 5:22). In this way, the Spirit expands the frontiers of our relationships with others and opens us to the joy of fraternity".

Church of the Risen Christ: welcoming and hospitable

And he concluded: "And this is also a decisive criterion for the Church; we are truly the Church of the Risen One and the disciples of Pentecost only if among us there are neither borders nor divisions ((he quoted Pope Francis)), if in the Church we know how to dialogue and welcome one another, integrating our differences, if as Church we become a welcoming and hospitable space for all".

The commandment of love

In his homily, the Pope also emphasized that the Holy Spirit, the first thing he teaches, remembers and imprints on our hearts is the commandment of love, which the Lord has placed at the center and summit of everything". 

"And where there is love there is no room for prejudice, for the safety distances that distance us from our neighbor, for the logic of exclusion that we see emerging unfortunately also in political nationalisms."

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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ColumnistsJuan Ignacio Izquierdo Hübner

What is here that is so important?

The most unexpected questions can take us out of the routine and help us appreciate what we have around us every day.

June 8, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

-He baptized me, taught me to be an altar boy and later introduced me to the seminary. Once I was ordained, I was lucky enough to return to work with him as a curate in his parish during his last years. Once I was ordained, I had the good fortune to work with him again as a vicar in his parish: right in his last years... Every conversation we had! One evening, while we were having black bean casserole for dinner, it occurred to me to ask him how he was celebrating the Mass with such devotion. Then the old parish priest looked at me with his head cocked to one side and sighed, "It wasn't always like this."" 

My friend allowed a moment to swallow. Then he adopted a slower cadence and a deeper tone to better emulate the mentor's words: "At first I celebrated Mass with enthusiasm. However, little by little, and without realizing it, I was falling into mechanical movements, into reading without going into the meaning of the words. My youthful piety was growing cold".

-Anyone can have something like that happen to them, I guess," I said.

-But listen to how the story goes on: "That's how things were going. Until one day everything changed. I was celebrating Mass with a very poor rural community in a crowded house. After the consecration, a young boy with Down Syndrome He came out of the crowd and hopped over to the improvised altar. He stood very still beside me and for a few seconds stared at the consecrated host on the paten. I felt a little uncomfortable. Suddenly, without taking his eyes off the bread, the boy asked, "Father, what's in here that's so important?" Oops. It got to me. So I answered, as if it were someone else speaking in my place, "Here is God, who has come down from heaven." The child looked up to meet mine, smiled big and returned to his seat to kneel on the floor next to his parents." 

-Wow. 

-I was just as shocked as you were when I heard it. Then he explained to me: "Peter, this event had for me the value of a Eucharistic miracle. That day I resolved to renew my amazement before every Mass. And since then I always look at the crucifix in the sacristy for at least a minute and I remember that God will come to the altar, he will come down from heaven for love of mankind".

-Good story," I commented. It will be useful for my classes.

-Perhaps it was his way of leaving me an inheritance; by being so frank, I mean. And I have yet to add an ending. When I celebrated the funeral of my parish priest, I could not help thinking that on that day it was he who was going up from the altar to meet his God. 

The authorJuan Ignacio Izquierdo Hübner

Lawyer from the Pontifical Catholic University of Chile, Licentiate in Theology from the Pontifical University of the Holy Cross (Rome) and Doctorate in Theology from the University of Navarra (Spain).

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The Vatican

Pope invites movements to cooperate with him in unity and mission

In a meeting with 250 leaders of 115 international associations of the faithful, ecclesial movements and new communities participating in the Jubilee on the eve of Pentecost, the Pope invited them to collaborate "faithfully and generously" with him, especially in unity and mission.

CNS / Omnes-June 8, 2025-Reading time: 3 minutes

- Cindy Wooden, Vatican City, CNS

"Unity and mission are two essential aspects of the life of the Church and two priorities of the Petrine ministry," Pope Leo XIV affirmed in the audience. "For this reason, I ask all ecclesial associations and movements to cooperate faithfully and generously with the Pope, especially in these two areas."

"With their specific forms of prayer, evangelization or emphasis, both the long-established Catholic lay groups and those movements and more recent communities, are called to contribute to the unity and mission of the Church, Pope Leo XIV pointed out.

A common goal

Those who met with the Pope were about 250 leaders of 115 international associations of the faithful, ecclesial movements and new communities. Recognized and supported by the Dicastery for the Laity, Family and Life, whose prefect is Cardinal Kevin Farrell. Among the groups were, for example, the Legion of Mary, the Neocatechumenal Waywhose international team, headed by Kiko Argüellowas received by the Pope the day before, Communion and Liberationvarious charismatic communities and several Catholic scout groups.

"Some were founded to carry out a common apostolic, charitable or liturgical project, or to support Christian witness in specific social settings," Pope Leo noted. "Others, however, arose from a charismatic inspiration, an initial charism that gave rise to a movement, a new form of spirituality and evangelization."

However, all the groups aim to help their members live more deeply the Christian life in the service of God, the Church and their brothers and sisters, he said.

"The Christian life is not lived in isolation."

"The desire to work together for a common goal reflects an essential reality: no one is a Christian alone," the Pope told the leaders. "We are part of a people, a body established by the Lord."

"The Christian life is not lived in isolation, as a kind of intellectual or sentimental experience, confined to the mind and heart," he added. "It is lived with others, in groups and in community, because the risen Christ is present wherever disciples gather in his name."....

But within the Church, the Pope said, such groups cannot live in isolation either.

"Seek to spread everywhere this unity that you yourselves experience in your groups and communities, always in communion with the pastors of the Church and in solidarity with other ecclesial realities," said Pope Leo.

"Your charisms, leaven of unity and communion."

"Draw close to all those you meet, so that your charisms may always be at the service of the Church's unity and be a leaven of unity, communion and fraternity in a world so torn apart by discord and violence," he said, quoting from his May 18 homily at the Mass inaugurating his papacy.

The outward focus of the groups is also essential, he said, since the Church is called to be missionary, sharing God's love with the world.

"The mission of the Church has been an important part of my own pastoral experience and has shaped my spiritual life," said the pope, who spent decades as a missionary priest and bishop in Peru.

At the service of the Church's mission

"You too have lived this spiritual journey," he stressed. "Your encounter with the Lord and the new life that filled your hearts gave birth in you to the desire to make him known to others."

"Keep this missionary impulse always alive among you: the movements also today have a fundamental role in evangelization," the Pope encouraged.

"Put your talents at the service of the Church's mission, whether in places of first evangelization or in your parishes and local ecclesial communities, in order to reach out to those who, though distant, are often waiting, without being aware of it, to hear God's word of life," Pope Leo told the groups.

—————

This article is a translation of an article first published in OSV News. You can find the original article here.

The authorCNS / Omnes

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Books

The wild years of philosophy

The recent reprinting of Rüdiger Safranski's "Schopenhauer and the Wild Years of Philosophy" offers an unbeatable opportunity to rediscover the exciting crossover between life and thought in one of the most singular philosophers of the 19th century.

José Carlos Martín de la Hoz-June 8, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

It is worth reading again "Schopenhauer and the Wild Years of Philosophy", the magnificent work of Rüdiger Safranski (Rottweil, 1945), about the philosophy of Arthur Schopenhauer (1788-1860), recently republished, since biographical studies of the great German thinkers of that period often shed much light on their main philosophical theses.

Particularly important are the biographical insights in the case of Rüdiger Safranski's historical studies. He is highly valued in this respect for his profound knowledge of the history of ideas and especially of the period he calls "the wild years of philosophy" (387-404).

Undoubtedly, Schopenhauer, a self-made philosopher who contributed important ideas to the history of thought, is right when he said: "Who can ascend and then be silent" (76). Interestingly, as a young man he had written: "If we take away from life the brief moments of religion, art and pure love, what is left but a succession of trivial thoughts" (90).

As is well known, thinkers tend to fall in love with their ideas, as when Kant invented an extraterrestrial God that could be adopted as such by agnostics and deists distrustful of the Church and of God himself, who ended up depriving the German enlightenment of confidence in God (91).

The life of Schopenhauer

It is very interesting the development of the biography of Schopenhauer and other authors of that time, such as KantHegel and Hölderlin. Also, the study of the French Revolution and its reception in Germany, until they were invaded by Napoleon's troops, their cities sacked and turned into a trail of blood, violence and desolation that turned the idyllic ideas of the revolution into disappointment and hatred of the French that has endured to this day in some layers of German society (122).

Of great interest are the pages devoted to the education and training of the young Arthur Schopenhauer and his sister Adele, who was frail throughout her life, by their wealthy widowed mother. Finally, Safranski comments: "It is clear that the freedom his mother granted him was too great for Arthur. But his pride forbade him to confess it to himself" (133).

In this matter it is worth noting that, in the house of Johana, Schopenhauer's mother, there was a salon where the ladies of high society came to talk and listen to the city's leading men, especially Goethe who frequented the house and focused everyone's attention, especially Arthur's (135) with whom he would end up falling out (251).

Once Schopenhauer came of age and his mother died, he would become a rentier who would live off the inheritance and would manage it skillfully in order to live soberly but not depend on anyone or any official position where he could teach and earn money.

On the other hand, after some first moments of courtship and approach to some women of his time, he would end up closing himself in his philosophical creation and not only did he not form a family but he had little contact with other authors of his time.

Schopenhauer's Impact on Philosophy

With respect to his contribution to the philosophy of his time and to the history of philosophy itself, being outside of academic environments and the scarcity of his works throughout his life, his fame and the interest aroused by his ideas will take time to consolidate and it would almost be necessary to wait until his death to talk about him.

In the first place, Safranski will characterize the devastating encounter with Kant who had destroyed traditional metaphysics by means of a system whereby "metaphysical transcendentals do not refer to the transcendent: they are merely transcendental" (...) They are only of interest for epistemology: "transcendental analysis consists precisely in showing that we cannot and why we cannot have knowledge of the transcendent" (150). He then adds that Kant will undertake an enterprise aimed at dealing with how objects are known, without being interested in the object (151).

Schopenhauer, enthusiastic about Plato, wrote about Kant: "the best way to designate what Kant lacks is perhaps to say that he did not know contemplation" (156). Undoubtedly, locked in subjectivism, he never saw beyond his intellectual construct of his own self (156). Finally, he will end up knowing "the Kant, the theorist of human freedom" (157).

In 1813, Arthur Schopenhauer went to Rudolstadt via Weimar to write his doctoral thesis "On the Fourfold Root of the Principle of Sufficient Reason", which would establish him as a philosopher.

The will

Years later, he will write his most famous work, indebted to his doctoral thesis on "better consciousness", with the famous title of "The World as Will and Representation". In it, "he will remain Kantian in his own way in order to remain Platonic in his own way as well" (206).

It is very interesting how Safranski prepares the reader to discover the key to Schopenhauer's new philosophy on the "secret of the will", that is, a will in one's own body, lived from within, like an arrow, like iron attracted by the force of the magnet: "with the discovery of the metaphysics of the will, Schopenhauer finds a language to express this vision; this language will give him the proud confidence that allows him to radically separate himself from the whole philosophical tradition and from his contemporaries" (217). 

A discovery, full of extraordinary radicality, he writes: "The world as a thing in itself is a great will that does not know what it wants; it does not know, but only wants, precisely because it is will and nothing else" (266).

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  • Philosophical Dialogue' and UPSA to study human longings and challenges
Education

Philosophical Dialogue' and UPSA to study human longings and challenges

The journal 'Diálogo filosófico', which is celebrating its 40th anniversary, in collaboration with the Pontifical University of Salamanca (UPSA), has organized its 12th Congress under the title 'Horizons of the Human: Crisis and Hope'. From June 19 to 21, philosophers and academics from Latin America and Spain will discuss the yearnings and uncertainties of the human being.

Francisco Otamendi-June 7, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

On the 40th anniversary of 'Philosophical dialoguea journal directed by Professor Antonio Sánchez Orantos, CMF, a large group of speakers will study important challenges for the human being at the Pontifical University of Salamanca (UPSA). The philosophers and academics come from universities in Latin America and Spain from June 19-21.

In the words of Prof. Sanchez Orantos, director of the conference, the congress will try to respond to "three strong cultural and ecclesial interests". These are "hope and the meaning of human life in the context of this Jubilee year". Secondly, "the challenge of Artificial Intelligence (AI), taking into account the social revolution that it represents and that must be faced under the leadership of Pope Leo XIV".

And finally, "the urgency of peace and reconciliation in the context of political polarization and tense social dialogue".

Keynote speakers

This XII Congress will be inaugurated by Msgr. Luis ArgüelloPresident of the Spanish Bishops' Conference, the Claretian Cardinal Aquilino Bocos Merino (CMF), the Bishop of Salamanca and Grand Chancellor of the UPSA, José Luis Retana, and the Rector of the Pontifical University, Santiago García-Jalón. 

On behalf of 'Diálogo filosófico', Ildefonso Murillo, CMF, founder of the magazine, and the director himself, Antonio Sánchez Orantos, will take part in the opening ceremony. This will be followed by the first lecture of the program, which can be consulted here. hereLuis Argüello.

Some of the speakers at the Congress, which is also organized by the Faculty of Human and Social Sciences of the UPSA, will be Josep María Esquirol, Mariano Asla, Alicia Villar, Adela Cortina, Héctor Velázquez Fernández, Pilar Domínguez Lozano and Mario Torres, among others.

The dialogues will be chaired by Camino Cañón Loyes (Comillas Pontifical University), Agustín Domingo Moratalla (University of Valencia), Félix González Romero (IES Nicolás Copérnico Madrid) and Carlos Blanco Pérez (Comillas Pontifical University). Also, Juan Antonio Nicolás Marín (University of Granada) and Juan Jesús Gutierro (Comillas Pontifical University).

Times of crisis and hopes

"We live in a time of crisis and, therefore, a time of new possibilities, of new hopes if, from the light generated by interdisciplinary dialogue, new paths of human excellence are made possible," the organizers point out.

They also add that "within this cultural crisis, the disruptive emergence of AI forces us to (re)think several things. The human-machine relationship, the algorithm and freedom, privacy and social communication, and the emergence of new forms of political and economic organization." 

In addition, a third thematic block will address "public conversation as a possibility for human life". 

On-site and online modality

For more information and to formalize registration, the organizers offer both on-site and online registration. You can click on hereand see below, or write directly to this e-mail address: [email protected] 

The XII Congress is aimed at professors of philosophy, natural and human sciences, humanities, religion, theology, law, education. Also, undergraduate, graduate and doctoral students, and anyone interested in thinking and discussing the proposed topic.

Communications

Those registered for the XII Congress who wish to present a paper should send, before the deadline, the following information June 10 2025, an abstract with a maximum length of 300 words. The full text, with a maximum of 3,000 words, should be sent in Word format, before July 31, 2025, for possible publication to the congress email: [email protected]

The language of the communications will be Spanish and they can be presented in person or online. The abstract must be attached at the time of registration through the following link: https://forms.office.com/e/Et5F1sKiFMin which you can register.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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ColumnistsMiriam Lafuente

Father Bob

Robert Prevost, an American Augustinian, chose a missionary life in Peru rather than an academic one in Rome, giving himself with love and service to the Peruvian Church for almost 20 years. He was so loved and close to the people that he was considered just another Peruvian, even from Rome.

June 7, 2025-Reading time: 2 minutes

He was very attracted to study and was tempted to stay in Rome to lead an academic life, but the missionary spirit that would drag him to Peru won him over. After his ordination he was assigned to work in the mission of Chulucanas and served in the cities of Piura, Trujillo and Chiclayo from 1985 to 1986 and from 1988 to 1998, as parochial vicar, diocesan official, seminary professor and parochial administrator. Subsequently, he was elected Prior General of the Augustinians, a position he held from 2001 to 2013.

Pope Francis appointed him apostolic administrator of Chiclayo in 2014; in 2015 he acquired the nationality of that country and was appointed residential bishop of Chiclayo. He served as bishop from 2015 to 2023.

He asked to stay in Peru when Pope Francis wanted to take him to Rome. He thought it was not the right time to leave, he felt committed to Peru, but God had other plans... Robert Prevost was appointed Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and also president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, serving until April 2025.

It is not easy to become part of a country being from another. To love the place where you live, to fight to love it. Not to compare. To look for the good and to avoid as much as possible what does not seem good to you... All the Peruvians who knew him saw in him an Augustinian who sought the Love of God and neighbor through fraternal charity. He lived very well the "Do unto all in order to gain all".

He was an American but was never felt to be a stranger. He was an Augustinian, but brought no Augustinian with him. He was a receptive man who transmitted tranquility and confidence. He won the affection of everyone. He was well liked, one could say that he became Peruvian.

He was always just another Peruvian. He never talked about the USA. He had adapted very well to the land, in culture, food and even wanted to learn the expressions and way of speaking of Chiclayo, because he went there to serve. There was only one day when he remembered his homeland: Thanksgiving Day, when he carved the turkey the way his father did.

Leo XIV in his first audience addressed in Spanish his former diocese of ChiclayoHe showed his closeness to the Latin American community. He carried Peru in his heart, where he lived for almost twenty years and was recognized for his closeness to the people: "My dear diocese of Chiclayo, in Peru, where a faithful people have accompanied their bishop, have shared their faith and have given so much so much so much...". 

The authorMiriam Lafuente

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The World

Yal Le Kochbar: "My songs carry wounds and hope".

Yal Le Kochbar is a rapper from the Democratic Republic of Congo who wants to bring hope to the youth of his country through music.

Gabriel González-Andrío-June 7, 2025-Reading time: 7 minutes

Poverty, wars, lack of opportunities and a youth unemployment rate of around 53 % have driven dozens of young people in the region to seek employment. Democratic Republic of the Congo (DRC) to make a living by embarking on their own professional adventure. Music has become one of the most sought-after outlets in a country of 102 million inhabitants, where 59 % of the population is under 24 years of age. Yal Le Kochbar - reflective and elegant - is the stage name of Bekeyambor Utempiooh Aliou, but for a long time he also called himself "Aliou Yal". He is one of the many young Congolese who today are trying to break through as an emerging artist in the midst of a bleak landscape. "There is no industry here, so politics and show business and entertainment have become the current industries."he says.

He was born in Goma, in the east of the DRC, on June 10, 1997, when the Alliance of Democratic Forces for the Liberation of the Congo (AFDL) entered the country in the middle of the war. The AFDL was a coalition of Congolese dissidents and various ethnic organizations opposed to Mobutu Sese Seko's dictatorship and was the mainstay of his overthrow.

"I lived through the war with my mother and my siblings. Finally, we returned to Kinshasa in 1999."he recalls. Since 1996, Congo's wars have left a trail of six million dead.

Yal is the head of a family of six siblings: two boys and three girls. "My family's history is marked by the trauma of war, whose invisible wounds are still felt today. War is a terrible thing, it destroys not only lives but also innocence, and what my mother, brothers and sisters went through has marked me forever."he says.

Years ago he decided to take a professional turn to enter the world of music and start composing and singing songs. We started the conversation talking about this hobby...

Where does your love for music come from? Why rap?

-My love for music began when I was 14 years old out of a need to vent my pain. At first I wrote unpretentious lyrics to soothe a heavy heart. In my early days I didn't know how to sing or rap. Music was my escape from a harsh, unfair and often incomprehensible world.

When I was a child, I often lacked the necessities at home, despite having a father who intervened, especially for basic needs (school, health, food...), but without real love or affectionate presence. Our mother, a simple housewife, struggled alone to make sure we had everything we needed.

I used to listen to a lot of rap music, especially the lyrics that denounced social and family misery. It really stuck with me. At the age of 17 I wrote my first song. At 19 I published a song that was a hit in my neighborhood, although, deep down, I didn't like popularity; I just wanted to tell the truth, to let out what was inside me.

What do you want to convey through the lyrics of your songs?

Through my music I want to transmit light, self-awareness, the truth about life, the need for unity and universal love.

My message is simple: All is one. We are all connected to the same divine source, and it is vital to act with love, respect and truth.

My songs carry both the wounds of my past and the hope for a world where everyone can find their place in harmony.

Do you have any successful Congolese musical references?

-There are many, but at the top of the list and as an inspiration for other musicians is Fally Ipupa.

You told me that you are now a Catholic, what made you take this step?

-My conversion to Catholicism is recent. It is the fruit of a long spiritual search. After suffering a serious illness (kidney stones) in 2022, I asked God, and Jesus in particular, to manifest himself if he really existed.

He answered me. It was the beginning of a new relationship for me: no longer based on asking for miracles, but on an authentic relationship of love, service and unity.

My journey of reflection has led me to understand that the Catholic Church embodies these great truths: unity (the Church is one), universality (the Church is catholic) and the mission to serve others (the Church is apostolic).

Today I am proud to have found faith, works and love reconciled in me.

How does your Christian life influence your daily work?

-My Christian life has become my inner drive. It drives me to serve with love, to work hard, because I know that laziness is a sin, and that we are called to be the light of the world.

In my daily work, I always try to respect human dignity, to bring light wherever I go, to sow hope through my works, big or small.

Do you want to dedicate yourself professionally to music or do you have other activities to support yourself financially?

-Music is a passion and a vocation that I take very seriously.

I took a one-year singing course at the National Institute of the Arts (INA) to perfect my rap/singing flow. But I realized early on that making a living from art requires a solid foundation, so I have always trained in parallel.

In 2016, I entered the Catholic University of Congo (UCC) in Social Communication. My vision was clear: to acquire a solid training to be able to produce my own music and not sink in anti-values due to lack of means.

At the end of the course, I did a one-month internship at the Service National de Vulgarisation Agricole, as part of the project "Développement des capacités du Centre National de Vulgarisation Agricole", in collaboration with KOICA (a South Korean government agency).

I completed a training of trainers (TOT) course, which promised exciting career prospects. However, the Covid-19 pandemic in 2019 killed everything: the project was suspended, the administration was paralyzed and so were all career opportunities.

Worse still, due to lack of financial resources, I was unable to pay the fees for my final year work on time. This led me to interrupt my studies without obtaining my university degree.

It was a real blow and once again my heart was broken. After this ordeal, I sank into depression, wandering the streets aimlessly, until a friend, who has since become a brother, Allegria Mpengani, reached out to me.

He invited me to participate in his ambitious project: the first Kongo-Central Kongo Book Salon (Salik). I left for Matadi in 2020, finding an inner rebirth in the organization of the Salik.

I served for three years, from 2020 to 2023, first as logistics manager and then, for the last edition, as vice president, managing all the programming in the absence of Allegria, who had other commitments in Kinshasa.

In Matadi, I coordinated a great team, closing the show with a popular concert that brought together many urban artists. The experience gave me a new artistic impulse.

A year after my return to Kinshasa, I released my first official single entitled "Les Achetés", available on all platforms.

At the same time, true to my principle of self-sufficiency and service, I followed professional training at the Institut Supérieur en Sciences Infirmières (ISSI) of the Monkole Hospital to become a nursing assistant, the cost of which is subsidized by the Government of Navarra (Spain).

Today, in 2025, I am building my life between the music of light, carrier of the message "One" (unity, truth, divine love), and my commitment to the service of human beings, in health care and support. Later on, I will take a course in logistics to support the professional experience I have acquired in Salik during the last 3 years and, finally, to finish my degree in Social Communication.

Have you considered leaving Congo and looking for opportunities abroad?

-Yes, I have thought about it. Not to escape, but to develop myself fully and let the light within me shine. I dream of continuing to train, create and improve myself in environments where art is supported, where dreams are not systematically stifled by poverty or indifference.

What do you think of the Congolese talent drain to other countries?

-I understand the pain that pushes talents to leave. We all dream of a country that believes in its children, that invests in their bright future.

Unfortunately, as long as indifference, corruption and lack of collective vision prevail, many will continue to look elsewhere for what they do not have here.

Is there a solution to the war raging in eastern Congo? It seems that a peace agreement is closer...

-War is a tragedy. It destroys more than lives; it destroys entire generations, the soul of a people. I was born during the war in Goma and I still feel the invisible scars in my family today.

I hope with all my heart that peace will finally be real, not just signed, and that it will heal the wounds of the East and of the whole Congo.

Who are the people who have most influenced your life?

-My most important influence is my mother, a strong and loving woman who carried on her shoulders the weight of our survival and dignity, my older brother Stéphane and my sisters. 

And, of course, my friends, who became like brothers to me by taking me to work at the Kongo Central Book Fair. Allegria also changed my life; it saved me from a spiral of depression and brought me back to the light, as I said.

There is also Christian Lokwa, thanks to whom I returned to the Church, was confirmed and received my First Communion at the Easter Vigil of April 19, 2025 in the cathedral of Notre Dame du Congo.

Alliance Mawana, who lives in Georgia, has been key for his moral and financial support. He was the one who trained me in the world of music, in rap and to this day he is still with me and believes in me, the same with Diego Madilu, Jokshan Kanyindq and Jude David Mulumba.

I would also like to mention Joshua Margot, without him the Christian faith would be a bad memory and I would have had no desire to seek God. He was at the beginning of my inner search.

And, above all, to God, whose unconditional love has lifted me up every time I have fallen.

If you were Minister of Culture of the D.R.C., would you encourage greater support for young talents like yourself?

-Of course I would. I would create accessible training centers, real aid for artistic production and spaces where young people could create, learn and grow without having to beg or go into exile.

Culture is an immense asset for a country; it must be supported, promoted and protected.

Do you think corruption is endemic in Africa and the D.R.C.? Is it possible to change things?

-Yes, corruption corrodes our societies, but I believe in change. It starts in the hearts of individuals. 

Until we understand that we are all one - united by the same divine light - we will continue to betray our own people for ephemeral gains.

Change is possible, but it requires education, exemplary leadership and a true love of country.

How are you making a name for yourself inside and outside the D.R.C.?

-I am making myself known little by little thanks to my music, which is available on all platforms.

I am also developing my social media presence, and I trust my work to reach hearts, no matter the distance.

My project Music of Light is designed to cross borders: it is based on the universal.

What message would you give to young compatriots who no longer want to dream of a better future?

-I would say to them: never give up the light within you. Even if the world seems to be falling apart, even if loneliness and injustice strike you, remember that your existence has a deep meaning.

We are made to love, to build, to unite. We have to fight with faith, hard work and perseverance.

The authorGabriel González-Andrío

Kinshasa

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Evangelization

Saint Marcellin Champagnat, founder of the Marist Brothers

On June 6, the Church celebrates the French priest Saint Marcellin Champagnat, founder of the Marist Brothers and known for his educational work with the neediest children and young people. The saints' calendar also celebrates today the German archbishop St. Norberto, and the Mexican St. Rafael Guízar Valencia, persecuted bishop of Veracruz.  

Francisco Otamendi-June 6, 2025-Reading time: < 1 minute

Saint Marcellin Champagnat was born in 1789 in Rosey (Loire, France). He felt a priestly vocation and entered the seminary of Verriéres and then the seminary of Lyon. He was a Marist priest and founder of the Institute of the Marist Brothers. In love with God, he enthusiastically devoted himself to children and young people, especially those most in need. 

When I saw children and uneducated young people Neither catechism nor catechism, St. Marcellin exclaimed: "We need Brothers". And on January 2, 1817, with two young men, he began the project of the Institute of the Brothers of Mary. An international community of brothers continues his dream today.

Asia Region, General Chapter in the Philippines

Pope St. John Paul II canonized Marcellin on April 18, 1999 in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican and recognized him as a saint of the universal Church. During these months, the Marists are living the preparation for the XXIII General Chapterwhich will take place in the Philippines starting September 8. The region of Asia has countries with a Marist presence of 50, 75, 100 or more years, and others with the 'Ad gentes' project.

St. Norbert, German, and St. Rafael Guízar, Mexican 

Others santos of the day are the Germanic St. Norbert, a priest and founder of the Canons Regular. PremonstratensiansHe was a preacher in France and Germany, and Archbishop of Magdeburg. And the Mexican priest Saint Rafael Guízar Valencia, also a priest, victim of persecution against the Church, for which he took refuge first in the United States and Guatemala, and then in Cuba. He was bishop of Veracruz, almost always in exile or on the run, and was canonized by Pope Benedict XVI in 2006.

The authorFrancisco Otamendi

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Books

The Christian humanism of María Zambrano

Maria Zambrano's thought, rooted in Christian faith and poetic reason, represents a spiritual humanism deeply linked to philosophy, theology and poetry.

José Carlos Martín de la Hoz-June 6, 2025-Reading time: 4 minutes

As is well known, Christian humanism in the seventies and eighties gave birth to many ideologies and political parties in Spain at the beginning of democracy, when the various activists of the new politics were sharpening their arguments and wishing to attract followers to their philosophical and cultural positions.

Undoubtedly, the book by Juana Sanchez-Gey y Venegas, professor of philosophy at the Autonomous University of Madrid, illustrates one of those sources of thought that filled the current of Christian humanism in Spain, until now quite unknown. 

It is a fact that Maria Zambrano (1904-1991), disciple of Ortega, Garcia Morente y Zubiri (21), was during her long exile from Spain, from 1939 to 1984, both in America and in various European countries, a standard-bearer of Orteguian thought, but with her own accents. Among others, her fidelity to Christianity and her constant deepening of the mysteries of the Catholic faith. In fact, her deep-rooted beliefs caused her to lose academic opportunities in Mexico and forced her to leave Cuba, etc.

Theological thinking

Professor Juana Sánchez-Gey has had the good sense to search through all of María Zambrano's writings, her letters and her autobiographical relationships, for clues to present us, in a fairly orderly fashion and in concert, María Zambrano's "theological" thought, something that is generally unknown to the general public, more accustomed to recognizing facets of her philosophy such as "poetic reason" (p. 21) and other specific contributions of the Malaga-born philosopher to Spanish and Western culture.

Precisely, Professor Juana Sánchez-Gey will emphasize from the beginning the naturalness with which María Zambrano habitually showed her Christian faith, since it was really the reason for her life, indeed, a way of living (p. 36). Moreover, this faith will be closely linked to poetry, because for her poetry is a way of praying, of accessing mysticism and philosophical thought: "poetry is a gift, a grace open to transcendence" (p. 34).

Next, Juana Sánchez-Gey tells us that Maria Zambrano defends a "liberal and ethical humanism" (p. 43). Moreover, her way of converging with Christian humanism will be through philosophy and poetry, in "poetic reason". As she will affirm, in philosophy: "if you don't go beyond, you don't go anywhere" (p. 48).

Anthropological vision

The anthropological question will be key, as in Ortega, both for philosophy and theology: "The Christian principle of liberalism, the exaltation of the human person to the highest rank among all that is valuable in the world, was hidden under swelling, under pride (...), but full of confidence in man" (p. 47). All this and more is called "original sense", because it discovers the human condition as a creature of God: "man has the vocation of transparency, even if he does not achieve it" (p. 50).

Shortly after, Juana Sanchez-Gey will bring up some beautiful texts: "Zambrano's proposal points towards a philosophy as mediation, which welcomes the sense of a religion whose God is incarnate and merciful (...). His ideal of a philosophy as salvation leads him to this dialogue with religion from St. Augustine to St. Thomas, who strove to serve as mediation between the divine infinitude and man, a constitutive relationship of the human being, always counting on freedom, through which the person is united and fulfilled in this relationship or can, because he has the capacity, reject it" (p. 52).

Moreover: "Love is the source of knowledge because only it can tell who man is and what his vocation is. Thus he accepts a philosophy that presents itself as a creative and unitive gaze, because poetry and philosophy in unity strengthen love" (p. 61).

Sense of origin

Let us remember that "the original feeling is a basic theme in Zambrano's relationship. As it is relevant to speak of the soul, of suffering, of vocation, all of them will be the themes that are recovered from the 'original feeling', philosophy or poetic reason, then it becomes more human and more divine. Poetic reason that is, at the same time, metaphysical and religious" (p. 64).

In the second part of the work we are presenting, Professor Juana Sanchez-Gey dwells more specifically on the philosopher Maria Zambrano's treatment of theological questions properly speaking, and thus she will enunciate some of them: "the divine processions, especially the mission of the Holy Spirit, the incarnation of Christ, the Virgin, the liturgy and the reception of Vatican II, among other personal experiences. The search for the Spirit as the foundation of knowledge is discovered in an outstanding way, so that one could go so far as to say that this experience is at the origin of his rejection of rationalism in philosophy and materialism in his conception of the person, which he conceives as a spiritual being" (p. 75).

Correspondence

A large part of the topics summarized in this second part come from the Letters of the Pièce. That is to say, the correspondence with Agustín Andreu, then a young priest and doctoral student in Rome, with whom he established a fluid dialogue.

First of all, this summary highlights the close relationship between philosophy and theology, especially through the school of Alexandria in general and, in particular, Clement of Alexandria (150-215), as an awakener: "the being that awakens thinking" (p. 78).

He will soon enter into harmony with St. Augustine, the Father of the Church, with whom he will be in permanent dialogue, and in particular with two of his works: "The Confessions" and "The City of God" where he will find "the Truth that dwells within man" (p. 79).

Moreover, in this intense dialogue with Agustín Andreu and Ortega "we can perceive the distances between both thoughts. They are separated by the conception of the spirit and even by that longing of ethical roots which is personal perfection and the desire for a better world: that doing good is not lost even in dreams" (p. 83).

The theological thought of María Zambrano

AuthorJuana Sánchez-Gey Venega
Editorial: Synderesis
Year: 2025
Number of pages: 125
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The Vatican

Leo XIV, a serene shepherd for a troubled world

What is Robert Prevost like? What can we expect from the pontificate of the first North American Pope? Monsignor Luis Marin de San Martin, also an Augustinian, a friend of the new pontiff, draws, for Omnes, a profile of the new Pope.

Luis Marín de San Martín-June 6, 2025-Reading time: 10 minutes

When, on the afternoon of May 8, the white smoke announced that the new Pope had been elected, a festive crowd flooded the Via della Conciliazione and the other streets near St. Peter's towards the Square. Soon a shout was heard, repeated at intervals: "Long live the Pope! Without yet knowing the name of the chosen one, many were already showing their attachment to the figure of the Pope. It was a truly moving testimony. 

In fact, during the days preceding the conclave, speculations and speculations had been made, following the information of the press, not always well oriented. What is certain is that the successor of the Apostle Peter was being chosen, that Simon, son of Jonah, the stone on which the Lord Jesus built his Church and to whom he had given the keys to the Kingdom of Heaven. On the Roman evening the Lord renews the promise: the power of hell will not defeat the Church (cf. Mt 16:18-19). And he also reiterates his invitation to the one chosen in love: Follow me and feed my sheep (cf. Jn 21:15-19). Successor, then, of the Apostle Peter, of his reality and mission.

Successor also to Pope Francis

We are not in the first century, but we are concluding the first quarter of the 21st century. The new Pope is the 267th in the series of Roman Pontiffs who have succeeded each other throughout history. There is a link between all of them. The new Pope comes after Francis, who came from the end of the world, who, from the Gospel, was committed to renewing the Church. The Pope of mercy, of "everyone, everyone", of attention to the peripheries and of preference for the discarded; the Pope of synodality and evangelization, of the "Church going forth"; the Pope of the strong denunciation of war and the commitment to peace; the Pope worn out in the midst of the people of God. His successor will have to take into account the context in which the Gospel is incarnated and know how to read the signs of this present time, with a hopeful look towards the future.

The conclave is both a human and spiritual event. The Pope is not elected by the Holy Spirit, as is sometimes mistakenly said, but by the cardinal electors who vote in the Sistine Chapel. However, they do so having invoked the Holy Spirit (this is the meaning of the chant of the Veni Creator). The electors acquire an enormous responsibility: to listen to the Spirit, to be a channel for his action and never to be a wall, to let him do his work through them. The words that each cardinal must pronounce aloud before casting his vote are impressive: "I bear witness to Christ the Lord, who is to judge me, that I choose whom, according to God, I consider should be chosen."

Four scrutinies were enough. The same that, in recent times, were needed for the election of Benedict XVI and of Blessed John Paul I. Of the last Popes, only Pius XII needed fewer ballots, three. Francis needed slightly more, five, and St. Paul VI, six. St. John Paul II needed eight and St. John XXIII eleven. The new Pope had been elected in a rapid conclave, which shows that he was a very strong candidate from the beginning and that very soon he achieved the necessary consensus to comfortably surpass the required two thirds, which were exactly eighty-nine votes, out of one hundred and thirty-three cardinal electors from seventy countries. The number of electors and the number of nations represented had never been so high.

An Augustinian at the service of the Church

Several Augustinians awaited the announcement from the windows of the Augustinian General Curia overlooking St. Peter's Square. A truly privileged place. 

It was enough for the Cardinal Protodeacon, Mamberti, to pronounce the name ".Robertum Franciscum"We burst into shouts of joy, in the midst of great emotion. It could be none other than our Augustinian brother, Cardinal Robert Francis Prevost, until then Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and former Prior General of our Order. In fact, he was the new Pope. He had assumed the name Leo XIV.

I think it is impossible to express in words the accumulation of emotions that can fill the heart in such a circumstance. Two predominant ones, joy and gratitude. 

Those of us who know him, know of the many virtues that adorn Robert Prevost (our brother Roberto), his preparation and vast experience. I sincerely believe that he is the right person to lead the Church at this time. Little by little you will get to know him and I am sure you will agree with me.

The new Pope appeared on the central balcony, the balcony of great occasions. He wore the vestments prescribed in the ritual. His gesture was affable and his emotion evident. He waved repeatedly, waving his hands. And he began to speak, reading a text he had prepared when he saw that his election was imminent. Here we already have a trait of his personality: he prepares conscientiously what he wants to say and how he wants to say it. He is thoughtful and precise. In his words, the keys to a whole program. The starting point is the risen Christ, with whose words he greeted the faithful: "Peace be with you all.". And then, the great axes: peace, love, mission. The touching reference to his roots ("I am a son of St. Augustine, an Augustinian.") and the affectionate greeting to his former diocese of Chiclayo (Peru). Finally, the ecclesiological manifestation, the Church that desires: synodal, on the way and seeking: peace, charity and closeness to those who suffer. He concluded with a beautiful Marian reference and praying the Hail Mary with everyone.

The life of Robert F. Prevost

The main biographical lines of Papa Prevost are well known. He was born in Chicago (United States) on September 14, 1955, the youngest son of Louis Marius Prevost and Mildred Martinez. His older brothers are Louis Martin and John Joseph. 

It is worth remembering the Spanish ancestry on his mother's side: both of the Pope's great-grandparents were Spaniards who emigrated to the United States in search of a better life. Although the origin has been attributed to various cities in Spain, it is not known with certainty. The memory was probably lost after two or three generations. His grandfather Joseph was born on the ship, during the voyage, and was registered in Santo Domingo, the first port where the ship docked before continuing the voyage to the United States. Hence the misconception that his grandfather was born in the Dominican Republic. His father's family, also an emigrant, came from the south of France and had Italian roots.

The Prevost were very well integrated in the parish of St. Mary of the AssumptionThey were actively involved in the life of the parish community, becoming a reference point for the parish community. Their religiosity was far removed from a stark "spiritualism" and was oriented more towards participation and commitment. They also instilled in their children the practice of prayer and the communitarian sense of the Christian faith. The pious and disciplined Robert studied mathematics at Villanova University, graduating in 1977. He entered the Order of St. Augustine, taking simple vows in 1978 and solemn vows in 1981. His superiors sent him to Rome where, on June 19, 1982, he was ordained a priest at the International College of St. Monica by Archbishop Jean Jadot, pro-president of the Secretariat for Non-Christians. In 1984 he obtained a licentiate in Canon Law and returned to the United States.

Governance, training and education

One of the great turning points in his life took place in 1985, when he was sent to the Augustinian mission in Chulucanas (Peru), where he deepened the missionary spirit that has always characterized him. In 1987 he obtained his doctorate in Canon Law with a thesis on "The Missionary Spirit".The Role of the Local Prior in the Order of St. Augustine"He was appointed vocation director and director of missions for the Augustinian Province of Chicago. In 1988 he returned to Peru, where he remained until 1999. He assumed various responsibilities in the diocese of Trujillo, where he was judicial vicar and professor in the seminary; also in the Augustinian vicariate he held the positions of prior, formator and professor. At the same time he developed his pastoral activity in the parishes of Santa Rita and Nuestra Señora de Montserrat. Already then the three axes of his activity were outlined: government, formation and teaching, always with an evident missionary spirit.

In 1999 he was elected Prior Provincial of the Augustinian Province of Chicago and in 2001, a few days after the attack on the Twin Towers, he was elected Prior General of the Order of St. Augustine, a post to which he was re-elected in 2007. His government was characterized by closeness and "on the ground" knowledge. He visited all the communities that the Order has in the five continents to get to know the religious and talk to them. A man of listening, not imposing and tending to harmony and unity, he also proved to be an excellent manager and man of government, who knew how to make the necessary decisions.

In 2013, at the end of his last term as Prior General, he returned to Chicago where he was appointed vicar provincial and in charge of formation at St. Augustine Friary. He stayed only a short time. Pope Francis and Robert Prevost had known each other since Bergoglio was archbishop of Buenos Aires. He always manifested great confidence in the Augustinian. On November 3, 2014, he appointed him apostolic administrator of Chiclayo (Peru) and titular bishop of Sufar, receiving episcopal ordination on December 12 of the same year, with Archbishop James Patrick Green, apostolic nuncio in Peru, being the main ordaining priest. On September 26, 2015, he was appointed bishop of Chiclayo. The eight long years of Bishop Prevost's episcopate as residential bishop were characterized by closeness to the people, social involvement, care for formation and commitment to unity.

When, in January 2023, Pope Francis appointed him prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops and president of the Pontifical Commission for Latin America, he celebrated a farewell Eucharist in the cathedral of Chiclayo on April 9. Addressing his diocesans, he spoke to them from the heart: "As I said that first day when a journalist called me to ask how I felt about being appointed by the Holy Father to this new mission, this new assignment as Prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops, what was spontaneously born in my heart was precisely that I am a missionary; I have come sent, I have been with you and with much joy during these eight years and five months. But, now, the Holy Spirit, through our Pope Francis, tells me a new mission. And although it may be difficult for many, we must go forward, we must respond to the Lord, we must say yes Lord, if you have called me I will respond. I ask for your prayers. I ask that you go forward as a Church.. Indeed, if the Lord calls, he answers. Without hesitation. And he has demonstrated this throughout his life.

He was created cardinal in the consistory of September 30, 2023. He was assigned the newly created deaconry of St. Monica. As the first cardinal of that consistory, he addressed a greeting to the Holy Father on behalf of all, with a significant synodal reference: "Beyond the search for new pastoral programs or models, which are always necessary and important, I believe we must increasingly understand that the Church is only fully so when it truly listens, when it walks as God's new people in its wonderful diversity, continually rediscovering its own baptismal call to contribute to the spread of the Gospel and the Kingdom of God.". His reasonableness, ability to listen and involvement in his work, as well as his simplicity and cordiality, made him highly respected by those who knew him and also in the sometimes complicated environment of the Roman Curia. On February 6, 2025, Pope Francis gave him a new public token of appreciation by appointing him cardinal bishop of the title of the suburban Church of Albano. The inauguration was set for Monday, May 12. But it did not take place. A few days earlier the Lord had asked him to be the successor of Peter. And he accepted without hesitation. As a choice of love and with full confidence.

What will Leo XIV's pontificate be like?

We cannot predict the future. But Pope Prevost has already outlined some guidelines. The first is the centrality of the Risen Christ. He said this in his homily during the Eucharist at the beginning of his Petrine ministry on May 18: We want to say to the world, with humility and joy: "Look to Christ, draw near to him, accept his Word that enlightens and consoles! Listen to his proposal of love to form his one family: in the one Christ we are one". This leads him to take special care of unity, indeed, communion in the Church, which is his first great desire: "a united Church, a sign of unity and communion, which becomes a leaven for a reconciled world".". This will only be possible if we assume love as the axis of our life. "By this shall all men know that ye are my disciples, if ye have love one to another." (Jn 13:35). He also indicated it in the first greeting: "God loves us, God loves you all, and evil will not prevail. We are all in God's hands. [Christ goes before us. The world needs his light. Humanity needs him as a bridge to be reached by God and by his love". Hence, as a consequence, the insistent demand for "to build bridges, with dialogue, with encounter, uniting all of us to be one people always in peace".

A second line is the development of the ecclesiology of the Second Vatican Council, especially as expressed in the Constitutions of the Council. Lumen gentium y Gaudium et spes. He emphasized this in his address to the cardinals on May 10, when, referring to the apostolic exhortation Evangelii gaudium of Pope Francis, highlighted some of its fundamental notes: the return to the primacy of Christ in proclamation (cf. n. 11); the missionary conversion of the entire Christian community (cf. n. 9); the growth in collegiality and synodality (cf. n. 33); the attention to the sensus fidei (cf. nn. 119-120), especially in its most proper and inclusive forms, such as popular piety (cf. n. 123); loving care for the weak and discarded (cf. n. 53); courageous and trusting dialogue with the contemporary world in its different components and realities (cf. n. 84).

In the first greeting I had already said: "we want to be a synodal Church, a Church that walks, a Church that always seeks peace, that always seeks charity, that always seeks to be close especially to those who suffer".

The third line is social and missionary involvement. It springs from the Gospel that enters into history. Hence the need to consider the geographical and cultural contexts and the urgency of knowing how to read the signs of our times. The name chosen as pontiff is already a whole program. He said it in the aforementioned speech to the cardinals: "I thought of taking the name Leo XIV. There are several reasons, but the main one is because Pope Leo XIII, with the historical Encyclical Rerum novarum faced the social question in the context of the first great industrial revolution and today the Church offers to all, her patrimony of social doctrine to respond to another industrial revolution and to the developments of artificial intelligence, which bring new challenges in the defense of human dignity, justice and work".. This also includes the commitment to peace, which has been a constant in the Pope's texts, such as the demanding and clear speech of May 16 to the diplomatic corps, which I invite you to read in its entirety. The Pope has also referred on various occasions to another essential aspect of the task of evangelization. I would like to cite, by way of example, his May 22 address to the Pontifical Mission Societies. In it he made precise reference to the fact that "becoming aware of our communion as members of the Body of Christ naturally opens us to the universal dimension of the Church's evangelizing mission, and inspires us to go beyond the confines of our own parishes, dioceses and nations, to share with every nation and people the superabundant richness of the knowledge of Jesus Christ." (cf. Phil 3:8).

He begins a pontificate that will mark an epoch. Knowing Robert Prevost for many years, with whom I share an Augustinian vocation and charism, I am certain that Leo XIV will be a great Pope, who will guide the Church with a firm and loving hand; a sure leader for the world in these troubled times; a companion on the road, a serene pastor, a man of God. It is with great joy that I note how well accepted he is and the enthusiasm he arouses. We must all assure him of the support of our prayers and the closeness of our affection.

The authorLuis Marín de San Martín

Undersecretary of the General Secretariat of the Synod of Bishops.

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