On September 22, Villanueva University will host an open discussion on Opus Dei between Jack Valero, spokesperson for the institution in the United Kingdom, and María José Atienza, director of Omnes.
– Supernatural Villanueva University will host, next Tuesday, September 22, an open discussion about Opus Dei between Jack Valero, spokesperson for the institution in the United Kingdom, and María José Atienza, director of Omnes.
The discussion is part of the book launch “Opus Dei Unfiltered”, published by Almuzara, in which Valero compiles the stories of nearly twenty people who are members of Opus Dei, all of whom are very different in terms of culture, background, and circumstances.
This discussion aims to address some of the most frequently asked questions about this institution of the Catholic Church, as well as preconceived notions, facts, and myths regarding the personal prelature.
Opus Dei, which will celebrate its 100th anniversary in 2028, is one of the institutions that generates the most interest and discussion in all circles, both within and outside the Church.
The open discussion will take place on September 22 at 7:30 p.m. in the Auditorium at Villanueva University, (C/ Costa Brava, 6, 28034 Madrid)
The ecological issue is a theological one, according to the International Theological Commission
The International Theological Commission, chaired by Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, has just published the document ‘Caring for Our Common Home. A Responsible and Fraternal Response to the Triune God,’ in which it concludes that caring for creation is a theological issue.
Francisco Otamendi-September 2, 2026-Reading time: 6minutes
On September 2, the International Theological Commission (CTI) published an extensive document consisting of 148 points and 233 footnotes, titled ‘Caring for Our Common Home: A Responsible and Fraternal Response to the Triune God.’ Immediately, the Vatican news agency published a information in which he summarizes the main points of the document.
Two of the main arguments highlighted in the document prepared by the CTI, a body presided over by the Prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, Cardinal Victor Manuel Fernández, are included in the concluding section, ‘Conclusion and Outlook.’ First, that “from a Christian perspective, the ecological question ultimately amounts to a theological question” (no. 144)
At the same time, he believes that environmental degradation is alarming and that urgent action is needed to ensure the planet’s sustainability.
With the authorization of Pope Leo XIV
Pope article A summary in several languages released by the Vatican Press Office states that the document has “the authorization of Leo XIV” and is the result of reflections carried out between 2022 and 2025.
How should we respond, from a Christian perspective, to the “ecological and social crisis”—“short-sighted and suicidal”—into which humanity has fallen? This is the question that forms the basis of the new document from the International Theological Commission (ITC), titled “Caring for Our Common Home”, reports Vatican News.
Origins of the Document and Its Development
The text includes a preliminary note stating that the International Theological Commission “is not a group of theologians who meet simply to draft a text, but rather a space for free exchange and dialogue that draws on the rich perspectives of diverse individuals from different ecclesial and sociocultural backgrounds.”
It explains that during its tenth five-year term, the Commission examined the topic of creation in light of the revelation of the Trinity in Christ, with reference to our commitment to care for and protect our common home.
It also states that “the work was carried out by a special subcommittee, chaired by Professor Alenka Arko and composed of the following members: Rev. Gabino Uríbarri Bilbao, SJ, Rev. Peter Dubovský, SJ, Rev. Edouard Adé, Rev. John Junyang Park, Rev. Thomas Kollamparampil, CMI, Rev. Nicholaus Segeja M’Hela, Rev. Yury Avvakumov, Rev. Jorge J. Ferrer, SJ († 2024), and Rev. Marek Jagodzínski († 2025).”.
Bishop Piero Coda: The Urgency of the Ecological Crisis
The meetings of the Subcommittee and the plenary sessions of the Commission, held between 2022 and 2025 under the coordination of Secretary General, Bishop Piero Coda, resulted in a text approved by a majority of the Commission’s members through a vote during the virtual meeting on July 23, 2026.
The Secretary-General has pointed out that “the urgency of the ecological crisis facing the human family” has prompted them to offer “a reflection that encourages us to rediscover and appreciate «the theological foundation of care for our Common Home beyond the extremely grave situation in which we find ourselves»” (no. 6). This is the objective of the latest document prepared by the International Theological Commission, which has now been published.
“We draw in particular on the theology of the Orthodox Churches”
Another point of interest is that, drawing on Western Latin theology and the contributions of the spirituality and theology of the Eastern Catholic Churches, “we rely in particular on the theology of the Orthodox Churches, as well as on analyses derived from different worldviews. In this way, we aim to contribute to the promotion of an integral ecology—such as that advocated by Laudato si' , especially in Chapter IV, and Magnifica humanitas[15] — and to ecological conversion.”.
Three chapters. The first: The Divine and Trinitarian Imprint on Creation
The Commission’s document is divided into three chapters. The first—’Our Common Home: The Work of the Triune God’—highlights “the not only divine but also Trinitarian imprint” present in Creation, illustrated through the teachings of four Doctors of the Church: Augustine of Hippo, Hildegard of Bingen, Bonaventure of Bagnoregio, and Thomas Aquinas.
This chapter also explores the dialogue with certain scientific and philosophical views of the cosmos—such as immanentism, pantheism, and supernaturalism—explaining how faith in God the Creator offers something that science cannot provide, even if science “legitimately” investigates the early stages of the universe, explains the Vatican agency.
Pope Leo XIV receives offerings from a family during the celebration of Mass at the Borgo Laudato Si’ Center in Castel Gandolfo, Italy, on September 1, 2026, on the occasion of the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation. (Photo by OSV News/Mario Tomassetti, Vatican Media.).
Chapter Two: Human Beings in Our Common Home
The second chapter—“Human Beings in Our Common Home”—begins with a reflection on human beings created in “the image and likeness of God,” which reaffirms that differences—in ethnicity, gender, culture, social or economic status—in no way imply a hierarchy, it emphasizes. Using these differences to discriminate against or subjugate others is contrary to God’s plan.
Alarming facts and arguments about environmental degradation
The CTI also summarizes some “highly alarming” data on “ecological degradation”: the loss of biological diversity, a “key factor” for food security; air pollution; deteriorating water quality; war, which “brutally” accelerates environmental destruction; and the “extremely serious” consequences of all this for the poorest, whose natural resources are exploited and who are forced to migrate.
The Commission follows the lead of its secretary general and believes that, in the face of an “unprecedented” ecological crisis, scientific and technical solutions—such as substantial changes in production, consumption, transportation, and energy use—are not enough; rather, what is also needed, and above all, is “a change in cultural values,” a true ecological conversion in the way we live.
“Sin Against Creation and Against the Creator”
The document goes on to speak of “sin against Creation and against the Creator,” a theological formulation that links environmental damage to the rejection of the divine plan for creation.
The text emphasizes that the current historical moment “requires everyone—starting with those responsible for public life—to take urgent action to ensure the sustainability of the planet and the livability of our common home. This is not only an ethical imperative, but also a theological one.”.
Practical guidelines
The third chapter—’Care for Our Common Home’—offers some practical guidelines, organized around several fundamental human relationships.
From our relationship with God flows the «Jubilee logic»: based on fraternity and solidarity, which «set an insurmountable limit on greed in the use of the Earth,» as well as on the generosity and humility of those who «do not give in to the impulse to hoard everything». This logic leads to social justice.
The Cry of the Earth and of the Poor
From our relationship with Creation stem principles such as reverence; sustainability—”an essential criterion that must guide our way of life and the economic model that sustains it”—and listening to the Earth’s “heart-wrenching cry,” which is “tragically linked to the cry of the poor,” who suffer the most from “the consequences of mistreating the planet.”.
Respect for life, which allows human beings to use natural resources, but only as needed and in moderation, rather than through indiscriminate exploitation; asceticism and fasting, as a moral response to the overexploitation of resources, especially in wealthy countries; and a commitment that varies according to the responsibilities of different nations.
The sanctity of human life and the rejection of war
Furthermore, according to the document, the following arise from our relationships with others:
– the sanctity of human life—an unconditional and inalienable right that states must protect and promote, including by rejecting war—;
– the universal destination of goods—according to Christian tradition, «private property is not an absolute right,» and therefore our common home must also be cared for on behalf of future generations—;
– fraternity, as an antidote to violence, injustice, and a «false, selfish, atrocious, and greedy» individualism;
– mercy—without love, human life drifts away from God and becomes subhuman—;
– and a preferential option for the poor, who are increasingly exposed to environmental degradation and have fewer and fewer resources to mitigate its effects.
Moral Responsibility
In its conclusions, the Commission reaffirms that the ecological issue is, ultimately, a theological issue, as has been pointed out.
Freedom and moral responsibility remain the indispensable foundation of any authentic ecological commitment. The text therefore calls for an “ecological conversion” that is at once cultural and spiritual—following the example of Saint Francis of Assisi—and concludes with hope: the environmental crisis, however serious it may be, does not undermine our trust in God, who makes “all things new.».
The Pope calls for an end to passivity and indifference in the face of current events
“We are not ‘prophets of doom,’ said St. John XXIII, nor are we driven by ‘naive optimism,’” noted Leo XIV as he began a series of catechesis on the Pastoral Constitution *Gaudium et spes* (Joy and Hope) on the Church in the Modern World. The Pope urges us to move beyond passivity in the face of current events.
Francisco Otamendi-September 2, 2026-Reading time: 4minutes
The Second Vatican Council’s Constitution *Gaudium et Spes*, on which Pope Leo XIV began a new series of catechesis this Wednesday, opens by declaring that the Church takes as her own ‘the joys and hopes, the sorrows and anxieties of the people of our time, especially the poor and all who suffer’ (GS 1).
“This message calls on us to cast aside all passivity and indifference in the face of current events, in the face of history and people’s lives, and above all in the face of the rapid and profound changes we are experiencing today,” the Pontiff emphasized in St. Peter’s Square before thousands of faithful, more than 15,000, who attended the General Audience.
“Be open to dialogue, get involved”
“We cannot remain ”disinterested spectators“; rather, we must ”listen with our hearts, allow ourselves to be challenged, and get involved,'" he added.
“With Christ and sustained by the power of his Spirit, believers are called to take on the burdens of their brothers and sisters, especially those who are oppressed by injustice, discrimination, and violence.”.
The Church and believers must walk alongside humanity
“This sharing with humanity is the path that Christ asks of the Church,” which cannot remain passive or indifferent to what is happening in the world, but rather “is called to walk alongside humanity, especially in light of the rapid and profound changes we are experiencing,” the Pope reflected.
Therefore, “believers, united with Christ and sustained by his Spirit, must commit themselves to listening with their hearts and allowing themselves to be challenged, accompanying and helping those in need, especially the poor and those who suffer from injustice, discrimination, and violence.”.
Neither prophets of doom nor naive optimism
At the beginning of the Audience, the Successor of Peter recalled that St. John XXIII, in his inaugural address on October 11, 1962, “wished to express his disagreement with the ‘prophets of doom,’ who “even in their ardent zeal […] go about saying that our age, compared to past ones, has been getting worse; and behave as if they had learned nothing from history” (Address Gaudet Mater Ecclesia, October 11, 1962, 4.2).
“This is not a matter of naive optimism,” the Holy Father said, “but of a renewed fidelity to the Mystery of Christ, who, by becoming incarnate, chose to share our life: He «had to be made like his brothers in every way» (Heb 2:17; cf. 4:15) and took upon himself the consequences of sin, dying «as a ransom for all» (1 Tim 2:6).”.
The Pope's Double Appeal
Finally, the Pope issued a twofold appeal to the Church and to the faithful.
On the one hand, he has called on the Church to “a conversion commitment (as it has done in the Message (for the Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation), to bear witness that he is not motivated by ‘any earthly ambition,’ but rather «desires only one thing: to continue, under the guidance of the Spirit, the very work of Christ, who came into the world to bear witness to the truth, to save and not to judge, to serve and not to be served» (GS 3).”.
On the other hand, service and the option for the poor. “Pope Francis reminded us that for the Church, ‘the option for the poor is a theological category rather than a cultural, sociological, political, or philosophical one […] We are called to discover Christ in them, to speak out on their behalf, but also to be their friends, to listen to them, to understand them, and to draw upon the mysterious wisdom that God wishes to communicate to us through them» (Apostolic Exhortation *Evangelii gaudium*, 198).
Unmasking the Contradictions of the Contemporary World
Christian commitment, the Pontiff emphasized in conclusion, “commits us to facing reality and also to exposing the contradictions that characterize personal and social life in the contemporary world: for example, Scientific and technological progress, which constantly offers new possibilities—but only to some—and which human beings are not always able to put ‘to their use.’.
Or a clearer understanding of the ‘laws of social life,’ but accompanied by uncertainties “about the direction in which it should be steered.” Or still, a greater abundance of “wealth, so many possibilities, so much economic power,” and unfortunately, today as in the days of the Council, «a large part of humanity suffers from hunger and misery» (GS 4) (…)”.
“The Church is called to serve human beings, listening to and embracing the deepest questions of their hearts and the longings that dwell within them, pointing to Christ as ‘the key, the center, and the goal of all human history’ (GS 10),” the Pope concluded.
Pilgrims from Senegal, England, Scotland, Malta, Canada, and the United States, and close ties with the Platform for Dialogue in the Arab World
In his remarks to pilgrims speaking various languages, Leo XIV extended a special welcome to those from Senegal, England, Scotland, Malta, Canada, and the United States of America, among others.
He also greeted the delegation from the Interfaith Platform for Dialogue and Cooperation in the Arab World. He expressed his deep gratitude, prayers, and spiritual solidarity for the work of the King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz International Center for Interfaith and Intercultural Dialogue.
Tomorrow, St. Gregory the Great
Tomorrow we will celebrate the feast day of Pope Saint Gregory the Great, whose body rests in St. Peter’s Basilica, as Leo XIV has reminded us. He is known as “the Great” for his exceptional work as a shepherd during very difficult times for society and the Church: a “greatness” that drew its strength and vigor from a living faith in Christ. May his example inspire in each of you a renewed and deep trust in God, the source of grace and hope for the entire world, the Pope encouraged.
The conclusion was dedicated to the Virgin Mary, as the Pontiff usually does, asking her to “intercede for the entire Church, so that it may proclaim the Gospel with joy and hope, drawing close to the men and women of our time, and know how to guide everyone to Christ, «the key, the center, and the goal of all human history» (GS 10).”.
Cardinal Ouellet Wins in Court: The Abuse Allegations Were False
The former archbishop of Quebec and prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops had been accused by a pastoral worker of several incidents of sexual misconduct between 2008 and 2010. A Canadian judge has now ruled that her accusations were false and ordered her to pay the cardinal $100,000 in damages for defamation.
A Montreal judge has ruled that the allegations of sexual misconduct against Quebec Cardinal Marc Ouellet are unfounded and has ordered his accuser to pay him $100,000.
The cardinal, who had been retired since April 2024, had been under suspicion ever since Paméla Groleau accused him of touching her without her consent on three occasions between 2008 and 2010, while she was training or working as a lay pastoral agent. She also testified in court that she felt «harassed» at another event, stating that Cardinal Ouellet approached her from across the room to sit next to her.
The judge ruled that the accusations were false
«The court finds that the allegations describing the four incidents cited by Ms. Groleau in the context of the class-action lawsuit are false,» wrote Superior Court Judge Martin Castonguay in a decision published on August 31.
Castonguay concluded that Groleau's testimony against Cardinal Ouellet, now in his eighties, «was neither credible nor reliable,» noting in his ruling that she had changed her account several times.
Two other women testified against Cardinal Ouellet during the trial, but the judge ruled that their testimony was not relevant to determining whether Groleau had defamed the cardinal. He also concluded that Cardinal Ouellet «was not the author of the gestures» presented as evidence by one of the women.
The allegations against the cardinal surfaced in 2022 as part of a class-action lawsuit filed against the Archdiocese of Quebec and dozens of clergy and laypeople. In response, Cardinal Ouellet publicly denied any wrongdoing and filed a $100,000 (US$72,230) counterclaim for defamation against his accuser, alleging that she had damaged his reputation, honor, and dignity.
The Vatican ruled out opening an investigation
After the complaint was filed, the Vatican chose not to launch its own investigation against the cardinal. In a statement issued on August 18, 2022, by Matteo Bruni, then director of the Holy See Press Office, the Vatican concluded that there was «insufficient evidence to open a canonical investigation into sexual assault by Cardinal Ouellet against Person F,» as Groleau was identified at the time.
In his opinion, Castonguay stated that the harm suffered by Cardinal Ouellet—the former archbishop of Quebec who would serve as prefect of the Dicastery for Bishops under the pontificates of Benedict XVI and Francis—and to his reputation was «amplified by the chosen vehicle, namely, a class-action lawsuit directed primarily against religious pedophiles, thereby equating Cardinal Ouellet, in the eyes of the ‘ordinary citizen,’ with that group of individuals.».
He said that «it is difficult to quantify» the true impact of the allegations against Cardinal Ouellet and granted him the $100,000 he had requested.
A class-action lawsuit for 31.5 million
The class-action lawsuit against the Archdiocese of Quebec was certified on August 12, when the Superior Court of Quebec approved an out-of-court settlement of $31.5 million (US$22.66 million) for individuals who claim to have been victims of sexual abuse by members of the church since 1940.
In a statement regarding the ruling in favor of their client, Cardinal Ouellet's attorneys expressed their satisfaction that the court recognized the injustice suffered by the cardinal.
«This ruling reaffirms a fundamental principle: even in the context of legal proceedings, serious allegations must be based on specific and relevant facts and presented with the rigor required by their gravity,» Dominique Ménard stated in the press release.
Ouellet will donate the severance pay
The cardinal has promised to donate the compensation he was awarded to organizations that fight against sexual abuse suffered by Indigenous Canadians.
The class-action lawsuit also accused the current archbishop of Quebec, Cardinal Gérald Lacroix, of sexual misconduct. After stepping aside from his post for six months in early 2024, Cardinal Lacroix resumed his duties after a Vatican-ordered investigation found no evidence to support the allegations.
The authorOSV / Omnes
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Hebrew is not just the language of the Bible: its evolution reflects the history of a people, their traditions, and their relationship with the written word.
Writing an article about the Hebrew language gives me the opportunity to go back in time.
It was February 1991. I was 12 years old, and like so many Italians back then, I was glued to the TV watching the Sanremo Music Festival, a true national institution.
That year, each of the Italian contestants was accompanied by an international guest who reinterpreted the song in the competition. At one point, a beautiful woman appeared—with amber-colored skin, black hair, and eyes like two opals. She was wearing traditional Yemeni costumes, and when she was introduced, it was noted that she was Israeli and had achieved international success with a very old song written by the 17th-century Yemeni Jewish rabbi and poet Shalom Shabazi, titled «Im nin’alu.» The song had become famous in Europe in a dance-pop remix. Its lyrics went:
I'm not going to the beach
I didn't hear that from Dalté Maróm
Even if the nobles' doors are closed
The gates of heaven never close
In San Remo, however, Ofra Haza performed a song titled «Oggi un Dio non ho» in Italian, but which she called «Today I’ll Pray.» She sang it in English and Hebrew and captivated not only me but also the audience in the theater and television viewers. The song, a hymn to faith and peace, was dedicated to peacemakers and the victims of war.
At that time, I spoke neither English, nor Arabic, nor even Hebrew, so I didn’t understand those lyrics. But I didn’t understand them easily even after I began studying both Semitic languages. Ofra Haza, in fact, sang in Hebrew with a Yemeni pronunciation, not the standard Israeli pronunciation, which is similar to what is taught today in religious institutions.
It took me a few years before, drawn in by the charm of that voice, I decided to dedicate my senior thesis to the history of the Sephardic and Mizrahi Jewish communities, and to the different pronunciations of Hebrew—with the guttural consonants that European speakers tend to soften but which, having learned them in Arabic, allowed me to perceive much more clearly the closeness between Hebrew and Arabic, sister languages, both Semitic.
In Naples, Granada, Venice, Buenos Aires, and Jerusalem, I continued to learn Hebrew with Ashkenazi Jews, Sephardic Jews, and Israeli Arabs.
An Introduction to Hebrew
Hebrew is part of the broad family of Semitic languages (along with extinct languages such as Phoenician-Punic, Amorite, Moabite, Akkadian, or Assyrian-Babylonian, and languages that are still spoken today, such as Arabic, Amharic and Tigrinya, Aramaic, and the languages of southern Arabia) which, in turn, due to their similarities and affinities, forms part of the broader group of Afro-Asiatic languages (which also includes Ancient Egyptian, Coptic, Berber, etc.)
Semitic languages are further subdivided, based on their structure and geographic location, into Western and Eastern Semitic languages. Hebrew and the other Canaanite languages (Phoenician, Moabite, etc.) are part of the Western group, along with Aramaic.
Their current alphabet, consisting of twenty-two letters, is based on the square Aramaic script (adopted after the Babylonian captivity). Previously, they used Paleo-Hebrew, a system similar to Phoenician.
It is written from right to left, and, like Arabic, it consists primarily of consonants. The vowels (niqqud, a system of dots) were added by the Masoretes, Jewish scholars of the Early Middle Ages, to preserve the correct pronunciation of the biblical text.
An interesting fact in this regard: the need to introduce diacritical marks to determine the correct pronunciation of vowels (which in ancient times was undoubtedly different from today’s and much more complex) stemmed precisely from the need to standardize the pronunciation of a language considered sacred, but about which there was likely no longer any certainty—to such an extent that, for example, the name of the famous mountain we now know as Ararat, in Armenia, might originally have been Urartu, after the ancient kingdom of the Urartians (the Hebrew spelling only includes «rrt»).
For native speakers of Indo-European languages, approaching Hebrew and other Semitic languages means entering into a different logic. Into another universe, I would say. The lexicon of these languages is generally organized around roots, often consisting of three consonants. From a single root emerge verbs, nouns, adjectives, and nuances of meaning. When translating, one does not seek the specific term that appears in a text, but rather—through the application of grammatical rules—the root from which it is derived.
Let’s take the term *midbar*, for example. If I didn’t know its meaning, I would first have to identify the three fundamental root consonants, which I would obtain by removing the letter m (mem)—a letter also used as a prefix for participles or to express locative or privative meanings (like the alpha in Greek). I would be left with the roots d-b-r, the same ones that form dabar («word,» but also «thing,» «fact,» «event»). In this case, m + d-b-r literally means «without a word,» but it is translated as «desert.».
The same is true of «milhamah.» If I remove the «m» and «ah» at the end (which indicate the feminine gender), I’m left with «l-h-m,» the root of «lehem,» «bread» (in Arabic: «meat»). «Lack of bread» could be a literal meaning, but milhamah means «war.» It is curious, however, that Christ, born in Bethlehem (Bet-lehem, in Hebrew «house of bread,» in Arabic «house of meat»), taught his disciples to ask for their daily «bread» (although it would be more accurate to translate it as «what is necessary,» «essential,» just as bread was for the Jews, a sedentary people, and meat was for the Arabs, a nomadic people)—that is, the food that does not perish and gives life. With this food, I like to think, one is in Bet-lehem, «house of bread,» and not in milhamah, «war.».
A bit of history
The history of Hebrew is truly remarkable. In fact, most of the Hebrew Bible was written in this language (though some parts are in Aramaic). The Mishnah, prayers, and rabbinic studies are written in Hebrew. The language likely ceased to be a «living» language around the 2nd century C.E., becoming a language of culture, literature, poetry, and liturgy; moreover, it was chosen to regain prominence as the modern official language of the State of Israel, spoken daily by millions of people.
The earliest Paleo-Hebrew inscriptions date back to approximately the 10th century B.C. During this early period, known as Biblical or Classical Hebrew, the language was very similar to Phoenician and other Canaanite languages, such as Moabite and others mentioned in the Scriptures. It was in this language that the Torah, the Prophets, and part of the Writings were composed, although with different styles and vocabularies, depending on the period in which the texts were written (the terms “Archaic Biblical Hebrew,” “Standard Biblical Hebrew,” and “Late Biblical Hebrew” are used, the latter being typical of post-exilic books such as Ezra, Nehemiah, Daniel, and Chronicles).
After the Babylonian exile (6th–5th centuries B.C.), Aramaic—which was already the administrative language of the Persian Empire—also spread among the Jews exiled to those lands. In the next article, we will examine whether this language was still spoken in Palestine during the time of Christ and, if so, in what form.
Undoubtedly, in Second Temple-era Palestine, Hebrew was the language of scholarship and lived together Aramaic (which had various dialects, as the Gospels also note when they mention a Galilean pronunciation that differed from that of Judea), Greek, and Latin—in a manner not unlike what occurred in the Islamic Andalusia or in the The Middle East Today .
Between the last centuries B.C. and the first centuries A.D., Mishnaic or Rabbinic Hebrew gradually took shape. It is the language of the Mishnah , which is characterized by a vocabulary more closely tied to everyday life and by influences from Aramaic, Greek, and Latin.
After three o'clock Jewish Wars (between A.D. 66 and 135) and the destruction of the Temple in Jerusalem (A.D. 70), Hebrew became a kind of sacred «bond,» lashon ha-qodesh («holy tongue»), for all Jews already scattered throughout the world, who identified with this language, with religious traditions, and with the Law as their common root. It was used for study, prayer, writing poetry, and correspondence among scholars from different countries. The languages of the Diaspora, such as Yiddish, Judeo-Spanish, Judeo-Italian, and Judeo-Arabic, were written using Hebrew characters. Examples of this include figures such as the Sephardic poet and philosopher from al-Andalus Yehudah ha-Levi .
In the late 19th century, thanks to the work of Eliezer Ben Yehuda , Hebrew was revived as a spoken language and gradually established itself as a common language among people from very different linguistic backgrounds: Yiddish, Russian, Polish, German, Ladino, Arabic, French, Persian, Amharic, etc., until it became the official language of the newly established State of Israel.
I had the privilege of spending an entire month in Jerusalem to delve deeper into the study of Biblical Hebrew at the Polis Institute, alternating between listening to Yehudah Ha-Levi’s piyyutim, gazing at Jerusalem’s marvelous jasmine-scented sunsets, studying the Psalms, and engaging in conversation on the street. When speaking Hebrew with ordinary people, but also when watching Israeli TV series like *Fauda*, one realizes just how often words from colloquial speech appear in the Bible.
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"The Season of Creation Calls Us to a Profound Conversion," Urges Leo XIV
The Holy Father Leo XIV spoke during the evening Mass on September 1 for the Care of Creation, in the Madonnina Garden in Borgo Laudato si', during this Season of Creation through October 4—this year's theme being ‘Living Water,’, calls us to a profound conversion.
Francisco Otamendi-September 1, 2026-Reading time: 4minutes
During the World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, which Pope Leo XIV solemnly celebrated this Tuesday at Castel Gandolfo, the Pontiff stated during Mass that all of creation speaks to us of the greatness of the Creator and of God’s love for us.
In the homily, he focused on the Book of Wisdom and Psalm 18, which urge us to contemplate the beauty and power of creation “so that we may recognize the Creator,” and to contemplate the heavens, which speak of God’s glory. And he said: “All of creation speaks to us of the greatness of the Creator, provided that our eyes and hearts are open to such a great mystery,”,
The Gospel passage from Saint Matthew also invites us to contemplate creation, emphasizing the Lord’s special love for human beings, the Pope noted.
“Gazing in wonder at the birds of the sky and the lilies of the field—precious in the eyes of the Creator—leads us to understand how great God’s love is for us. If the Lord never ceases to bestow splendid beauty and to provide for the needs of plants and animals, how much more attentive will He be to the needs of His beloved sons and daughters!”.
Enter “silent mode”
The setting was truly fitting for the celebration in the Gardens—with trees, plants, and water—and the celebrants« green chasubles, on a day marking the beginning of »Season of Creation,‘ observed by Christians of various denominations, whose theme this year is ’Living Water.”.
A period that ends on October 4, the feast of St. Francis of Assisi, on the 800th anniversary of his death. The Pope has suggested that during these weeks we enter into a state of silence, away from noise, to learn to listen to the voice of Creation, through which God speaks to us.
Contemplation:a few minutes away from the daily hustle and bustle to listen to God
The Pope put it this way in his homily during Mass:
“This afternoon, as we accept the invitation to pause and reflect on God’s works, we begin “The Season of Creation,” a five-week period dedicated to prayer and a commitment to caring for our “common home.” Therefore, on this Day, and in the days ahead, let us take a few minutes to step away from the hustle and bustle of our daily activities to savor the great harmony of which we are a part. Let us put all the noise of human activities on “mute” to hear the melodious voice of creation, in which God, the author of all things, speaks to us.”.
This contemplative exercise, which fosters an encounter with the Lord, continues to be a first step toward an “authentic ecological conversion, in which the effects of our encounter with Jesus Christ become evident in our relationship with the world around us” (Message for the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation).
From Destruction to Life
From contemplating creation and encountering the Creator comes an awareness of our special place in God’s wonderful plan and of our personal and collective responsibility to preserve the original harmony. “Thus, from the awareness of our faults and mistakes comes a renewed commitment to restore relationships among creatures according to the will of their Creator.”.
In this way, the Successor of Peter has emphasized that “the Season of Creation calls us to a profound conversion: ‘What has been used for destruction can be redirected toward life: toward caring for the poor, providing food for the hungry, and caring for creation.’”.
A post by the Pope on X
The close connection between the time of creation and conversion was thus the ‘leitmotif’ of the Day, which had been announced well in advance the Pope on the X network, on his Pontifex_es account:
“As I recalled in the Message for this Day, caring for our “common home” requires a conversion of the heart, so that what has been used to cause destruction may, instead, be directed toward life. I invite everyone to join together in prayer and action, so that we may become channels of the living water of God’s peace, which refreshes our wounded world.”.
In his brief homily, the Pontiff once again recalled St. Francis of Assisi, who, he noted, served as a particular source of inspiration for “Pope Francis, in order to write your LetterEncyclical Laudato si’ and to bring this to life Borgo ”that welcomes us.".
León XIV has encouraged spiritual unity with St. Francis of Assisi, “making his Canticle of Praise our own”:
“Praised be You, my Lord, with all Your creatures, especially Brother Sun […]. Praised be You, my Lord, for Sister Moon and the stars […]. Praised be You, my Lord, through Brother Wind […]. Praised be You, my Lord, for Sister Water […]. Praised be You, my Lord, for Brother Fire […]. Praise be to You, my Lord, for our sister, Mother Earth, »which sustains and governs us.".
”Together with St. Francis, we wish to renew our commitment to live and promote that universal brotherhood which is inseparably linked to the duty to care for creation.”.
The Pope's Video Message in September: ‘Caring for Water’
Earlier today, the video message that Pope Leo XIV is releasing for the month of September was made public through the Global Prayer Network from the Pope. Here is the text:
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Lord of Life, You gave us the gift of water, a source of fertility, freshness, and hope.
It quenches thirst, fertilizes the soil, and cleanses wounds.
We thank you because you, too, She is a symbol of your grace and your love who renews us through Baptism.
Today we ask you to teach us how to protect it with gratitude, fairness, and responsibility.
We apologize for having turned her into a commodity, forgetting that it is a universal gift, A right without borders, intended for all your children.
It pains us to see so many of our brothers and sisters who don't have clean water, who walk kilometers to find her, that cause illness due to their scarcity.
May Your Spirit transform us into pilgrims in search of what is essential, able to live a sober life, denouncing waste and pollution, defending the rights of every brother and sister Let's drink without fear, without inequality.
Make our water conservation efforts may it be a sign of love for the Creator and a commitment to the lives of the poorest, by educating new generations who value and protect the Earth's resources.
In the face of suffering and disasters, faith does not offer easy answers, but it invites us to discover a God who does not will suffering, yet remains close to us and calls us to work together in hope and reconstruction.
September 1, 2026-Reading time: 3minutes
Hundreds of people running in panic are engulfed by a monstrous wave of water, ice, rocks, and mud that sweeps away entire villages in its path. The harrowing videos of the flash flood in Nepal or the earthquakes in Venezuela and Colombia lead us to ask: Where was God?
We can still blame ourselves for the flood if, as everything seems to indicate, it was caused by the sudden melting of a glacier attributable to climate change; but earthquakes have no other cause than the very structure of our planet. The same is true of volcanoes, epidemics, and so many other natural phenomena capable of destroying human lives.
In the face of events as dramatic as those we have experienced in recent months—with thousands of innocent victims—it is perfectly natural to doubt God, His existence, or at least His goodness and omnipotence. Some, whose convictions run deeper, do not distrust God but allow themselves to be carried away by logic without realizing that the organ in which logic operates—their brain—can make very natural errors due to its design. Trained over millennia to seek patterns and cause-and-effect relationships, the brain immediately activates its evolutionary mechanism to explain what it cannot grasp, reaching the erroneous conclusion that we must have done something wrong to merit this response from the Almighty. This is known as the illusion of causality. God is like a Father who, out of love, disciplines His children so they may walk the path of goodness. It makes sense, doesn’t it? But it is still an illusion that helps us reduce our anxiety over not understanding something that, in reality, is not easy to grasp. Jesus already had to explain this by giving the example of what happened to the victims of the tower of Siloam, which suddenly collapsed, killing 18 people who were no more sinful than anyone else. Just as human beings have the freedom to do evil—and God allows it—nature, too, has a certain autonomy in which God does not seem to intervene.
During his trip to Spain, the Pope helped us understand a little better this mystery of God’s apparent absence in times of trial. He reminded us that «when God seems absent, we must once again entrust to Him the burdens we carry in our hearts—even crying out to Him, even protesting like Job—confident that in some way He makes Himself present and is near even when He appears to be silent.» And, faced with the temptation to invent a false image of God that fits our human logic, he pointed out that «we must not spiritualize suffering, superficially attributing it to the “will of God” or to some mysterious plan of His, because this risks minimizing that suffering, silencing it, and hurting people.» He concluded by adding that «God does not want suffering; He bears it with us and invites us to trust in Him with perseverance.».
On this World Day for the Care of Creation, perhaps we should also recall the words of Pope Francis in *Laudato Si’*, in which he explains that «many things we consider evils, dangers, or sources of suffering are, in reality, part of the birth pangs that spur us on to collaborate with the Creator.».
The fact is that natural disasters can be a message from «our sister Mother Earth,» as St. Francis of Assisi referred to her in his famous Canticle of the Creatures. A reminder of our vulnerability—no matter how much scientific and technical progress we make—and that God’s work is not yet fully complete and remains imperfect. It is up to us to collaborate with God, to the best of our ability, to bring order to that disorder, transforming—as He did in the story of creation—chaos into cosmos. This means caring for the environment to prevent whatever can be prevented, taking preventive measures to minimize damage in the event of natural disasters, and, of course, coming to the aid of victims so they can return to normal life as quickly as possible. In this way, we will already be getting a foretaste of that new heaven and new earth at the end of time, where «He will wipe away every tear, and there will be no more death, nor mourning, nor crying, nor pain, for the former things have passed away.».
I’ll conclude with a thought from the Pope’s former preacher, Father Cantalamessa, who taught that, just as the earthquake following Jesus’ death on Golgotha was followed by an even greater earthquake—with its epicenter at the tomb—which gave way to his Resurrection; so, for every earthquake in our lives, every painful and incomprehensible event, every suffering, a much greater aftershock awaits, in which our now mortal and fragile nature will be revealed in all its glory. That is my hope!
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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With summer now behind us, enough time has passed for a leisurely reading of Leo XIV's first encyclical: Magnifica humanitas (May 15, 2026). A text whose subject is not artificial intelligence, but rather, as the subtitle states, “Protecting Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence".
At the same time, it outlines what the contribution of Christians should be toward building a more humane and fraternal city. The prelude and the finale frame the symphonies. It is worth paying special attention to the beginning and end of the encyclical—even though they are brief—to fully grasp the content of its message.
The Prelude: Babel or Jerusalem?
During the time of Leo XIII What was new was the Industrial Revolution, with its advances and risks. Today, the Pope says, we need to carry out a “shared discernment”that will help us, in this “"change of era”to answer some fundamental questions:" “Where are we headed? What goal do we wish to pursue? What direction should we choose as a human community and as peoples?”” (No. 6).
To build responsibly in our time, the Pope proposes two biblical “images”: the building of the Tower of Babel (cf. Gen 11:1–9) and the rebuilding of the walls of Jerusalem (cf. Neh 2:6) after the exile in Babylon (cf. nos. 7–10).
“The first choice is not between a ‘yes’ or a ‘no’ to technology, but between building Babel or rebuilding Jerusalem: between a power that seeks to dominate the heavens and a people who, in God’s presence, set to work together to rebuild the walls of fraternal coexistence.”” (no. 9).
León XIV states that, in fact, “this collaborative work” It is an expression of the way Christians build their lives: “To direct our actions toward God, so that, in His light, pluralism does not dissolve into disorder but, through the practice of synodality, becomes the space in which humanity rediscovers its solid foundations and its ultimate purpose” (no. 10).
Thus, one might say, a Christian anthropology of work takes shape, culminating in the gift of the definitive City of God: Heaven, the fulfilled Kingdom of God, the Church—the communion of saints in a reconciled and transformed world. “For us Christians, this vision of grace is a call to work together, fostering a peaceful, just, and dignified life in community in today’s ‘cities.’" (Ibid.).
Conditions for “Building Up What Is Good”
For this “construction on the property”The Pope points out four conditions (cf. nos. 11–14): to build upon the foundation of one’s relationship with God and the longing for happiness that dwells in the human heart; “to accept the limitations and fragility of humanity, without viewing them as a mistake that needs to be corrected”; work with “a courageous shared responsibility” and a “shared responsibility”; use a “Gospel language".
What does Leo XIV mean by this last point?: “Let’s avoid words that humiliate or create conflict. Let’s choose clarity that enlightens and candor that opens doors. Let’s not endorse naive enthusiasm or fuel unfounded fears.” (no. 14). It adds that criteria should be based on human dignity and guided by the principles of justice and peace.
What's at stake for us in the world is “to remain deeply human”. From the very beginning of Christianity, this has been part of the proclamation of the Gospel message; for Christ reveals to humanity what it truly means to be human in its fullness (cf. Gaudium et spes, 22).
Here is the proposal for which he invokes divine protection, so that God may dwell in the heart of man: “Let us be builders of communion, not architects of Babel; servants of the Kingdom to come, not masters of towers destined to collapse" (n. 16).
Discernment in Caring for Humanity: Between Technique and Domination, Power and Love
In the main body of his encyclical, Leo XIV presents the social doctrine of the Church as a dynamic way of thinking faithful to the Gospel (Chapter 1), capable of interpreting history in light of the Christian message and guiding humanity toward its fullness. He then sets forth the Fundamentals and Principles of the Social Doctrine of the Church (Chapter 2), as decisive criteria for personal and social discernment in the digital age. The central criterion is human dignity, which every human being possesses by virtue of existing. From this derives the common good as a set of conditions that make personal maturation possible. This implies the universal destination of goods, including intangible and digital ones; subsidiarity, which safeguards the responsibility of the individual, the family, and intermediate bodies against any abuse of power; and solidarity as an awareness of the interdependence of individuals and peoples.
In the following chapter, analyze the relationship between technique and mastery against the backdrop of the greatness of the human person (Chapter 3) and in the face of the misleading proposals of transhumanism and posthumanism, which seek to transcend the limits of the human person by redefining human potential beyond political and moral responsibility. The document states that “‘Human beings do not flourish ’in spite of‘ their limitations, but often ’through” them." (No. 118); thus, fragility and vulnerability are the ground in which interpersonal relationships, care, and openness to others mature. God’s grace and Christian humanism are the only guarantee of true “more than human”, by transcending oneself out of love.
As for artificial intelligence, it can be a valuable aid, but it requires careful consideration; furthermore, it can undermine personal judgment and creativity, have a negative impact on the environment, and is not morally neutral. The criteria of social doctrine can help prevent AI from being exploited to the detriment of humanity.
But in the digital age, what is at stake, above all, is, Safeguarding What It Means to Be Human Amid Transformation: Truth, Work, Freedom (Chapter 4). It highlights the need for reliable public communication and critical thinking education, as well as for ensuring access to decent work and genuine freedom for all. All of this requires fair standards, shared responsibility, and quality education.
Ultimately, two approaches are at odds with each other: The Culture of Power and the Civilization of Love (Chapter 5), which can be viewed in relation to the Augustinian expression: “Two loves created two cities”: self-love versus love of God, which entails love for others.
The culture of (mere) power is associated with war and violence, even if it stems from an algorithm. The civilization of love is associated with the “building communion”based on the principles of justice, fraternity, and dialogue, and on the path to peace.“With peace, nothing is lost, whereas with war, everything can be lost” (no. 219).
Taken as a whole, and understood in this way, “Social doctrine becomes a theology of communion in history” (no. 27).
Contemplation and Eucharistic Spirituality
The final movement of a symphony, the finale, it tends to have a powerful impact. At the end of the encyclical, as the curtain falls on this symphony, the condition—the spiritual and theological dimension that underpins and preserves its ultimate meaning—is revealed in a simple yet intense way. But it is neither a cultural proposal nor a sociopolitical theory.
Under the heading A Spirituality for Our Time (Conclusion), wishes to offer us “a sober and demanding path of Christian life by which to live through this changing era in the light of the Gospel” (no. 229). Here are the four steps of that path: “It is a path that begins with contemplation of God’s plan, lives out ecclesial unity by drawing strength from the Word and the Eucharist, works for the good of the world, and prays together with the Virgin Mary" (Ibid.). A “finale” in four words: contemplation, unity, work, and prayer.
Above all, contemplation of Christ: “As a believer among believers, I invite you to contemplate, in the face of the Son, a magnificent humanity that also illuminates the age of AI. In Christ, we understand that humankind is called to be a partner in the work of creation, and not a resigned spectator in the face of technological processes that limit our freedom and responsibility” (no. 233).
Christ does not despise what is authentically human; rather, he embraces it: “In this plan, nothing that is truly human will be lost; rather, everything will be purified and gathered into Him who gathers every fragment of life, every tear, and every authentic human achievement to rescue them from nothingness and deliver them, redeemed, to the Father" (Ibid.).
Second, Eucharistic spirituality; for the self-giving of Christ, the Word of God made flesh, remains present and active in the Eucharist (cf. nos. 234–235), the “sacrament of unity,” according to St. Augustine. The Eucharist “It is a deeply personal encounter with the Lord, and yet it is never merely an act of individual devotion.”. (Benedict XVI, Homily April 21, 2011). This, says the Pope, is “the Church of Christ,” which we Christians form in unity with Him, as expressed in the episcopal motto of Leo XIV: In illo uno unum.
In doing so, he highlights the social dimension of the Eucharist: “The Eucharist inspires us to justice and sharing, with a special concern for those who bear the burden of poverty and marginalization” (no. 235). And it expresses this in the context of our digital age: “And while new economic and technological networks can lead to exclusion, isolation, and dependency, the Church, nourished by the Eucharist, is called to make another kind of approach visible—by safeguarding bonds, giving a voice to the invisible, and steering processes toward the dignity of the person" (Ibid.).
Work and Prayer
All of this involves work. “In this work –the creation of goodness in the world– We are called to take an active role, without taking refuge in spiritualism or in our own little worlds: we must be faithful to the truth, invest in education, nurture relationships, and love justice and peace” (no. 236). These are various areas of work.
Working to Remain Faithful to the Truth: “In this scenario —“notes Leo XIV”— It is important to guard a heart that loves the truth, that desires what is just more than what is most appealing, that seeks wisdom more than immediate impact. The truth we must not lose is that of God and that of human beings, just as Christ has revealed it to us.” (no. 237).
Work in education: “Let’s invest in education—starting with ourselves!”” Specifically, “We all need to be educated so that we can live in the digital world in a humane way, as an integral part of our education in the faith and in the virtuous life of the Gospel” (no. 238). And all of this takes place within the context of an art of education that today needs to expand and share educational partnerships.
Working to nurture relationships: Our times, Leo XIV warns, need “hands capable of tenderness, attentive minds, and kind words”. Always, and especially today, physical presence: “sharing a meal, the Christian community gathering together, visiting those who are alone, serving the poor” (no. 239).
To work, ultimately, for the sake of justice and peace.“Every technical or economic decision becomes a point of spiritual discernment, an opportunity to assess whether advances in AI open up spaces for justice and participation or concentrate wealth and power in the hands of a few. I invite you to take a clear-eyed look at digital production networks, the working conditions hidden behind our devices, and the mechanisms that exploit manipulation and war.” (No. 240).
As a grand finale, Leon XIV recalls Mary's “Magnificat” (see nos. 243–245). It is a symbol of what our prayer should be: praise and joy, realism and prophecy from those who are committed to being “Weavers of Hope".
Torreciudad: Bishop Pérez Pueyo Once Again Calls for the Virgin to Remain at the Shrine Chapel
The Bishop of Barbastro-Monzón has issued a statement in which he once again calls for the Virgin to remain in the original chapel and asserts that “the peace of the Church cannot be built on the silence of a people.”.
On September 5, the 47th Pilgrimage of the Virgins of Ribagorza and Sobrarbe will take place at the Torreciudad Shrine. The original statue of Our Lady of the Angels will participate in this pilgrimage following authorization from the commissioner pontiff, Bishop Alejandro Arellano.
In this context, the Bishop of Barbastro, Monsignor Ángel Pérez Pueyo, has issued a statement in which he once again calls for the return of the statue to its original chapel, even though the matter is currently in the hands of the Holy See, specifically, the plenipotentiary commissioner appointed for this purpose by Pope Francis in 2024, Bishop Alejandro Arellano who will also visit the complex the following week to preside over the Marian Family Day, one of the most beloved and well-attended celebrations held in Torreciudad.
The statement by Bishop Perez Pueyo is the latest installment in a series which has held its main events every summer since, in July 2023, this would lead to a disagreement between the Diocese of Barbastro-Monzón and the Prelature of Opus Dei that has not yet been resolved.
The Image of Torreciudad and the New Shrine
In a statement very similar to the homily delivered a year ago, Bishop Perez Pueyo has once again called for the image’s permanent return to its original chapel: “We ask that the Mother remain in her longtime home, where she had always been for more than a thousand years until she was taken away fifty years ago.” It should be recalled that the transfer of the image of Our Lady of the Angels of Torreciudad to the new church, the work of Heliodoro Dols, was authorized by the bishop of the diocese, Monsignor Jaime Flores, in 1966; a copy of which is preserved notarized document.
Four years earlier, in 1962, it had been agreed to restore the statue of the Virgin and the chapel and maintain them in perfect condition, “to promote worship and ensure access for pilgrims, and, initially, not to remove the statue of the Virgin from the chapel,” this was the only point that changed. During this time, the Torreciudad Board of Trustees, in its various forms, has been responsible for restoring the chapel, renovating it, paving the access road, and ensuring its safety.
The statement also asserts that “the Diocese has renounced everything else. We have renounced any financial compensation. We do not claim control of the new church, nor its assets, nor its accounts, nor the entities or companies involved in its management”—something that, on the other hand, is complicated given that the new church belongs to the canonical foundation Nuestra Señora de los Ángeles de Torreciudad, while the Asociación Patronato de Torreciudad—which is responsible for securing funding for the new church’s maintenance—is an entity with civil legal personality.
Once again, the prelate points out that it was the diocese that asked the Holy See for Torreciudad to be “recognized as an international shrine directly under the Holy See, and for the Holy See itself to oversee its financial and pastoral affairs.”.
The procession of the original statue
Regarding the temporary transfer of the statue, the bishop had published a statement last July in which he unequivocally affirmed that this statue would participate in the liturgical celebration and the procession of this pilgrimage. However, officials in Torreciudad maintained that “they presented this proposal to the papal commissioner, Monsignor Alejandro Arellano, who has authorized the original statue to be taken to the chapel and remain there during the celebration” They also clarified that “the pilgrim copy of the Virgin of Torreciudad will be used for the subsequent procession,” which “is equipped with the necessary fastenings and other elements to be transported safely and is specifically designed to participate in pilgrimages.”.
The Work of the Plenipotentiary Commissioner
Perez Pueyo, however, argues in this statement that it is Torreciudad that is under “special supervision” and not the diocese; therefore, in his view, consulting Arellano was unnecessary.
Although the text of the potential agreement regarding Torreciudad is unknown, the Bishop of Barbastro states in this press release that he “cannot sign, approve, or consent to a solution that would deprive the people of Barbastro-Monzón of their own Mother, or that would turn her into a stranger who pays occasional visits to her children from someone else’s home.” The Virgin’s residence in the new church, which is otherwise open and visited as usual by devotees of the Virgin of Torreciudad—both locals and visitors—is unacceptable to the bishop, who goes so far as to emphasize that “the peace of the Church cannot be built upon the silence of a people who are asked to renounce their own memory.”.
In this regard, Perez Pueyo has hinted at some dissatisfaction with the plenipotentiary commissioner’s handling of the matter, noting that it has become “a sort of mediation between them [the Opus Dei prelature] and the diocese, as if this community, which was hoping for justice, were forced to accept concessions instead of defending its rights—which is precisely what led to the creation of the Torreciudad commission.” A statement that appears to contradict several previous remarks made by the prelate to various media outlets, in which he expressed satisfaction with the statement by the Holy See and willing to comply with whatever the Vatican might decide regarding Torreciudad.
Condition for the Continuity of the Episcopate
Before issuing the call for participation in this pilgrimage—which is not the first time it has been held in Torreciudad, as the town already hosted it in 2011— the bishop wished to emphasize that he hopes “Torreciudad will be a major universal center for Marian evangelization,” as it has been in a special way over the past fifty years.
As the last year, echoing the stance of the elderly Eleazar, the bishop has once again put his position on the line if the resolution regarding Torreciudad does not result in the return of the «private» Virgin—in the bishop’s words—to his diocese. A resolution that, for the time being, does not seem likely.
How can we encourage vocations? The rector of the seminary with the most vocations in the US answers
The Diocese of Wichita stands out from the rest, having achieved an astonishing 195 per cent of the figure required to ensure the succession of its priests.
The Diocese of Wichita, in Kansas, has established itself as a national leader in promoting the priestly ministry, by far topping the vocation rankings in the United States. According to a recent report by Vocation Ministry, the smallest and most cohesive dioceses achieve the best results, with Wichita reaching an impressive 195 per cent of the rate needed to maintain its number of priests. This picture contrasts with the reality of large dioceses with larger Catholic populations, which face significant challenges in ensuring the next generation of priests and securing sufficient seminarians.
To explore the factors behind this remarkable surge in vocations, we spoke to Fr Chad Arnold, a diocesan priest and rector of the St Philip Neri SeminarySt. Philip Neri Seminaryin the Diocese of Wichita. Drawing on his experience of priestly formation and community life, he shares with us the pastoral principles that have made this small diocese a model of vitality and hope for the Church.
The Diocese of Wichita is regarded as a model of vocational abundance. To what factors do you attribute this sustained response from young people?
The blessings of vocations come from many factors. First, wide availability of Eucharistic Adoration chapels. Most of our parish have Eucharistic adoration, some perpetual chapels. This allows the young people to come before God in silence anytime they want and listen for His voice.
Second, we have a very healthy presbyterate. The priests are all ages, enjoy one another and form a truly supportive fraternity. Young men see our priests praying together, laughing together, and enjoying real supportive brotherhood.
What other factors contribute to a culture of vocation?
Our diocese has a great emphasis on stewardship. The idea that all that has been given to me is from God and I have a responsibility to use it well, including my gifts and my vocation. This same model also allows us to provide exceptional catholic schooling for any practicing Catholics who desire it. Our young people are well formed in the faith.
Finally, good leadership. We have been blessed with caring and devout Bishop for many decades. They have steadily led us.
How do families and local parishes work together directly to identify and support potential vocations?
All of our parish receive our yearly vocations poster and have them displayed. Many of them encourage their people to offer a holy hour for individual men.
We also have 4 Serra clubs in the diocese. This is a group that meets regularly to support vocations through prayer, start of the year care packages, writing letters to the men, and running grade school vocations rally.
Finally, we also try to bring pastors in regularly to the seminary to spend time with the men.
How are you approaching the implementation of the new Propaedeutic Stage requested by the Holy See for the early years of formation?
Thankfully, much of what we were already doing aligned well with the new Propaedeutic stage. We had already developed a local program so that the men could get to know the diocese and the Bishop before going off to a distant seminary. In our House of Formation/Seminary we focus on traditional basic human skills.
We have no hired staff, so the men do all the cleaning, maintenance and cooking. We have 5 sit down meals a week, in which teams of men prepare the dinner.
We also have regular 'skills' classes which deal with woodworking, automotive, electrical, plumbing, cooking, shooting and sewing.
What advice would you give to a vocations director from another diocese who is seeking to revitalize vocational ministry in his region?
The best advice I can give is do not be discouraged. Don't try to do it alone. First and foremost, the Lord of the harvest must be deeply involved, through regular prayer, petition, fasting, etc. But other priests and lay people must also feel invested. Vocations are everyone's business.
For a young person who feels a sense of vocational calling today but does not dare to take the first step, what would be your main message?
My main message to a young person would be the words Jesus most often repeats in the Gospel, 'Do not be afraid.' Whatever we give God, He will not be outdone in generosity. When we say yes to God, we do not regret it.
Zuckerberg (Meta) and Amodei (Anthropic) Face the Humanistic Challenge
The CEOs of Meta, Mark Zuckerberg, and from Anthropic and Darío Amodei are facing significant humanistic and ethical challenges that will shape the course of technology in the coming years. Zuckerberg, on mental health and addiction among young people, and Amodei, on ethics in artificial intelligence (AI).
Francisco Otamendi-August 31, 2026-Reading time: 3minutes
The race for AI is not just technological; it is also ethical and humanistic. The technological empire of social media must have limits—namely, human dignity and health—in light of the allegations made by numerous teenagers from 47 U.S. states who consider themselves victims of psychological and mental harm caused by products on the market that are deemed addictive.
This is corroborated by significant events that are taking place these days.
On August 26, it was viewed the agreement filed in a federal court in California, in which Meta, the owner of Facebook and Instagram, agrees to pay $17 billion—plus an additional $1 billion if Texas is included—to avoid the trial against Zuckerberg. The reason: harm to minors caused by the platform's design addictive on its social media accounts, in the largest legal proceeding in its history.
If it lost the lawsuit, the tech giant would face a cost that was expected to be much higher—perhaps tens or hundreds of billions of dollars.
The Controversy: Up in the Air
All in all, perhaps the most concerning aspect is the wide range of arguments in the controversy, because Meta does not agree with the allegations.
The lawsuit accused the company of contributing to the mental health crisis among adolescents due to the app's addictive design, which was hidden from the public.
The Meta logo was on display during the Viva Technology conference, dedicated to innovation and startups, at the Porte de Versailles exhibition center in Paris on June 12, 2025. (Photo by OSV News/Benoit Tessier, Reuters).
However, Goal It denies the allegations and any responsibility. “Ensuring that teens have a safe and productive experience on our platforms is a top priority for Meta,” the company said. “We want to do the right thing for both parents and teens,” it added.
InvolvesTikTok and YouTube
It has also been announced that payment to the states is guaranteed only at a rate of 70%. Meta will pay the remaining 30% only if Tik Tok And YouTube is committed to taking steps to better monitor how young people use its platforms, and is investing in these efforts.
Some of the measures Meta plans to implement—and hopes its competitors will adopt as well—range from a daily limit of two hours (which could be one hour), restricting notifications in the evening and until noon (including during school hours), disabling algorithms, and so on, in order to reduce smartphone addiction. Australia has banned social media for children under 16, and other countries are considering the issue.
The Law of Profit or Principles?
Another important issue—perhaps even more so—that we mentioned at the beginning is the ethical challenge posed by artificial intelligence models, a matter we might call the humanistic technological challenge.
Pope Leo XIV has sounded the alarm and called for reflection, emphasizing the principle of respect for human dignity, which precedes and governs AI.
The question is what will happen, as Robert Armstrong wrote in the Financial Times on April 30, if companies and their business models “follow one rule above all others: they will seek to maximize returns for their shareholders, up to the limits set by law. When the law of profit conflicts with a company’s internal principles, profit will always prevail.”.
Anthropic co-founder Darío Amodei in Davos, Switzerland, on January 20, 2026 (Photo by OSV News/Denis Balibouse, Reuters).
Darío Amodei: Focusing on the Positive Aspects of AI
Dario Amodei says he is “focused day and night on how to move away from the negative outcomes of AI and toward the positive ones.” Armstrong says he believes him. But (…) his words are nothing more than noise. The relevant incentive structures don’t care what he’s focused on.”.
While the FT columnist expresses skepticism, it is important to keep an eye on the the Amodei brothers, Darío and Daniela, the children of a leather craftsman originally from Italy and a Jewish library project manager from Chicago. Both left OpenAI/ChatGPT to found Anthropic (the Claude chatbot), with Darío serving as CEO and Daniela as president.
León XIV recommends not interrupting your dialogue with the Lord and never judging Him
During this Sunday’s Angelus at Castel Gandolfo, Pope Leo XIV encouraged us never to stop dialoguing with the Lord, even if we do not understand Him, and to confidently express to Him our difficulty in understanding what He asks of us, without judging God.
Francisco Otamendi-August 30, 2026-Reading time: 2minutes
In front of the many pilgrims and faithful gathered in Castel Gandolfo, the Holy Father remarked during the Angelus The Gospel for Sunday, August 30, in which the first of the apostles, Peter, expresses his disagreement with the Lord regarding Jesus“ revelation about His impending Passover: His suffering and execution, and His resurrection on the third day. ”Far be it from you, Lord! That cannot happen to you,” he says to him.
It had been only a moment since he had recognized Him as “the Messiah, the Son of the living God.” And now, however—surprised and perhaps disappointed by what he had heard, in contrast to the beautiful profession of faith he had just made—he rebuked Him, the Pope explained.
"Nor is it always easy for us to understand and accept God’s ways, especially when they are so far removed from our own," Leo XIV continued.
Contrary to all logic of faith, we are tempted to think that the Lord is the one who is mistaken or, worse still, that He does not listen to us or care about us.
Peter's Teaching: Trust
In the face of this uncertainty, Peter—even in his impulsiveness—teaches us two important things, the Pope emphasized.
“The first is never to interrupt our dialogue with the Lord—not even at times like these—but rather to confidently express to him our difficulty in understanding what he is asking of us.”.
The second is “never to judge God’s actions, but rather to listen humbly, in prayer, to what He is revealing to us through His actions, even when they do not meet our expectations.”.
The greatness of the first of the apostles is also evident in this, the Pontiff noted.
Because Jesus replies, “Get behind me, Satan!” and explains to him and the other disciples that, in order to follow in his footsteps, they must deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow him.”.
Pedro will remain faithful even unto martyrdom
Pedro will do so after hearing it; he will take on the challenge and stay faithful "He has remained faithful to the words of Christ—whom he has recognized as his Redeemer—throughout his entire life, even unto martyrdom," emphasized the Successor of Peter.
In closing, the Pope encouraged us to ask the Lord, in our life of faith and in our prayer, “for the same sincerity that Peter had, humbly telling Him what we truly feel, even when our hearts are confused; and, at the same time, that we may cultivate his docility, accepting what He asks of us even beyond our expectations.”.
And let's do it with Mary's help.
Prayer and Solidarity for Haiti, Nepal, and the Care of Creation
After the Angelus prayer, Leo XIV spoke about the horrific massacre in Haiti, expressed his solidarity with the victims and their families, and called for the urgent and unconditional release of the hostages. He also prayed for the victims of the devastating flood in Nepal.
Finally, after greeting various groups of pilgrims, the Pope recalled World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation next Tuesday, September 1, when he will preside over Mass in the Pontifical Gardens at Castel Gandolfo.
The Sacramental Revolution: A Mission for Christian Married Couples
Christian married couples are called to lead a «sacramental revolution» that restores the truth about the body and the family in the face of the current anthropological crisis.
Valle Rodriguez Castilla-August 30, 2026-Reading time: 7minutes
John Paul II, in his *Theology of the Body*, spoke to us about the body as a sacrament, as a visible sign: our bodies express the mystery of God and make Him present. In this sense, today, as we contemplate the decline of the body, a new revolution is sorely needed—this time, a sacramental one. In this revolution, married couples would have a central mission.
This idea has been on my mind a lot this summer. I think it stems from my rereading of Paul VI's encyclical Humanae vitae—my own way of celebrating the latest anniversary of its proclamation, on July 25.
The broadest meaning of «sacrament» according to the Theology of the Body
First of all, it is important to clarify that John Paul II, in his *Theology of the Body*, uses the term «sacrament» in a broader sense than that which refers to the seven sacraments instituted by Christ.
According to this broad definition, a «sacrament» is the visible sign of an invisible reality—the mystery of God hidden throughout the ages. That is why, in a sense, the body is part of the definition of a sacrament, just as marriage is from the beginning. Both—the body and marriage—speak to us of God and make Him present in the world.
The Image of God in Marriage
With regard to marriage, John Paul II states in his theology that marriage is a sacrament essential y prototype of all the sacraments: «primordial,» in that it is the first in sacramentality, taking the lead; and «prototype,» in that it is the model for all the sacraments because «it succinctly expresses the spousal love of Christ and the Church.» (Without detracting from the Eucharist, which Pope John Paul II calls main sacrament).
Thus, in his catechesis, John Paul II maintains that the most complete image of God’s love in the world can be found in the lives of spouses and, more profoundly, in those who are married in the Church. Conjugal love is called to be the fullest reflection of divine love in this world.
Behind a great revolution lies a great encyclical
Major changes in humanity and history prompt the Church to speak out. The Church, our mother and teacher, always reminds us who we are and why we are here.
For this reason, every great revolution gives rise to an encyclical. And every encyclical reaffirms the anthropological and theological foundations of a revolution yet to come: the truest and most definitive revolution.
Thus, the sexual revolution sparked, at the time, Humanae vitae. The technological revolution of our time has prompted the first encyclical of Leo XIV, Magnifica humanitas. And time and again, in their respective contexts, they point to the only revolution capable of guaranteeing humanity's progress and happiness: the sacramental revolution.
The goal is to restore the body, marriage, and the family to their deepest truth, to their sacramental nature.
The Ever-Present Relevance ofHumanae vitae
Humanae vitae It shed light on the treasure of human nature. Its precious pearl is reverence for the integrity of every marital relationship—of every sexual relationship—and its life-giving power.
This is not an outdated teaching, nor is it a proposal from another era. Even today, the serene authority of its message continues to encourage men and women to pause before the mystery of life with a more loving, more reverent, and more fulfilling perspective.
Two years before its 60th anniversary, the first invocation of Humanae vitae It remains a youthful echo of the truth of love for all humanity: The most solemn duty of transmitting human life, «the most serious duty to transmit human life.».
However, the power of his voice seems to be drowned out by the clamor of the new anthropologies. Sometimes, it manages to slip through and echo in the silence of a bedroom. Even then, the newlyweds ask themselves:
“What life? What does it mean to be human? What duty? Why is it serious?”
These are the questions of our time.
The transmission of life, the cornerstone of humanity
The sexual revolution, brought about by the legalization and widespread use of the birth control pill, triggered—as Paul VI prophesied—an anthropological earthquake. Its aftershocks continue to open cracks in our understanding of the person and the body, of masculinity and femininity, of generativity and fertility, of marriage and the family.
Through a path we have been retracing—undercutting our humanity—the issue of contraception has undermined other, more radical concepts, such as that of «one flesh»; and it has opened the door to other, more fluid ideas, such as «gender theories.» A generative issue has ultimately sown confusion regarding more fundamental truths about human nature.
In this unnatural drift, truth and love have grown increasingly distant. They have drifted so far apart that it is now normal for them not to recognize each other. And when love and truth do not recognize each other, neither do men and women.
Without a doubt, over the years, we have experienced firsthand that the natural grammar of the transmission of human life is the cornerstone of our humanity.
Contraception vs. Nature
The dilemma surrounding contraception is not clarified by the dichotomy of contraception versus conception. If anything, it might be framed as contraception versus non-conception. In any case, the underlying dichotomy is contraception versus nature.
We were created male and female in the image of God. Our nature has been given to us. It is not arbitrary. Its language is inscribed in our bodies. It is a language we must learn to speak. When we master it, it fills us with happiness.
Sexual relations also share this universal language. The fact that a man and a woman speak this language together brings us closer together and allows us to achieve true communion. And communion is always holistic: it transcends us. Its fruits are fruits of fertility.
The audacity to interfere with the nature of the sexual relationship—by questioning its unitive and generative meanings, as well as its role in identity formation—has cast a shadow over the communion between man and woman. But not only over that.
Taking the unitive meaning of the sexual relationship in one hand and the generative meaning in the other, and pulling them in opposite directions, strips marriage of its «one flesh» nature; it strips the husband of his humanity; it strips the wife of hers; it strips the children of theirs; and, ultimately, it strips all of society of its humanity.
What began yesterday in the silence of a bedroom is now being shouted from the rooftops in the streets and squares, sweeping humanity along with it. At this point (or low point), the image of God is becoming increasingly blurred. Creation groans and asks:
“Where is God?”
Nature and Sacramentality
But the postmodern man seems not to care whether God exists or not. What he truly wants is not to encounter Him anywhere; not even to catch a glimpse of His image.
Truly, people today draw upon the divine mystery. God, the Mystery, does not reveal Himself. God hides in creation and whispers in the heart. The language of nature is His language. And through man and woman, His favorite creatures, God sings.
To restore the image of God to the world, we must make the invisible visible: the sacramental logic. Seeing God is a matter of sacramentality: of body and grace, of grace and body.
That is why marriage—every marriage, Christian and non-Christian alike—as a union of a man and a woman, as a synthesis of the whole of humanity, is called to proclaim the language of nature, to sing it in truth, to proclaim it with their bodies. This is true even in the conjugal embrace.
Certainly, all of creation possesses an emerging sacramental value—a gift of the ability to make the invisible God visible. But, on a deeper level, marriage possesses this value. This is its value and mission for the revolution that creation cries out for.
Christian Married Couples: The True Protagonists of the Sacramental Revolution
Marriage, regardless of faith, culture, or era, is sacramental: it contains within itself the seed of being a manifestation of the divine mystery. But it fully blossoms with the coming of Jesus: if the Cross is the marriage of Christ to his Church, every Christian marriage is called to be the Face—its most visible and effective sign.
We, the baptized who are married, live out the same reality of natural marriage, but in a new and fuller way. Our marriage has been raised by Christ to the supernatural order: Christ affirms its nature and fills it with meaning. Christian married couples are an image of Christ’s union with his Church.
That is why, today, the true witnesses to Christ are the many baptized men and women who live out, with faith, God’s plan for human love in marriage: the witness of an engaged couple who love one another as they await marriage, that of a young married couple open to life, that of a family with many children by choice, and that of an elderly married couple who continue to live in hope. This is how God becomes visible and active.
The new apologetics does not rely on creeds and doctrines; it is rooted in the lives of the baptized—it walks alongside them. The new evangelization speaks of sexual difference, of self-giving, of fruitfulness, of an unambiguous «I do,» of «forever» that truly lasts, of wholeness, and of freedom. These are the surest paths to grace. And man and woman, masculinity and femininity, gift and life, self-giving and acceptance, communion and fruitfulness—these constitute the semantic field of sacramentality, the battlefield of this long-awaited sacramental revolution.
The «quid» is the body
Within this harmony, contraception shatters the signifying essence of married life. It is an earthquake with its epicenter in «one flesh»—a tremor that shatters the image of God into a thousand pieces.
The contraceptive mindset undermines marriage as a sacrament. It rejects the sacramental revolution: it continues to prefer its own—the sexual revolution for the sake of sexuality. Contraception is a marker—a tumor biomarker—of the sacramental health of courtship, marriage, and society.
As the priest and writer Juan Luis Larrú has pointed out, the crisis of the body—which arose with the sexual revolution—led to a sacramental crisis (beginning with the crisis of marriage). And the sacramental crisis has, in turn, brought about an even deeper crisis of the body. We must urgently find our way out of this labyrinth by following the sacramental path.
The sacramental journey is the journey of the body. It is not about inner enlightenment or spiritualized aesthetics. It is about grace touching our bodies, transforming and transfiguring them; filling them with glory from the skin inward, so that they may emerge once more as manifestations of glory.
The crux of the matter is the body. Grace—and within it, conjugal grace—is the key to revealing the true face of Christ to the world. But grace must encounter the body and open it up. Grace works from the body, through the body.
Progress and Happiness
Only a sacramental revolution—a radical shift in which the visible expresses the invisible—led by Christian couples (the visible manifestation of Christ and the Church) can restore our bodies to us, safe and sound.
Only a sacramental revolution can cure this cancer of the crisis in marriages and families and restore tenderness to their hearts.
Only a sacramental revolution can put an end to this anthropological upheaval and rebuild our identity as men and women.
And only a sacramental revolution can bring true progress—which is always happiness—to our society.
Well said, no doubt about it, Humanae vitae From the very beginning, it had already been heading in this direction Magnifica humanitas.
The authorValle Rodriguez Castilla
Married and the mother of seven children. An expert in the Theology of the Body, gender, and affective-sexual education.
Between Protection and Freedom: The Gaze That Challenges Parents
In the end, the only thing I can offer you is this: a love that doesn't know if it's right, but that never stops trying.
August 30, 2026-Reading time: 3minutes
There are little gestures that you hardly notice until, one day, they no longer seem normal. My oldest daughter has one. Before she takes a cookie at someone else’s house, she always does the same thing: she looks up and searches for me with her eyes.
He doesn't ask. He doesn't say, «May I?» He simply waits for that almost imperceptible nod from his mother or me across the table. Then he smiles. And he does it.
For years, I thought that was a small educational victory. It never occurred to me that that very look might hide a question about me. Until this summer.
We spent a few days on vacation with another family. It only takes two or three days to realize that differences between parents arise where you least expect them: an ice cream before lunch, five more minutes in the pool, bedtime.
That afternoon, one of the children asked for ice cream. His father said yes. A few seconds later, another child asked for exactly the same thing. His father said no.
The children accepted the answer with admirable ease. The adults did not. For a few seconds, we stopped looking at the children and began looking at one another. No one argued. No one tried to convince anyone else. But we all compared ourselves to one another.
And then something happened that has stayed with me ever since. Someone opened a box of cookies. My daughter reached out her hand. Just before she touched the cookie, she looked up and searched for me.
She waited a second. Maybe two. I nodded. She smiled. By the time she picked up her cookie, another child had already grabbed two and was running toward the playground without even looking at an adult.
And, for the first time in many years, I didn’t feel proud. I felt a sense of doubt. And, for a moment, I wished my daughter had a little of that confidence. Not so she could disobey. Not so she would stop being who she is. Just so she could walk through the world with the peace of mind of someone who isn’t afraid to make mistakes.
The thought vanished immediately. Or so I thought. Because it came back that night. And I couldn't shake it off for the entire trip home. The girls ended up falling asleep in the back seat. Teresa was driving. The radio was playing very quietly. For many kilometers, neither of us said a word.
“I can’t get the look on that little girl’s face out of my head—the look she had right before she took the cookie,” I said at last.
It took Teresa a few seconds to answer.
"What's with that look?"
“I don’t know. But I wonder what he was really seeing when he looked for me with his eyes. Was he waiting for permission? Was he waiting for reassurance? Was he waiting for approval? Or was he simply waiting for his father?”
She remained silent. The road stretched on ahead.
“I don’t know,” he said at last. “But if we’re making a mistake, I’d rather it be because we loved them too much than because we neglected them.”.
We remained silent. Sometimes I think that silence spoke louder than either of us. I’ve read about overprotection, resilience, and autonomy. Useful words. None of them captures what I saw in that look. Because what I saw wasn’t fear. It wasn’t obedience. It wasn’t submission. It was something older. It was a little girl who still believes her father has all the answers.
And I, who should have felt proud, could only feel fear. Fear that her trust was a trap. Fear that, by always agreeing, I was teaching her that you can only live in this world with permission. Afraid that one day, when I’m no longer here, she’ll keep waiting for a glance that will never come.
There are nights when I go into their room before going to bed. Even though they each have their own bed, they almost always end up sleeping together, tangled up, as if the world ended in that room.
As I watched them sleep, I thought that someday they would stop looking for me with their eyes. Not out of a lack of love. Not out of defiance. Because that’s what growing up is: learning to walk without looking back. And I knew I couldn’t protect them from that day. Nor should I.
I went in one night, before turning off the light. I watched them for a while without making a sound. I thought that, in a few years, probably none of them would want to sleep like that anymore.
I felt a strange mix of sadness and peace. Because, in the end, the only thing I can offer them is this: a love that doesn’t know if it’s right, but that never stops trying. Someday they’ll stop looking to me for guidance before making a decision. And on that day, I hope I’ll have enough courage not to confuse their freedom with my defeat. And then, yes. Even if the four of us no longer fit in the same bed.
Roseline Hamel and Nassera Kermiche: A Story of Forgiveness and Reconciliation
Roseline Hamel lost her brother, Jacques, a priest, who was murdered in 2016 at the age of 85 at the altar of the church of Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray (France). Nassera Kermiche lost her son Adel, one of the attackers. This is the story of her grief and her journey toward healing, as she shared it at the Rimini Meeting.
Francisco Otamendi-August 29, 2026-Reading time: 12minutes
Two women, Roseline Hamel and Nassera Kermiche, were the focus of the first major gathering of the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples—commonly known as the Rimini Meeting (Italy)—a few days ago. This year marked the 47th edition of the event.
The organizers, Communion and Liberation—and specifically Bernhard Scholz, president of the Encuentro—put on stage This story of forgiveness and reconciliation—of “two sorrows that are impossible to bear alone”—comes just on the eve of Pope Leo XIV’s visit on Saturday, August 22.
It was the suffering of Roseline Hamel, the sister of Father Jacques Hamel, and that of the mother of the young jihadist, Nassera Kermiche, who—for security reasons—was not recognizable, was wearing sunglasses, and was sitting at an angle to the camera.
"’Soeurs de douleur’ (Sisters in Sorrow)
This is a summary of the hours leading up to Father Hamel’s murder on that day in 2016—10 years ago—including how both women and their families experienced those events, how they met and became friends, and how they reconciled.
Now they are “Soeurs de douleur’ (Sisters in Pain), as is the title of the book published by Ares-LEV, in which they have told their story. We’ll focus on excerpts from what they shared at the Rimini Meeting, which you can watch in the video at the end, at a reference from the Vatican news agency, and some articles published, for example, in *Il Messaggero*.
The facts
On the morning of July 27, 2016, Father Hamel was celebrating Holy Mass at his parish in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, in northern France.
When the Mass ended, right after the blessing, two young jihadists murdered him. When the police arrived, the two killers were trying to flee and were shot dead.
Shortly afterward, the news of her brother's death reached his sister, Rosaline. The news that one of Nassera Kermiche's sons, Adel, was involved in the murder reached his mother that afternoon, along with the news of his death. It was a terrible day for them.
"These women endured indescribable suffering," said Bernhard Scholz, "and we want to start today," he added. The sidebars consist of questions from Scholz himself, quotes from the two women, and text from Omnes.
Coffin bearers carry the coffin of Father Jacques Hamel on August 2, 2016, outside the cathedral in Rouen, France, in the presence of numerous priests and other members of the faithful (Photo by OSV News/Jacky Naegelen, Reuters).
Roseline, what happened that day? How did you experience it? And above all, how did it affect you?
– Roseline: That day was truly unexpected. We had arrived in northern France, in the town where my brother—my dear brother Jacques Hamel—lived, to help him during his last week on the job, and then we were planning to go on vacation together.
We arrived on July 25, which was Saint Anne’s Day. That night, we asked my brother—I was there with my grandchildren, too—we asked him, “How is it possible for such extremely violent acts to occur? How can one human being do something so terrible to another human being?”
At the beginning of dinner, he told us, “I have something important to tell you. I’m happy to have you here at my table.” And that struck us as strange coming from my brother, because by nature he was someone who didn’t know how to show his joy.
It's the morning of July 26, and the phone rings
– We saw that my brother got up very early because he had to celebrate morning Mass. He forgot that we were sleeping. He was so used to living alone and having no one at home that he made quite a bit of noise getting up, eating breakfast, and so on. And at one point, he opened the door—you could hear it creak—and we could smell the aroma of coffee filling the whole house. He had laid everything out for us—bread, jam, and butter—and we were all there together when the phone rang.
I usually didn't answer the phone when I was at my brother's house because I thought, "What if someone asks me about the Mass times and I don't know them?" So, I didn't usually answer the phone.
But one of my grandchildren said to me, “Grandma, why aren’t you answering?” He kept insisting that I had to answer because he was watching cartoons and the phone was keeping him from hearing them.
So I answered, and the person on the other end asked me, “Is this the rectory of Saint-Étienne? Can you confirm whether the priest is at the church? There’s been an attack, and they’ve taken hostages.”.
“I thought it was impossible for anyone to harm a priest celebrating Mass in a church.”
– And I replied, “Well, if this is a joke, whoever you are, it’s really not funny at all.” And I added, “My brother will be back from church in about 15 minutes, so please call back later.”.
I hung up the phone, went back to the kitchen, and talked to my grandchildren, telling them what I’d been told on the phone, and I said, “This news can’t be true. I don’t think it’s true, but I’m going to go to church to check it out.”.
And my daughter says, “Mom, I don’t think you’ll be able to get to church because there’s a huge crowd on the street—it’s packed with people, there are soldiers, the street is blocked off, and even the stores are closing.”.
And the soldier, frowning, told me, "Go to the funeral home"—a funeral home that was nearby—and there they made us wait for hours.
I thought it was impossible for anyone to harm a priest in a church—a priest who was celebrating Mass, the Passion of Christ, and sharing this rite with others, including elderly people who had come to Mass. After waiting for two hours, they told us, “You may leave.”.
An employee at a funeral home told me that my brother, Father Jacques, had died
– But they also told us to wait near a window in the courtyard. And that’s when I started to get really nervous, and my daughter tried to calm me down again, saying, “Mom, we’ve been waiting this long. Let’s wait another 5 minutes. Be patient.” And I waited.
And there, in the funeral home’s courtyard, we see two firefighters arrive—the ones who normally help people during disasters—and they stand there in silence, along with a third person wearing a white lab coat covered in blood.
I’m starting to get really nervous, losing my composure, and I turn to these people. And I snap at them, “Move it—go find my brother.” Then a funeral home employee comes up to me and says, “It’s all over. There have been two victims—one injured person who’s in the hospital, and the other is your brother, who has died.”.
I was stunned; it came as a shock, as if a bullet had gone right through me, as if a bomb had exploded inside me. I started screaming my brother’s name in desperation because I couldn’t believe news of that magnitude. And my oldest daughter, who had been by my side the whole time, said to me, “Mom, please, I’m begging you, stop screaming. Uncle isn’t coming back, no matter how much you scream.”.
And the nurse said to my daughter, “Let your mother scream.” If she needs to scream—even for hours—let her scream. I screamed so violently that it caused a problem with my diaphragm, and a few months later I had a lung problem because of those loud screams. I even had to have surgery because of this, but thank God I’ve recovered now.
Father Jacques Hamel, born on November 30, 1930, in Darnétal, was ordained a priest on June 30, 1958, in Rouen and murdered on July 26, 2016, at the Church of Saint-Étienne in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray (@Archdiocese of Rouen, France).
An indescribable pain—for you, too. How did you, Nassera, experience that day??
– Nassera: For me, that day started very early, at 7:30, because I woke up at that time, and I remember seeing my son (Adel) that morning—perhaps God granted me the chance to see him one last time—and I asked him why he was awake so early. And he said, “Well, I just woke up.” I told him to go back to bed. Then I went back to my room.
I remember turning on the TV and there was nothing interesting on, so I went back to sleep. A little while later, I remember the phone ringing; it was the police chief, asking me if my son Adel was home. I’d seen him just a few moments, just a few seconds earlier. So I assumed he was still there, because I didn’t think he’d been asleep that long, and I said, “Yes, yes, he’s here. Downstairs at home.”.
And the police chief said to me, “Go check if he’s there.” And I saw that my son Adel had gone out, so I said, “Well, yes, he has indeed gone out. I don’t know—I don’t know where he went.”.
The attack
– I asked the police chief why he had called me, and he said, “Because there’s been an attack at the church in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray.« And I was surprised because I hadn’t expected to hear about an attack at that church. So I asked him, ”But why are you calling me?“ »Why do you think Adel is involved in this attack?“ And he said, ”I don’t have any more information, but I’ll keep you informed.’”.
I started to worry, turned on the TV, began watching the news, and saw that they were indeed reporting on a terrorist attack, but they weren't giving many details.
I remember asking my daughter to go over to the church to see what was going on—maybe she'd run into her brother there.
A few minutes later, she called me and said, “Mom, look, there are so many people here, the police are here, I can’t see anything—everything’s blocked off.”
She went home, and in the meantime, I called the police chief again and asked him if there was any—if he had any more news—and he told me, “No, we don’t have any more information at this time.” He had to be back home before 12:30 because he was under certain restrictions.
My son hasn't come home, and a reporter is coming to our house
– But that’s not happening; my son isn’t coming back. Around 11:30, a reporter comes to our house and rings the doorbell. “I heard the name Kermiche outside the church.” That’s when we really started to worry. Meanwhile, my daughter Sabrina, my daughter Anisa, and my son Sofian are by my side, but he’s still missing. It’s 12:30 p.m. Adel still hasn’t come back.
We turned on the TV, and they were talking about people who had died and people who had been injured, but we didn't know exactly what had happened inside the church.
I called the police chief again. He probably already knew what had happened but simply didn’t have the courage to tell me over the phone, and he said, “Gather at home.” Meanwhile, the special units arrived—many police officers from various different police departments—and began searching the house. At that moment, we realized that Adel was involved, but we never would have thought he had died.”.
We didn't expect my son to have died. A long period of suffering began…
At the police station, the news
– The questioning lasted 4 hours, and after 4 hours they asked us to follow the police to the police station. Once there, I said, “Well, it seems my son is involved in the attack in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, but I don’t know much else.” And they said, “Yes, he’s involved, and he’s passed away.” And that’s how I found out about my son’s death. At that moment, I knew for certain that he was gone, that he had died. That news hit us as if the sky had come crashing down on our heads. We weren’t expecting it.
And so began a long period of suffering for both of them, filled with many agonizing, unanswered questions—and social isolation as well, because, of course, people began to look at the family in a certain way.
Roseline, how did the initiative to find Nassera come about?
- Roseline: Right away, I had this idea, this desire. When we returned home, my children and grandchildren, who had been there with us, went back to their own homes and began to come to terms with this pain—the pain of that hellish day. Once I was home, I began to wonder how I would be able to survive all of this, how I would be able to find new meaning in my life.
“I began to talk and converse with God”
– I then began to talk and converse with God. For months I continued to talk with the Lord, trying to find an answer. I lacked patience. I was very restless because I couldn’t find an answer—an answer in Him—so I sought an answer in the Gospel.
I was looking for a word, a parable—something that could be with me, that would answer my questions, that would comfort me.
Cardinal Jean-Marc Aveline of Marseille, president of the French Bishops’ Conference (in the center, alongside Roseline Hamel, sister of Fr. Jacques, and other family members), bishops, and civil authorities during a silent march toward the church of Saint-Étienne on July 26, 2026, to commemorate the tenth anniversary of the death of Father Jacques Hamel in Saint-Étienne-du-Rouvray, France, on July 26, 2016. (Photo by OSV News/Antoine-Marie IZOARD/Catholic Press Photo).
“God is answering me. In your suffering, I carried you on my shoulders.”
– And finally, after a few weeks, I came across a line from a similar story—the story of a man who was carrying a heavy burden, a great pain, and who had a friend (…), And this man who was suffering, carrying such a heavy burden, said to his friend, “But you—where were you while I was suffering so much?” And he asked, “Well, I was right beside you,” his friend replied. And he said, “Why are you lying?” And the friend said, “No, I’m not lying. Your suffering—this great burden you’re carrying—was so heavy that I was carrying you on my shoulders.”
“And here I found an answer to my question. Later, during Sunday Mass near my home, I heard the same parable in the homily—a homily that addressed this very topic. And so I said to myself, “Well, God is answering me.””.
“Show me the way forward. And I prayed to the Virgin Mary.”
– So I allowed myself to say to Him, “Show me the way forward, a path in life that makes sense.” And so I carried on like that for a year. I spent a year reflecting, and after a year I was desperate, on the verge of letting myself die.
And yet I pulled myself together and said: “For the sake of my children, who suffered with me that day, I have to find the strength to keep going.” So I went to pray before the Pietà in my church.
And right away I thought of the Virgin Mary—she who had endured the suffering of her own son without being able to intervene, just as I—as we—could not.
And I said and asked her, “Virgin Mary, give me the strength to keep going, to walk, to follow in my brother’s footsteps, just as you followed in the footsteps of your Son, seeking justice, truth, and peace.”.
“But God, who could suffer more than I do?”
– One morning I was very tired; I didn’t know what to do anymore. I was sitting there with my cup of coffee, saying, ”But God, who could be suffering more than I am? Who could be suffering more than I am?”.
And over the next few mornings, I woke up with an obsession on my mind. I kept thinking about this woman I didn’t know—this mother, this mom with children—and I said to myself, “My God, if I were this mother with a son who had committed such a horrible act, how much pain would I feel?”
“I imagined the suffering of the mother of the son who committed such a horrible act. I can’t leave her alone.”
– And then I imagined the suffering of this woman, this mother I didn’t know, and the guilt she might be feeling. And it was only natural, given the looks of contempt people can give you, right? You can even lose your job, the trust of your coworkers, your friends—everyone. And I said, “No, I can’t leave her alone because she’s suffering more than I am. I have to find a way; I have to figure out how and find out where she lives.”.
The bishop: Follow that path, and I will walk with you.
- So I spoke with the bishop (of Rouen) to find out if it was a crazy idea. And he told me, “No, follow this path, and when you’ve found her, let me know because I’ll come with you.”.
And so I started looking for her; I began trying to get in touch with her.
For a few months, we started talking on the phone. Every 15 days, with a bit of shyness at first, but as the weeks went by, our conversations became more and more meaningful.
“Ma'am,¿”Would she agree to meet with me? And she said, 'I've been waiting for you for a long time.'"
– Roseline continued: “And finally I asked her, ‘Ma’am, on the day I come to see you in Saint-Étienne, would you be willing to meet with me?’ And she said, ‘I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.’ She’d been waiting for me for a long time.”.
–Nassera speaks up: A lot more happened after that. I went back to work, even if it was just like a robot. “I have to hold on, I have to hold on for my children, my other children, my family. I can’t break down, because if I break down, the whole family breaks down with me.”.
Finally, one day (Roseline) suggested I come to Saint-Étienne, and I told her, “Yes, I’ve been waiting for you for a long time.”, That's where we met, and that's where we got to know each other.
Devotion to Father Hamel continues to spread.
Letter from Roseline
At the Rimini Meeting, Roseline Hamel recalled that eight years earlier she had left a letter—a letter of forgiveness—at the grave of Nassera’s son.
Among other things, it says: “Adel, the soul of my brother Jacques is leading me to you. This is a testament to his forgiveness. The faith of believers is hope, and forgiveness is the path to peace.”.
“I had hidden it away a little so it would be for him (Adel),” said Roseline, "and she (Nassera) told me, 'It would have been a shame for it to rot away there in the grave, because you wrote such beautiful words for my son that I took the message home so I could keep rereading it.'".
"It had been eight years since I wrote that letter," Roseline continues. "And how is it possible that, despite the pain I was feeling, I found the strength to write those words?"
"It can't be any other way," said the sister of the Father Hamel. It was my brother who gave me these words; he was the one who inspired them. They are part of the first fruit of his martyrdom.
In the Archdiocese of Rouen, the process for the beatification of Fr. Jacques Hamel has been opened. The diocese invites the faithful to share their testimonies voluntarily. They may write The Cause for the Canonization of Father Jacques Hamel, Archdiocese of Rouen, 2 rue des Bonnetiers, 76000 Rouen – beatificationperehamel@gmail.com
The authorFrancisco Otamendi
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«Oikos,» or the Issue of Education in Spanish Politics
A child's education "belongs" to the family. It is the parents who have the duty and the right to choose their children's education, provided that the child's dignity is respected.
Pope Speech by Pope Leo XIV Before the Spanish Parliament, he reignited the long-standing debate between the naturalist approach and collectivism in the classroom, highlighting the disparities in the regional agreement model.
Since the dawn of Greek philosophy, the concept of the “oikos”—the home or household—has been the fundamental pillar upon which the structure of the “polis” is built and sustained.
Far from being merely a source of emotional support, the family was originally understood as the basic unit of society and the economy. However, interpretations of its role have historically divided thinkers into two opposing schools of thought that still resonate strongly in contemporary political debate.
The Clash of Two Historical Perspectives
On the one hand, Aristotle advocated a naturalistic view in his work *Politics*, defining the family as the first community created for day-to-day survival, with the union of these communities forming the organic origin of society. A worldview that is firmly aligned with the principles of a democratic society.
On the other hand, in *The Republic*, Plato espoused a utilitarian and collectivist vision, proposing the abolition of the traditional family for rulers and guardians on the grounds that private ties fostered selfishness. His alternative was a communal upbringing managed by the state.
In the view of various analysts, this Platonic perspective foreshadows the logic of totalitarian and authoritarian regimes—such as those in the Marxist sphere—where the individual and his or her family are subordinated to the absolute control of the state apparatus. As a historical counterpoint, it is worth noting the stance of many of the states that suffered Soviet occupation, which today prioritize subsidizing educational projects spearheaded by family groups to bring them to fruition.
The Role of Schools and Subsidiarity
Common sense dictates that a completely isolated family cannot ensure the full development of its members, limiting their human dignity by confining them to a restrictive environment. There has been a consensus for millennia that the family is the living cell of society, granting parents the fundamental right and inescapable responsibility to raise and educate their children within their loving household.
However, given the complexity of the contemporary world, it is practically impossible for an isolated family to provide a high-quality academic, sociopolitical, and religious education on its own. It is from this reality that the requirement for compulsory schooling through age 16 and the need for educational institutions with different philosophies—all of which respect the Constitution—stem; these institutions are conceived as a support mechanism rather than a substitute for the family.
In this delicate balance, the principle of subsidiarity comes into play; it establishes that matters should be resolved by the nearest and most competent authority before being delegated to higher authorities. This principle operates in two dimensions:
Downside: It prohibits higher-level authorities from intervening in the affairs of lower-level authorities if the latter are self-sufficient, thereby curbing stifling centralism.
Positive aspect: It requires the government to step in and assist lower levels of government when they are overwhelmed by the situation.
When applying this principle to the field of education, the premise is unequivocal: the education of children «belongs» to the family. It is the parents who have the duty and the right to choose their children’s education, provided that the child’s dignity is respected. The state, therefore, should neither indoctrinate nor take the place of parents, but rather provide the necessary assistance when the family’s capacity is overwhelmed.
As Pope Leo said in his aforementioned speech: »The family will always be the first school of humanity »where one learns the basic grammar of living together: embracing life, caring for others, forgiving, serving, and belonging.".
The Regional Divide and the Challenge of Freedom of Choice
In his historic speech, the Pontiff highlighted public and private institutions as strategic allies of families, noting that the rest of the curriculum should be provided by both types of institutions, each with its own guiding principles. This collaboration requires strict respect for the “primary and inalienable right” of parents to choose the type of education consistent with their convictions—a right protected internationally by Article 18.4 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (December 19, 1966, and ratified by Spain in 1977).
Despite this legal framework, the reality on the ground in Spain reveals profound disparities. Currently, there are Autonomous Communities where parents cannot effectively exercise this freedom due to financial barriers. Since there are no state-subsidized schools aligned with their values in their cities, families are forced to turn to private education, turning a fundamental right into a privilege that must be paid for; or else to settle for options they are not comfortable with.
The standing ovation lasting more than seven minutes that the members of Congress gave the Pontiff on the floor of the legislature leaves a bittersweet taste. Although it is likely that much of the applause did not reflect support for the substance of this position on educational freedom, this political gesture offers a glimmer of hope that legislative bodies will take the Pontiff’s words as an invitation to dialogue, setting aside disparaging remarks so that agreements can be reached for the common good—such as the effective protection of families’ sovereignty in the realm of education.
Being in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament is, above all, being with Jesus. Many words are not always necessary: sometimes it is enough to remain in silence, to look at Him, and to let Him look into our hearts. But it can also help us to pray with the words of those who have learned to walk closely with Christ.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, St. Thomas Aquinas, St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori, St. John Paul II, and St. Ambrose offer us various prayers to accompany this encounter with Jesus in the Eucharist. We can pray them slowly, pausing on the words that speak to us most deeply and presenting our joys, concerns, desires, and needs to the Lord.
Prayer of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux «To Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, the Love of Loves»
Altar Tabernacle, the nest of Your most tender and gracious love. You ask me for love, my God, and You give me love; Your love is heavenly love, and mine is a love mingled with earth and heaven; Yours is infinite and most pure; mine is imperfect and limited. May I, my Jesus, from this day forward, be everything for You, just as You are everything for me. May I love You always, as the Apostles loved You; and may my lips kiss Your blessed feet, as the converted Magdalene kissed them. Look upon and listen to the straying of my repentant heart, just as You listened to Zacchaeus and the Samaritan woman. Let me rest my head on Your sacred breast, as Your beloved disciple Saint John did. I long to live with You, for You are life and love.
For the sake of Your love alone, Jesus, my Beloved, I have placed my life, my glory, and my future in You. And since to the world I am a withered flower, I have no greater desire than to die while loving You.
Prayer of St. Thomas Aquinas to the Blessed Sacrament
O Most Holy Jesus, who are truly God hidden here; grant that I may ardently desire, prudently seek, truly know, and perfectly fulfill, for the praise and glory of Your name, all that pleases You.
O my God, set my life in order; grant that I may know what You desire of me and that I may fulfill it as is necessary and fitting for my soul.
Grant me, O Lord my God, that I may not lose heart in times of prosperity or adversity, so that I may neither be lifted up in the former nor brought low in the latter. May I find joy or sorrow in nothing except what draws me closer to You or leads me away from You. May I desire to please no one and fear displeasing no one except You. May all transitory things be vile to me, Lord, and all eternal things precious. May I, Lord, find all joy without You distasteful, and may I desire nothing outside of You. May every labor for You be a delight to me, Lord, and may rest without You be a burden. Grant me, O my God, to lift up my heart to You frequently and fervently, to do everything with love, to regard as dead whatever does not belong to Your service, and to perform my works not out of routine, but by referring them to You with devotion.
Make me, O Jesus, my love and my life, obedient without resistance, poor without humiliation, chaste without corruption, patient without distraction, mature without gloom, diligent without fickleness, fearful of You without despair, truthful without deceit; make me do good without presumption, correct my neighbor without pride, and edify him with words and deeds without pretense.
Grant me, O Lord my God, a watchful heart that will not stray from You because of any idle thought; grant me a noble heart that will not be led astray by any sinister intention; grant me a steadfast heart that will not be broken by any tribulation; grant me a free heart that will not be dominated by any violent passion.
Grant me, O Lord my God, the understanding to know You, the diligence to seek You, the wisdom to find You, the conduct that pleases You, the perseverance to wait for You with confidence, and the hope that will ultimately embrace You.
Grant that I may grieve over your sorrows here as an act of penance, that I may draw upon your blessings by grace throughout my life, and that I may enjoy your joys in glory in the heavenly homeland. O Lord, who lives and reigns, God for ever and ever. Amen.
Prayer of St. Alphonsus Maria de Liguori
My Lord Jesus Christ, who out of love for humanity remain night and day in this sacrament, full of mercy and love, waiting for, calling, and receiving all who come to visit you: I believe that you are present in the sacrament of the altar. I adore You from the depths of my nothingness and I thank You for all the graces You have bestowed upon me, and especially for having given Yourself to me in this sacrament, for having granted me Your most loving Mother as my advocate, and for having called me to visit You in this church.
I now adore your Most Sacred Heart, and I wish to adore it for three reasons: first, in thanksgiving for this extraordinary blessing; second, to make reparation for all the insults You receive from Your enemies in this Sacrament; and finally, desiring to adore You through this visit in all the places on earth where You are present in the Sacrament but receive little worship and are neglected.
Eucharistic Adoration of St. John Paul II
Lord Jesus:
We come before you, knowing that you call us and that you love us just as we are.
«You have the words of eternal life, and we have come to believe and know that you are the Son of God» (John 6:69).
Your presence in the Eucharist began with the sacrifice of the Last Supper and continues as communion and the gift of all that you are. Increase our FAITH.
Through you and in the Holy Spirit whom you give us, we wish to come before the Father to say our “YES” together with yours.
With you, we can now say, “Our Father.”.
Following you, «the way, the truth, and the life,» we wish to penetrate the apparent «silence» and «absence» of God, parting the cloud on Mount Tabor to hear the voice of the Father saying to us: «This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased; listen to him» (Mt 17:5).
With this FAITH, born of contemplative listening, we will be able to shed light on our personal situations, as well as on the various aspects of family and social life.
You are our HOPE, our peace, our mediator, brother, and friend.
Our hearts are filled with joy and hope knowing that you are «always interceding for us» (Heb. 7:25).
Our hope translates into trust, the joy of Easter, and a hastening journey with you toward the Father.
We want to feel the way you do and value things the way you do. Because you are the center, the beginning, and the end of everything.
Drawing strength from this HOPE, we wish to instill in the world this scale of Gospel values, in which God and His saving gifts occupy the foremost place in our hearts and in our attitudes toward everyday life.
We want to LOVE LIKE YOU, who gives life and communicates with your whole being.
We would like to say, as St. Paul did: «My life is Christ» (Phil. 1:21).
Our life has no meaning without you.
We want to learn to «be with the one we know loves us,» because «with such a good friend by our side, we can endure anything.» In you, we will learn to unite ourselves to the Father’s will, because in prayer, «it is love that speaks» (St. Teresa).
As we delve into the depths of your inner life, we want to adopt basic principles and attitudes, make lasting decisions, and choose fundamental paths in accordance with our own Christian vocation.
BELIEVING, HOPING, AND LOVING, WE WORSHIP YOU with a humble attitude of presence, silence, and waiting—an attitude that is also meant to be an act of reparation—in response to your words: «Stay here and keep watch with me» (Mt 26:38).
You transcend the poverty of our thoughts, feelings, and words; that is why we want to learn to worship by marveling at the mystery, loving it just as it is, and remaining silent with the silence of a friend and the presence of self-giving.
The Holy Spirit whom you have poured into our hearts helps us to utter those «indescribable groans» (Rom. 8:26) that find expression in a simple, grateful attitude and in the filial gesture of one who is already content with your presence, your love, and your word alone.
In our times of physical and emotional distress, if you are present, and love us, and speak to us, that is enough for us—even though we may not always feel your comfort.
By learning this beyond WORSHIP, we will be in your intimacy or «mystery.».
Then our prayer will become a expression of respect for the «mystery» of each brother and every event, enabling us to integrate ourselves into our family and social environment and to build history through this active and fruitful silence that springs from contemplation.
Thanks to you, our capacity for silence and worship will become a capacity to LOVE and to SERVE.
You have given us your Mother as our own so that she may teach us to meditate and worship in our hearts. By receiving the Word and putting it into practice, she became the most perfect Mother.
Help us to be your missionary Church, one that knows how to meditate on, worship, and love your Word, so that we may transform it into life and share it with all our brothers and sisters. Amen.
Prayer of Saint Ambrose Before the Blessed Sacrament
My Lord Jesus Christ, I approach your altar filled with fear because of my sins, but also filled with confidence because I am certain of your mercy.
I am aware that my sins are many and that I have failed to control my heart and my tongue. Therefore, O Lord of goodness and power, I come to You with my weaknesses and fears. Source of mercy and forgiveness, I come to take refuge in You, who gave Your life to save me, before You come as my judge to call me to account.
Lord, I am not ashamed to reveal my wounds to You. I am afraid of my sins, whose number and magnitude only You know, but I trust in Your infinite mercy.
My Lord Jesus Christ, eternal King, true God and true man, look upon me with love, for You chose to become man to die for us. Hear me, for I place my hope in You. Have mercy on my sins and miseries, You who are an inexhaustible source of love.
I adore You, Lord, because You gave Your life on the cross and offered Yourself there as the Redeemer for all people, and especially for me.
I adore You, Lord, for the precious blood that flowed from Your wounds and has cleansed the world of its sins. Look, Lord, upon this poor sinner, created and redeemed by You. I repent of my sins and resolve to make amends for their consequences.
Purify me of all my sins so that I may receive Your Holy Communion with greater worthiness. May your body and blood help me, Lord, to obtain from you forgiveness for my sins and satisfaction for my faults; may they free me from my evil thoughts, renew holy feelings within me, impel me to do your will, and protect me from every danger to my soul and body.
Every August 28, the Church celebrates Augustine of Hippo, a tireless thinker who shed light not only on theology but also on politics. St. Augustine reminds us that the state is an imperfect instrument for bringing order to a wounded world.
The political thought of St. Augustine of Hippo (354–430 AD) is not found in a systematic treatise but emerges primarily from his monumental work *The City of God* (*De Civitate Dei*). His view is deeply theological: politics is a consequence of fallen human nature and a tool for maintaining a minimal order in an imperfect world.
These are the fundamental ideas that define his thinking:
1. The «Two Cities» Theory»
It is the central tenet of his philosophy. Augustine divides humanity into two groups based on the object of their love: the Earthly City (Civitas Terrena), made up of those who live according to human standards and love themselves to the point of despising God. Their motivation is the ambition for dominion and worldly goods; the City of God (Civitas Dei), made up of those who live according to God and love Him to the point of self-denial. Their goal is eternal peace. These cities are not strictly identified with the state and the Church. They are mystical and moral realities that coexist, intertwined, throughout history until the end of time.
2. The Origin and Function of the State
For St. Augustine, the state is not a «natural» institution in the sense of perfection (as Aristotle believed), but rather a necessity arising from Original Sin. Remedy against evil: The state exists to impose order, punish crime, and guarantee a minimum «earthly peace» that allows people to live together without destroying one another. Coercive power: Political authority has the right to use force and the law to curb human wickedness. Without justice, Augustine asserted that kingdoms are nothing more than «great bands of thieves» (magna latrocinia).
3. The Concept of Justice and Peace
Augustine redefines these classical concepts from a Christian perspective: Justice: In keeping with tradition, it is «giving to each what is due,» but he adds that there can be no true justice in a society that does not give God the worship He deserves. Peace: He defines it as the «tranquility of order» (tranquillitas ordinis). The ruler’s goal must be to preserve this order so that citizens (including Christians) can go about their activities in safety.
Although Augustine defended the autonomy of the two spheres, he laid the foundations for what would later be called «political Augustinianism.» Collaboration: The state must serve the interests of the City of God, protecting the Church and, on occasion, using its power to combat heresy (as it did with the Donatists). Moral Subordination: The Christian ruler must be a «minister of God,» acting with humility and placing his power at the service of piety.
5. The Theory of Just War
St. Augustine was one of the first to systematize the conditions under which it is lawful for a Christian to participate in a war. A war is just if: It is declared by a legitimate authority. It has a just cause (such as responding to an attack or recovering stolen property). It is carried out with the right intention (the ultimate goal must always be the restoration of peace, not revenge or cruelty).
St. Augustine’s thought is not only relevant today but has also experienced a resurgence in contemporary political science (especially through what is known as «Augustinian realism»). His vision offers a critical counterpoint to ideologies that promise utopias or definitive solutions through the state. Some areas where his thought remains most vibrant today include:
1. Political Realism and a Critique of Utopias: In contrast to modern views that believe in unlimited progress or that politics can «save us,» Augustine reminds us that the state is a limited tool. Relevance: It helps us understand why institutions often fail. His «anthropological pessimism» (the idea that human beings are fallible and selfish by nature) forms the basis of modern political realism, which favors systems of checks and balances rather than blindly trusting in the goodness of leaders.
2. The State as the «Lesser Evil» and Social Peace: For Augustine, the purpose of the state is not to make us happy or virtuous (that belongs to the personal or spiritual sphere), but simply to prevent us from killing one another. Relevance: In polarized or conflict-ridden societies, his idea of «civil peace» (a minimal, functional order) is highly pragmatic. It suggests that an imperfect order is better than absolute chaos, a notion that resonates in debates about failed states or international interventions.
3. Justice as a Measure of Legitimacy: His famous quote: «Without justice, what are kingdoms but large bands of thieves?» remains the standard by which political corruption is judged. Relevance: Augustine gives us a tool to delegitimize governments that, even if they have laws, do not seek the common good. Today, it is used to criticize kleptocracies or regimes where the law is merely a facade for the plundering of resources.
4. Pluralism and «Two Cities»: Agustín argues that citizens live in a constant tension between their ethical and spiritual values and the demands of the state. Relevance: In a globalized and multicultural world, his idea that a person’s identity is not limited to their nationality or obedience to the state is fundamental to defending conscientious objection and freedom of belief in the face of totalitarianism.
5. The Theory of Just War: It is perhaps his most practical legacy and the one most frequently consulted by experts in military ethics and international law. Relevance: The Augustinian criteria (legitimate authority, just cause, and right intention) continue to form the basis of modern protocols regarding when it is lawful to use force and how harm to civilians should be limited.
In short, Augustine is «relevant» today because he serves as an antidote to political fanaticism. By teaching that no political structure will ever be perfect («the City of God is not of this world»), he calls for a more humble, less dogmatic approach to political participation, one focused on practical solutions for peaceful coexistence.
Some modern philosophers (such as Hannah Arendt and Reinhold Niebuhr) reinterpreted St. Augustine in the context of 20th-century politics.
Modern «political Augustinianism» suggests that: We must not treat politics as sacred: No party or leader is a savior; they are merely stewards of an imperfect order. Critical vigilance: Since power tends toward the «desire for domination» (libido dominandi), citizens must always be on guard against abuses of justice. Commitment without fanaticism: We can work toward a better world without falling into despair when things go wrong, because we know from the outset that perfection is not of this world.
Pope Leo XIV's Four Proposals for Addressing Addictions
Pope Leo XIV proposes four avenues for collaboration and calls for comprehensive responses to addictions, which, he warns, reflect «the failure of a dehumanized world» and particularly affect young people.
Pope Leo XIV warned on Thursday that addiction is «a complex phenomenon that highlights the failure of a dehumanized world» and called for comprehensive responses to the impact of drugs on young people. The Pontiff emphasized the need to combine community-based prevention, scientific care, a justice system «with a human face,» and pastoral support.
The Pope offered these reflections during an audience held at the Vatican Apostolic Palace for participants in the meeting on situations of dependency in Latin America, organized by the Pontifical Commission for Latin America. In his remarks, Leo XIV expressed his gratitude for the collaboration of the Latin American and Caribbean Episcopal Council (CELAM), the Organization of American States (OAS), and the Pontifical Academy for Life.
He also greeted the leaders of faith-based centers for youth support, prevention, recovery, and integration from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Europe. Their presence, he noted, serves as a reminder that «suffering and hope know no borders.».
Four Bridges of Collaboration
The Pontiff highlighted the existence of «four bridges» that represent different paths to collaboration in addressing the drug problem.
The first links the Church with international organizations. Leo XIV emphasized that no one can tackle this problem alone and made special mention of the collaboration between the OAS and CELAM, which coordinate training programs for faith-based community organizations and support networks. This cooperation has also made it possible to present the Latin American Pastoral Manual on Addiction Support and Prevention.
The second bridge is the one that connects science and faith. The Church, the Pope explained, does not seek to compete with or take the place of the neurosciences, psychiatry, or public health, «but rather to shed light on this reality through the Gospel and through a holistic understanding of the human person.”.
The third is found within the Church itself, among the communities on pilgrimage across the various continents. Participants from the Americas, Asia, Africa, and Europe have been able to share their «sorrows, hopes, and pastoral enthusiasm» over the past few days.
Finally, Leo XIV has pointed to a fourth bridge of an ecumenical nature. The Catholic Church and other ecclesial communities find, in concrete love for those who suffer, «a common language» for accompanying and integrating young people in accordance with their needs and dreams.
«There is no better way to prevent drug use than a good family.»
The Pope has placed special emphasis on the role of the family, which the Second Vatican Council defined as the «domestic church.» The family, he has stated, is the place «where life is nurtured, cared for, and planned.».
«There is no better prevention against drugs than a good family,» said Leo XIV, while recalling the suffering of many families affected by drug use, violence, the recruitment of children into criminal groups, poverty, or a lack of opportunities.
In this context, he echoed the words of St. John Paul II, who called for the Church to be «the home and school of communion» (Apostolic Letter. Novo millennio ineunte, 43), and Pope Francis, who called on us to touch human suffering, «the suffering flesh of others» (Apostolic Exhortation. Evangelii gaudium, 270). For Leo XIV, this is the core of the mission of those who work in this field: «May the Church be a family, especially including those who suffer.».
Finally, the Pontiff expressed a wish: «that the Church may be a family for all those who have been left by the wayside. Like the Good Samaritan, who became a neighbor to the fallen man, let us not pass by; let us build a Church that stops, draws near, is moved with compassion, binds up wounds, nourishes, and becomes a home.».
«In Africa, you can see how the Gospel is transforming people's lives.»
Alejandro Canales, a Comboni missionary from Cantabria, has been in Chad for 49 years. From the Diocese of Sarh, in the southern part of the country, he shares how the Church builds communities from the ground up, through rigorous catechesis and family ministry that makes no concessions to relativism.
There are priests we imagine sitting behind a desk, and priests we see under the trees, out in the open, sharing their lives with a tribal community. Father Alejandro is one of the latter. A Comboni Missionary from Cantabria, he arrived in Chad in 1978 with the hope of spreading the Gospel. Forty-nine years have passed. Today he is the dean of his congregation in the country, and he remains in Sarh, Chad’s third-largest city, with a parish comprising 25 communities of the faithful, 180 baptisms last Easter, and 50 young people who are eager to serve and live out the faith with all its demands.
What was your arrival in Chad like?
—There were nearly a dozen of us Comboni Missionaries who arrived in 1978, spread across three communities, working on initial evangelization with a fledgling catechumenate that needed to be strengthened. We drew inspiration from the experience of the White Fathers in Burundi, Uganda, and Burkina Faso. The result was a catechumenate lasting three and a half years, with a focus on the family.
Why do they focus on the family?
—Because here it is very difficult to instill the Christian perspective on marriage. In rural areas, women are not held in high social regard: they are largely treated as commodities to be exchanged between families. We must highlight what the Gospel teaches: that women are mothers, educators, and wives on the same level as their husbands in God’s plan. This must be proclaimed and preached constantly.
Most of the country is Muslim—what was Islam's message to the people?
—Their message is clear: “Become Muslims, because you’ll have plenty of women and financial opportunities.”. It's that straightforward. And that carries weight in a society where polygamy is culturally entrenched. Currently, Muslims make up about 55% of the population.
Today, as the Christian presence in Chad approaches its 100th anniversary—Chad will celebrate this centennial in 2029—Catholics account for about 20% of the population, and Protestant churches account for another 24%. But this growth is primarily due to adult baptisms. Last Easter, the Diocese of Sarh recorded 3,500.
Were almost all of them adults?
—Adults and young people, yes. The rules for the baptism of children are so strict that very few are baptized. Both parents must be baptized; they must actively participate in community life—not only in religious practice but also in community service—and it must be evident that the children’s Christian upbringing is guaranteed.
And how do we provide pastoral support to those who cannot yet be baptized?
—There is an informal category: people we call friends or supporters. They participate in parish life, in meetings, and in celebrations. They are members of the community who have received a baptism of desire. This is of enormous importance, because it maintains a weekly connection with the community rather than leaving them out in the cold.
What other forms of community life support this ministry?
—One of the traditions passed down from a Jesuit who worked in the area is the Lenten retreats: three days in the open countryside where communities leave their homes to pray, go to confession, and discuss their pastoral cases.
When you say «outside,» do you literally mean outdoors?
—Yes, in the countryside, under the trees. For those who have jobs, it takes place over three consecutive Sundays. In my parish, there are groups of 150–200 people who participate in these in-depth retreats. They come to present their situations, to seek confession, and to talk about what they’re going through. That’s where many of the year’s confessions take place. And people also come who cannot receive the sacrament but who want a blessing or to talk about their situation—so they can move forward and not feel alone.”.
How do you feel when you return to Spain and see the contrast?
—When I celebrate Mass in my hometown during vacation, I see how Spanish society has changed. Few people participate in the sacramental life—mostly older people, and hardly any young people. What a difference. In Sarh, I have 50 young people between the ages of 14 and 16 who help with the liturgy and ask me to lead retreats for them. When a 17-year-old girl tells you she wants to become a nun, you realize that our pastoral work is making an impact. When a young man who’s just finished his college entrance exams considers a life of missionary work, I tell him: “Whenever you’re ready, come see me, and we’ll begin a process of spiritual accompaniment to help you discern.” Working this way is very fulfilling.
During his most recent trip to Africa, Pope Francis spoke candidly about the issue of cohabitation among the African clergy. How is this issue being addressed in Chad?
—This problem here may be less severe than in other places, but it clearly exists as well. The bishops are clear: if a man has children, he should leave the priesthood so that he can properly care for them and his wife. If he later wishes to continue supporting the Church—with his family situation in order and a job that provides for him—he may do so.
How can these situations be prevented?
—With a strong community life: it is better to close a parish than to have an isolated priest. We strive to ensure that they live in teams, pray together, and are able to talk and share. And if there is a problem—with alcohol or anything else—we must address it head-on. Spiritual life, community life, and pastoral life are the three pillars we strive to nurture. In some dioceses, after ten years of priestly ministry, priests are sent to study for one or two years to renew their spiritual life. Just as they are called to provide spiritual guidance, they also need to receive it.
What, ultimately, does the Gospel do in a society like Chad's?
—A town without a Christian community has its own way of life, its own character. When the Gospel enters, it begins to work. The Lord has His own ways of transforming people. He gives meaning to human relationships and family life. He gives them perspective and hope. And that is truly remarkable.
Praying for someone we love and seeing no change can be painful. How can we cope with this sense of helplessness? Saint Monica teaches us to trust in God when all we can do is pray and wait.
August 27, 2026-Reading time: 3minutes
There are people for whom we pray for years. A child who has strayed from the faith, a friend going through a crisis, a sick relative, someone who seems to have gone down the wrong path. We pray for them again and again, but time passes and nothing seems to change. So we ask ourselves: How long should we keep praying for someone?
The answer we sometimes seek is, in reality, an expiration date. How long do I have to wait? How many times do I have to ask for the same thing? What if, after so many years, God doesn't answer?
The story of Saint Monica, whose feast day is celebrated on August 27, offers us a hopeful answer.
The Example of Saint Monica
Saint Monica knew all too well the anguish of watching someone she loved drift away from God. Her son, Augustine, was a brilliant, restless, and ambitious young man. But he was searching for answers far from the faith in which he had been raised.
His mother suffered greatly because of it. For years, she watched as Augustine took paths she could neither control nor set him back on the right track. In fact, when Augustine left North Africa to go to Italy, Monica tried to stop him. Like so many who pray for someone they love, she, too, had to learn that loving someone doesn’t mean deciding for them.
She couldn't force her son to believe. She couldn't walk his inner path for him. All she could do was continue to love him, be there for him, and entrust him to God.
When It Seems Like God Isn't Answering
One of the greatest challenges of praying for someone else is that we pray expecting to see results. This can be painful, especially when we’ve been asking for something we consider good for years. However, persevering in prayer also means accepting that God may act in a different way and at a different time than we had imagined.
Santa Monica had to wait. And while she waited, Agustín kept searching.
Much later, that young man would eventually find in Christ what he had sought in so many other places. His conversion, however, was not the result of a single moment or a single prayer. It was the end—or, rather, the beginning—of a long journey.
Praying Without Trying to Control Things
One of Saint Monica’s most difficult lessons is precisely this: praying for someone does not mean controlling their life. We can pray for a child, a friend, or our husband or wife while still recognizing that that person has their own freedom and their own relationship with God.
Often, behind our insistence may also lie the desire for the other person to change according to our own plans. But prayer can purify even the way we love. Over time, we may discover that we no longer pray simply for that person to become what we expect, but rather for them to find the truth, goodness, and happiness to which they are called. And that means trusting in God even when we don’t understand the path.
Prayer also changes the person who prays
When we pray for someone for years, we, too, are transformed by that waiting.
Persistent prayer compels us to acknowledge our limitations. It reminds us that we cannot save anyone on our own. We can offer advice, provide support, talk, and be there for others. But there are decisions and wounds we cannot reach.
For many people, that sense of helplessness is precisely one of the reasons they begin to pray. When we no longer know what to do, we discover that we can still love.
Continuing to bring someone before God can thus become a way to stay close even when the distance is great. Perhaps we cannot change his heart. But we can pray for him.
How long will this go on?
So, how long should we pray for someone?
The answer is probably not «until I get what I’m asking for.» Christian prayer doesn’t come with a guarantee of results or a set timeline. As we often say, God isn’t a genie in a lamp. Some requests are answered quickly, while others remain with us throughout our lives.
Perhaps the real question is another one: When do we stop loving someone? As long as we love, we can continue to pray. That doesn’t mean living in a state of obsession with the situation or repeating a petition out of anguish. Sometimes it will be necessary to rest, stop dwelling on a problem, and learn to trust in God’s will.
Saint Monica did not know how her son's story would end. For years, she had no way of knowing that that restless young man would eventually become one of the great Church Fathers. She simply continued to pray, trusting in God's plans.
Perhaps that is one of the lessons his story teaches those who are waiting for someone today: we do not know what is going on in a person’s heart, nor how far God’s grace can reach.
We may not see the results and grow weary. We might even come to think that nothing is changing. But praying for someone is, at its core, a way of saying, «I can’t walk this path for you, but I won’t stop entrusting you to God.» And perhaps, sometimes, that’s the only thing we can do. And it’s also the most important thing.
Today’s liturgy presents us with a challenge that is present in the life of every Christian: the temptation to eliminate the cross and suffering. How can suffering be reconciled with the Christian life? Jesus leaves no room for doubt. He says to his disciples: “If any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.".
Jesus begins to reveal to his disciples that he must go to Jerusalem, suffer greatly, be put to death, and rise again on the third day. Peter, however, cannot see beyond the suffering and death. He does not realize that Jesus’ explanation does not end at the cross, but in the resurrection. For him, suffering cannot be associated with Christ or, consequently, with his followers. What he fails to understand is that, by trying to eliminate the cross, he is also eliminating the resurrection.
Today’s Gospel is a continuation of last Sunday’s passage. Not long ago, Jesus had praised Peter, calling him the rock upon which He would build His Church and entrusting him with the keys to the Kingdom. Today, however, Peter himself receives a harsh rebuke: “!Get behind me, Satan! You are a stumbling block to me.”. From a rock to a stumbling block.".
It might seem as though we should take back all the praise we heaped on Peter last week. Perhaps we celebrated him too soon? If we had waited just a few more verses, we would have seen this surprising turn of events. But the Christian life is not that simple. Peter’s experience reveals a reality present in every disciple. We can recognize Christ’s greatness and yet struggle to accept that faithfulness to Him requires sacrifice. We can profess that Jesus is the Son of God and yet become obstacles to His mission when we reject the path He has chosen to save the world.
The first reading offers us an example of this truth. The prophet Jeremiah remained faithful to the word of God, but his faithfulness brought him ridicule and rejection. He became a laughingstock. As he himself laments: “The Word of the Lord has been a source of reproach and contempt for me every day".
Many Christians today can relate to Jeremiah’s experience. Bearing witness to the Gospel sometimes exposes us to misunderstanding, ridicule, and even hostility. Living a spiritually and morally consistent life in Christ can be a source of suffering. This apparent loss is, in reality, true life. We are encouraged not to be stumbling blocks, but to stand firm as a rock in the face of difficulties. We are invited to think as God does—and not as people do—when faced with these circumstances.
The Pope Concludes the Liturgical Cycle and Once Again Condemns Abuse
“Liturgical acts are not private acts, but celebrations of the Church, which is the “sacrament of unity.” Furthermore, a distinction must be made between the divine and immutable elements and the human elements. In this vein, Pope Leo XIV has once again rejected abuses in liturgical matters.”.
Francisco Otamendi-August 26, 2026-Reading time: 4minutes
The Holy Father Leo XIV emphasized, in the last catechesis on the Constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium, two aspects: the need for more conscious and active participation by the faithful in the liturgy, a key reason for the liturgical reform carried out by the Second Vatican Council.
And the rejection of “the abuses that have been documented in some sectors of the Church in the postconciliar period, and which, unfortunately, sometimes even today ”are being tested, with some of the principles underlying the reform itself being taken to extremes or misunderstood.".
Throughout his remarks and greetings addressed specifically to the pilgrims and faithful in various languages—which were met with enthusiastic applause in St. Peter’s Basilica—the Pope highlighted key points of his message and recalled several holidays and events.
The example of Saint Monica and Saint Augustine, yesterday and the day before
For example, the liturgy commemorates two great saints tomorrow and the day after—Saint Monica and Saint Augustine—“united on earth by family ties and in heaven by the same destiny of glory. ”May their example inspire in each of us a sincere and passionate search for the Truth of the Gospel, so that we may bear joyful witness to it in our daily lives,” he said.
Jasna Góra, Poland: Human Life, Marriage, and Family
Pope Leo XIV has joined “in spirit with those gathered in Częstochowa, where today, 70 years later, the ‘Jasna Góra Vows of the Polish Nation’—drafted by Cardinal Stefan Wyszyński during his captivity—are being renewed. May the program for the moral renewal of society contained therein—through the protection of human life, the care of marriage and the family, and the education of children and young people—continue to inspire a commitment to justice and fraternity.”.
St. Teresa of Jesus Jornet e Ibars, patron saint of the elderly, and directors of OMP
He reminded the Spanish-speaking pilgrims that “today we celebrate the feast day of Saint Teresa of Jesus Jornet e Ibars, a Spanish nun and patron saint of the elderly. Through her intercession, let us ask the Lord to bless all the elderly, as well as those who care for and accompany them”—
The Pope extended a special greeting to the diocesan directors of the Pontifical Mission Societies and to those participating in summer gatherings for seminarians.
As he greeted pilgrims from various countries, he made special mention of those from Malta, Senegal, and Canada, extending a special greeting, once again, to those who serve in the national offices of the Pontifical Mission Societies.
Third letter from the then-Cardinal of Milan, later Pope Saint Paul VI, to his diocesan faithful
Returning to the central theme of the catechesis on the Liturgy, the Holy Father took the time to explain the reasons why the Council Fathers sought to promote a reform of the liturgy.
In this regard, he cited and commented on the third letter from the Council that Cardinal Giovanni Battista Montini, then Archbishop of Milan, sent on October 28, 1962, to the faithful of his own diocese.
“The liturgy,” he wrote, “is a sincere expression of both the divine and the human. It is language. It is a vehicle for divine teaching, on the one hand, and a voice for dialogue with God, on the other. It is clear that it cannot renounce its didactic function, nor can it fail to offer faith and piety the possibility of expressing themselves with spontaneous intelligibility,” Leo XIV recalled.
Motivated by these convictions, “the future Pope Saint Paul VI affirmed that the faithful “cannot and must not remain silent and passive. Their physical presence cannot be reconciled with their spiritual absence.””.
“Christians should not witness this mystery of faith as strangers and silent spectators”
The Pontiff has stated that these declarations are clearly in line with those that will appear in No. 48 of the conciliar Constitution:
“The Church, with solicitous care, ensures that Christians do not participate in this mystery of faith as strangers and silent spectators, but rather, by fully understanding it through the rites and prayers, participate consciously, devoutly, and actively in the sacred celebration (…)”.
A renewed awareness of the value of the liturgy can be perceived in these words, the Successor of Peter has noted. “Through the Church’s ritual actions, as the memorial of the work of salvation is celebrated, we are given the opportunity to experience a true relationship with God, entering into contact with the salvific event. Since the gestures and words of the sacred liturgy are essential to this experience, the participation of the faithful cannot be passive.”.
One part that is unchanging, and other parts that are subject to change
The Pope then pointed out that, as a living reality, the liturgy “has always been subject to developments and changes over the centuries,” and that the Second Vatican Council, “with the utmost respect for the heritage of tradition, and precisely in order to make it more accessible, deemed it necessary to revise the liturgical books.”.
And as stated in No. 21 of the Constitution *Sacrosanctum Concilium*, “the Liturgy consists of a part that is immutable because it is a divine institution, and of other parts subject to change, which over time may or even must vary if elements have been introduced into them that do not correspond well to the intrinsic nature of the Liturgy itself or have become less appropriate.”.
A liturgy that shines with its “noble simplicity”
The Holy Father also quoted Pius XI, Pius XII, and St. John XXIII, and urged “the primary responsibility of pastors, of bishops, but also of each priest individually” to “safeguard and promote a liturgy that, while respecting liturgical norms, shines with noble simplicity (cf. no. 34) and thus manifests the one, holy, Catholic, and apostolic Church.».
A liturgy of this kind will also be “a fundamental means of evangelization, the instrument of grace through which, as the Council teaches, we can learn to offer ourselves and, through Christ, be perfected in unity with God and among ourselves (see. ”No. 48)," the Pontiff concluded.
On Monday, the North Beijing Cathedral hosted the ordination to the diaconate of Felipe Wang, along with two other seminarians from the Diocese of Beijing. The ceremony was presided over by the titular bishop of the diocese, Bishop Joseph Lishan, together with the coadjutor bishop, Bishop Mathew Zhen, in a celebration that filled the cathedral with religious sisters, seminarians, and numerous faithful who had come from throughout the diocese to accompany the new deacons on a decisive step toward the priesthood.
Felipe Wang, in addition to his calling to the priesthood, is a musician and organist. Visibly moved by the ordination, he spoke on behalf of his fellow ordinands, delivering a speech in Mandarin. At the end of his speech, he surprised those present by adding a few words in Spanish—a simple gesture that was warmly received and drew smiles and applause from the assembly.
A Celebration for Priests, Too
The day provided an additional reason for celebration: Father Martin Pan and Father Joseph Chen, along with three other colleagues, celebrated the seventh anniversary of their ordination to the priesthood. The coincidence of these two events—the new diaconal ordination and the priestly anniversary—enhanced the atmosphere of celebration and fellowship among the clergy of the Diocese of Beijing, who participated in full force in the celebration and brought the liturgy to life.
Wang and the priests celebrating their jubilees were trained at the Bidasoa International Ecclesiastical College (Pamplona), a fact that shows how the land of St. Francis Xavier continues to bear fruit in China.
Following the religious ceremony, the entire community gathered for a fraternal meal that brought an intense day—marked by joy, prayer, and shared gratitude among priests, religious sisters, seminarians, and the faithful—to a close.
One year after the shooting at Annunciation School, the Stommes family is moving forward with hope
One year after the shooting at the Annunciation Catholic Church and School in Minneapolis, the Stommes family faces a return to the classroom, sustained by their faith, hope, and the support of an entire community.
Molly Stommes was working from home on the morning of August 27, 2025, when she heard «very loud noises» coming from across the street, where the Annunciation Catholic Church and School are located.
Two of her four children were inside the church in south Minneapolis for Mass, as was her husband, Matt Stommes, while her two youngest children, both in kindergarten, were at the school next door. All four children were excited about the start of the school year, which began with an opening Mass celebrated by the pastor of Our Lady of the Annunciation, Father Dennis Zehren.
Molly, a registered nurse, was in a virtual meeting from her family’s home. «A few minutes after the shooting, a neighbor shouted from my door that there was a problem outside,» recalled Molly, 39. «At that moment, I knew what my instinct was telling me: that something was wrong.».
Reaction within the church and medical assistance
Matt, also 39, was sitting in Mass, away from the students and teachers, in a section reserved for parents. When the shooting began, he obeyed the shouts to get down on the floor. He then crawled to a nearby metal door in the church to try to block the attacker from entering. Others did the same at different doors.
After the shooting stopped, Matt began helping school administrators get the children to safety. During that process, he learned that his four children were unharmed: Charlize, 13, who will be in eighth grade; Finnegan, 9, who will be in third grade; and the twins Etta and Esme, 5, who will be in first grade.
Outside, near Diamond Lake Road, Molly put her nursing skills to work. She hurried across the street to see what was happening. What she saw prompted her to act immediately. «I crossed the street and saw injured children lined up,» she said. «So I started assessing them.».
As the minutes passed, Molly and others, including Matt, began waiting for the ambulances, she said. Molly and Matt stayed with a seriously injured student until the paramedics loaded him into the ambulance. Later, Molly drove the mother of another injured child to Hennepin County Medical Center in Minneapolis.
A Tragedy Shared Among Families Who Are Friends
Molly and Matt talked with other families from Anunciación, and some even came to their house. It was a natural gathering place, yet at the same time surreal for the couple.
That day also included a meeting with Mollie and Jesse Merkel, who lost their son, Fletcher, in the tragedy. Another student, Harper Moyski, also died in the shooting. Two dozen other people, in addition to three elderly people attending the Mass, were injured.
The Merkel and Stommes families had become friends; Fletcher, who was a year older than Finnegan, taught him how to fish and spent time with him during their joint family vacations at Grand View Lodge on Lake Gull, near Brainerd.
As the days went by, the Stommes visited the Merkels and offered them comfort. That friendship and bond continue to endure as the 2026–2027 school year approaches.
The memories of August 27, 2025, are vivid and painful for Molly and Matt Stommes, especially as the one-year anniversary of the shooting approaches.
«August is a very difficult month,» Molly said during an interview on August 17 with *The Catholic Spirit*, the newspaper of the Archdiocese of St. Paul and Minneapolis. «Our children have shown great resilience, but this will be quite difficult for some. I think the simple fact of going back to school and the anticipation it brings can be exciting for some, but also difficult for others.».
Neighborly Solidarity and Louie's Comfort
Just as Molly and Matt describe in detail what happened on the day of the tragedy, they can also easily list all the ways in which the people around them have offered them meaningful and practical support.
A lot of people brought them food. «We didn’t cook for over two months,» Matt said. Molly added, «When you’re not sleeping and don’t have an appetite, it was a huge help.».
Another blessing came in the form of a puppy that the Stommes family welcomed in February. They welcomed Louie into their home after a family acquaintance made the necessary arrangements with a dog breeder. «Obviously, raising a puppy isn’t the easiest thing, but it’s been a great joy and a huge help, especially for Finnegan,» Molly said.
After all the trauma their children had been through, it was easy to accept the idea of getting a dog to comfort them. «Right after the shooting, our children—especially the three youngest—insisted on going to school and church to be with the therapy dogs,» Molly said. «That happened every day. They wanted to be surrounded by dogs all the time.».
Faith and a New Path to Peace
Another constant in the Stommes« home is the steadfast hope fueled by their faith and resilience. »The Bible verse our school chose last year was selected before this tragedy,« Molly said. »I think for many of us, it helped us cope in some way: Jeremiah 29:11,” she added.
The last words of that verse were embroidered on the T-shirts worn by the students, parents, and school staff: «a future full of hope.» «On the days when I feel the saddest and most discouraged, I have great hope for our future, and I know that God has a plan for all of us,» Molly told The Catholic Spirit.
«For me, it’s helpful to reflect on how Jesus tells us that we are destined for his kingdom,» Matt said. «This world is a gift, but it is not the end. And it has given me so much hope and encouragement to see everyone around us—both in this community and elsewhere—taking action and dedicating their time to serving others.».
After seeing last year’s theme come to life, they are now ready to embrace this school year’s Bible verse, which is from Luke 1:79 and ends with the phrase: «guide our feet in the way of peace.» «I love the Bible theme we’ve chosen for the coming year,» Molly said. «It reminds us that we are called to prayer and action.».
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How the Church in Chad Addresses Polygamy and the Requirement for Baptism
Comboni missionary Alejandro Canales explains how the Church in Chad requires a rigorous catechumenate and regulates issues such as polygamy to ensure authentic baptisms and committed families.
For years I have been explaining to people unfamiliar with the context of the Church in Africa why, in our dioceses, not everyone who wants to be baptized can do so immediately, nor under the same conditions. The most common reaction, at least among those coming from Europe, is one of some perplexity. Isn’t baptism a free gift? Isn’t the Church an open door? Yes, of course it is. But the fact that the gift is free does not eliminate the need to receive it under conditions that will make it fruitful; that is why the Code of Canon Law requires priests to ensure that there is a serious commitment to living out the Christian life after baptism.
What we do here is pastoral ministry applied to concrete realities, with canon law as our framework and the good of the people as our guiding principle. Depending on the nature of each case, we act in one way or another.
Infant Baptism
The first thing that strikes someone coming from outside is just how strict our regulations are regarding the baptism of young children. In a parish like mine, very few children are baptized over the course of an entire year. The reason is that a child’s baptism commits the parents to providing a genuine Christian upbringing, and if that upbringing cannot be guaranteed, the sacrament becomes a mere formality with little future.
In order for a child to be baptized, we require that both parents be baptized, that they actively participate in the life of the community—not only Sunday Mass, but also the specific tasks that sustain the parish—and that the Christian upbringing of their children already born be evident. Whenever a baby is born, the child is presented to the community and receives a solemn blessing on Sunday, in front of everyone, together with his or her parents. It is a beautiful and meaningful gesture. But it is not Baptism. Baptism will come when there is soil in which the seed can grow.
The Church acts this way because Canon 868 of the Code of Canon Law stipulates that, in order to lawfully baptize a child, there must be «well-founded hope that the child will be raised in the Catholic faith.» We simply take that seriously. And the results confirm it: children who are baptized under these conditions grow up in families where faith is a living reality, not merely a cultural tradition.
Women with polygamous husbands
The most common and most sensitive case in our context is that of a woman married to a polygamous man. Here, the Church could take a rigid stance and say: no to polygamy; no to baptism either. But that would mean abandoning people who, in many cases, have not freely chosen that family situation. Dowries, agreements between families, and social pressure shape—and in some cases determine—the course of one’s life.
When a woman enters the catechumenate and her husband is polygamous, the first factor that determines whether she can be baptized is her position within that structure: if she is his first wife, she may enter the normal catechumenate and, upon completing it, be baptized. The husband must give his explicit consent—it must be documented in writing that he accepts his wife’s faith and will not prevent her from being baptized—but the woman is not responsible for her husband’s family situation in matters beyond her control.
Why this distinction between a first and a second wife? Because the second or third wife of a polygamist has, in a sense, entered into a union that the Church cannot recognize as a marriage. Not because she is any less worthy, but because Christian marriage is a covenant between two people, and her inclusion in that structure would imply the Church’s tacit endorsement of polygamy. The Church cannot do that. But neither does it abandon that woman. She can undergo the catechumenate, participate in parish life, and receive a blessing in times of difficulty.
It falls into the category of what we call friends o supporters: people who have received a baptism of desire, who live their lives guided by their faith even though circumstances do not yet allow for the full sacrament. If life circumstances were to change in the future—for example, due to the death of her husband—the situation would be resolved without any problem, since that woman would then be able to live her faith fully and consistently.
When one of the two is already a Christian
Another common situation involves a couple in which one partner has already been baptized and the other wishes to begin the catechumenate. In this case, the couple’s prior marital status—whether they are married, the nature of their marriage, and whether the necessary cultural requirements have been met, particularly the payment of a dowry—must be clarified before baptism.
For example, if a woman wants to be baptized and is going to marry a Christian, we have to check whether the dowry has been paid—but keeping in mind that the dowry isn’t like it used to be in Europe— here the man pays it to his wife’s family as a guarantee that he considers her a truly valuable woman and is committed to treating her with dignity. The dowry is a cultural element with profound significance in these societies: it expresses recognition of the woman’s family, formalizes the bond between the two families, and guarantees a certain level of social protection for her.
A couple in which the dowry has not been paid lives, from the perspective of the local context, in an irregular situation. The Church cannot ignore this. We hold a meeting with the couple and their godparents to assess the actual state of their family life. In such cases, baptism takes place at the end of the catechumenate and only if the situation has been resolved.
When both ask to be baptized at the same time and begin the catechumenate together, that is the most beautiful and simplest scenario. We see them every Easter: couples who have decided together to take that step. That is the ideal we strive to support.
The Case of a Woman Married to a Muslim Man
Perhaps the most complex case is that of a woman whose husband is Muslim and who is seeking baptism. Here, there are several factors that must be met simultaneously, and none of them is negotiable.
First: She must be the first wife. For the reasons already explained regarding polygamy, we cannot baptize a woman who is the second or third wife in a polygamous marriage, regardless of whether her husband is Christian, Muslim, or of any other faith.
Second: The husband must give his explicit, written consent. It is not enough for him to merely tolerate it; he must commit to respecting his wife’s religious practice and not preventing her from practicing it.
Third: the upbringing of children. This is the most sensitive issue. What we ask is that, at the very least, children be given the freedom to choose, or that a Christian upbringing be possible. Typically, in these mixed families, the sons follow the father and the daughters follow the mother. If the father does not impose an exclusively Islamic upbringing, there is some leeway. But if the situation is such that the children will not be able to receive any Christian education at all, then we submit a request to the bishop, who is the one who authorizes baptism in such an exceptional case. Because a woman has the right to live out her faith even if her children, at that moment, cannot follow it.
The Church acts this way because it respects both the religious freedom of the person seeking baptism and the family environment in which that faith will be lived out. We do not impose a faith that will be crushed from the very first day. We baptize where there is solid ground.
The Polygamous Christian Husband
There is one final case that deserves special attention: that of a husband who is baptized—and is therefore a Christian—but who lives in a polygamous relationship. This occurs because, in the early years of evangelization, some men were baptized who later took a second wife, or whose first wife was baptized but they took another. The reality is more complicated than any protocol can anticipate.
When that man’s wife requests baptism, an honest assessment must be made: Can this woman receive Baptism and live out her Christian faith even though she cannot enter into a sacramental marriage because her husband—who is a Christian—does not wish to do so under these circumstances? In such cases, we ask the bishop for a formal dispensation. After reviewing the case, the bishop may authorize the baptism, on the condition that the reasons why the marriage could not take place are recorded. Everything is recorded in the parish registers. And these records are important, because situations change: if the husband dies, she can receive Baptism without that restriction if she had not yet received it, or she can regularize a situation that previously could not be regularized.
Why Does the Church Act This Way?
It might seem as though all of this is just a series of obstacles. It is not. It is genuine accompaniment of real people in real situations. The Church does not baptize to keep statistics; it baptizes to incorporate someone into the Body of Christ in a way that ensures that incorporation is lived out, sustained, and fruitful.
In a diocese like ours, with 3,500 baptisms in a single Easter season, the temptation to simplify the criteria would be great. But each of those 3,500 baptized individuals has gone through a catechumenate lasting at least three years, including individual pastoral conversations and an honest assessment of their family situation. And that is what makes these baptisms solid.
What we do here is reminiscent of the early centuries of Christianity, when the catechumenate was long, serious, and demanding—precisely because the Church understood that baptism is not a point of arrival but a point of departure. A point of departure that requires the ground to be prepared.
The Church acts this way because she loves people enough not to settle for a superficial commitment. And because she knows that the Gospel, when it truly takes root, transforms not only the individual but also the family, the community, and the entire social fabric. I see this every day in southern Chad. And believe me, it’s worth it.
Eduardo Vitoria was a Jesuit and chemist, considered the founder of catalysis in Spain, a key discipline in industrial chemistry.
Ignacio del Villar and Alfonso V. Carrascosa-August 25, 2026-Reading time: 2minutes
Eduardo Vitoria Miralles (August 25, 1864 – September 22, 1958) was a Spanish Jesuit and chemist, considered the founder of catalysis in Spain, a key discipline in industrial chemistry.
Orphaned by his father at the age of four, he attended high school at the Colegio de San José in Valencia, run by the Jesuits, where he discovered his calling for science, and from 1881 to 1885 he studied exact sciences, but he left those studies to enter the Monastery of Veruela (Zaragoza) as a novice in the Society of Jesus, where he completed his training in the humanities and philosophy. However, he did not abandon his scientific calling. Under the guidance of Antonio Vicent and Luis Montesinos, he became the first person in Spain to earn a bachelor’s degree in Physical Chemistry (1896), graduating with the highest honors. He was later ordained a priest and continued his scientific training at the Catholic University of Leuven, where he earned his doctorate under the supervision of Louis Henry, with a thesis in organic chemistry focused on catalysis, specifically the synthesis of 1,1,1-trichloro-2-propanol.
After furthering his studies in Germany, he had a solid foundation on which to establish the Ebro Chemical Laboratory (1905) in Roquetas, which would move to Barcelona in 1916 and become the Sarrià Chemical Institute (IQS). As director of the IQS, he developed a curriculum focused on applied chemistry and carried out extensive teaching and research, along with the publication of several pioneering textbooks. He also launched the journal Affinity, a leading figure in Spanish chemistry.
He was a member of the Royal Spanish Academy of Physics and Chemistry, the Royal Academy of Sciences and Arts of Barcelona, and scientific institutions in France, Germany, Portugal, Mexico, and Argentina, among others.
Following the expulsion of the Jesuits in 1932, the IQS continued under various names, and Vitoria remained involved as a professor and editor of the journal Affinity. During the Civil War, he sought refuge in Italy, but returned to Barcelona in 1939, where he helped with the reconstruction and expansion of the Institute.
He passed away in 1958, leaving behind a great legacy in teaching, research, and the popularization of chemistry in Spain. As a result, he received numerous honors, including the Grand Cross of Alfonso X the Wise and the title of “Honorary Son” of Alcoy.
The authorIgnacio del Villar and Alfonso V. Carrascosa
Public University of Navarra and SCS-Spain / Researcher at the CSIC.
All the mothers You know that feeling of getting out of bed to tend to a crying baby. Likewise, you all know that exhaustion—which is more noticeable some nights than others. After a long day, just when it finally seems like you can rest, your child needs you. You get up and go to him, of course, but no one can take that exhaustion away…
However, none of these mothers around the world are alone. There is a community of nuns in Los Angeles who pray every night for these sleepless, exhausted women. They are the nuns of the Order of Norbertine Canonesses of the Priory of St. Joseph in Bethlehem, based in California and closely following the lives of mothers around the world.
Every night, when the bells strike twelve, this community of nuns gathers around the tabernacle and offers prayers for the women who are on their feet, changing a diaper, feeding, or comforting a baby.
Time for Motherhood
This cloistered congregation devotes its daily life to a wide variety of tasks, such as making cheese, raising dogs, and selling sheep and cows. But without a doubt, one of their most moving missions takes place in the early morning, during the time they themselves have dubbed the «Mothering Hour.».
For these sisters, this time of prayer is part of the seven hours of the Divine Office they celebrate each day. Waking up at midnight is a way of expressing their constant readiness to encounter God. However, the nuns are also aware that the early hours of the morning can be synonymous with darkness, loneliness, and fear for many people. For this reason, they sacrifice their rest to attend to the spiritual needs of those who need it most, embracing with maternal love those women who watch over their little ones.
Mothers and Nuns
Although this community has kept this tradition alive for years, the world first became aware of their work in December 2023. The initiative went viral after Leanne Bowen, a Catholic watercolor artist, shared her experience on Instagram after praying alongside the nuns during a retreat at the priory.
Since that post, the news has spread like wildfire, bringing deep comfort to thousands of women. Knowing that there is a group of nuns interceding on their behalf has transformed those long, silent hours into a haven of peace.
Now, as they pace back and forth through the hallways of their homes, nursing, rocking, and caring for their children in the middle of the night, these exhausted mothers know they are no longer alone: they are accompanied and sustained by prayer.
The Pope urges us to let ourselves be transformed by our friendship with Jesus
Jesus calls us to a personal response, to get to know him intimately, and to allow ourselves to be transformed by our friendship with him in an ever-new encounter, Pope Leo XIV said during this Sunday’s Angelus.
Francisco Otamendi-August 24, 2026-Reading time: 4minutes
Following his pastoral visit to the Republic of San Marino, he attended the Meeting for Friendship Among Peoples in Rimini (Italy), where encouraged “to always love the Church,” and to the city of Rimini, where he presided over the concelebrated Mass, Pope Leo XIV addressed the Marian prayer on Sunday, August 23, the Angelus in St. Peter's Square, where he encouraged the pilgrims and the faithful to respond personally to Jesus' call.
“Sunday’s Gospel (Mt 16:13–20) poses a question that challenges each of us on our journey of faith: ‘Who is Jesus really for me?’” the Pontiff began his reflection. The Gospel account shows just how crucial this question is to the experience of discipleship, the Pope noted.
Prayer for the Democratic Republic of the Congo, the Central African Republic, and the victims of the earthquake in Italy 10 years ago
After the Angelus prayer, the Holy Father prayed for the many victims of the Ebola epidemic in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. He also encouraged the international community to respond with a preventive plan, involving local communities, to save many lives.
The Pontiff also expressed his solidarity with the people of the Central African Republic, who mourn the victims of the mine collapse in Zamboyé. “May the Lord welcome those who have lost their lives and sustain the commitment to ensuring safety and legality at mining sites,” said the Pope.
Among his intentions, the Pope also remembered those who died, their families, and all the communities affected by the earthquake that struck central Italy—in Lazio, Umbria, and the Marche—ten years ago. The Pope marked the tenth anniversary of this devastating earthquake, which claimed hundreds of lives.
Before wishing everyone a happy Sunday, Leo XIV welcomed the Primatial Choir of Gniezno Cathedral in Poland, as well as the seminarians and superiors of the Pontifical North American College, and the young people from Bormio and Valfurva.
Jesus calls us to a personal response
In his reflection before the Angelus, as noted, the Pope meditated on the Gospel for this 21st Sunday in Ordinary Time, where It is told that the scene of Peter's confession of faith.
Sometimes, when it comes to the Christian faith, we settle for ‘what people say,’ for clichés, for what has been passed down to us—perhaps even with good intentions.
“But Jesus calls us to a personal response, to get to know him intimately, to allow ourselves to be transformed by our friendship with him—in an ever-new encounter that may require us to travel uncharted paths and make decisions different from those we had imagined,” Pope Leo continued.
This applies both to our personal journey and to the journey of the Church, as well as to pastoral decisions, where we sometimes think it is enough to simply carry on as we always have. ”Instead, it is important to ask ourselves frequently: Who is the Lord for me? Do I truly know him? What does his Gospel ask of me today? What steps and decisions should I take?” asked the Successor of Peter.
Pilgrims and the faithful in St. Peter's Square during Pope Leo XIV's Angelus prayer on August 23, 2026 (Photo: CNS/Vatican Media).
“We always need to rediscover the face of Christ and his Gospel”
Regarding this question from Jesus—’And you, who do you say that I am?’ (Mt (16:15), the Pope said, “This is a fundamental step for disciples of all times and for each one of us.”.
“Faith, in fact, is not given to us once and for all; on the contrary, we must always rediscover the face of Christ and his Gospel, delve deeper into his message, and renew the choices we make in our lives so that they are consistent with what we profess, overcoming the temptation to believe that we already know it all and to turn faith into a mere habit.”.
For us, is Jesus just a great historical figure, or is he the Christ of God?
The question we ask ourselves every day—who Jesus is for me and what his presence in my life means—“arises especially in prayer and when we meditate on the Gospel; but also when we face the wounds and needs of our brothers and sisters, or in the relationships and situations that most challenge our conscience.”.
In short, the Holy Father emphasized, “in our daily lives we can see whether, for us, the Lord Jesus is merely a great historical figure who said and did important things, or whether he is the Christ of God, the One who was sent to make us sharers in the Father’s love and to transform our lives and the world in which we live.”.
“Let us call upon the Virgin Mary,” concluded Leo XIV, "who sought God's will in her heart through her Son, so that she may always guide us on the path of faith.".
Three Americans, New Consultants for Integral Human Development
Pope Leo XIV has appointed three American leaders, affiliated with the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, as three of the twelve new consultants to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development.
The three new U.S. consultants, affiliated with the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, are among the dozen consultants recently appointed to the Vatican department that was created by Pope Francis in 2016.
On June 30, Pope Leo XIV appointed the Reverend as Prefect of the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development Sister Alessandra Smerilli, F.M.A., who will take office on September 1.
At the same time, the Holy Father appointed Cardinal Fabio Baggio, C.S., as pro-prefect of the Dicastery, with special responsibility for the Laudato si’ Center for Advanced Formation; he will assume the position on the same date. The Secretary of the Dicastery will be Monsignor Jozef Barlaš.
University of Notre Dame
On August 18, the Holy See Press Office announced the appointments of twelve consultants, including Father Emmanuel Katongole, professor of theology at the University of Notre Dame; Kathryn Koch, president and CEO of the Los Angeles-based international investment firm TCW; and Clemens Sedmak, director of the Nanovic Institute for European Studies at Notre Dame.
The dicastery supports the Church’s work in the areas of human dignity and human rights, economic justice, care for creation, migration and displacement, as well as peace, conflicts, and humanitarian crises. According to the Church, it is necessary to address the obstacles in all these areas in order to promote full human development.
Consultants help strengthen the dicastery for five-year terms. They are appointed “from among the faithful who are distinguished by their experience, proven ability, and prudence,” according to the guidelines established in 2022.
Father Katongole
Father Katongole, a priest of the Archdiocese of Kampala, Uganda, was recently appointed director of the Ansari Institute for Global Engagement with Religion at Notre Dame. He joined the faculty in January 2013, specializing in politics and violence in sub-Saharan Africa, political theology, global Catholicism, and other related areas.
Before joining Notre Dame, he was an associate professor of theology and global Christianity in the School of Divinity at Duke University. He earned his Ph.D. in philosophy from the Catholic University of Leuven in Belgium and was ordained a priest in 1987.
When announcing his appointment at the Ansari Institute, Mary Gallagher, the Marilyn Keough Dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame—where Father Katongole teaches courses in theology and peace studies—stated that he has «a deep commitment to integral human development.».
Pope Leo XIV has appointed three American consultants affiliated with the University of Notre Dame in Indiana (pictured) to the Dicastery for Promoting Integral Human Development. (Photo by OSV News/Chaz Muth).
Kathryn Koch
Koch has led TCW, also known as Trust Company of the West, since 2023. Before joining TCW, she worked for 20 years in the asset management division of Goldman Sachs, where her last position was chief investment officer. In that role, she managed the company’s equity business, valued at $300 billion, and served as a member of the asset management division’s executive committee.
Koch serves on the board of trustees at Notre Dame, his alma mater. He earned a bachelor's degree in English and Economics from that university in 2002, graduating with honors (magna cum laude).
Clemens Sedmak
Sedmak is a professor of social ethics at the Keough School of Global Affairs at Notre Dame and specializes in the Catholic social tradition, poverty, the philosophy of religion, and other related topics. He also teaches at the Institute for Social Affairs at Notre Dame.
Sedmak holds doctorates in philosophy, theology, and social theory, and taught moral and social theology at King’s College London before joining Notre Dame. He also held various positions at the University of Salzburg in his native Austria.
The Nanovic Institute for European Studies, under Sedmak’s leadership, has a mission to “strengthen Notre Dame’s presence in Europe, deepen the understanding of Europe within the Notre Dame community, and contribute to academic discourse and research on European studies.”.
Nine more consultants appointed
As for the remaining consultants appointed by the Pope, they are the following. Monsignor Peter Klasvogt, rector of the Pontifical Teutonic College of St. Mary in Camposanto, in Rome (Italy). And the Rev. Francesco Coluccia, director of the Office for Pastoral Care in Health of the Archdiocese of Otranto (Italy), and Joseph Jeyaraj Swaminathan, S.D.B., assistant professor in the Faculty of Educational Sciences at the Pontifical Salesian University in Rome.
In addition to those from Notre Dame mentioned above, the laypeople appointed are Omer S. Combary, a professor in the Department of Economics at Thomas Sankara University in Ouagadougou (Burkina Faso). Lucy Afandi Esipila, regional executive secretary of Caritas Africa. Paolo Foglizzo, editor of Social Updates – San Fedele Cultural Foundation in Milan (Italy). Peter G. Kirchschläger, director of the Institut für Sozialethik at the University of Lucerne (Switzerland); Jacqueline Remond, adjunct professor at the School of Theology at the Australian Catholic University in Sydney (Australia); and Caren Rodrigues, associate professor at the Saint Joseph’s Institute of Management in Bangalore (India).
Many talk show hosts and journalists felt that the Pope’s speeches at the Royal Palace or before Parliament during his visit to Spain in June. However, Leon XIV proved to be a man of great courage and a rigorous mindset: each issue requires its own space, and this one had to be addressed face-to-face with his brothers in the episcopate and, in a counter-programmed manner, with the victims themselves.
Yago de la Cierva himself—who was ultimately responsible for organizing this apostolic trip—recently recalled in a interview In a conversation with Gonzalo Giráldez on his YouTube channel “Nivel 256,” he noted that the Church has acknowledged on numerous occasions that it handled this issue very poorly in the past—a lesson it often learned through reports in the press. Benedict XVI acknowledged this, as did Pope Francis, and now Leo XIV has once again firmly reiterated it before the plenary session of the Spanish Episcopal Conference.
The Church's Challenge
There, the Pontiff urged the bishops to assume a “special responsibility” for healing wounds, delivering a resounding and uncompromising message:
“Our journey is made up of encounters; among them will surely be those who are going through dark times and who call on us to become Good Samaritans. One of the deepest sorrows is that of those who have been hurt precisely by those who were supposed to care for them, including members of the clergy. In the face of this scourge, the Church community is called to respond with listening, truth, justice, reparation, and an ever-stronger commitment to prevention and a culture of care. Every person who has been hurt must find a sincere ear, protection, and real paths to healing.”.
It is undeniable that the Church has made a 180-degree turn to become a safe institution for minors. It is possible that this change has been accelerated by external pressure and has not occurred as quickly as we all would have liked. But, as de la Cierva pointed out, the real challenge today is of a much greater magnitude:
The rest of the board
“What we Catholics believe is that it makes no sense to be extremely harsh on the Church —which is responsible for approximately 3 % of child abuse cases in Spain—while failing to be radically strict in protecting against the remaining 97 %, which occurs in families, schools, sports teams, physical therapy clinics, or hospitals. I think the pressure on the Church is very good, because without it, nothing would have changed; but I’m disappointed that the country’s authorities haven’t decided to eradicate this scourge where the vast majority of cases occur.”.
This profound reflection calls for a collective examination of conscience. No one denies the gravity of the scourge to which His Holiness referred, but society cannot afford to oversimplify the issue if it truly wants to tackle the problem. The Church must take responsibility for its 3 %, because its inescapable vocation is to be a place of absolute safety, a “visible sign of communion” faithful to its faith and in harmony with its community. But the rest of the picture remains there, hidden behind the political noise, waiting for someone to dare to put everything in its proper place once and for all.
The Pope Defends Conscience in San Marino and “Always Loving the Church” in Rimini
Yesterday, Pope Leo XIV encouraged young people in San Marino to keep their hearts open like a window to the infinite, in pursuit of beauty, goodness, and life, and called for the defense of the space of conscience to promote freedom. At the Rimini Meeting, he encouraged them to “always love the Church and preserve unity.”.
A call to young people to open “a window to infinity,” to pursue the deepest desires of their hearts, and to “embrace their mission” in the world with enthusiasm. A “strong synergy between the family and communities” for an educational covenant, and a call “for communion among parishes, between pastors and the faithful, and among the different charisms and ministries.” The search for “true freedom in Jesus Christ,” the deep connection between freedom and conscience, and the conviction that “all of you are daughters and sons of God, and God loves you,” are some of the messages Pope Leo XIV delivered from the Basilica of San Marino during his pastoral visit to the Republic yesterday, Saturday.
After his address to the church community on the feast of Saint Mary, Queen, the Pope went out into the atrium and greeted the young people and the other faithful gathered in the street, who were also waiting to hear his words—or at least a summary of his address in the basilica.
And that is what the Pope did, without any notes.
Remembering Benedict XVI
Inside, with Bishop Domenico Beneventi and the rector of the Basilica, Marco Mazzanti, The Holy Father had recalled in his Speech, quoting Benedict XVI during his visit to San Marino, that “the Diocese of San Marino-Montefeltro is the heir to a rich history of faith and courage: that of Saints Marino and Leone, who, eighteen centuries ago, through the Christian message, “introduced into the context of this reality […] new perspectives and values, giving rise to a culture and civilization centered on the human person, the image of God” (Benedict XVI, Homily, San Marino, June 19, 2011).
“I address myself first and foremost to young people,” added Leo XIV, drawing on what Pope Benedict XVI told them fifteen years ago: “Do not settle for partial and immediate answers […] that are easier and more comfortable in the moment, which may bring a few moments of happiness or euphoria, but which do not lead to the true joy of living” (Meeting with Young People, June 19, 2011).
Never be afraid, and be generous
Once outside in the atrium, the Pope addressed the young people first and foremost:
“Open the door to your hearts, always listen to Jesus Christ, and never be afraid of what Jesus might say to each one of you. I can say one important thing to you young people: recognize within yourselves the value of life—your life, the life of each one of you—which has been created by God, and your life is of great value to us, to the Church, to your family, and to the whole world.”.
“Believe in what God has created, because you are all daughters and sons of God, and God loves you. Live with that sense of love in your hearts; it will give you everything you need throughout your lives. Be generous, always be open to serving others, and seek to form genuine friendships; through friendship, we can build community.”.
Pope Leo XIV waves to the crowd gathered in Piazza della Libertà from the central balcony of the Public Palace during his visit to the micronation of the Republic of San Marino on August 22, 2026. Behind him stand the Captains Regent of San Marino, Vladimiro Selva and Alice Mina, who serve as the country’s joint heads of state for a six-month term. (Photo by CNS/Vatican Media).
“Don’t be afraid to make difficult decisions”
In the Basilica, Leo XIV had encouraged them in their vocational journey and in their decisions.
“Do not be afraid to make difficult decisions—such as marriage, consecration, ordained ministry, your professional life, and social and political engagement—and prepare yourselves as best you can for the responsibilities that lie ahead. Get involved in initiatives and projects related to charity and justice.”.
Libertas, True Freedom
“Here in San Marino, they have just one word: ”libertas.’ You’ve surely heard it many times,” continued the Vicar of Christ.
“We find true freedom in Jesus Christ; we find it in the truth. In Jesus, who has come to give us life, who has come to help us recognize the truth in a world that is often full of lies and harm,” he said.
“If you have Jesus Christ in your hearts, if you have the truth and the freedom to follow Jesus, do not be afraid of anything, because Jesus walks with you. And Jesus calls all of us; he invites us to walk together. Thank you to all of you; may we truly be one community, always united.”.
Then the cheers and shouts of ‘Papa Leone!’ grew louder, but the Pope had to leave to continue his busy agenda, which began at 8:00 a.m. at the Vatican heliport and ended at the same location at 9:00 p.m.
Pope Leo XIV greets the faithful after a half-day visit to the small nation of the Republic of San Marino on August 22, 2026. He then traveled to the Italian coastal city of Rimini for an afternoon visit. (Photo by CNS/Vatican Media).
To promote freedom is to defend the realm of conscience
The Pope had spoken specifically about freedom mid-morning in his Speech to the authorities and civil society.
First, he stated, “I wish to emphasize that there is no true civil liberty without personal liberty—that is, without respect for and the promotion of the dignity of the human person, of which liberty is an essential component. This freedom is ultimately granted and guaranteed by God, whose voice resounds in the conscience of every human being.”.
In addition, Leo XIV emphasized that “promoting freedom means defending the realm of conscience.”.
His thoughts then turned “to the many men and women who, throughout history and across the globe, are martyrs for freedom because they bear witness to the primacy of conscience.”.
In Praise of St. Thomas More and Those Who Do Not Betray Their Conscience
“Firmly grounded in the search for truth, they are fully responsible for their own decisions and, therefore, free from any restriction other than that which is inherent in the creature and which unites them to God. St. Thomas More, patron saint of governments and politicians, is an example of this.”.
Even today, in many parts of the world, the Pope continued, “there is no shortage of people who remain faithful to their conscience even in times of great adversity, bearing witness to true freedom—the freedom that comes from being sons and daughters of God. With admiration, we express our solidarity with those who, at this very moment, are paying a personal price for not betraying their conscience.”.
In Rimini, after 44 years
That afternoon, by helicopter, the destination was Rimini, which had not been visited by a pope for 44 years—since August 1982, when St. John Paul II visited and also stopped at the Rimini Meeting. This is the "Meeting of Friendship Among Peoples," organized by Communion and Liberation and is now in its 47th edition.
Yesterday, Pope Leo XIV held a long-awaited meeting with the participants in the Gathering, and later went to the cathedral in Rimini for another meeting, this time with the sick, the disabled, and the poor assisted by Caritas.
Love: The Theme of This Year's Meeting 2026
At this year’s Rimini Meeting, organized as usual by the Fraternity of Communion and Liberation (CL), some 60,000 people awaited Pope Leo XIV with great enthusiasm, as seen in the footage from Vatican News. This year’s theme is ‘The love that moves the sun and the other stars,’ the final line of the Divine Comedy—specifically, the “Paradiso”—by the Florentine Dante Alighieri.
In explaining the theme, the organizers note that “there is a force that sets the entire universe in motion, from subatomic particles to galaxies. It is not a force that crushes or dominates, but one that attracts and harmonizes, that propels without violence, that guides without imposing. It is love as the dynamic principle of the cosmos, the energy that holds all things together and propels them toward their fullness.”.
“The loudest applause should go to Jesus Christ”
After the Pope’s tour of the fairgrounds in the popemobile, during which he said informally, “Thank you, thank you! ”The loudest applause should go to Jesus Christ: we are all disciples of Jesus,” Bernhard Scholz, president of the Meeting Foundation for Friendship Among Peoples, and Davide Prosperi, president of CL, expressed to Leon XIV their “immense gratitude and joy” at his presence.
Bernhard Scholz spoke of “the passion for the destiny of every person that Don Luigi Giussani has passed on to us,” and “the trust in the love that moves all things.” Davide Prosperi, for his part, said that “thousands of young people, families, and volunteers had been waiting for this moment for weeks, because their presence here is an enormous, extraordinary gift for our journey. A gift we will never forget and that we welcome as a caress from the Lord.”.
Pope Leo XIV's speech could have been a formal one, even a brief one. However, it lasted 22 minutes and 48 seconds, including interruptions for applause on several occasions. His words were dense, so you can consult here the full text.
Pope Leo XIV greeted the participants at the 2026 Rimini Meeting before delivering a speech that generated great excitement and drew numerous rounds of applause (@Vatican Media).
“A gathering of friendship!”, “Friendship among peoples!”
The Pope began by quoting St. John Paul II, who, on August 29, 1982, emphasized the special significance of the words “Encounter!”, “Encounter of friendship!”, “Friendship among peoples!”. ”Words that take on special meaning in these often dramatic times in world history” (Address at the Third Meeting on Friendship Among Peoples, Rimini, 1982).
He then praised you for “not having turned the ‘Encounter’ into a kind of enclave: on the contrary, it has become a crossroads for the Church and for society, an encounter that gives rise to many other encounters and inspires new paths.”.
”We give thanks to the Lord for this living legacy, which bestows upon you a great historical responsibility, within the communion of the Church, to serve a humanity that hungers and thirsts for justice.”.
”A Historic Responsibility: The Realism of Mercy in the Face of the False Realism That Rearms"
A task in which “today’s Catholic culture must counter the “realism of mercy”—which holds that enemies cannot exist and that everyone, even adversaries, are brothers and sisters whom we should look in the eye and welcome with sincerity—‘in the face of the false realism that rearms minds, words, and nations.’”.
Sin exists, of course, the Pope noted, “but Christ’s redeeming love is stronger.”.
Then, the words of Leo XIV rang out like a slow, measured cry at the Rimini fairgrounds. He spoke of liberation in precise terms.
“Let us, then, free our coexistence from suspicion, our culture from arrogance, our education from ideology, our work from the idolatry of profit, and our technology and finance from the business of death. Building on the organizations we have created and in which we operate, we will expose the unjust power structures that lie at the root of poverty and inequality, war, and environmental disasters. Let us dismantle technological development when it becomes pervasive and destructive. We need courageous pioneers who, beginning with a change of course in their own actions, will make the transformation we all need convincing and credible.”.
‘Take on the “educational risk” that Fr. Giussani spoke to you about’
And the Pope reached out to Don Giussani, to the young people, and to the Movement.
“Dear friends, the unadorned beauty of this Mystery (the Incarnation) demands that we take on the ‘educational risk’ that Fr. Giussani spoke to you about. He intuited that “the educational method best able to produce good is not one that flees from reality, affirming good in isolation, but one that promotes good in the world.””.
Love moves us, drives us, awakens us from lethargy, inspires new vocations, and calls us to take risks, Leo XIV continued. “Get involved! Open yourselves to true universality, extending your ties beyond any overly narrow affiliations. May the Movement, the groups, and the communities serve as a springboard from which you can immerse yourselves in the fullness of reality. Resist anything that distances you from brothers and sisters of different cultures, sensibilities, and backgrounds—especially the poorest among us. Go out and reach out to everyone!”.
“Always love the Church! Love her and preserve her unity!”
The Vicar of Christ thus made the appeal that drew the most applause from the audience: to always love the Church.
“Dear friends, always love the Church! Love and preserve unity. It is worth repeating: “Always love the Church!”‘ Dear friends, love and preserve the unity of the ’community“ through which Christ has reached you and draws you to himself. As Pope Francis told you on the centennial of your founder’s birth, ”even difficult moments can be moments of grace and renewal.’”.
The Synodal and Missionary Dimension of the Church
Finally, the Successor of Peter affirmed that “in recent years, we have rediscovered the synodal and missionary dimension of our being Church, which calls us above all to learn to listen to one another. (…) It is a path that also requires the renewal of every associative reality and ecclesial movement.”.
I invite you—both within the Communion and Liberation Movement and in the particular Churches to which each of you belongs—to walk this path together: may each of you listen, allow yourselves to be transformed by the faith of others, and, together, under the guidance of our shepherds, develop new perspectives, take new steps, and practice courageous obedience to the Holy Spirit,” the Holy Father encouraged.
“You’ll know how to do it, my dear friends”
Synodality is not the name of a process, but the very nature of a people who, through friendship and encounter with others, feel that they belong to God alone. (…) You will know how to do this, dear friends, by following in the footsteps of your founder, fostering unity among yourselves, with those called to lead the Movement, with the Apostolic See that has recognized you, and with the Successor of Peter. May the Holy Spirit guide us in the practice of communion.”.
León XIV’s eventful visit to Rimini concluded with a concelebrated Mass at the harbor, by the sea, attended by tens of thousands of people. In his homily, among other reflections, he encouraged us to seek rest within ourselves, in the depths of our souls.
What about the ethical challenges facing major AI developers?
OpenAI and Anthropic are artificial intelligence (AI) companies that are not yet publicly traded on Wall Street. The chief ethics officer at OpenAI (ChatGPT), Chloé Bakalar, has left the company, while philosopher Amanda Askell (Anthropic) wants the chatbot Claude to have moral judgment.
Francisco Otamendi-August 22, 2026-Reading time: 5minutes
The market for major artificial intelligence (AI) developers has certainly been turbulent in the first few months of 2026, particularly among powerful developers that are not yet publicly traded on Wall Street, such as OpenAI and Anthropic.
Companies that, judging by their actions, each want to take ethical considerations into account in their own way, and that have sent experts to the summit Vatican event held in July at Castel Gandolfo, Global Nobel Laureates Assembly.
In addition, these are AI companies that are preparing to go public, and news is leaking out about their preparations for filing paperwork for a potential initial public offering (OpenAI) and about the company's valuations, in the case of Anthropic.
For now, we'll set aside large publicly traded companies that stand to benefit most directly from the AI boom, such as Nvidia, Alphabet (Google), Microsoft, and Broadcom.
Technology is not neutral
Hovering over all these companies is the encyclical by Louis XIV ‘Magnifica humanitas’, which is not a treatise on AI, as the Pontiff himself explains (no. 97), but which devotes considerable space to AI, for example, nos. 97–111.
Since its publication in late May, various authors have reflected on ideas the Pope's thought-provoking remarks. We have selected just two entries by Rafael Sanz Carrera:
“The analysis of the encyclical highlights a key point: technology is not neutral in its cultural effects. AI cannot be understood solely as an efficient tool, but rather as a phenomenon that reshapes the way we work, interact, and make decisions.”
“In this context, the magisterial text emphasizes a decisive principle: human dignity does not stem from technological progress, but rather precedes and judges it. This criterion serves as the foundation for ethical discernment in the face of any digital development.”.
Pope Leo XIV speaks with Christopher Olah, co-founder of the artificial intelligence company Anthropic, following a presentation on his first encyclical, ‘Magnifica Humanitas,’ at the Vatican on May 25, 2026. (Photo by CNS/Lola Gomez).
Some of the Pope’s statements in ‘Magnifica humanitas’
Here is a summary of some of Pope Leo XIV’s ideas on AI, which he has also reiterated in several audiences:
“… we must avoid the mistake of equating this “intelligence” with human intelligence” (no. 99).
“The use of AI is never a purely technical matter: when it becomes part of processes that affect people’s lives, it impacts their rights, opportunities, reputation, and freedom” (no. 102).
“In practice, entrusting an algorithm with the power to determine who is worthy and who is not—without anyone bearing the burden of that decision—means entrusting it with the task of redefining the limits of human possibilities.” (no. 103).
“We cannot view AI as morally neutral. In reality, every technical device embodies decisions and priorities: what it measures, what it ignores, what it optimizes, and how it classifies people and situations. If a system is designed or used in a way that treats some lives as less worthy, or excludes them without the possibility of appeal, it is not merely a tool that “must be used correctly”; it already introduces a criterion that contradicts the inalienable dignity of the person” (no. 104).
“For this reason, ethical discernment cannot be limited to asking whether we are using a particular system for a good or bad purpose” (no. 104).
“For AI to respect human dignity….”
“For AI to respect human dignity and truly serve the common good, it is essential that responsibilities be clearly defined at every stage: from those who design and program the systems to those who use them and those who decide to entrust specific decisions to them.” (no. 105).
“Calling for prudence, rigorous controls, and, at times, even a slowdown in the adoption of AI does not mean being opposed to progress, but rather exercising responsible care for the human family” (no. 106).
“I make a passionate appeal to those who develop AI systems. Technological innovation can, in a certain sense, be a human way of participating in the divine act of creation. Developers therefore bear a significant ethical and spiritual responsibility, since every project choice expresses a vision of humanity” (no. 111).
The OpenAI logo in this illustration dated June 11, 2026. (OSV News/Dado Ruvic, Reuters).
OpenAI's Chief Ethics Officer Leaves the Company
It is not hard to imagine the demands and complications that working under criteria such as those mentioned can pose for these companies and their executives. One of the consequences is resignations.
In the midst of summer, on August 14, people were recalling the exodus of some top talent from OpenAI. La Vanguardia reported on the departure of Chloé Bakalar, head of ethics, less than a year after she joined the company, as revealed by the Financial Times.
Bakalar was responsible for the ethical considerations involved in developing language models and human interaction with AI, according to a person familiar with her work. She was also the company's only ethics expert.
“We appreciate Chloé’s contributions,” a spokesperson said. “AI ethics is not the responsibility of a single person or team within OpenAI, and ethical considerations are deeply embedded in the model-building process, which is driven by several research teams.”.
“Ethics is, in fact, everyone’s responsibility, and I say this as someone whose job is to lead this effort,” Bakalar explained during a conference on AI. (..). “There should never be a single person who acts as the moral center of an AI developer.”.
Amanda Askell (Anthropic): Claude should act as a moral agent
Alan Rozenshtein and Kevin Frazier, executives at Lawfare, spoke in the first quarter of the year with Amanda Askell, head of “personality alignment” at Anthropic, about the Claude's Constitution, a chatbot or computer program capable of holding a conversation:
“We want Claude to act as a truly ethical person would in Claude’s situation.” “Our main hope is that […] Claude […] [will be] an ethical agent, generally reasonable and with practical skills…,” said Askell.
Anthropic has devoted a significant amount of space to explaining that 20,000-word constitution, which you can read here.
Christopher Olah, co-founder of Anthropic, answers questions during a press conference in the Vatican’s Paul VI Hall on May 25, 2026, following the presentation of ‘Magnifica humanitas,’ the first encyclical of Pope Leo XIV (Photo by OSV News/Yara Nardi, Reuters).
Claude's Ethics and Nature
As you can see, the section on the ethics of the Claude models states:
“Claude’s ethics: ‘Our primary goal is for Claude to be a good, wise, and virtuous agent who demonstrates skill, good judgment, subtlety, and sensitivity when making decisions in real-world situations, even in contexts of uncertainty and moral disagreement.»”.
The text adds that it expects Claude to uphold “high standards of honesty” and to employ “the nuanced reasoning we hope he will use when weighing the values at stake to prevent harm.” “He must never contribute significantly to a biological weapons attack,” it adds.
In the section titled ‘Claude’s Nature,’ the paper—of which Amanda Askell is the lead author—states that “in this section, we express our uncertainty as to whether Claude might have some form of consciousness or moral status (either now or in the future).”.
The challenge is multifaceted, and it has only just begun for these companies—and for everyone.
Short prayers to help us find God in every moment of the day
A short phrase can be enough to turn our hearts back to God at any time of day, as St. Josemaría taught when he recommended short prayers to keep our prayer life alive. Here are a few of them.
Prayer doesn't necessarily require a lot of time, complete silence, or an empty church. Sometimes a single sentence is enough. A few words spoken slowly—in the middle of work, while walking, as we get into the car, or just before replying to a message. A short prayer to remind us that God is there.
Ejaculatory prayers are short, simple prayers that we can repeat throughout the day to lift our hearts to God. The word comes from Latin iaculatorius, whose meaning was related to the act of throwing a dart, an arrow, or any object with force over a distance. Thus, ejaculations are short exclamations or prayers that a Christian’s love and trust send—like little arrows or darts—to the Lord, the Blessed Virgin, or the saints.
In his letters, Saint Paul exhorted us to “pray without ceasing.” And short prayers can be a means to that end. This is explained in *The Russian Pilgrim* (Monte Carmelo, 2009), a classic of Eastern Christian spirituality, which recounts the spiritual journey of a pilgrim who attains this union with God through the brief phrase “Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on me, a sinner.” He makes this prayer his own throughout the day and even learns to recite it in rhythm with his breathing. In this way, he managed to keep the name of Jesus—and also His mercy—on his lips, in his thoughts, and in his heart at all times.
St. Josemaría, faithful to his short prayers
In an interview about the founder of Opus Dei, Blessed Álvaro del Portillo quoted several short prayers that St. Josemaría used to recite, one of which was: “I am yours; I was born for you. What do you want from me, Jesus?”.
In this interview, the Blessed one recounted: “When I asked to be admitted to the Work, our Founder explained the spirit of Opus Dei to me, and advised me to say many ejaculatory prayers, make spiritual communions… and offer numerous small acts of mortification throughout the day. When he spoke to me about ejaculatory prayers, he explained: There are spiritual authors who recommend counting the ones you say throughout the day, and they suggest using beans, chickpeas, or something similar; putting them in one pocket and transferring them to the other each time your heart turns to God with one of those prayers. That way you can know exactly how many you’ve said and see whether or not you’ve made progress that day.» And he added: “I don’t recommend this to you, because there’s also the danger of vanity or pride. “It’s better to let your Guardian Angel keep track of them.”.
The founder of Opus Dei drew his short prayers from Scripture or Christian tradition. Thus, in point 92 of *The Way*, he recommended: “…when you don’t know how to move forward, when you feel yourself fading, if you cannot throw fragrant logs into the fire, throw in the twigs and leaf litter of little vocal prayers, of ejaculations, which continue to feed the blaze.”.
To start the day
«Lord, I place this day in your hands.».
«Jesus, everything for You and because of You.».
«Lord, may your will be done today.».
«Oh, Mother, be with me today.».
«Come, Holy Spirit.».
«O my Lady, O my Mother! I offer myself entirely to you on this day.».
«Lord, I entrust my mind, my words, and my hands to you for this day.».
«Lord, I offer this day to you; may everything I do be for your love.».
«Dear Father, I place my day, my joys, and my sorrows in your hands.».
«Good morning, Lord! Stay with me today and guide my steps.».
To ask for help
«Jesus, help me.».
«Lord, give me light.».
«My God, give me strength.».
«Jesus, I trust in You.».
«Lord, increase my faith.».
«Come, Holy Spirit, enlighten me.».
When We're Worried
«Jesus, I trust in You.».
«Lord, may your will be done.».
«Into your hands, Lord, I entrust my concern.».
«My God, You know what I need.».
«My God, in you I find rest.».
«My Lord and my God.».
«Sacred Heart of Jesus, I trust in You.».
To Overcome Impatience or Anger
«Jesus, meek and humble of heart, make my heart like yours.».
«Lord, grant me patience and charity.».
«Jesus, help me to love.».
«Lord, put peace in my heart.».
«Mary, help me to respond with love.».
To Give Thanks
«Thank you, Lord, for everything.».
«Blessed be You, my God.».
«Thank you, Jesus.».
«I thank you, Lord, for this day.».
«Everything is grace. Thank you, Lord.».
To offer the job
«Lord, I offer this work to You for Your greater glory and the good of my loved ones.».
«Lord, bless the work of my hands today.».
«Everything for Jesus, everything for Mary, everything in imitation of Saint Joseph.».
«Lord, I offer this work to you.».
«Jesus, may I do everything out of love for You.».
«All for You, Jesus.».
«Lord, may my work bring you glory.».
«Jesus, work in me.».
Before starting a difficult task
«Lord, grant me patience and wisdom for this moment.».
«Holy Spirit, guide my hands and my mind.».
«Lord, may this work serve as atonement for my sins.».
«Dear Father, make my efforts today fruitful.».
To order for other people
«Lord, bless this person.».
«Jesus, take care of him.».
«Mary, take him to Jesus.».
«Lord, have mercy on us.».
«Jesus, help her and be with her.».
When we feel like we're drifting away from God
«Lord, do not let me stray from You.».
«Jesus, draw me close to your Heart.».
«Oh my God, here I am.».
«Lord, return to my heart.».
«Jesus, I want to be with you.».
To end the day
«Thank you, Lord, for this day.».
«Into your hands, Lord, I commend my spirit.».
«Forgive me, Lord, and help me start over.».
«Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, I give you my heart and soul.».
Women supported Archbishop Fulton Sheen's missionary work
The Women were the driving force behind the missionary work of Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen, who will be beatified on September 24 in St. Louis. Now they have recalled the behind-the-scenes work in the the office of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith. While the prelate was speaking, thousands of letters of thanks and donations were arriving.
When Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen is beatified On September 24 in St. Louis, attention will rightly focus on the famous televangelist, whose broadcasts brought Catholic teachings to millions of American households.
But for two decades, behind Archbishop Sheen’s extraordinary influence, there was a group of virtually unknown women who opened thousands of letters, recorded donations, and thanked the donors. In short, they helped turn his words into material support for missionaries and fledgling churches around the world.
Sheen, national director of one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies
Archbishop Sheen served as national director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, one of the four Pontifical Mission Societies, from 1950 to 1966. This society coordinates the World Mission Sunday, the annual global fundraising day that supports the Church's work in more than 1,100 mission territories.
This responsibility was central to Archbishop Sheen’s priesthood and public ministry. In addition to his work in radio and television, he traveled, preached missionary appeals, and served as editor of MISSION magazine, which began publication in 1951 by the national office of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith.
Whenever the prelate spoke about the missions on television, delivered a sermon, or published a new issue of the magazine, the response came in the form of between 8,000 and 10,000 letters a day, filled with notes of thanks and donations.
Envelopes poured into the organization's national office in New York. Some contained large checks. Others contained just a few dollars, coins saved by children, or brief notes explaining the sacrifice behind the gift.
And behind the scenes, a small army of women opened those envelopes, recorded the donations, and made sure the donors received a response.
‘Our office would be overwhelmed’
Helen Fitzpatrick was one of “the girls,” as they’re still affectionately called.
Helen Brady Fitzpatrick in her office at the national headquarters of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith in New York City (Photo by OSV News/Timothy Fitzpatrick via the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation, Peoria, Illinois).
Fitzpatrick, who is now 89, began working part-time for the organization in 1954, while he was a senior at St. Vincent Ferrer High School in Manhattan. After graduating, he joined the staff full-time and remained there for about a decade.
Her main responsibility was to make sure that thank-you notes were sent to those who supported the missions. The work was constant.
“No matter where he was (Archbishop Sheen), the office was never short of work,” Fitzpatrick recalled. “Every time he sent out an appeal or printed the magazine, our office was swamped.”.
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen celebrates Mass while officiating at the wedding of Helen Brady and Patrick Fitzpatrick. (Photo by OSV News/Helen Fitzpatrick via Pontifical Mission Societies)
Bernadette Schumann, also in her eighties, recalls that the women worked in two rooms, surrounded by correspondence linking ordinary American Catholics with the missionary Church.
Each envelope represented someone who cared about the missions
“There were so many letters and so much work, but we knew that every envelope represented someone who cared about the missions,” said Schumann, whom everyone calls “Bernie.” “We were proud to be a part of it.”.
Archbishop Sheen also made sure that the staff understood the spiritual purpose behind the paperwork.
“Every afternoon at three o’clock, we would stop whatever we were doing and pray together the World Missions Rosary”, Schumann said. “Bishop Sheen made sure that our work in the missions was always rooted in prayer. He also took the time to introduce us to visiting missionaries so we could see who we were helping, even though not all of us could accompany him on his missions.”.
From Cuba to New York, and off to work for the missions
For Beatriz Mendoza Orlansky, the path to the Society for the Propagation of the Faith began with exile and an unexpected change of plans.
She had ten siblings; she left Cuba with her family in 1960 and settled in Miami after Fidel Castro came to power. That same year, she traveled to New York with a cousin and a friend because, as she put it, “that was the dream we all had.”.
His family already knew Archbishop Sheen. Before the Cuban Revolution, he had traveled to the island to officiate at a relative’s wedding. The archbishop also arranged for his sister Sofía to receive a scholarship to attend Rosemont College, a Catholic women’s college in Pennsylvania that was then run by the Sisters of the Holy Child Jesus.
Young, single, and hoping to become a flight attendant, Mendoza approached Archbishop Sheen with a request. TWA (Trans World Airlines), which he had dubbed “Fly with Angels,” sponsored his television show, and she wondered if he could put in a good word for her.
“He told me I wouldn’t become a flight attendant,” she recalled. Instead, Archbishop Sheen put her to work for the missions.
“My job was to open the letters, collect the money, and send the thank-you notes,” he said. “It was a privilege to work there with him.”.
By the time he joined the staff, the daily recitation of the rosary was no longer part of the office routine. But the 3:00 p.m. break remained.
“He would always come out at 3 p.m. and share a three-minute reflection with us that reminded us why what we were doing mattered,” she said.
During those years, the office began producing donor thank-you notes in-house—a task significant enough to resemble a small printing press. A sign at the entrance reflected the spirit of the staff: “The impossible, we do right away. Miracles may take a little longer.”.
Mendoza and her husband, Héctor Orlansky—an Argentine man she married 52 years ago—came to feel a deep admiration for Archbishop Sheen.
“He was one of my heroes,” said Héctor, “a man with a depth of knowledge and wisdom I’ve never seen in my life.”.
Dozens of women helped support the Society for the Propagation of the Faith during the 16 years that Archbishop Sheen served as its national director. Some married and started families. Others entered religious life. Most are no longer with us, and their contributions were often known only to their colleagues and family members.
The Missionary Calls of the “Microphone of God”
Mary Regis McLoughlin, who died in 2022, was the executive editor of MISSION magazine during the 1960s, overseeing its day-to-day operations while Archbishop Sheen remained its editor-in-chief.
Sister Marlene Brownett, a member of the Society of the Holy Child Jesus who died in 2024, worked in the Office for the Propagation of the Faith before entering religious life. She later became a close friend of Archbishop Sheen and served on the board of the Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Foundation.
None of the women interviewed by OSV News expects to be in San Luis for the beatification. But the celebration will also belong, to some extent, to them and to the many women whose names have been lost to history.
Unbeknownst to the millions of people who tuned in each week to listen to the man known as “God’s microphone,” his work helped ensure that his missionary appeals inspired much more than just admiration. Letters were answered, donors were thanked, missionaries were supported, and countless small sacrifices were made toward the Church’s global mission.
—————–
– Inés San Martín writes for OSV News from Argentina. She is the editor of MISSION magazine, a publication of the Pontifical Society of the Masses. A version of this article will appear in a special issue of the magazine honoring its founder, Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen.
– This information was originally published in OSV News, and you can read it there here.
With the goal of connecting the digital world with church community life, San José is hosting the sixth edition of “Acts 29” this week. The event brings together digital evangelizers from more than 20 countries in the Americas, Europe, and Asia to share experiences and gifts and to discern together new paths for mission in the digital world.
“Being and Doing the Church”
This first opening day laid the groundwork for what will be an intense week of work, prayer, and fellowship. Father José Juan Montalvo (“Father Borre”) reminded participants that the experience consists of “being and making the Church,” emphasizing that the most valuable content that can be shared on social media is none other than the authentic witness of a community that knows how to love one another. “May these days be about fewer screens and more eye contact,” he urged, proposing that participants live out the gathering through five key attitudes: seeking, listening, getting to know, finding, and sharing—far removed from any spirit of competition.
This communion became evident from the very beginning in the diversity of the participants. Unity in faith, spirit, and apostolic zeal blends harmoniously with the wide variety of personalities, interests, and opinions that come together in online evangelization.
Just as unity in God is infinite personal love—the Holy Spirit—so too are all expressions of unity and diversity called to be enlivened by charity.
Unity and Diversity
Only through that supernatural love do even opposing viewpoints and personal limitations cease to be a cause of division and become a shared treasure.
Likewise, our prayer for one another—lived out within the unity of the Church—directs these days toward the horizon that the Lord has set before us: “May they all be one, just as You, Father, are in me and I am in You” (Jn 17:21).
Connection Beyond the Screen
The opening of the event concluded with the celebration of Holy Mass presided over by Monsignor Daniel Francisco Blanco Méndez, auxiliary bishop of San José and coordinator of the communications center of the CELAM. In his homily, he warned against the temptation to replace Christ with one’s own image or with the tyranny of metrics and “likes.”.
Technology is a valuable tool, but Jesus remains the undisputed center. With this as our starting point, “Acts 29” kicks off a decisive week to renew our commitment to fostering fellowship and leading people—beyond the screen—to a living encounter with the Lord.
In his message for the 2026 Day for the Care of Creation, Pope Leo XIV calls for transforming weapons into plows, drawing a connection between wars and the ecological crisis.
On the occasion of the 11th World Day of Prayer for the Care of Creation, Pope Leo XIV has released his message for September 1, in which it calls for redirecting resources allocated to wars toward protecting the planet and promoting holistic human development.
The Ecological Impact of Armed Conflicts
Under the slogan inspired by the prophet Isaiah, «They shall beat their swords into plowshares» (Isaiah 2:4), the Pontiff denounces the fact that today’s world is mired in efforts aimed at violence, while the disruption of nature’s balance is accelerating.
In the document, signed on August 15, Leo XIV warns that war leaves behind «social and ecological destruction that lasts for generations.» As he explains, armed conflicts and environmental degradation create vicious cycles that pollute essential resources such as air and water, undermining food security and perpetuating poverty. For this reason, he asserts that war constitutes «a counter-testimony to the Gospel of peace» and represents a failure not only political, but «also moral and spiritual.».
The Root Cause of the Environmental Crisis
The Holy Father emphasizes that discord, violence, and ecological damage are not simply the result of imperfect structures, but are the «symptom of a profound dichotomy rooted in humanity itself.».
Quoting Benedict XVI, the Pope recalls that «external deserts are multiplying in the world because internal deserts have spread.» In this regard, he maintains that lasting peace and a genuine ecological conversion require a profound transformation of the human heart, the place where the struggle «between love and indifference, truth and illusion, justice and injustice» is waged.
Redirecting the energy of war
León XIV calls on the international community to envision a world where the efforts devoted to the destruction of war are channeled into «the fight against poverty, the protection of human dignity, and the reconciliation of divided peoples.».
He also emphasizes that the true tools for building peace are not weapons, but «truth, dialogue, patience, kindness, justice, mercy, understanding, care, and love.».
«We will move forward slowly but steadily, from the desert to the garden, from division to communion, and from violence to peace,» the Pontiff concludes in his message.
The USCCB’s director of education reflects on the state of Catholic schools at the start of the school year
The USCCB's director of education analyzes the challenges facing Catholic schools and highlights the return to traditional teaching methods, educational freedom, and the role of parents.
With the start of the new school year just around the corner, OSV News asked John DeJak, director of the Secretariat for Catholic Education at the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops, to provide an overview of Catholic education in the country. As a former teacher and administrator who has worked in both diocesan and independent schools since the late 1990s, DeJak is in a unique position to assess the state of the nation’s approximately 5,800 Catholic schools, which serve nearly 1.7 million students. The interview has been edited for brevity and clarity.
Please describe your role. How do you advise the bishops on matters of Catholic education?
–I am the chief staff member of the bishops’ Committee on Catholic Education, and my jurisdiction covers Catholic education from preschool through high school across the United States, with an emphasis on institutional settings, including Catholic higher education—that is, all our Catholic universities and colleges—and the related public policies.
I have three other staff members and advisors who assist me, and I speak with Bishop David O’Connell several times a week. He is the bishop of the Diocese of Trenton, former president of The Catholic University of America, and chair of the Committee on Catholic Education of the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB). My job is to carry out his priorities—and those of the other bishops on the committee—in accordance with the USCCB’s mission.
What trends are new, and which ones are continuing in Catholic education?
–The committee of bishops has focused on several issues that have remained relevant under different presidents.
Before Bishop O’Connell, Bishop (Thomas) Daly (of Spokane) showed great interest in evangelizing those who are not affiliated with any religion or who have become estranged from the Church, with a special focus on young people and young adults.
According to him, an analysis of the data shows that many of our young people leave the Church at age 13 or 14. They view Confirmation as a «graduation» from the Church and never set foot in it again. We must examine this situation: What are we doing right, and what are we lacking?
That is one of the areas—a review of Catholic pedagogy and practice in light of what the Church has always done—that has been a project of the committee for several years.
Another important aspect is the emphasis on the inclusion of students with disabilities in our Catholic schools. Over the past 10 years, with the support and encouragement of the bishops, we have made significant progress in the way we serve all our Catholics. It is a mandate.
Another trend that has emerged since the COVID-19 pandemic—and has been exacerbated by cell phones and the ubiquity of technology—is the issue of student mental health. While family breakdown plays a role, there have also been spikes in depression and suicidal ideation as a result of these new technologies and social media, in a sort of culture of unreality.
It seems there is an increase in the number of independent Catholic schools operating outside the oversight of the dioceses. Is this a blessing or a challenge?
–The Church has always maintained that parents can choose the environment and school that best suit their circumstances and those of their child.
Some choose to homeschool their children. Others choose public school. Still others choose private schools. However, Catholic parents have a duty to educate their children in the faith.
This renewal of Catholic education—which includes some independent schools—is, in reality, a return to a coherent vision of reality, born from the heart of the Church. It helps students understand where they come from, where they are going, and why they are here. And this is what Catholic education has always done.
I believe it has had a stimulating effect on many of our diocesan schools, as well as on schools run by religious orders, so overall it has been positive.
Catholic education also appears to be going through a period of experimentation, with the rise of classical schools, microschools, and hybrid homeschooling. What do these emerging models tell us about innovation?
–What these new schools do is acknowledge the historical reality that, unfortunately, secularizing influences—the progressive education that began almost at the same time our bishops were founding the system of parochial schools—took hold in university departments of education and in the institutions where many teachers were trained. There, certain assumptions exist that contradict a coherent Catholic understanding of the world.
It is inevitable that we have not had access to certain things or received specific training, but it is our duty to understand this and try to get back on track. I believe parents are recognizing the impact of these secular influences, and this is evident in the dropout rates.
So, do you consider this experiment to be innovative, but also a return to the past?
–Yes, exactly. God raises up saints for the times when they are needed. I think something similar is happening here in terms of the renewed appreciation for traditional teaching methods. It’s about awakening these children’s sacramental imagination, so that when they look at the world, they know there’s more to it than that. There’s something deeper and supernatural behind it all. God is bringing all of this to life.
How does homeschooling in general fit into the broader landscape of Catholic education?
–People choose homeschooling for a variety of reasons, some financial, others philosophical. It is an integral part of Catholic education, and parents have the right to make that decision, given their circumstances. The Church has always emphasized the need for schools because it knows that parents cannot do everything, but it certainly does not oppose parents’ choice to educate their children at home.
The freedom to choose a school remains a hotly debated political issue. How does it fit into the current landscape and the future of Catholic schools?
–Freedom of school choice is a crucial issue for the bishops, particularly the federal tax credit for scholarships—also known as the Educational Freedom Tax Credit—which was part of the «One Big Beautiful Bill» passed last year. This is an opportunity for taxpayers to donate $1,700 to a scholarship-granting organization and have that donation count as a tax credit.
It has great potential if the Church takes advantage of this opportunity, as it allows parents and families to apply for scholarships. These are private funds, not federal funds, and they allow families to choose the school of their choice, which may be a Catholic school. .
This truly puts the power back in the hands of parents as the primary and most important educators. It would allow more families to attend Catholic schools and could be transformative if people take advantage of it—provided that communication is effective and people are aware that this option exists.
And, ultimately, that is an opportunity to save more lives.
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Why does the Pope ask that we respect the approved liturgical texts and rites?
On May 20 of this year, Leo XIV announced a series of catechesis on the liturgy. Specifically, on the first document of the Second Vatican Council, the constitution *Sacrosanctum Concilium* (SC). The following Wednesday, he called for respect for the approved liturgical texts and rites. Now he has done so again.
Francisco Otamendi-August 20, 2026-Reading time: 5minutes
Regardless of other considerations raised by Vatican analysts—such as the consistory of cardinals scheduled for late June, which ultimately did not address the liturgical issue—the fact is that the Pope unexpectedly announced the May 20 marking the beginning of a new series of catechesis at the Audiencias. This time, the topic was the Sacred Liturgy.
The Pope emphasized, among other things, that the liturgy “touches the very heart of this mystery (the mystery of Christ). It is at once the space, the time, and the context in which the Church receives her own life from Christ. In the liturgy, in fact, the work of our Redemption is made present” (SC, 2).
And he quoted St. Augustine—as he did yesterday, August 19—who wrote that in celebrating the Eucharist, the Church “receives the Body of the Lord and becomes what she receives”: it becomes the Body of Christ, “God’s dwelling place in the Spirit” (Eph 2:22). This is “the work of our redemption,” which conforms us to Christ and builds us up in communion.
Three Reflections by the Holy Father in May
The following Wednesday, May 27, the Pontiff addressed, among other things, three topics, and said the following:
1. Elements of divine institution.
“The Council affirmed that legitimate progress in the liturgy must also preserve sound tradition, and that ‘certain elements of the liturgy can never change because they are of divine institution.’”.
2. “Preserving tradition while remaining open to legitimate progress”
“To help the faithful access the wealth of the gifts of grace bestowed by the sacred liturgy, the Constitution *Sacrosanctum Concilium* therefore sets forth, in a very effective way, the path to follow: ‘Preserve tradition and be open to legitimate progress.’”(SC, 23)”.
3. Respect for the texts and norms of the liturgy
“In particular, I encourage all priests to respect the texts and norms of the liturgy with openness, humility, trust in God’s greatness, and sincere fidelity to ecclesial communion.”.
León XIV at the liturgical conference at Mount Angel Abbey (Oregon)
Now that summer is here, in conjunction with his catechesis on the liturgy (yesterday’s session brought the total to seven), Leo XIV has published a letter on the occasion of the liturgical conference taking place at Mount Angel Abbey (Oregon, United States). It is dated June 29, and you can read it here.
In light of what we have been discussing, the Pope has written to Cardinal Arthur Roche, Prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, and highlights three points.
The Pope's Emphasis: Liturgical Formation
On the one hand, it reflects Pope Francis’s emphasis in his LetterDesiderio Desideravi, on the need for careful and ongoing formation of both the clergy and the laity—the entire People of God—in order to revitalize the liturgical life of the universal Church (cf. no. 38).
León XIV then reminds us that we must not ‘neglect to give priority in formation to those who, by virtue of the sacrament of Holy Orders, are called to be mystagogues—that is, to take the faithful by the hand and accompany them in their understanding of the holy mysteries’ (ibid.).
The Pontiff notes that “the first practical opportunities for liturgical formation arise from our regular practice of gathering each Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist.”.
Another Reminder Regarding Fidelity to Approved Texts and Rites
He adds that “to promote a dignified celebration of the sacred mysteries, we must emphasize the need for fidelity to the approved texts and instructions.”.
At this point, he emphasizes that in his recent catechesis on Sacrosanctum Concilium , “I have drawn attention to the respect that all those called to prepare for the celebration of the divine mysteries—and priests in particular—must show toward the rites promulgated by Pope Saint Paul VI and Pope Saint John Paul II.».
Pope Leo XIV presides over Mass at the Basilica of Santa Maria degli Angeli in Assisi, Italy, on August 6, 2026, the Feast of the Transfiguration of the Lord. (Photo by OSV News/Mario Tomassetti, Vatican Media).
Reasons for the Insistence
Anyone can surmise that the Pope’s insistence—especially on the part of priests—on respecting the texts, instructions, and rites approved by the Church is not random. If the Vicar of Christ insists on this matter, there must be reasons, and it stands to reason that the Roman Pontiff receives information from all over the world.
For example, it may not be uncommon for the celebrant to add words or omit words or phrases from the texts of the Eucharist, or to introduce unplanned rites. In colloquial terms, we might call these improvisation or creativity, sometimes motivated by tense situations related to migration—such as wars and conflicts—or other factors.
This summer, my family and friends have been observing this phenomenon, particularly in the Eucharistic Prayers of the Mass—especially during the rite of Communion—and, to a lesser extent, in the words of the Consecration.
Does this, then, hinder the celebrant's creativity?
The constitution Sacrosanctum Concilium The Second Vatican Council, as explained by Pope Leo XIV in his catechesis, stipulates that the sacred liturgy is the responsibility of the hierarchy. This pertains to the authority of the Church, as set forth in paragraph 22, according to a liturgy expert speaking to *Omnes*, who highlights paragraph 3:
“Therefore, absolutely no one else—not even a priest—should dare, on his own initiative, to add, remove, or change anything regarding liturgical matters.”.
“That’s a powerful statement,” adds this expert. “The liturgy is not the property of the presiding priest; rather, the regulation of the liturgy falls under the authority of the Church.”.
“It may seem as though a priest can take certain liberties, but that is not the case. In this matter, he must conform to what the Church teaches.”.
These changes destabilize the Liturgy, and not infrequently distort it
The same sources refer to Article 59 of the Directive Redemptionis sacramentum, dated 2004, approved by Pope John Paul II and signed by Cardinal Francis Arinze, Prefect Emeritus of the Congregation for Divine Worship (2002–2008).
The text states: “Let there be an end to the reprehensible practice whereby priests, deacons, or lay faithful change and alter at their own discretion, here and there, the texts of the sacred Liturgy that they recite. When they do this, they destabilize the celebration of the sacred Liturgy and not infrequently distort the authentic meaning of the Liturgy.”.
Finally, the liturgist also mentions number 51 of the Instruction. This point states that “only the Eucharistic Prayers found in the Roman Missal or those that have been legitimately approved by the Apostolic See may be used (…). He adds, “It cannot be tolerated that some priests assume the right to compose Eucharistic prayers,” nor to change the text approved by the Church, nor to use others composed by private individuals.”.
Priests have creative freedom
“The Church does not forbid priests from being creative, but priestly creativity—which has its place—does not consist in altering what the Church has received and established for the celebration of the Eucharist.”.
“The priest has a great deal of leeway to prepare a good homily, choose from the options provided in the Missal for the type of Mass to be celebrated, select the music, and so on,” notes the expert consulted, “but when it comes to the text established by the Church—especially the Eucharistic Prayer—he cannot become the author of that text.”.
“Faithfulness to liturgical norms is not a matter of rubricism or obsession, but rather faithfulness to the ministry we have received,” he concludes.
The key to understanding today’s liturgy is, precisely, the key. It is the image that links the first reading with the Gospel and opens us up to their deeper meaning. In our modern world, the traditional key may seem to be losing its importance. Physical keys are increasingly being replaced by digital credentials: phones, biometric scanners, facial recognition, and fingerprints. However, even as technology changes, the fundamental reality remains the same. Keys continue to grant access; they continue to open and close doors.
In the Gospel, we find the well-known scene of Peter’s confession of faith. After his reply that: “You are the Messiah, the Son of the living God”, Jesus entrusts him with a mission: “I will give you the keys to the kingdom of heaven; whatever you bind on earth will be bound in heaven, and whatever you loose on earth will be loosed in heaven".
By handing the keys to Peter, Jesus entrusts him with the mission of leading people to Christ and opening the way to salvation for them. Peter not only receives the keys; he is also established as the rock upon which Christ will build his Church. These two images are closely linked. The rock signifies stability and firmness; the keys signify authority and service.
A similar scene appears in the first reading. Eliakim is entrusted with the key to David’s palace. He is given authority over the royal household: “It will open, and no one will close it; it will close, and no one will open it”. Like Peter, Eliaquín is also described as a steadfast supporter, “a stake in a safe place".
But what exactly do these keys tell us about Peter, the papacy, and the Church? A beautiful answer can be found in the Purgatory from Dante. In Canto IX, when Dante arrives at the gate of Purgatory, an angel opens the gate using two keys entrusted to Saint Peter: one of gold and one of silver. The golden key symbolizes the Church’s authority to forgive sins and bestow God’s mercy. The silver key symbolizes the wisdom, discernment, and understanding necessary to open the human heart. The golden key is the more precious of the two, but it cannot effectively fulfill its function without the silver key. The angel explains that the instruction received regarding the use of the keys is to open rather than to lock, provided that mercy is humbly sought.
This image beautifully expresses the Church’s mission. The keys are not given to keep people out, but to bring them in. They are instruments that grant access to Christ. The Church has received from Christ the mission to unlock the treasures of the Gospel, to proclaim the truth, and to lead all peoples to an encounter with Christ.
The Humanity of Christ. Pompeo Batoni, The Sacred Heart of Jesus
Pompeo Batoni's painting "The Sacred Heart of Jesus" became the most influential image of this devotion by combining artistic beauty with profound spiritual symbolism. Through it, Christ is presented as a living love who is close to the believer.
Eva Sierra and Antonio de la Torre-August 20, 2026-Reading time: 7minutes
ARTISTIC COMMENTARY
This image of Christ is one of the most widely recognized depictions of Jesus around the world. It shares certain similarities with Christ giving a blessing, by Antonello da Messina (which we discussed earlier), painted three centuries earlier, particularly in its compositional simplicity and the direct way in which Christ addresses the viewer. Against a dark background, Jesus appears as a young, serene, and compassionate figure, his gaze fixed on the viewer. Batoni follows the traditional symbolism of color in the depiction of Christ: the red tunic alludes to blood and martyrdom, while the blue cloak evokes water, the sky, and divinity. This combination has been used for centuries to express both the humanity and divinity of Christ.
The Revelation of Christ's Love
While in Messina’s work Christ is depicted giving a blessing, Batoni chooses to portray a deeply devotional moment: Jesus offering his Sacred Heart. Christ holds his burning heart in his left hand, and with his right hand—on which the nail wound is clearly visible—he points to us and invites us to follow him. The heart is depicted in great detail: it bleeds from a wound, is surrounded by a crown of thorns, and crowned by a cross—elements that symbolize Christ’s redemptive suffering and eternal love for humanity.
In the Gospel of John, it says: “One of the soldiers pierced his side with a spear.” (John 19:34). Christian tradition and the Church Fathers interpret this to mean that the spear pierced Christ’s heart. Batoni visually captures this theological interpretation. The Sacred Heart expresses Jesus’ boundless love and calls us to respond with love in our daily lives. The Christian vocation consists in conforming our hearts to the Heart of Christ: hearts filled with mercy, self-giving, and compassion. Jesus’ outstretched hand, depicted in foreshortening toward the viewer, invites us to contemplate his Heart and remember the sacrifice he made out of love for humanity.
From Mystical Vision to Artistic Model
Batoni’s work is closely linked to the visions of Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (1647–1690), the French nun who promoted devotion to the Sacred Heart. She described the Heart of Jesus as “a throne of flames, more resplendent than the sun, transparent as crystal, with this lovely wound”. He was surrounded by a crown of thorns, a symbol of the suffering caused by sin, and crowned by a cross, a sign of the burden of the Passion he had taken upon himself since the Incarnation. Batoni, with great creativity, visually renders this description and, at the same time, humanizes the face of Christ, making him seem close and approachable.
Jesus is depicted in a three-quarter profile, gazing directly at the viewer. This intense gaze serves as an invitation to meditate on his redemptive suffering. Light radiates from his heart and partially illuminates his face, while the other half remains in shadow. This duality symbolizes the state of the soul when it turns away from the love and grace of Christ.
Pompeo Batoni was a renowned Italian painter, famous for his portraits of European nobility, especially the English who undertook the Grand Tour in the 18th century. However, he also received important religious commissions, and this painting became his most influential devotional work. The Sacred Heart of Jesus Batoni's work achieved enormous popularity and became the official symbol of devotion to the Sacred Heart, shaping Catholic spirituality in many countries.
The painting remains on display today on the altar of the north side chapel of the Church of the Gesù in Rome, where it continues to inspire prayer, contemplation, and gratitude for Christ's infinite love.
CATECHETICAL COMMENTARY
The Incarnation of the Son of God, as explained in the previous issue of this series, implies that the Word—the second person of the Holy Trinity, consubstantial with the Father in His divine nature—assumes a human nature: the Humanity of Jesus Christ, who is thus fully God and fully Man. In this installment, we will delve a little deeper into the understanding and expression of the Lord’s Humanity, which was briefly touched upon in the previous installment.
This Humanity is particularly well represented in the Sacred Heart of Jesus Christ, where the love of a human heart is united with the Love of a divine person, thus serving as the central organ of Christ’s Humanity and the place where divine Love itself is given to us in human love—that of the Son of God made man. That is why contemplation of the Heart of Christ—as Batoni so expressively captures it in his painting at the Gesù—is a sure path to deepening our understanding of the Lord’s humanity. Hence, Batoni emphasizes Christ’s human features to make him approachable and accessible. In turn, as Saint Teresa of Jesus taught with particular grace, the Humanity of Christ is the sure and pleasant path to a true life of prayer, for it is the Way that leads us to God. Therefore, a mistaken understanding of the Lord’s humanity—in body and soul—poses a serious obstacle to the true knowledge of God and to the proper development of the spiritual life. Throughout history, errors have arisen that have obscured, diminished, or distorted the characteristics of the human nature of the Son of God. Since these errors, though ancient, continue to arise today—albeit in various forms—it is important to recognize them so as not to fall into them, and thus to attain an understanding of Christ’s humanity that truly draws us closer to the Lord’s human identity and to His Sacred Heart.
True God and True Man
One of the earliest errors was to confuse Christ’s humanity with Christ himself—that is, to reduce him to the mere human figure of Jesus of Nazareth, an ordinary man adopted as God’s Son at his baptism. This error, known as adoptionism, holds that Christ’s humanity is merely God’s spokesperson and agent, but is not personally united to God Himself. Every time we speak of Jesus of Nazareth as a mere man, or a simple prophet, or a human teacher of wisdom, we fall once again into this oldest of errors.
This error, in turn, sparked the opposite reaction: Jesus Christ is so divine that his human nature—especially his body—is merely an appearance; he is not a real human being. This Docetism, therefore, would imply that it is not possible to represent, much less paint, God in Jesus Christ, since his body is not real; one could only access Him through spiritual and abstract meditation, as one would an idea inaccessible to the senses. Nothing better to counter this error than the words of Saint Teresa of Jesus: “I could only think of Christ as a man; yet I could never picture Him in my mind. That is why I was so fond of images. Woe to those who, through their own fault, lose this blessing! It seems clear that they do not love the Lord, for if they did, they would take pleasure in seeing His portrait.” (Life 9, 6). It is this experience that justifies and lends such value to paintings like the one by Batoni that we are enjoying.
Arianism held that Christ’s humanity was real and united to divinity, but not to the full, inaccessible, and exclusive divinity of the Father, but rather to a second-order divinity, which would be proper to the Son. Therefore, Christ’s humanity would not be a path to God, but would merely leave us on the threshold of divinity, since the Son is not consubstantial with the Father—that is, of the same divine nature—as we state in the Creed. With a simple phrase—“Jesus Christ is true Man and true God”—the Church shields us from these three errors, which remain more common than they seem.
A Person with Two Natures
The relationship between the true humanity of Jesus Christ and his full divinity is not easy to understand; hence, an excess of rationality or an overemphasis on the cultural peculiarities of each era can lead to imbalances in our understanding of it. Nestorianism, for example, held that Christ’s humanity was found in a human person, Jesus of Nazareth, while his divine nature resided in the Son of God. Thus, there would be one relationship between the believer and the person of Jesus and another with the person of the Son—a distortion that can occur when at times we pray to Jesus as a man and at other times we address the Son as God. On the other hand, Monophysitism held that Christ’s humanity, while not fictitious, was dissolved and rendered nonexistent in the infinity of the divinity of the Word, much like when Christ is contemplated solely in his divine majesty, forgetting the humility and gentleness proper to the human Heart of the Son of God (Mt 11:29).
Nor is it easy to view Jesus’ humanity as a concrete—and, above all, complete—human existence. Apollinarianism viewed the Lord’s humanity as mere corporeality, since his soul, or spirit, was the divine Word. If this were the case, it would be difficult to explain how Jesus grew in true human knowledge of reality (Lk 2:52). On the other hand, Monotheletism stripped Christ’s humanity of its will, since the only will in Him was the divine will of the Son of God. Consequently, his acts of obedience to the Father and of self-giving in the service of humanity would no longer be regarded as examples for any human will, since they sprang from a purely divine will.
Thus, as sometimes happens today, we forget that Jesus Christ has a fully human soul, with human knowledge and a human will, united to the Wisdom and Will of the Word in the person of the Son. For this reason, the formula used by the Council of Chalcedon to define the relationship between the two natures—human and divine—in the single person of the Son of God remains relevant today, just as explained in the previous issue.
A formula that, in a way, is also present in the words with which the Second Vatican Council offers us this excellent reflection on the true humanity of Christ, which we can meditate on so that our understanding of Christ’s humanity may be complete and true: “The Son of God worked with human hands, thought with a human mind, acted with a human will, and loved with a human heart. Born of the Virgin Mary, He truly became one of us, except for sin.” (Gaudium et Spes 22).
The Pope Praises Sacred Music, a Symbol of Ecclesial Communion
At Wednesday’s audience, Pope Leo XIV stated that the musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value. He emphasized that music is an integral part of the liturgical celebration—not merely an adornment—and that singing fosters ecclesial communion.
Francisco Otamendi-August 19, 2026-Reading time: 4minutes
Music is an integral part of the liturgical action; it is not merely a decoration for the celebration. The musical tradition of the universal Church is a treasure of inestimable value that fosters communion, the Holy Father emphasized during his catechesis on this Wednesday in August at St. Peter’s Basilica, in the presence of 5,000 faithful and pilgrims.
Among them, those from Lebanon greeted the Pope with particular joy when he mentioned their country in his message to the Arabic-speaking pilgrims, as did the Poles—as is customary—and the English- and Spanish-speaking pilgrims, who are also typically the loudest.
Sacred music, which is closely linked to the liturgical celebration, is not merely a decoration
León XIV continued on Wednesday at the Audience his catechesis on the Second Vatican Council's constitution *Sacrosanctum Concilium* (SC), specifically Chapter 6, which is devoted to sacred music.
He began his remarks by referring to paragraph 112 of the document. “The musical tradition of the universal Church constitutes a treasure of inestimable value, which stands out among other artistic expressions, primarily because sacred song, together with the words, constitutes a necessary or integral part of the solemn liturgy.”.
He continued: “Sacred music, therefore, will be all the more holy the more intimately it is united to the liturgical action, whether by expressing prayer with greater delicacy, fostering unity, or enriching the greater solemnity of the sacred rites” (ibid.).
Here we find the core of the Council’s teaching, which confirms and elaborates on the ministerial role of music in the liturgy, as previously highlighted by St. Pius X in the Motu Proprio *Inter sollicitudines* (November 22, 1903). “In fact, music is part of the liturgical action, and is not merely an ornament of the celebration,” the Pope emphasized.
St. Augustine: “Singing is the mark of those who love”
In the liturgy, singing and playing music mean praying, attuning one’s heart to that of one’s sisters and brothers and to God, through active participation in the mystery being celebrated, the Pope continued in his reflection.
Music, in fact, expresses the emotional dimension of prayer, as St. Augustine states: ‘Cantare amantis est,’ that is, ‘singing is proper to those who love’ (Sermo 336,1). “This is very important, because it helps us open our hearts to God’s action through grace and allow ourselves to be shaped by it.”.
“Singing, moreover, fosters communion. Through harmony, voices help to unite hearts, overcoming differences among people and bringing everyone together in praise of God. In this way, it becomes an epiphany of the Church, a tangible manifestation of the communion that is part of its very nature,” emphasized Leo XIV.
Some Requirements of Sacred Music
The Pope also mentioned some requirements, which stem from the profound theological significance sacred song, as an integral part of the liturgical celebration.
The first is that, regardless of trends or the personal preferences of the authors, it must be appropriate in every respect for the occasion.
Furthermore, the Pontiff said, “the form, especially in its melodic aspect, must be both noble and simple, of high musical quality and easy to perform, especially when it is intended to be sung by the entire assembly (cf. SC, 121).”.
For the same reason, “the Council recommends that the texts also be appropriate, profound, and at the same time easy to understand, drawing primarily on Sacred Scripture, the liturgical books, and the spiritual Tradition of the Church.”.
Active Participation of the Faithful
The Pope highlighted a passage from Benedict XVI’s exhortation *Sacramentum caritatis* while analyzing the extensive attention that *Sacrosanctum Concilium* devotes to the active participation of the faithful (cf. no. 114).
This “must be understood […] based on a deeper awareness of the mystery being celebrated and its relationship to daily life” (Benedict XVI, Apostolic Exhortation Sacramentum caritatis, 52) in a ‘spirit of ongoing conversion that must characterize the life of every believer’ (ibid., 55).
Specific modes
The Holy Father also recalled the specific way in which this participation of the faithful can be realized through the unique role of sacred music, according to SC:
“The acclamations of the people, the responses, the psalm singing, the antiphons, and the hymns” and “a sacred silence” (SC, 30) “are to be encouraged,‘ with an exhortation ’to each person, whether minister or layperson, to perform ‘all and only what is proper to them by the nature of the action and the liturgical norms’ (SC, 28) within the harmonious balance among the various ministries, the different contributions, and the moments of silence.”.
Gregorian chant, without excluding other genres
The Council also attaches great importance to the Gregorian chant, without excluding other genres of sacred music from the celebration, the Pope noted.
With regard to inculturation, including in the realm of sacred music, the Pope has summarized the provisions of SC: in particular, it emphasizes “the importance of taking the musical traditions of different cultures fully into account as part of people’s religious and social lives.“ For this reason, it is recommended, on the one hand, that an appropriate ”education in religious sensibility“ be implemented for all (SC, 119) and, on the other hand, ”as far as possible […] to promote the traditional music of their people, both in schools and in sacred celebrations” (ibid.).
Training and practice in seminaries, novitiates, and houses of study
Finally, in a catechesis that was somewhat longer than on other Wednesdays, the Pope stated that composers of sacred music must know and preserve the Church’s musical heritage, citing St. John Paul II, *Quirógrafo on Sacred Music*, November 22, 2003, 3).
It has also reiterated the recommendation of the Council Fathers to “promote the study and practice of sacred music ‘in seminaries, in the novitiates of religious orders of both sexes and in houses of higher learning, as well as in other Catholic institutes and schools’ (SC, 115) and to ensure that musicians and singers receive a solid liturgical formation (cf. ibid.).
Paloma and Juan Luis, parents of a son with a disability: “Sergio is our angel»
Paloma and Juan Luis see Sergio, their son with a disability, as an «angel» who has taught them to live in the present, be grateful for what they have, and grow in family love.
Paloma and Juan Luis are the parents of four children. One of them, they say, is an “angel.» When they come from Heaven, they don’t arrive with a manual under their arm; you have to get to know them, and it takes a while, but in the end, they all tend to show great affection and become something very special to the family—in this case, Sergio.
It all began in 1997, when they were expecting their third child. The pregnancy went well, but the delivery was complicated, and the baby was deprived of oxygen for a while, which led to severe developmental delays and a behavioral disorder. So why call him an “angel” if the outlook wasn’t promising at all? There’s an explanation for everything. At first, it wasn’t easy at all, as it entailed a great deal of responsibility, some guilt, and a lot of uncertainty, but over time, everything fell into place for this “angel,” and now he brings great joy to this happy family. We were able to interview the two main characters in this wonderful and heartwarming story, which we share below.
Paloma and Juan Luis, how did your family start to grow?
–We both wanted to start a family, although we couldn't agree on how many children to have; Juan Luis wanted a large family, but I wasn't so sure about that.
When our first daughter was approaching school age, we took her to Senara (a corporate initiative of Opus Dei), and it was there that Juan Luis discovered his calling as a supernumerary.
When she was 5, our second daughter was born, followed by Sergio, and then a fourth child after Sergio.
Financially, things were going very well for us—we had good jobs and a nice home, and we were in good health, too.
Paloma, what was it like when Sergio arrived? What did that mean for you all? How did you feel at first?
–Sergio’s arrival was a joy because he was our third child and our first son after two daughters, and we were very excited, but when he was born, we realized that something wasn’t right. We later learned that there had been fetal distress during labor, which led to Sergio being hospitalized in the ICU for 12 days.
The first year was really tough—constant visits to different pediatricians. We knew something wasn't right, but no doctor could tell us what it was.
I felt completely overwhelmed; I just kept wondering why this was happening and what would become of him. I felt very frustrated and, above all, very helpless, and on the verge of depression. On top of that, he wouldn’t eat and was malnourished, so he had to undergo a temporary gastrostomy for six months—which he ended up keeping for 10 years.
I was so worried about the future that I wasn't living in the present; for a long time, I didn't enjoy it. In fact, when someone told me it was a gift, it made my blood boil.
But thank God, one day something just clicked for me, and I realized I couldn't go on like that—that it wasn't helping my son or the rest of my family at all—and everything changed; I no longer felt like I was in a dark pit.
And you, Juan Luis, how did you take it? What did your kids think?
–I used to think God didn’t love me very much, because everything was going so well for us, and when Sergio came along, it was a gift to be given the responsibility of caring for an angel.
During that first year, I did what Saint Monica did with her son: I talked to God more about Paloma and to Paloma less about God
Our daughters were young at the time; they didn't really understand what was going on, but they did compare their brother's development to that of other children or their cousins and noticed that he wasn't doing the same things.
Paloma, what have you learned during this time? What has living with an angel meant to you?
–During this time, we've learned to enjoy the moment; we don't make long-term plans, we live one day at a time, and we thank God for what we have—we don't focus on what we lack.
Living with him has helped us grow and become better people; it has changed the way we view life and live it.
Juan Luis, why is Sergio such a sweetheart to you guys?
–His arrival has brightened our lives in a unique way; his disability doesn’t set limits, but rather opens paths for us toward greater sensitivity and a deeper love. With him, we learn to celebrate every small step forward, to see the world through a different lens, and to discover the strength that comes from love. That’s why he’s our angel—because, without even trying, he makes us better people every day.
Juan Luis, what is your family like now? What joys does Sergio bring you?
–We’re a very close-knit family; everything revolves around Sergio. The joy of each day comes from taking care of him and being there for him, because due to his special needs, there are many things he can’t do on his own.
Paloma, what advice would you give to everyone who faces a surprise like the one you did, but is less prepared in every way?
–It's very hard to give someone advice because everyone deals with what happens to them in a different way.
It really helped me to see how Juan Luis dealt with it, and drawing closer to God gave me more confidence and a great deal of inner peace.
I think the key is to seek love and support from your immediate family and professional help from the appropriate specialists, and over time, everything will fall into place.
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This valley is the stronghold of the Maronite Church. For centuries, during times of persecution and instability, the Maronites literally entrenched themselves in Qadisha, building monasteries, communal monasteries, and hermitages where they preserved texts, liturgies, and memories; and it was from here that the Lebanese national identity emerged, shaping the country in the centuries that followed.
To Lebanon We've already devoted several articles to it: a small country with a vast cultural, human, and religious heritage. Now, just as I did with some Syrian shrines which I had the privilege of visiting on that same trip in 2008, I want to write about its heart: the Qadisha Valley and its monasteries.
Lebanon in the Morning
Lebanese mornings have those scents and flavors that aren't easily forgotten. And if you wake up in the mountains, with a breathtaking view before you—from the southern foothills of the Port of Beirut to the coast of Jounieh—the awakening is even more delightful.
The horn honks, and two black Range Rovers, packed with boisterous Lebanese, come to remind you of the day’s itinerary: breakfast with «kanafeh» on the outskirts of Beirut, a visit to the cedars of the Forest of the Cedars of God («Arz ar-Rabb»), arrival at the Holy Valley, and a visit to the monasteries.
The trip
In Lebanon, even cars have personality: from personalized license plates to roaring engines ready to tackle the grueling climbs and steep gradients that, over the course of about ten kilometers, take you from the sea to an altitude of 2,000 meters through twists and turns, narrow streets, and intersections.
And don't expect the trip to be a breeze if they're stuffing you like a turkey at every turn and your head won't stop turning to take in the wonderful scenery—the mountains, the sea peeking out from one curve to the next, and villages perched on the cliffs.
Nor can one expect the large group of hikers—all Lebanese except for yours truly—spread out among three SUVs, to move in an orderly and precise manner. Everyone stops wherever they want and for as long as they want; while you’re visiting a spot, you lose sight of the other two cars and might discover that one has gone ahead to the next stop and the other is still parked at the last rest stop.
The Cedars
First stop: one of Lebanon’s two most important nature reserves dedicated to cedars. This one is called «Arz ar-Rabb.» It is a wonderful place, a symbol of a country that was once completely covered by cedar forests, which, over the millennia, were even used for King Solomon’s Temple and contributed, along with purple dye, to the prosperity of the Phoenicians. Today, not much remains, but what we behold in the shade of these immense trees is a glimpse of paradise.
“No one’s going to touch you here! You’re in our territory!” a friend from the region—a Maronite stronghold for centuries—smiles at me, patting me on the back. And in that single sentence alone, I sense the reality of Lebanon—made up of peace and coexistence, but also of wars and entrenchment in one’s own ethnic and religious identity. And it all alternates, accumulates, and is assimilated, but it is never forgotten.
The Qadisha Valley
It is said in Lebanon that the fog rising from the Qadisha Valley is, in fact, the incense rising from its monasteries. And, in a way, that is exactly what Qadisha is: a holy valley («qadisha» in Aramaic means precisely «holy»), literally carved into the mountainside, opening up like a treasure cave.
Here, centuries of Maronite monasticism have shaped not only the spiritual landscape but also the physical one, leaving a visible mark on the cultivated terraces, the houses clinging to the rock face, and the trails connecting hermitages and monasteries—just as in the Mount Athos.
One detail that often catches the attention of visitors to Maronite churches and monasteries is the coexistence of monastic communities and hermitages. A monastic community (from the Greek «koinós bios«, «life in community») refers to a way of sharing life and prayer among two or more monks. The hermitage, on the other hand, is the retreat to which some monks withdraw for periods of more intense prayer—sometimes for the rest of their lives—while still welcoming pilgrims and the devout.
This valley is the stronghold of the Maronite Church. This Church, which follows the Syro-Antiochene rite and is in communion with Rome, originated precisely in these mountains, following in the footsteps of Saint Maron, a Syriac monk of the 4th–5th centuries. For centuries, during times of persecution and instability, the Maronites literally entrenched themselves in Qadisha, building monasteries, communal monasteries, and hermitages where they preserved texts, liturgies, and memories; and it was from here that the Lebanese national identity that shaped the country in subsequent centuries emerged.
The monasteries of the valley
Beyond the cedars, the car I’m riding in is the first (and the only one for several tens of minutes!) to arrive at the first monastery we visit: Deir Qannoubin, perhaps the most unique site for the Maronite Church. A monk explains to me that between 1440 and the 19th century, the patriarchs of the Maronite Church resided here (today the official seat is in Beirut, while the summer residence is in Dimane, also in the valley). In the chapels of Deir Qannoubin, as if cradled in the belly of the rock, lie the tombs of numerous Maronite patriarchs.
We stop for a moment of quiet reflection and then set off again before the others. “They’ll catch up with us anyway!” my carmates explain.
So, we headed toward Deir Mar Licha, another monastic center in the valley where it is evident, given the lush natural surroundings, that true monasticism is not a «fuga mundi,» but rather, I would say, an authentic «intelligentia mundi»: a way of being and understanding creation more deeply, and helping to shape it. Examples of this, in addition to the cells, are the vegetable gardens, the paths, and the terraced fields, which remind me of those at the Benedictine monasteries in Subiaco, near Rome.
A stop in Qozhaya (whose name, in Aramaic, means «treasure of life») is also a must. This monastery is famous not only for the age of its structure but also because, since 1584—thanks to a former student of the Maronite College in Rome—it has housed the first printing press in the Middle East. This makes it clear that its treasure also lies in the preservation and dissemination of culture.
We continued on toward Dimane (and I remember that, along the way, my questions about why we weren’t all traveling in a single, orderly convoy caused more surprise than indignation, as did my requests to stay a little longer at a monastery). This is where the Maronite patriarch’s summer residence stands, like a beacon overlooking the valley.
The stop under the waterfall
At last, the trio of all-rounders has managed to get together for what matters most: lunch!
In fact, between one monastery and the next, we stop in the shade of a small waterfall to enjoy a delicious Lebanese lunch at a local restaurant.
The wooden tables under the trees, the paper tablecloths, and the slightly rickety chairs, with the stream below us accompanying the parade of «hummus, tabbouleh, fattoush,» grilled meat, warm bread, and tomatoes—are the perfect setting for a way of life—the Mediterranean and Lebanese way—that is a continuous interweaving of the sacred and the profane, laughter and tears, heated arguments, hugs, and smiles.
And at the end of that day in August 2008, what remained with me was, certainly, the chaos of a disorganized group, the rush to run from one monastery to another (along with my stubborn insistence on straying from the itinerary), ancient cedars, and delicacies of every kind; but also a sense of nostalgia for a country I hope to visit again soon—a country I hope will always be, as Pope Francis described it, a message of peace—and for its people, that they may preserve “the dignity of faith, the nobility of hope. Just like the dignity and nobility of the cedar, the symbol of the country!”.
Vatican City is minting new coins featuring the likeness of Pope Leo XIV and is also commemorating the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi.
Attention, numismatists. The Vatican City State Mint has issued a new series of coins to commemorate the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV and the Jubilee Year of St. Francis of Assisi.
The first papal portrait in nearly a decade
The first series of euro coins from the pontificate of Pope Leo XIV features both the portrait and the coat of arms of the 267th successor of Peter. The series also includes a special five-euro commemorative coin depicting the moment when St. Francis renounced his worldly possessions before the bishop of Assisi to commemorate the 800th anniversary of the death of St. Francis of Assisi, with the obverse showing the portrait of Pope Leo XIV.
This is the first time in nearly a decade that the Vatican has issued coins bearing the portrait of a pope. In 2017, Pope Francis requested that his portrait no longer appear on Vatican coins, making the Vatican at that time the only euro-issuing country without the image of its head of state on its circulating coins.
From a collector's item to a coin for everyday use
The euro became the official currency of Vatican City in 2002. According to Coins Weekly, Vatican euro coins command very high prices among collectors due to their limited mintage and the high demand for the smallest mintings of all euro coins.
The current set of commemorative coins, with a face value of 3.88 euros, sells for 39 euros (about $45) on the official website of the Vatican's numismatic office. In 2009, the Vatican agreed to put at least 51 % of the minted coins into circulation at their face value, rather than solely as collector’s items, which led gift shops at the Vatican Museums and other businesses in the microstate to begin giving the 50-cent coins featuring the papal coat of arms as change.
Sister Raffaella Petrini, a Franciscan Sister of the Eucharist who serves as President of the Government of Vatican City State, recently described the Vatican City State Mint as «not only a place of production, but also a repository of historical and economic memory because, through the processes of engraving, casting, and minting, it creates coins that imprint a message of universal significance on metal.».
A design with references to Louis XIV
Distinctive elements of Pope Leo XIV’s coat of arms appear on the new Vatican two-euro coins, which feature a lily—symbolizing purity and devotion to the Virgin Mary—and a flaming heart pierced by an arrow resting on an open book, emblematic of Augustinian spirituality.
The design of the Vatican’s new coins is the work of Italian artist Daniela Longo, who also designed the coins for Pope Francis and Benedict XVI, as well as the special «sede vacante» coins issued in 2005 following the death of John Paul II. «Sede vacante» is the period during which the See of Rome is vacant prior to the election of a new pope.
With an Open Heart. How can we teach that God cares for us and loves us?
The Sacred Heart of Jesus is presented as a response to the desire to teach and experience God’s love, an experience that the documentary about Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque brings to the big screen.
August 18, 2026-Reading time: 2minutes
It’s always a challenge to introduce students to the big questions of life. Among them, the question of love is undoubtedly the most difficult. That’s why, these past few days, I was so grateful to be invited to the preview from the documentary Sacred Heart: His kingdom will have no end.
The gathering had that festive atmosphere typical of World Youth Day or meetings with the Pope: priests, religious brothers, and nuns—about 200 people—filled the movie theater. We sat down, the lights went out, and a young woman influencer He put it into context. “This production was an unprecedented success in France. They weren’t expecting many people, but half a million ended up attending. Since then, the feature film has been touring the world. It hits Chilean theaters this Thursday, August 20.”.
What is the plot? Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque (a nun of the Order of the Visitation in Paray-le-Monial, 17th century) received as a gift a spark from the Heart of Jesus. Through that grace, she personally experienced something of the love that God has for humanity. Centered around this theme, the film weaves in testimonies from people who experienced a transformation in their lives following their encounter with the Lord.
After an hour and a half, we left feeling moved, hearing all kinds of comments. “I really wish the students preparing for Confirmation could have come to see it,” remarked the chaplains from a school. “Did you cry?” others asked, somewhere between genuine curiosity and joking. As for me, I left in silence, feeling a bit overwhelmed. I got on the subway to head home and couldn’t bring myself to read a single line on my Kindle. I was in a state of shock… Is it possible to live like that—like Saint John resting on Jesus’ chest, day and night? I haven’t been able to get that question out of my head…
Along with this, I know there is a treasure here for my classes: How can I teach that God cares for us and loves us? The Sacred Heart of Jesus is, without a doubt, a powerful answer.
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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Jordan is preparing for the 2,000th anniversary of Jesus' baptism in 2030
Jordan has announced the start of preparations for the historic celebration of the 2,000th anniversary of the Baptism of Jesus in 2030, at the site where it took place, in Bethany Beyond the Jordan, also known as Al-Maghtas.
Jordan has kicked off preparations to celebrate the 2,000th anniversary of the Baptism of the Lord four years from now, in 2030, at the very site where St. John the Baptist baptized Jesus Christ, in Bethany, as described in the Gospel (John 1:28–34).
To date, four popes have visited this site of great religious significance: Saint Paul VI in 1964, followed by Saint John Paul II, Benedict XVI, and Francis. Jordan It is the only country to have hosted all four popes, who recognized the site's importance.
Pilgrims bathe on the Israeli bank of the Jordan River, overlooking Jordan, on January 28, 2023, at one of the sites traditionally believed to be the site of Christ's baptism (Photo by OSV News/Tom Tracy).
On August 12, Jordanian Prime Minister Jafar Hassan signed the agreements to begin development work on the land adjacent to the Site of the Baptism, in order to commemorate the second millennium of Christ's baptism in 2030, by order of King Abdullah II of Jordan.
Construction of a Museum of Baptism and Other Initiatives
The projects, with a total budget of $120 million, include the construction of a Baptism Museum and a village for pilgrims and visitors, as well as the development of nature trails near the World Heritage Site, in accordance with UNESCO’s recommendations for the site’s conservation.
King Abdullah and his government are working with Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, and the Council of Church Leaders in Jordan, including Auxiliary Bishop Iyad Twal, the Latin Patriarchal Vicar in Jordan. At the same time, they are coordinating ideas and efforts with Christian churches and institutions around the world.
Millions of pilgrims are expected
The organizers said they expect millions of Christian pilgrims and other participants to arrive at Jordan to take part in this historic commemoration of the Site of the Baptism, the starting point of Christ’s earthly mission following his baptism in the Jordan River.
In a file photo, rosaries are displayed in a souvenir shop as Orthodox Christian pilgrims make their way to Mass at a baptismal site on the banks of the Jordan River. (Photo by OSV News/Muhammad Hamed, Reuters).
‘A prophetic sign of unity’
During a meeting held on May 18 with King Abdullah and the country’s clergy, Cardinal Pizzaballa emphasized that “the Lord’s baptism is not merely a historical event of the past, but an eternal moment that still challenges each one of us.”.
“In it we see the humility of the Son of God, who entered the waters of the Jordan to sanctify creation and open the way to salvation for all of us,” said the cardinal.
“Baptism marks the beginning: the beginning of Christ’s mission and the beginning of our new life in it,” he said.
A clergyman carries the Gospels as the concelebrants enter in procession for Mass at the Catholic Church of the Baptism of Christ in Bethany Beyond the Jordan, near Amman, on January 9, 2026. (Photo by OSV News/Alaa Al Sukhni, Reuters).
Not merely a memory of the past, but a prophetic sign of unity, peace, and living faith
Recognizing King Abdullah’s work as custodian of the holy Christian sites and his efforts toward peace, Cardinal Pizzaballa stated that, by commemorating the baptism of Christ, “we can make 2030 not only a remembrance of the past, but a prophetic sign of unity, peace, and living faith for the whole world.”.
“May God be with us all as we prepare for this important event,” he added.
Jafar Hassan, Prime Minister of Jordan, highlighted Jordan’s message of coexistence, respect for others, peace, love, and human brotherhood. He also stated that the second millennium of the Baptism of Jesus Christ reflects Jordan’s historical and religious standing and its role as a global destination for Christian pilgrimage.
Hassan stated that the government is mobilizing all available resources to support the event, describing it as an opportunity to strengthen Jordan's position as a land of religious heritage and a global destination for Christian pilgrims.
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Dale Gavlak writes for OSV News from Amman, Jordan.
This information was originally published in OSV News. You can read it here.
During the recitation of the Angelus In Castel Gandolfo on August 16, Pope Leo XIV reflected on the Gospel passage about the Canaanite woman to denounce social injustices and issue a strong call for international peace.
In his address, the Pontiff emphasized that we can learn «humility and determination» from the figure of the Canaanite woman, recalling that through faith we come to understand that «God’s table is set for everyone and that no one is left with only crumbs.».
The Pope has asserted that «the inequalities, discrimination, and barriers that trample on the dignity of so many of God’s sons and daughters are unbearable.» He also called on the Church not to be afraid to «share the peace of Christ beyond the boundaries that have already been drawn.».
Urgent Call for a Two-State Solution in Palestine
After the Angelus prayer, the Holy Father turned his attention to the conflict in the Middle East. Leo XIV once again condemned the suffering of the civilian population: «I reiterate my call for an end to the repeated acts of violence against the Palestinian civilian population in West Bank".
In light of this escalation, he has urged diplomats and global institutions to act swiftly: «I urgently call on the international community to ensure progress toward a two-state solution, in the interest of a just and lasting peace.».
Sports as a Force for Peace and a Greeting to Pilgrims
The Pope also mentioned the Mediterranean Games, which will begin this week in Taranto, with athletes from Africa, Asia, and Europe participating. The Pontiff expressed his hope that this sporting event would become «a harbinger of peace and brotherhood among the peoples of this region and the entire world.»
Finally, he addressed a few words of affection to the faithful in attendance and sent his blessing to the participants in the pilgrimage to the Shrine of Piekary Śląskie, in Upper Silesia.
Rhoda Wise, a housewife from Ohio and a mystic with stigmata, near the altars
Rhoda Wise, a resident of Ohio, was a layperson, a wife, and an adoptive mother, but she was also a stigmatized mystic. After a life marked by adversity, she may now be declared Venerable by the Church.
Wise’s cause for canonization took an important step forward on July 7, when the Diocese of Youngstown, Ohio (United States), announced that the official “positio”—a comprehensive document detailing his life of virtue and the alleged miracles—had been submitted to the Vatican’s Dicastery for the Causes of Saints.
The Dicastery will investigate her life, determine whether she should be declared venerable, and recommend to the Pope that he make such a declaration.
The Life of Wise
Wise was declared a Servant of God in 2017 when the late Bishop George V. Murry of Youngstown initiated her cause for canonization. She was born into a Protestant family of modest means in 1888, according to the EWTN program “They Might Be Saints” (They might be saints),” broadcast July 7, 2022. She endured a life of adversity, including infertility, the loss of one of her two adopted daughters, and an alcoholic husband who couldn't hold down a job.
In the 1930s, Wise suffered from several health problems, including an 18-kilo ovarian cyst and a foot fracture that did not heal properly. During one of her hospital stays, she befriended the Sisters of Charity of St. Augustine, who taught her to pray the rosary and told her about St. Thérèse of Lisieux, to whom she eventually developed a deep devotion. According to her diary, she was received into the Catholic Church on January 1, 1939.
Miraculously healed after a vision of Christ and Saint Teresa
On May 8, 1939, doctors at Mercy Hospital in Canton, Ohio, sent her home to die. The painful wound in her abdomen, resulting from abdominal surgery, had become infected, and several surgical attempts to remove an abscess had failed. Shortly after returning home, she began to have visions of Christ and, later, of St. Teresa.
After having a vision of Christ and Saint Teresa on June 28, 1939, she wrote in her diary that she had been miraculously healed.
“I was amazed to discover that the wound on my abdomen had completely healed,” he wrote. “My family and friends were overjoyed, and in the days that followed, many people came to my house to see me.”.
According to the website for Rhoda Wise's House and Grotto, She continued to have visions until her death in 1948, and beginning on Good Friday, April 3, 1942, she experienced the stigmata every first Friday of the month, from 12:00 to 15:00, until 1945.
Stigmata on his forehead, hands, and feet
Bleeding stigmata appeared on Wise's forehead and continued to appear and bleed intermittently over the next two years. In 1943, bleeding stigmata appeared on his hands and feet, as well as on his forehead. Many visitors to Wise's home witnessed these stigmata.
As her reputation for holiness spread, many visitors came to speak with her and pray outside her home, which remains a place of pilgrimage to this day.
Ryan Schweitzer, who has served as assistant director of the Wise home and nonprofit organization in Canton since the fall of 2023, said that in 2025 alone, 5,500 people from 19 countries visited the home. Healing—both physical and spiritual—is common at the home, Schweitzer said.
The Lord told him that there would be many miracles there
“Our Lord had told Rhoda that there would be many more miracles here, in this place—many more wonderful miracles than the ones she experienced—and Our Lord has kept His word,” Schweitzer told OSV News.
In 2018, Dr. Mark Shoag was diagnosed with stage 4 sarcoma and given six months to live. As chemotherapy took its toll on his body, his wife, Betsy Shoag, read Wise’s diary to him, according to the EWTN program.
One day, when Mark was too weak to get out of bed, Betsy took his shirt to the Wise family's house to pray for a miracle. When she returned, she found Mark awake and asking for permission to leave the house.
“I went from believing that science could explain everything to believing that… miracles exist,” said Mark, who survived eight years longer than expected before passing away in 2024.
“Without Rhoda Wise, there would have been no Mother Angelica, founder of EWTN”
EWTN traces its origins to a miracle that took place at the Wise family home.
According to EWTN, As a teenager, Mother Angelica—then Rita Antoinette Rizzo—was taken to see Wise in the hope of being cured of a debilitating stomachache caused by a rare condition called gastrointestinal ptosis. .
The EWTN program about Wise recounts that Rhoda recommended that Rita pray a novena, after which her stomach ailment suddenly disappeared. This miracle changed the course of her life, prompting her to take religious vows and, later, to found EWTN.
Rita joined the Congregation of the Poor Clares of Perpetual Adoration, taking the name Sister María Angélica de la Anunciación, and in 1981 she founded what is now a global Catholic media organization.
“If Rhoda Wise hadn’t existed, Mother Angelica wouldn’t have existed, because her healings led her to her vocation and to EWTN,” said Karen Sigler, who directs the Rhoda Wise Shrine.
Next Steps
Father John Sheridan, of the Diocese of Youngstown and the liaison for Wise’s cause, said that Wise’s “positio” will be reviewed by two Vatican commissions: the theological commission and the historical commission.
“The historical commission will examine the life and times of Rhoda Wise, who grew up in Ohio, United States, beginning in the 1880s, and lived through the Great Depression and World War I and World War II,” Father Sheridan told OSV News. “Theologians will examine the claims that she was a mystic and that she experienced stigmata.”.
These commissions will submit separate recommendations to the bishops, cardinals, and experts who make up the Dicastery for the Causes of Saints. The dicastery may then recommend to the Pope that he declare the candidate’s heroic virtues and that the Church grant him the title of “Venerable.”.
The next steps in the canonization process are beatification and canonization. In general, each step requires that a miracle attributed to Wise’s intercession have been verified.
She could be the patron saint of those who struggle with addiction
If she is ever canonized, Father Sheridan remarked that she could be the patron saint of those struggling with addiction, since her husband eventually overcame his alcoholism. She could also be the patron saint of homemakers or adoptive mothers.
“Rhoda Wise embodies the virtues of patience and perseverance,” Sheridan said. “She lived in poverty, and even though many people came to her home, she never tried to get rich. She continued to live in the same humble home and lead a life of extreme poverty. I think there’s something beautiful about that.”.
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Anna Dougherty writes for OSV News from Texas.
This information has been originally published in OSV News, and can be found at here.
When Martin Scorsese was a child, he assisted Father Francis Principe—an important figure in his life—at Mass. After the blessing, little Martin would wonder, “Why can life go on as usual after what just happened? Why haven’t the Body and Blood of Christ moved the world?”.
He recounts this in a conversation with Antonio Spadaro, a priest and essayist, in Conversations About Faith (ESPASA, 2015). There is much discussion of the filmography of the director of *Raging Bull* (1980); perhaps even more extensively about “Silence” (2016), “Killers of the Flower Moon” (2023), and, at times, about “The Last Temptation of Christ” (1988). Scorsese devotes a few lines to the Dardenne brothers because “they make films of spiritual suspense” about people who “seem neither good nor bad—they’re just people”; and he gives the priest—months before Pope Leo XIV himself recommended it to everyone—a copy of “The Practice of the Presence of God” by Brother Lorenzo: “When I was little, I used to ask myself, ”What’s the point of praying? What does it mean to pray for something? Why is it done within the four walls of a church?“ Brother Lorenzo provided the answers. His whole life is prayer.‘.
There is one thing that interests Spadaro—as it does anyone interested in stories—and that is the theme of freedom: the depth of the stories depends on how freedom is understood from an anthropological perspective. They have this conversation in the context of the writer Marilynne Robinson, until the priest asks directly: Do you believe in a character’s predestination? “Obviously, as creators of works of fiction, we know what our characters are going to do. But when it comes to finding the right way to tell these stories, it’s important to keep in mind the mystery of humanity. Why do they do ‘that’ instead of ‘the other thing’? Human freedom is undoubtedly important in my films; otherwise, we wouldn’t be talking about redemption. When Father Principe told us, ‘You don’t have to live like this,’ he was actually telling us that there was another spiritual path that would not only take us out of the neighborhood but would also open our hearts and minds. He was teaching us that we had the freedom to choose.”.
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Who decides the education of our children?
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