Catholic News

Assisi is preparing to welcome thousands of pilgrims Oct. 3–4 when the main celebrations marking the 800th anniversary of St. Francis' death will take place. On his feast day, Oct. 4, the city will also welcome the president of Italy, Sergio Mattarella.

A solemn Mass will be celebrated by Cardinal Matteo Maria Zuppi, archbishop of Bologna and president of the Italian Bishops' Conference, with Cardinal Ángel Fernández Artime, the papal legate for the basilicas of Assisi, in attendance, Vatican News reported.

Activities surrounding the anniversary began on Sept. 24 and will run until Oct. 5. In addition to liturgical celebrations, cultural events and various charitable initiatives are being celebrated — among them the traditional procession dedicated to the saint at the Porziuncola.

One of the key moments will be the "Transitus," the observance commemorating St. Francis' final hours before his death.

The new bishop of Assisi, Felice Accrocca, noted that the figure of the saint continues to spark wide interest.

"St. Francis continues to fascinate people from all continents and cultures, thanks to his radical interpretation of the Gospel and his vision of society rooted in peace, fraternity, and hope," he noted.

According to the prelate, many of the concerns Francis addressed during his lifetime remain relevant today. "Francis is, in fact, ahead of us," he stated, referring to interfaith dialogue, the pursuit of peace, and care for our common home.

"His vision continues to inspire and challenge us," he added.

A remembrance that looks to the future

For Accrocca, the anniversary is not merely about looking to the past.

Speaking to Vatican Media, he described the celebrations as a journey "between remembrance and the future." Remembering Francis, he explained, can offer keys to understanding the present moment.

Accrocca highlighted that the saint's teachings remain relevant because they constitute "a radical interpretation of the Gospel."

A city that continues to welcome pilgrims

The October celebrations follow months of intense activity in Assisi.

Between February and March, the exposition of the mortal remains of St. Francis drew nearly 400,000 pilgrims, according to data presented at a press conference reported by Vatican News.

Fraternity will be another theme of the anniversary. Friar Marco Moroni, custos of the Sacred Convent of St. Francis, noted that the saint himself spoke of his brothers as a gift received from God.

"The Lord gave me brothers," recalled Friar Moroni, quoting the Testament of St. Francis.

The friar explained that the Sacred Convent currently brings together more than 50 friars from some 20 different countries. For him, this life shared by people of diverse cultures demonstrates that fraternity, while not always easy, can be lived out in practice.

"It is also possible in the world," he affirmed.

The events in October will also hold special significance as they coincide with the 40th anniversary of the interfaith gathering for peace convened by St. John Paul II in Assisi in 1986.

On that occasion, representatives of various religions came together to pray for peace. Four decades later, the anniversary of St. Francis' death will once again place Assisi at the center of a gathering centered on that same theme.

The life and person of the saint has continued to impact new generations of Catholics. Among them is Carlo Acutis, who, although not from Assisi, asked to be buried there.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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The Diocese of Tlaxcala in Mexico began celebrations marking the 500th anniversary of the martyrdom of Sts. Cristóbal, Antonio, and Juan, known as the Child Martyrs of Tlaxcala, considered the protomartyrs of the Americas, with a reminder that their blood "opened the way for the faith on the continent."

On Sept. 23, the date of their liturgical memorial, the Diocese of Tlaxcala inaugurated the Jubilee of Holiness and Mission with a Mass. The jubilee will conclude on Sept. 23, 2027.

Cristóbal died a martyr in 1527, at around the age of 12, after his own father punished him for destroying idols. Antonio and Juan gave their lives two years later in 1529 while participating in an evangelization mission.

They were beatified on May 6, 1990, at the Basilica of Our Lady of Guadalupe in Mexico City and canonized by Pope Francis on Oct. 15, 2017, in St. Peter's Square at the Vatican.

'They didn't wait until they were adults' to evangelize

In his homily for the Mass on Sept. 23, Bishop Julio César Salcedo Aquino of Tlaxcala highlighted that the celebration seeks to highlight the testimony of the three young martyrs as an example of holiness and renew "missionary zeal."

The prelate pointed out that Cristóbal, Antonio, and Juan, even as children, "embodied to the letter the words of Christ."

"God's protection does not mean an absence of physical hardships or persecution" but rather the grace to "persevere in the faith," he noted.

In this regard, Salcedo recalled that Cristóbal "did not fear threats from his own family," while Antonio and Juan "maintained the joy of the mission despite knowing the danger they were in."

"The protomartyrs of the Americas did not wait until they were adults or had some official title to become evangelizers," he stated. Educated by Franciscan friars, he added, "they became the first catechists of their people [and thus] shared their experience of faith."

The bishop pointed out that this commitment to evangelization ultimately led them to lay down their lives. "They were beaten with clubs and burned for bearing witness to the truth of the Gospel." That they willingly shed their blood for Christ "was a very moving example to the Indigenous communities and opened the way for the faith on the continent," he added.

Salcedo pointed out that "children, adolescents, and young people exposed to so many secularist ideologies need models of piety and of apostolic and missionary generosity rooted in Gospel values."

The Apostolic Penitentiary granted a plenary indulgence for the jubilee year at the Shrine of the Child Martyrs in the town of Atlihuetzia.

To obtain it, the faithful must fulfill the usual conditions: confession, Communion, prayer for the pope's intentions, and detachment from all sin, even venial sin.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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ABOARD THE PAPAL FLIGHT — Pope Leo XIV said he takes seriously the warnings raised by tech experts about the dangers of AI — including risks to humanity — but he is not panicking over dire predictions.

"If someone were to ask me, am I in panic mode, no I'm not, I sleep at night. I do think the concerns raised by many experts in AI should be taken seriously," the pope told reporters accompanying him on his flight to Rome from Metz, France, Sept. 28.

"I don't think that is fake news, as some have said, to try and cause … financial or some other kind of benefit," he added.

A former safety researcher at the AI company Anthropic warned earlier this month that he believes the technology's rapid advancement could mean there's a more than 10% chance that AI could "could kill all humans" within a decade.

Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei responded by calling on the AI industry to slow down the pace of advanced model development to address risks, and other industry leaders publicly supported his call.

That drew criticism of Amodei from President Donald Trump, who dismissed dire scenarios and said restrictions on AI development in the U.S. would benefit China. The two men dined together on Sunday in an apparent attempt to address their differences.

The pope's encyclical on AI, Magnifica Humanitas, published just four months ago, included a broad call for regulation of the technology.

In recent months, concerns have grown over AI's risks of creating advanced cyberattacks and autonomous agents that will get past human control and threaten humanity.

Pope Leo told journalists on Monday that the Vatican has organized its own commission on AI, both to coordinate its own use of the technology and to "continue to promote dialogue, study, investigation to find ways to make sure that AI doesn't get to a point where it destroys humanity."

"But we have to keep working. We can't just sit back and pretend nothing is going to happen," he said.

Leo was returning to Rome after a four-day trip to France.

In response to another reporter's question, the pope said it was vital for the Church to proclaim Catholic social doctrine even on controversial matters such as end-of-life issues and political extremism.

Asked if he had "crossed a line" in France, where there is a strict separation of church and state, by speaking against the recent legalization there of euthanasia and assisted suicide, he said: "I didn't cross it," because "we're not entering into politics; we're applying the Gospel to people's lives."

"The defense of life is something that, as you all know, the Church teaches, believes very deeply," the pope said.

"Being in a place especially like Lourdes, where people are searching for something much deeper and understanding that their lives, even in the midst of sickness or disability or pain of different kinds, that their life has meaning, the Church, because of Jesus himself, wants to be close to those people and to affirm the values that that life itself I think holds for all of us," the pope said.

Asked whether he thought clerical sexual abuse was "systemic" in the Church, Leo said he preferred "to express it in a different way."

He said some organizations within the Church have, at times, "as a system, been abusive."

"But I think it's important to make the distinction. Sexual abuse is first and foremost a human problem. … When it happens within the Church it actually has another whole dimension added to it, because people's lives of faith are deeply wounded and sometimes even destroyed," the pontiff said.

"The Church, in certain ways, has been seen as being responsible, but in the same way, the Church, I think, is an important part of helping [victims] to find healing."

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A Polish priest who was injured in a deadly mass stabbing attack on a convent in southeast Poland last week called for "love" and "forgiveness" as he delivered his Saturday evening homily while wearing a bandage around his head, which remained visibly bruised.

"No matter what happened, we must overcome the evil that happened here, in our abbey, with goodness, love, and forgiveness," Father Adrian Mantykiewicz told the congregation during his Sept. 26 homily at the Benedictine Abbey in Jaroslaw, Poland, where the knife attack had occurred two days earlier.

"Therefore, I ask you to forgive, because it has affected all of you," he said, according to a transcript published by the Polish Jesuit news website DEON.pl.

Police arrested a 31-year-old Ukrainian man for the attack, which killed one priest and sent four other people to the hospital. Father Stanislaw Zbojniewicz died at the hospital from his injuries, and Father Marek Pienkowski remains in serious condition in the hospital.

Mantykiewicz told people not to blame the Ukrainian people because only one single person is responsible for the attack. He noted the convent — which is in a small town near the border with Ukraine — has provided support for many people who fled the Russia-Ukraine war.

"From this place, I also want to ask you not to blame the nation from which the torturer belonged, because the evil was committed by a specific person, a specific person who has a name, a life, and is responsible for his actions," he said. "Other people did not do this. This was one, unique person."

Mantykiewicz said he speaks in his own name and in the names of Zbojniewicz and Pienkowski when he says "very emphatically that we forgive and we ask you to pray for us."

"For prayers for Father Stanislaw [Zbojniewicz], for the peace of his soul, for the health of Father Marek [Pienkowski], who is still fighting for his life in the hospital, and for me, that I may return to my duties as soon as possible and continue to serve you here," he said.

The priest also asked people to pray for the attacker, specifically for "the grace of conversion," saying "he needs this prayer the most." He asked "not to respond to evil with evil but with love, support, understanding, and care" and to respect all people in the abbey, in the community, and in the country, including respect for Ukrainian refugees.

Mantykiewicz said in his homily that "this sermon is difficult for me," but he said first and foremost, "I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, I am a disciple of my Master, I am a disciple of my Lord, and Christ teaches me to love."

"Love that allowed itself to be crucified," he said. "Love that gave its life for its enemies. Such is my Lord and Master. And I am his servant."

According to prosecutors, a man identified as Ihor M. faced charges for the attack. According to a statement, the investigation is ongoing, but he was charged with murder, attempted murder, and causing serious injury to victims.

The suspect is receiving medical care, and prosecutors requested a public defender for him. He was appointed a Ukrainian translator.

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Pope Leo XIV addressed European leaders at the Robert Schuman Conference Center in Metz on the final day of his Sept. 25–28 visit to France. The title of the event was "To the Roots of Europe for Peace and Unity."

From there he traveled to the Metz Cathedral — a towering Gothic structure dedicated to St. Stephen and nicknamed "the Good Lord's lantern" for its large expanse of stained glass — where he celebrated Mass before 35,000 people both inside and outside the cathedral, according to the Vatican. He returned to Rome in the evening.

Here is a look at his day in photos:

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Church leaders continue to draw attention to what they call the "indiscriminate" enforcement actions of U.S. federal immigration officials as they urged Catholics on the World Day of Migrants and Refugees to pray, help immigrants, and advocate for policy change.

Pope Leo XIV titled this year's observance of World Day of Migrants and Refugees "Even Just One of These Children," citing Matthew 18:5: "Whoever welcomes one such child in my name welcomes me."

Cardinal Robert McElroy of Washington, D.C., said in a homily on Sunday, Sept. 27, that "for the last year and a half, the people of the United States have witnessed the suffering of the undocumented in our midst, purposely and strategically magnified by our government, and for the most part, we have simply passed on by."

McElroy wrote that "Jesus weeps all across our nation for the children who have been arrested, detained, transported to far-off centers with terrible living conditions, and cut off from their families."

The cardinal described the case of a 5-year-old boy in Minneapolis, Liam Ramos, who along with his father was arrested by Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) officers and was "imprisoned for a month until an outraged federal judge ordered him to be released."

After being held for about 10 days, on Jan. 31, U.S. District Judge Fred Biery in San Antonio ordered their release, writing in his order that the case grew from "the ill-conceived and incompetently-implemented government pursuit of daily deportation quotas, apparently even if it requires traumatizing children."

Biery attached a photo and two Gospel verses to his order: Matthew 19:14 ("Let the little children come to me, and do not hinder them") and John 11:35 ("Jesus wept").

In March an immigration judge denied the family's asylum claim and ordered them removed to Ecuador.

McElroy also decried the government's ending of temporary protected status (TPS) for nearly 1 million people, saying refugees admitted under it "never broke any law."

The cardinal said: "They are being deported because of a general desire to exclude immigrants from American society. They are being deported because the bigotry that has often tarnished American immigrant history is rampant once again in our nation."

The Trump administration has stated it ended TPS because it says conditions in many countries have improved and the program "has been abused and exploited by illegal aliens" and has become a "de facto amnesty" program.

TPS is granted when the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) determines that a country is temporarily unsafe to return to because of armed conflict, disaster, or other extraordinary conditions. Congress designed TPS in the Immigration Act of 1990 as a time-limited humanitarian designation intended to be temporary; it is not a path to citizenship.

TPS holders are lawfully present and authorized to work while the designation lasts. After termination of TPS, however, people who remain commit a civil immigration violation.

Yakima, Washington, bishop calls for 'surgical deportation'

Bishop Joseph Tyson of the Diocese of Yakima, Washington, also issued a message on Sunday, lamenting that "Yakima County seems to be disproportionately targeted" by immigration enforcement actions. He cited Freedom of Information Act data he had obtained, which he said showed that "fewer than a fourth" of the people ICE had detained between March and August had a criminal record.

Tyson called for "a public policy that allows for a surgical deportation of those with serious criminal records" rather than the "indiscriminate deportation" of immigrants who "have lived here for years" and are often "detained in front of courthouses while pursuing legal pathways to regularize their legal status."

Andrew Arthur, a national-security and immigration expert at the Center for Immigration Studies, told EWTN News that "immigration laws — like every other law — are meaningless unless they are enforced."

"Border security — which even the bishops support — is impossible without interior enforcement and deportations of those who entered illegally," even if they have not committed other crimes, he said.

Referring to Tyson's recommendation for "surgical deportations" for those with "serious criminal records," Arthur, a former immigration judge, explained that the law does not require that "serious" crimes be committed before deportation takes place.

"A 'serious crime' is one that impacts or threatens any other person," he said. Regardless "there is no reason to wait until a drunk driver kills someone before he is deported … There is no reason that the American people should be threatened by a criminal immigrant who should never have been here to begin with."

McElroy also described ongoing immigration enforcement as a "wholesale war" on immigrants, which Arthur called a "reckless statement."

"Using military terminology in this context denigrates federal officers who are tasked with a very difficult job," Arthur said.

DHS affirms continued arrests of 'anyone' in country illegally

The Department of Homeland Security refuted a report circulating on Sept. 26 that said anonymous ICE officials claimed they were instructed to cease arresting illegal immigrants who had not committed crimes other than entering or remaining in the country illegally.

In a statement to EWTN News as well as in a social media post, DHS called the claim "false," saying: "No one is off the table. We will continue to arrest any and all illegal aliens that come into our path. Anyone in our country illegally will be arrested and deported."

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VILNIUS, Lithuania — More than 1,000 pro-life advocates gathered in Vilnius on Sept. 26 for the country's second March for Life, braving cold winds, morning rain, and autumn fog to affirm the dignity and value of every human life.

Families, students, and older people joined a warmly spirited program of personal testimonies, hopeful speeches, and musical performances celebrating life.

The march took place amid continuing political debate in Lithuania over family policy and declining birth rates. Lawmakers also remain divided over reproductive legislation, including access to abortion and in vitro fertilization.

Organizers stressed that the event sought to move beyond abstract slogans and political declarations by focusing on the realities of family life. Speakers addressed motherhood, fatherhood, and the challenges posed by child loss, disability, illness, and old age.

Throughout the march, participants and speakers affirmed the equal dignity of every person — especially unborn children — regardless of health, age, or ethnicity.

Saulius Karosas, a father, illustrated that conviction by describing how welcoming children with special needs reshaped his family's outlook. After their fourth child, Iva, was born with Down syndrome, the family adopted Motiejus, a boy with the same condition. Karosas said embracing the children transformed the family's understanding of human worth and beauty and how they recognize the value of others.

Courage and perseverance

The event also drew pro-life advocates from across Europe and the Americas. Featured speakers included Agnese Irbe, OFS, founder of Latvia's Peripatos Philosophers' Association; Marcin Perlowski, director of the Polish pro-life foundation Centrum Zycia i Rodziny; and Patricia Sandoval, an international pro-life speaker and co-host of EWTN's "Informe Provida."

Sandoval described the Vilnius march as deeply moving. "I was impressed by the zeal of the youth that attended the march," she told EWTN News, noting that they were "on the front line." She recalled the peaceful atmosphere, in which participants sang "hymns and songs of joy," and praised the event as "very well organized."

Sandoval, who shared her testimony of undergoing three abortions and later working for Planned Parenthood, said speaking in Vilnius held particular significance. "Vilnius is the city of mercy," she said, describing the opportunity to share her story as "a very emotional and very exciting moment."

Offering spiritual encouragement to participants, Sandoval urged advocates to remain strong regardless of political outcomes. "Remain steadfast, persevere, and be faithful to do his will," she said.

From Christian witness to practical help

Speaking to EWTN News, Archbishop Gintaras Grušas of Vilnius said he hoped the event would help "a culture of life grow in Lithuania" — one in which every "human being is welcomed as a gift from the very beginning of life."

For Grušas, that culture must be experienced concretely. "I would be especially glad to see a practical change," he said, so that "a woman who feels anxious about her pregnancy knows where to turn, finds someone who will listen, and receives the support she needs." He also said he hoped "families feel supported by their communities, employers, and public institutions."

"We build a culture of life through many everyday decisions," he said. In a city known as the "City of Mercy," he added: "I hope mothers, children, and families will increasingly experience that mercy here."

The archbishop also pointed to the responsibility of men. "A man's steady presence can make an enormous difference," he said, describing fatherhood as beginning before a child is born through "supporting the mother, listening to her, sharing her concerns, and preparing together to welcome the child."

Grušas cited St. Joseph as a model of quiet responsibility. "He speaks no words in the Gospels, yet his care for Mary and Jesus is unmistakable."

He described the march as "Christian witness with a civic dimension," saying Catholics can participate in public life while seeking the common good. "We must keep in view both the dignity of the unborn child and the real needs of the mother," he said, calling for public conversation "grounded in respect and followed by practical help."

Builders of a culture of life

Archbishop Kestutis Kevalas of Kaunas told EWTN News at the march that building a culture of life requires men to embrace their roles as "fathers, leaders, and providers." He urged them to take an active part in their children's religious upbringing and formation.

That responsibility, he said, belongs to every Christian. Too often, people assume that "somebody else will do this" rather than recognize that "we are the people who need to take personal responsibility in creating the culture of life."

For Kevalas, this means fostering "prayer groups, family movements, and also the consciousness of the culture of life." Christians, he added, are called to become "collaborators of God" in transmitting life and the Gospel of Life.

Asked what most threatens a culture of life, the archbishop pointed beyond individual social trends to "the faith problem." The deeper question, he said, is whether people understand that "we are given the gift of life" and are called to give others "the possibility of life."

He also warned against a materialistic mindset in which families "count the cost" of having children primarily in material terms. Greater trust in God, he said, can foster "a culture of trust and encouragement."

Ultimately, he called Catholics to reject passivity. "We need to be not those who are just looking or observing life, but ones creating life and building the culture," he said. He compared this vocation to that of the builders of medieval cathedrals, who laid foundations they would never see completed, trusting that their work would contribute to "a beautiful creation."

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JOHANNESBURG, South Africa — The new Council of Priests (COP) of the Southern African Catholic Bishops' Conference has been lauded for fostering collaboration between its members and bishops and promoting a synodal approach to addressing issues affecting the priesthood.

Speaking to ACI Africa, the sister service of EWTN News in Africa, in an interview at the council's first strategic planning meeting held Sept. 9–11, COP vice chairperson Father Alex Beukes said the new structure responds to the need for closer collaboration between bishops and priests.

Beukes compared the COP structure with the former Southern African Council of Priests, saying: "The one reason for the change to COP is that we found that there was not much collaboration between bishops and priests."

He said COP was established by the bishops as a collaborative and synodal body through which priests can share their experiences and concerns.

Beukes said the previous arrangement brought priests together for meetings but did not give them sufficient space to address issues affecting their ministry in the different dioceses.

"It's COP which changed that, because it's a collaborative ministry, and it's also synodal in its inception, that priests and bishops work together in solving various issues that are fundamental to the priesthood in the different dioceses in southern Africa," he said.

Held under the theme "Strengthening Priestly Communion, Stewardship, and Mission for a Sustainable Church," the meeting focused on strengthening collaboration between bishops and priests, establishing priorities for the period 2026–2029, and addressing key challenges affecting priestly life and ministry.

The two-day meeting brought together representatives from dioceses and archdioceses across South Africa and Eswatini, representing diverse experiences of diocesan, religious, and missionary priesthood.

In the interview, Beukes said the broad representation at the first strategic planning meeting provided an opportunity for priests and bishops from across South Africa to share their experiences and discuss issues affecting the priesthood.

"The beauty of this first encounter is that every diocese and archdiocese in all of South Africa is represented," he said, adding that many dioceses had embraced the idea of closer collaboration between bishops and priests.

He explained that the discussions were not limited to bishops, with priests also contributing their experiences and concerns.

"And we could then speak together synodally, if you can actually call it that, and we can have a conversation in the spirit about issues that really affect the whole priesthood in the southern African diocese," he said.

Beukes said COP's structure, which brings together chairpersons of priests' councils from different dioceses, would also support the implementation of the synodal process at the diocesan level.

He said the structure gives the chairpersons access to bishops, vicars general, and other members involved in the council of priests, enabling them to communicate issues raised by priests and follow up on their implementation.

On the priorities discussed during the strategic planning meeting, Beukes said participants had addressed several issues that priests had previously identified as important.

"We've gone through a lot of priorities; we call them strategic priorities. And the ones that we have touched on are also ones that the priests in the general meeting had also asked us to look at. And we did," he said.

He added that the meeting also brought in people with expertise on the issues under discussion, with finances among the priorities examined.

"We started with the priority on finances and how finances have changed over a period of time, and how it also affects parishes and affects priests who work in parishes," Beukes said.

He said the discussions were intended to provide practical insights that priests could take back to their parishes and dioceses.

"All the priorities, those who speak to us, are things that we can take back to a parish council, but also to the diocese itself," he said.

For priests from the participating dioceses, the meeting also provided an opportunity to address practical challenges affecting priestly life and ministry.

Father Sandile Mswane of the Diocese of Manzini, Eswatini, said the discussions covered finances, revenues, the changing face of the Church, healthcare, and self-care, describing the meeting as "an eye-opener" that would provide insights to share with priests in his diocese.

Father Albert Post of the Diocese of The Hague identified financial pressures, retirement policies, and mental stress among the concerns requiring attention, while Father Lawrence Kamala of the Diocese of Port Elizabeth, South Africa, said the meeting had highlighted the need to strengthen the bond between bishops and priests as well as among priests themselves.

This story was first published by ACI Africa, the sister service EWTN News in Africa, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

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Leaders of artificial intelligence commissions at the Vatican and U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) called on the technology industry not to pursue profit or victory in the AI race at the expense of workers.

In a Sept. 25 interview with Montse Alvarado on "EWTN News In Depth," Cardinal Michael Czerny, who leads the Vatican's Commission on AI, and San Jose Bishop Oscar Cantú, who heads the USCCB's Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity formed in response Pope Leo XIV's call for cooperation in  Magnifica Humanitas, discussed how AI may reshape the workforce.

Two days before Czerny and Cantú spoke on "EWTN News In Depth," OpenAI CEO Sam Altman and Anthropic CEO Dario Amodei made an urgent appeal to the U.N. Security Council for international standards to curb risks from rapid AI development.

Czerny said: "Catholic social teaching says that companies, that investors and management, owe care to the workers." 

"They are not to be used, exploited simply as part of the production process," Czerny continued. "They are not just cogs in the machine, they are human beings who are living out their dignity in this very, very important field of work." 

He called leaders in the AI industry to care for its people and employees, and not to "pursue profit or win the AI race at the expense of human dignity."

Amid fears that AI will result in the loss of jobs, Czerny said: "I think we are treating it as a zero-sum game in an unhelpful sense."

"Maybe we should say, 'No, the question isn't whether jobs will be lost, the question is how much is AI going to help us to create more meaningful and more human beneficial work among its achievements?'" he said. "This has to be one of its goals, not just us protesting against job loss."

Touching on the labor issue as well, Cantú said he hopes the reports from labs that he has met with are true in that they don't anticipate significant job loss.

"But I think we should be prepared, and we should go into this wide-eyed and continuing to put forward for the lab developers that at the center needs to be human dignity and the common good," Cantú said.

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For the first time in history, the Vatican is aiming for an Oscar nomination with "Green Lava," a 39-minute documentary recounting the life of Giacomo Mattivi. The 25-year-old Italian man suffers from Duchenne muscular dystrophy. His older brother had the same condition and died following a respiratory crisis.

"Giacomo was in the same room and saw him die. The documentary unflinchingly portrays that moment and the suffering it caused him, also aware that his own future is also marked by the disease. Yet, alongside death, there is also resurrection. In a way, that is the cross running through the entire story, because Giacomo finds the strength not to let himself be defeated and to keep moving forward," Lia Beltrami, who co-directed the documentary with Ali Aksu, explained to ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News.

Giacomo Mattivi's daily life

The production follows the daily life of this highly intelligent young man with exquisite sensitivity as he dreams of becoming a sociologist while not shying away from the progressive physical deterioration he has endured.

Over the course of more than two decades, the disease has caused him to lose much of his muscle strength. As a child, he could walk, but today he gets around in a wheelchair. He can barely move his hands and head, just enough to control the wheelchair. Furthermore, he needs to spend many hours connected to a ventilator.

The film "tells the story of a family raising two children with such a severe illness. The parents know their children's lives will be marked by hardship and will likely be shorter. Even simple activities, like getting up in the morning, require hours of assistance," Beltrami noted.

Faith and family: The only way to persevere

Despite the severity of the illness, Giacomo's life is a testament to hope, which the documentary captures well by showing how faith has helped the family persevere. The young man is no longer afraid to face the end of his life head-on, and he has even found meaning in his brother's death.

He is currently finishing his sociology studies and will dedicate his thesis to the subject of death. "He wants to talk about a reality that is taboo in our society, considering both what might lie beyond death and what happens before reaching it," the Italian director explained.

The documentary was filmed in the Dolomites, the mountain range in northern Italy where Giacomo lives, and images of pine forests envelop the entire setting.

In fact, the title of the documentary, "Green Lava," is no coincidence. "For Giacomo, the green of the pines is an essential pillar of his life, while the lava represents the force of a volcano. He feels like a volcano and needs that lava to remain forever alive, never to petrify," Beltrami explained, evoking the idea that identity must undergo profound, sometimes strange and violent, changes in order to keep growing.

In Hollywood

Last week, the production was presented in Los Angeles as part of the process to qualify for Academy Award consideration. "Green Lava" was screened at the Lumiere Music Hall in Beverly Hills, California, Sept. 18–24.

The film was produced by the Vatican through the company Emotions to Generate Change in collaboration with Vatican News and Vatican Media.

The initiative marks the first time a production linked to the Holy See has entered the Oscars competition. However, "Green Lava" will not compete officially representing the Vatican.

The Best Documentary Short Subject category allows for the entry of independent productions and does not require formal backing from a government or national committee.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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