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Rome Newsroom, Nov 26, 2025 / 18:04 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV praised "the wonderful adventure" of becoming parents that many families are choosing to embark on today, even in a time marked by economic and social difficulties.

The pontiff dedicated part of Wednesday's general audience to "trusting in the God of life," and promoting humanity "in all its expressions," above all in the "wonderful adventure of motherhood and fatherhood."

"In your families, may you never lack the courage to make decisions about motherhood and fatherhood. Do not be afraid to welcome and defend every child conceived. Proclaim and serve the Gospel of life. God is the lover of life. Therefore, always protect it with care and love," he said in his greetings to the Polish-speaking pilgrims present in St. Peter's Square.

Pope Leo XIV acknowledged, however, that this vocation is developing today in a challenging context "in which families struggle to bear the burden of daily life."

Thus, he lamented that many families "are often held back in their plans and dreams" by these pressures, which can discourage couples from starting a family or expanding the one they already have.

For the pontiff, family life also means committing to "an economy based on solidarity, striving for a common good equally enjoyed by all, respecting and caring for creation, offering comfort through listening, presence, and concrete and selfless help."

The Holy Father continued with his catechesis on "the Pasch of Christ," which " illuminates the mystery of life and allows us to look at it with hope," although he acknowledged that this "is not always easy or obvious."

"Many lives, in every part of the world, appear laborious, painful, filled with problems and obstacles to be overcome," he observed. However, he affirmed that human beings receive life as "a gift." 

The pope then pointed to  "the questions of all ages" that have marked the history of human thought: "Who are we? Where do we come from? Where are we going? What is the ultimate meaning of this journey?"

For the pontiff, "living" evokes "a hope" that acts as a "deep-seated drive" that "keeps us walking in difficulty, that prevents us from giving up in the fatigue of the journey, that makes us certain that the pilgrimage of existence will lead us home."

Society's 'sickness': a lack of confidence in life

During his reflections, the pope noted there is "a widespread sickness in the world": a lack of confidence in life.

This lack of confidence, he explained, takes the form of silent resignation, as if life were no longer perceived as a gift received, but as an unknown or even a "threat" against which it is advisable to protect oneself "so as not to end up disappointed."

In this context, the pope affirmed that the "value of living and of generating life" becomes an "urgent call" today, especially because — he noted, quoting the Book of Wisdom — God is the quintessential "lover of life" (Wisdom 11:26).

The pope emphasized that "God's logic" remains "faithful to his plan of love and life; he does not tire of supporting humanity even when, following in Cain's footsteps, it obeys the blind instinct of violence in war, discrimination, racism, and the many forms of slavery."

The pope pointed to the resurrection of Jesus Christ as "the strength that supports us in this challenge even when the darkness of evil obscures the heart and the mind."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Vatican City, Nov 26, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has issued a new decree revising the financial and administrative norms governing the basilicas of St. Peter and St. Mary Major, bringing both institutions under the ordinary oversight of the Vatican's Council for the Economy, in the latest act of fine-tuning of economic reforms undertaken by his predecessor Pope Francis.

The pope writes that the Holy See's economic and financial reform requires "periodic reevaluation and redefinition" of the applicable regulatory framework. 

The letter motu proprio, dated Sept. 29, 2025, was promulgated this month when it was posted in the San Damaso Courtyard of the Vatican's Apostolic Palace. It has not previously been reported by the media.

The decree abrogates two earlier such decrees concerning the Fabric of St. Peter's and the Chapter of St. Mary Major. Under the updated provisions, both the Fabbrica — which oversees the care, maintenance, and artistic patrimony of St. Peter's Basilica — and the Chapter of St. Mary Major are now subject to the same forms of oversight established for other entities listed under the statutes of the Council for the Economy and in Praedicate Evangelium, the 2022 apostolic constitution that reorganized the Roman Curia.

To ensure what Pope Leo calls an "immediate and structured transition," the Secretariat for the Economy will coordinate implementation along with a consultative group to help resolve questions or issues that might arise. The law will eventually be published in the Acta Apostolicae Sedis, the official gazette of the Holy See.

In October, Pope Leo XIV issued the decree Coniuncta Cura, a major financial reform that ended the Vatican Bank's exclusive role in managing Holy See investments and allowed APSA and other accredited intermediaries to handle funds when advantageous. The change, which reverses a 2022 centralization under Pope Francis, aims to diversify management, improve returns, and strengthen the Holy See's long-term financial sustainability amid rising operational costs.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 25, 2025 / 17:31 pm (CNA).

Texas Attorney General Ken Paxton sued his own state's housing agency for rules that allegedly restrict Christian and other religious organizations from receiving public funds to serve homeless and low-income people. The lawsuit alleges that rules established by the Texas Department of Housing and Community Affairs (TDHCA) only allow organizations to receive federal and state funds for homeless and low-income housing programs if they agree those programs will be entirely secular and will not include any religious activities.

According to the lawsuit, those rules violate religious liberty protections in the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution and in Article 1, Sec. 6-7 of the Texas Constitution because they put restrictions on religious entities for participation in public programs in which secular entities can freely participate.

"State agencies have no authority to force Christians and other religious organizations to censor their beliefs just to serve their communities," Paxton said in a Nov. 24 news release.

"Constitutionally protected religious liberty must be upheld in Texas and across the country," he added. "These TDHCA's provisions within certain programs, which deter funding from going towards churches and religious organizations, must be struck down."

The lawsuit challenges TDHCA rules for two programs.

It states the homelessness program prohibits funds from being used for "sectarian or explicitly religious activities such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytization." It similarly states the Bootstrap Loan Program blocks funding that supports "any explicitly religious activities such as worship, religious instruction, or proselytizing" and requires recipients to enshrine the prohibition in its official policies.

The lawsuit argues that the government must maintain neutrality on religious matters, adding: "It cannot exclude religious organizations from public benefits because of their faith, nor may it condition participation on theological choices about worship, instruction, or proselytization."

Paxton is asking the district court of Travis County to issue an injunction that blocks TDHCA from enforcing those rules, which he argues are discrimination against religious entities.

TDHCA did not respond to a request for comment from CNA.

Less than two weeks ago, Paxton sued the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board over similar concerns. The lawsuit argues that three university work-study programs exclude religious organizations and students receiving religious instruction.

In a Nov. 14 statement, he said: "These anti-Christian laws targeting religious students must be completely wiped off the books."

Paxton is on the opposite side of another lawsuit related to religious freedom that began in February 2024. In that lawsuit, the attorney general is trying to shut down Annunciation House, a Catholic nonprofit that provides assistance to migrants.

The attorney general accused Annunciation House of "alien harboring," which it denies. The nonprofit argues it has never violated state law and that its charitable activities are rooted in its religious mission.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 25, 2025 / 18:01 pm (CNA).

Nils de Jesús Hernández, 56, has lived in the United States for 36 years, far from his native Nicaragua. Forced to leave the country in 1988 in the midst of the civil war, he serves a parish in Iowa where he ministers to the Hispanic community and speaks out for the Nicaraguan people.

Hernández, known as the "vandal priest" for having led a student strike and supporting the 2018 protests in Nicaragua, is now the parish priest at Queen of Peace Church in Waterloo, Iowa, in the Archdiocese of Dubuque.

"Vandal priest" was the defamatory, derisive label the dictatorship gave to him for his role in the protests, but the title has now turned into a sort of badge of honor.

The pain of leaving Nicaragua

After being declared a target of the government at the age of 19 when he was a candidate for the priesthood, Hernández said in an interview with "EWTN Noticias," the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News, that leaving the country "meant that I was never going to return to Nicaragua. Leaving my parents, my family, everything that was familiar to me: my language, my culture, my food, everything; that is, everything that is one's own ... that was the cruelest thing I was experiencing."

The priest said he inherited his fighting spirit from his mother, who also helped with the student protests at the time.

"In the 1980s, I was also fighting against those [the Sandinistas] who promised us that everything was going to be fine, and everything turned into a dictatorship, a government that was repressing the Nicaraguan people," Hernández told "EWTN Noticias."

The priest traveled to Guatemala, then on to Tijuana, Mexico, and continuing to San Diego. He spent six years in Los Angeles before being sent to Iowa.

Having already obtained U.S. citizenship, he was ordained a priest in 2004 for the Archdiocese of Dubuque, and now in his parish he serves Mexicans, Guatemalans, Venezuelans, Chileans, Hondurans, and, of course, members of the Nicaraguan diaspora.

"I have organized marches here against laws that are very aggressive against immigrants under this administration of President Donald Trump," the priest said. "This has also been my battleground here to continue denouncing the dictatorship of [Nicaraguan Vice President Rosario] Murillo and [President] Daniel Ortega," he added.

The persecution against the Catholic Church in Nicaragua

"I believe that the persecution against the Church in Nicaragua is becoming much more aggressive, with confiscations [of Church property] that they have carried out and continue to carry out," the priest lamented.

According to Hernández, the dictatorship wants to "eradicate the Church."

"But I always say the following: They will steal all the buildings, they can close all the churches they want to close … but they cannot take away the faith from the hearts of every Nicaraguan, because wherever there is a Nicaraguan in Nicaragua, even though they are being repressed and oppressed, there is the Catholic faith, because all of us Nicaraguans are devoted to Mary and we trust in the will of God."

"We also have great faith that the Lord will prevail and will be victorious, because the Lord triumphed on the cross and overcame death with his resurrection," he said.

"We will be returning to Nicaragua triumphantly, because we will indeed return to Nicaragua, because this dictatorship will not last forever. They're old and they're not going to continue [in power] for all eternity," he predicted.

Silence of the Church in Nicaragua and reality in Venezuela

"The silence in Nicaragua is due to the repression that exists. The people are silent," Hernández pointed out. "But that doesn't mean the people are content. The silence reflects the discontent of the people, because when the drums sound, Nicaragua will roar. That's a very Nicaraguan saying," he explained.

"The Nicaraguan people, when they muster the courage, overthrow any dictatorship. This silence is a preparatory silence for what could happen at any moment in Nicaragua," the exiled priest continued.

"If Nicolás Maduro falls [in Venezuela], the Nicaraguan and Cuban dictatorships will also fall. So the silence on the part of the Church is out of prudence, but here in the United States there are voices that are trying to make people aware that the repression in Nicaragua is not good. We have Bishop [Silvio] Báez, who is a prophetic and very strong voice: He continues to speak very consistently about all the deception that this dictatorship is engaging in," Hernández told EWTN.

Pope Leo XIV, Nicaragua, and the award to Bishop Silvio Báez

The priest also referred to the meetings that Pope Leo XIV has held with the bishops of Nicaragua, first with bishops Silvio Báez, Carlos Enrique Herrera, and Isidoro Mora; and later with Rolando Álvarez, all of whom are in exile.

In his opinion, these meetings "are a slap in the face to the dictatorship. That's what grieves them the most, that the Holy Father is saying, 'Catholic Nicaragua, persecuted Church, your mother is with you. The Holy Father loves you and you are not alone.'"

"That is a very powerful message that the Holy Father is giving to the Nicaraguan people and also to the Church, and that is the most wonderful thing that we must understand. Nicaraguan people, you've got to have a lot of courage, because this is not going to continue forever. Once again, these old men are going to die," he emphasized.

Hernández also shared that it was he who nominated Báez for the 2025 Pacem in Terris Award for peace and freedom — which has also been awarded to Martin Luther King Jr. and St. Teresa of Calcutta and which was presented to him in July of this year in Davenport — to recognize "the role that the prelate has played in the struggle in Nicaragua and from exile" at St. Agatha Parish in Miami.

"My dream for the Nicaraguan Church is that we continue praying for the unity of all the opposition, so that there may be authentic and genuine unity, that they set aside all their political agendas, and that we all unite to fight to overthrow the dictatorship," he said.

The priest finally emphasized that for him it is "a great source of pride to be the 'vandal priest,' because I continue to denounce this criminal dictatorship for crimes against humanity, because they will not escape God's justice. They will escape human justice, but not God's justice.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 24, 2025 / 15:38 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV stated that hope "does not mean having all the answers, but rather it calls us to put our trust in God."

The pontiff made his remarks during an audience granted Nov. 24 at the Vatican to faithful from Latvia, who traveled to the Eternal City to commemorate the centenary of the first official Latvian pilgrimage to Rome.

After greeting Prime Minister Evika Silina, with whom he had met privately earlier, the Holy Father thanked the pilgrims for keeping the tradition alive and following in the footsteps "of your forebears in the faith."

He then recalled that Rome "has always been a home for all Christians, since it is here that the great apostles Peter and Paul gave the supreme witness to the Gospel by becoming martyrs for the faith."

The Holy Father also recalled Pope Francis' visit to the country in 2018, on the occasion of the centenary of the nation's independence, where he spoke "of the difficulties your country experienced in the past."

"While the current conflict in your region may evoke memories of those turbulent times," Leo said, "it is important for all of us to turn to God and to be strengthened by God's grace when faced with such tribulation."

Recalling Francis' words, Leo emphasized the "vital role the Christian faith played in your country's history." He expressed gratitude for the bond between Latvia and the Holy See, whose relations have grown closer in recent years.

The Holy Father also affirmed that it is necessary to unite with hope "the virtue of faith in order to keep our eyes on the present and see the many ways that God is blessing us here and now."

In this regard, he explained that a pilgrimage "has an important role in our life of faith for it gives us the time and space to encounter God more deeply."

"It takes us away from the routine and noise of everyday life," he added, "and offers the space and silence to hear God's voice more clearly."

Finally, he encouraged them to share what they experienced in Rome when they return home, because, he affirmed, "a pilgrimage does not end but its seeds should take root in your daily discipleship and bear fruit in your lives."

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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EWTN News, Nov 24, 2025 / 16:08 pm (CNA).

Three German bishops have publicly distanced themselves from the German Bishops' Conference's new document on "diversity of sexual identities" for schools, further escalating the dispute over how Catholic education should address gender identity.

At the center of the controversy is the 48-page text "Geschaffen, erlöst und geliebt: Sichtbarkeit und Anerkennung der Vielfalt sexueller Identitäten in der Schule" ("Created, Redeemed, and Loved: Visibility and Recognition of the Diversity of Sexual Identities in the School").

Published on Oct. 30 by the bishops' conference's Commission for Education and Schools, the document is intended to serve as an orientation aid for Catholic and other schools in Germany. Due to internal discussions last summer, the orientation text was initially withheld and revised.

Based on the premise that "the diversity of sexual identities is a fact," the text urges schools to foster an environment free of discrimination for students, staff, and parents who identify as queer. The document calls on students to respect the self-identification and self-designation of classmates who identify as queer and to support initiatives that highlight their situation.

The English word "queer" is frequently used by some German organizations, including certain dioceses, as an umbrella term for people who identify as LGBT.

In his foreword, commission chair Bishop Heinrich Timmerevers of Dresden-Meissen stresses that the text does not claim to offer a full moral-theological evaluation. Rather, it is intended to provide school-pastoral and pedagogical guidelines rooted in contemporary human sciences.

Teachers are encouraged to use language that reflects "the diversity of sexual identities." In religion classes, teachers should present disputed questions of sexual morality as such, allowing students to form their own judgments.

Bishop Stefan Oster of Passau issued the most detailed response. In an online commentary, he acknowledged concerns about vulnerable young people but said he "fully" distanced himself from the document's presuppositions and its theological, philosophical, pedagogical, and developmental psychological approach.

Although the booklet is published under the name "The German Bishops," Oster insists that it does not speak for him and warns that it promotes an anthropology that effectively desacralizes the Christian understanding of the human person.

Since then, Regensburg's bishop, Rudolf Voderholzer, has aligned himself explicitly with Oster's critique. His diocese republished the Passau text as a "critical analysis" of the central theses, and Voderholzer accused the bishops' conference leadership of pushing the paper through almost unchanged despite requests for revisions in the Standing Council. The Regensburg response spoke of an "agenda" being pursued "in our name."

The Standing Council is the German Bishops' Conference's governing body where all 27 diocesan bishops meet five to six times per year to handle ongoing business and coordinate between the less-frequent plenary assemblies.

The third critical response came from Cologne. The archdiocese, led by Cardinal Rainer Maria Woelki, released a statement rejecting all forms of discrimination in Catholic schools. Regarding the theological and anthropological assessment of "Geschaffen, erlöst und geliebt," however, the archdiocese said it "aligns itself" with Oster's commentary.

Other voices have contributed to the mixed reception. Thomas Maria Renz, the Rottenburg auxiliary bishop and vice chair of the school commission, welcomed the effort to protect vulnerable youth. However, he warned against a "naive" endorsement of every form of adolescent self-description during development. He called for a stronger focus on broader educational goals.

For now, the document remains officially in force as an orientation aid of the bishops' conference. However, the open opposition of three diocesan bishops has turned it into a key issue in the broader struggle over the Church's reform efforts in Germany, particularly with regard to sexuality and anthropology.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Nov 24, 2025 / 17:41 pm (CNA).

The Catholic Church is facing a new wave of violence in Africa: In Nigeria, 265 students from a Catholic school remain captive after being kidnapped last week while an archbishop in Cameroon is threatening to close parishes if a kidnapped priest is not released.

In Nigeria, Bishop Bulus Dauwa Yohanna of Kontagora told Fides: "The kidnappers are almost certainly criminals seeking illicit gain by demanding a ransom."

An official statement from the diocese, published on Nov. 23, reported that 50 minors managed to escape and reunite with their families after fleeing between Friday and Saturday following the attack. These developments were confirmed through visits and phone calls with their relatives, the statement said.

However, of the 315 people initially captured, "265 remain in the hands of the kidnappers, of whom 239 are children, 14 are high school students, and 12 are members of the school staff," the diocesan statement specified.

The institution serves 430 primary school students (377 boarders and 53 day students) and 199 secondary school students, figures that, according to the diocese, "are important in helping the public understand the scale of the incident and the extensive efforts underway to account for every missing child and staff member."

Cameroon archbishop demands release of kidnapped priest

The archbishop of Bamenda, Andrew Nkea Fuanya, announced that "if Father John is not released before Nov. 26, the churches in the deanery will be closed" as a measure to pressure for the release of parish priest John Berinyuy Tatah, who was kidnapped on Nov. 15 by armed men in northeastern Cameroon along with his vicar.

The faithful were informed of the possible closures in an official message read on Sunday, Nov. 23, in all parishes, the Vatican news agency Fides reported.

Nkea explained that if the priest remains in the hands of his captors by that date, the parishes, schools, and Catholic institutions of the Ndop deanery will be closed. "Priests will be evacuated for their safety, and the Blessed Sacrament will be removed from the churches."

Furthermore, he warned that if the priest continues to be held captive on Nov. 28, the archbishop, the clergy, and lay faithful will march to the village of Baba I, where he is believed to be held, "and will either bring him back home or remain there until he is released," Fides reported.

The prelate denounced the frequent kidnappings of priests and pastoral workers, stating that the perpetrators "have put us against the wall, and all of this must end immediately," noting that many laypeople have also suffered torture, violence, and extortion.

According to Fides, the kidnapping was carried out by armed separatists who have proclaimed the so-called "Republic of Ambazonia" in the English-speaking northeast and southeast regions of the country. The rest of Cameroon is French-speaking.

Bishop Barron: 'The persecution is real and we must react'

The situation in Nigeria has caused international outrage. The bishop of Winona-Rochester in Minnesota, Robert Barron, recently referred to the wave of attacks against Catholic communities, noting that what has happened is part of "an ongoing and long-standing persecution."

"Over the last 10 years, I think 100,000 Christians have been murdered, tens of thousands of churches burned, [and there has been a] huge displacement of the Christian population," he said on X.

After explaining that in the middle parts of the country the attacks on Christians may be motivated by a mixture of religious, tribal, or economic reasons, Barron said he did not want the appeal to mixed motives as an excuse for inaction.

"Are the motives of the persecutors mixed? Sure, I'll grant you that. There are economic or tribal elements, of course. But my overall point is: Who cares? What matters here is that our brother and sister Christians are being brutally mistreated."

Barron also appealed to the international Christian community: "Our connections in Christ to one another are deeper than our national identity." Christians must pray, speak out, raise awareness, and ask our representatives to act, he said.

The bishop also emphasized that Nigeria today is "a flourishing Church" in vocations and vitality. "Am I surprised that that Church especially is undergoing a very vicious persecution? No. The more successful a Church becomes, the more on fire with Christ it becomes, the more it attracts the attention of the enemy."

Call for calm and prayer

The Diocese of Kontagora assured that it is "fully committed to the safe rescue of those still in captivity" and reported that it continues to work with the police, authorities, and families.

It also asked the faithful to remain calm, continue praying, and support the ongoing efforts.

Meanwhile, in Cameroon, Nkea once again called on the authorities to stop the abuses against the population and demanded that the priest and all kidnapping victims be returned home as soon as possible.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, CNA's Spanish-language news partner. It has been translated and adapted by CNA.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Nov 24, 2025 / 15:08 pm (CNA).

The 2025-2026 Newman Guide will be available in December to help parents and students find reliable Catholic elementary, secondary, college, international, and graduate education programs.

The Cardinal Newman Society, which publishes a yearly guide on the most faithfully Catholic schools in the U.S., will release its new edition as both an e-book and a digest-sized print book. 

The Newman Guide has recommended colleges for Catholic families for 20 years, but the 2025-2026 edition is the first that will recommend elementary schools, secondary schools, colleges, and graduate programs. The new guide follows the recent announcements of St. John Henry Newman becoming a doctor of the Church and a patron saint of Catholic education. 

The guide gives families a path to a faithful Catholic education, which is growing more relevant, according to the Cardinal Newman Society, which reported a 55% decline in enrollment at Catholic schools in the last 50 years. Recognizing that Catholic education is the Church's most effective means of evangelization and Catholic formation, the society says it continues to respond with tools, including the Newman Guide. 

"With so many Catholic colleges compromising their mission, the Newman Guide served as a trusted resource to identify schools committed to forming students intellectually and spiritually in line with Church teachings," said Dominic Kalpakgian, a student who started attending a Newman Guide-recommended college in 2024.

"The guide's endorsement carried significant weight with my parents, who trusted the Newman Guide schools to uphold the values and principles they had instilled in me," Kalpakgian said.

"The Newman Guide was instrumental in helping my family locate a faithfully Catholic grade school when we were moving across the country," said Molly Metzgar, a mother, teacher, and Cardinal Newman Society employee. "While subsequently teaching at my child's school, I helped successfully navigate the Newman Guide application process."

The guide reaches more than 75,000 families online each year and now plans to expand numbers with the additional print version. Since starting to approve schools beyond just colleges, 28 elementary schools and 55 graduate programs have become Newman Guide-recommended.

"Out of our 160+ graduates, those who attended Newman Guide colleges are the ones still practicing their faith," said Derek Tremblay, the headmaster of Mount Royal Academy. 

How to become Newman Guide recommended

Since 2007, the Cardinal Newman Society has recognized Catholic colleges in the Newman Guide that have strong policies and standards and uphold Catholic identity within academics, athletics, faculty hiring, and campus life.

The key elements in faithful Catholic education, according to the society, is looking for salvation of souls, Catholic community, prayer, Scripture and sacrament, integral formation, and Christian worldview.

To be recognized in the Newman Guide, "a Catholic school must be committed to strong Catholic identity and model the 'Principles of Catholic Identity in Education,' use the Catholic 'Curriculum Standards' in whole or part, and align their school policies with standards promoted by the society which are derived from Church teaching."

Catholic schools must have a curriculum that provides for the integral formation of the whole person and helps students know and understand objective reality, including transcendent truth.

The Newman Guide policy standards are derived from guidance from Church councils, popes, Vatican congregations, bishops conferences, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and other Church documents.

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Vatican City, Nov 23, 2025 / 13:10 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Sunday praised the "precious" ministry of liturgical music and told choir members from around the world that their service at the altar must be sustained above all by a deep life of prayer. He later used his pre-Angelus remarks to appeal for the release of hostages kidnapped in Nigeria and Cameroon and to encourage young people on World Youth Day. 

The pope celebrated Mass in St. Peter's Square for the Jubilee of Choirs on the solemnity of Christ the King, telling choristers and musicians that their vocation is to lead God's people into the mystery of worship. 

"Dear choristers and musicians, today you celebrate your jubilee and you show thanks to the Lord for granting you the gift and grace to serve him by offering your voices and talents for his glory and for the spiritual edification of your brothers and sisters," he said in his homily. "Your task is to draw others into the praise of God and to help them to participate more fully in the liturgy through song." 

'A true ministry' rooted in prayer 

Drawing on the day's responsorial psalm, "Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord" (Ps 122), Pope Leo said the liturgy calls Christians "to walk together in praise and joy toward the encounter with the Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, gentle and humble Sovereign." 

"His power is love, his throne the cross, and through the cross his kingdom shines forth upon the world," he said. "From the wood he reigns as Prince of Peace and King of Justice who, in his passion, reveals to the world the immense mercy of God's heart. This love is also the inspiration and motive for your singing." 

Pope Leo described singing as a uniquely human way of expressing what words alone cannot say. 

"Music can give expression to the whole range of feelings and emotions that arise within us from a living relationship with reality," he said, adding that "singing, in particular, constitutes a natural and refined expression of the human being: mind, feelings, body, and soul come together to communicate the great events of life." 

Quoting St. Augustine, he recalled that "'Cantare amantis est' … that is, 'singing belongs to those who love.'" 

For Christians, he continued, liturgical song is more than performance. "For the people of God, song expresses invocation and praise," he said. "Liturgical music thus becomes a precious instrument through which we carry out our service of praise to God and express the joy of new life in Christ." 

The pope underlined that choir members exercise a genuine ecclesial service, especially in the liturgy. 

"You belong to choirs that carry out their ministry primarily in liturgical settings. Yours is a true ministry that requires preparation, commitment, mutual understanding, and, above all, a deep spiritual life, so that when you sing, you both pray and help everyone else to pray," he said. 

This ministry, he added, "requires discipline and a spirit of service, especially when preparing for a solemn liturgy or an important event in your communities." 

A 'small family' within the larger community 

Pope Leo urged choristers not to see themselves as performers set apart from the congregation but as part of the praying assembly.

"The choir is a small family of individuals united by their love of music and the service they offer. However, remember that the community is your larger family," he said. "You are not on stage but rather a part of that community, endeavoring to help it grow in unity by inspiring and engaging its members."

He acknowledged the ordinary tensions that can arise in any group but said that even these can become a sign of the Church's pilgrimage through history.

"We can say to some extent that the choir symbolizes the Church, which, striving toward its goal, walks through history praising God," he said. "Even when this journey is beset by difficulties and trials and joyful moments give way to more challenging ones, singing makes the journey lighter, providing relief and consolation."

Citing both St. Augustine and St. Ignatius of Antioch, the pope presented the choir as a sign of synodality and unity in the Church in which diverse voices become a single hymn of praise. 

"In fact, the different voices of a choir harmonize with each other, giving rise to a single hymn of praise, a luminous symbol of the Church, which unites everyone in love in a single pleasing melody," he said. 

'Without giving in to the temptation of ostentation'

Pope Leo also encouraged musicians to study the Church's teaching on sacred music and to resist the impulse to draw attention to themselves rather than to God. 

"Strive, therefore, to make your choirs ever harmonious and beautiful, and a brighter image of the Church praising her Lord," he said. "Study the magisterium carefully. The conciliar documents set out the norms for carrying out your service in the best possible way." 

"Above all, dedicate yourselves to facilitating the participation of the people of God, without giving in to the temptation of ostentation, which prevents the entire liturgical assembly from actively participating in the singing," he added. "In this, be an eloquent sign of the Church's prayer, expressing its love for God through the beauty of music. Take care that your spiritual life is always worthy of the service you perform, so that your ministry may authentically express the grace of the liturgy." 

At the end of his homily, the pope entrusted all choir members to the patron saint of sacred music.

"I place all of you under the protection of St. Cecilia, the virgin and martyr who raised the most beautiful song of love through her life here in Rome, giving herself entirely to Christ and offering the Church a shining example of faith and love," he said. "Let us continue singing and once again make our own the invitation of today's responsorial psalm: 'Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.'"

Appeal for kidnapped priests, faithful, and students 

After Mass and before leading the Angelus, Pope Leo greeted the many choirs and pilgrims present and turned to urgent news from Africa, where priests, lay faithful, and students have been kidnapped in Nigeria and Cameroon. 

"I was deeply saddened to learn of the kidnapping of priests, faithful, and students in Nigeria and Cameroon," he said. "I feel great pain, above all for the many young men and women who have been abducted and for their distressed families."

"I make a heartfelt appeal for the immediate release of the hostages and urge the competent authorities to take appropriate and timely decisions to ensure their release," he continued. "Let us pray for these brothers and sisters of ours, and that churches and schools may always and everywhere remain places of safety and hope."

Recent weeks have seen the kidnapping of a Catholic priest in Kaduna state in northern Nigeria, as well as the abduction of at least two dozen schoolgirls from a secondary school in Kebbi state, amid ongoing attacks on Christian communities and widespread insecurity in several regions of the country. 

Nigeria is classified as a "country in a situation of persecution" in the 2025 Religious Freedom in the World report by Aid to the Church in Need, which notes the continued activity of extremist groups such as Boko Haram and the Islamic State West Africa Province, and repeated attacks against churches and Christian communities. 

Message to young people and look ahead to Turkey and Lebanon 

Pope Leo also marked the diocesan celebration of World Youth Day, observed this Sunday in local Churches around the globe. 

"Today, dioceses around the world are celebrating World Youth Day," he said. "I bless and spiritually embrace all those taking part in the various celebrations and initiatives." 

"On the feast of Christ the King, I pray that every young person may discover the beauty and joy of following him, the Lord, and dedicating him or herself to his kingdom of love, justice, and peace," the pope added. 

Looking ahead to his upcoming apostolic journey, the pope noted that he will soon travel to Turkey and Lebanon. 

"My apostolic journey to Turkey and Lebanon is now close. In Turkey, the 1,700th anniversary of the Council of Nicaea will be celebrated. For this reason, the apostolic letter In Unitate Fidei is being published today, commemorating this historic event," he said. 

Before beginning the Angelus prayer, he invited the faithful to entrust all these intentions to the Blessed Virgin Mary. 

"Now let us turn to the Virgin Mary," he said, "entrusting all these intentions and our prayer for peace to her maternal intercession." 

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CNA Staff, Nov 24, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

After a month and a half of walking an average of 17 miles a day, 67-year-old Father Gary Graf said he is starting to get "a little pain in one shin," but his broken ribs are "getting much better."

On Oct. 6, Graf, a Catholic priest from Chicago, began a journey on foot from Pope Leo XIV's childhood home in Dolton, Illinois, to New York City to bring attention to the plight of immigrants amid the sometimes "inhumane" ways the Trump administration is treating them during its immigration enforcement actions.

He hopes to arrive at the Statue of Liberty on Ellis Island, where his own great-grandparents entered the country as immigrants, by Dec. 2.

A few weeks ago, when visiting a parish in Indiana, he was invited to ride a horse. He fell off as it galloped and broke several ribs, which led him to take one day off to recover. That day, friends walked in his stead.

Graf, the pastor of the mostly Hispanic Our Lady of the Heights Catholic Church in Chicago Heights and a longtime member of Priests for Justice for Immigrants, has committed his life to helping immigrants. Ordained in 1984, he spent five years as a priest in Mexico serving a people "with whom I fell deeply in love."

He told CNA that after initially feeling helpless watching the raids taking place against his beloved community in his hometown of Chicago, he "felt a call that was directly from above" to start walking.

Within weeks, he was on the road. He first spoke to an old friend about his idea, who immediately connected him with Lauren Foley, the head of a public relations firm. She "immediately embraced the idea," and between her help and that of some "young people who understand social media," a website as well as social media accounts were set up to chronicle his journey and to share the stories of immigrant families.

Of the immigrants on whose behalf he is walking, Graf said: "I look to help people who get up every single morning to work and raise their families. If I can do this small gesture on their behalf, what a blessing it is, what a privilege."

Asked about the most profound insight he has gained thus far, Graf said his long days walking through the wide expanse of rural America have helped him understand better the ways of people who did not grow up in a multicultural city like he did.

"We have to reverently appreciate and try to connect with those whose lives we're passing through," he said.

As he has spoken with people in diners along his path, Graf has developed "a greater sensitivity," discovering that "there's not a lot of animosity against the immigrant."

Many of the people he has met simply do not know any, he said.

Along the way, he has also experienced unity with Christians from other denominations, as well as with those without religious faith, who all care about the humane treatment of human beings.

"I have seen so much goodness," he said. "This has brought so many of us together: people from many different faith traditions, or none. This is an opportunity given to us."

During his quiet walks through rural farmland, he has marveled at the amount of labor it took to build the many roads, bridges, and overpasses he has seen. 

"I'm sure the hands of many immigrants helped build these things," he reflected.

Graf said he is delighted that both the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops and Pope Leo XIV addressed the immigration enforcement situation in the past week. 

The U.S. bishops issued a special message during its Fall Plenary Assembly two weeks ago, calling for "a meaningful reform of our nation's immigration laws and procedures." The bishops argued that "human dignity and national security are not in conflict. Both are possible if people of goodwill work together."

The pope echoed the bishops' message. On Nov. 18, he acknowledged to reporters that "every country has a right to determine who and how and when people enter."

"But when people are living good lives, and many of them for 10, 15, 20 years, to treat them in a way that is extremely disrespectful, to say the least — and there's been some violence, unfortunately — I think that the bishops have been very clear in what they said."

"I think that I would just invite all people in the United States to listen to them," the pope said. 

"Both the pope and the bishops used the word 'indiscriminate' to talk about the way people are being singled out and aggressively having their wrists zip-tied behind their backs as their faces are pushed to the ground in front of their children," Graf said. 

"It is indeed indiscriminate. This reflects dishonesty on the administration's part," he said. "They said they were going after the 'worst of the worst,' criminals, but this isn't the case, at least in Chicago. They're grabbing people first and asking questions later."

"The violent way many of these people are being treated is amoral and un-American," he said.

Like the pope and the American bishops, Graf said he hopes the federal government will establish a more humane immigration system that respects the dignity of immigrants as well as the rule of law and the country's right to regulate its borders.

"I am not a politician," he said. "My job is to mediate, to speak up, in God's name, in the united name of the Church. But can we look for a way for those who are fulfilling their responsibilities; for them to one day receive the rights of citizens?" 

The priest, who appeared on "EWTN News Nightly" in October, said he has been "impressed by the media" and is grateful his message is being spread. 

"If we don't hear the whole truth, the incredible ignorance and darkness we live in can paralyze us, and keep us from doing what we ought to do," he said.

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