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Ann Arbor, Michigan, Sep 28, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

A tradition dating from the 11th century has been brought to Christendom College in Front Royal, Virginia, extending an enduring symbol of faith and pilgrimage. A jumbo-sized thurible, commissioned by the college and made in Spain, now embellishes the college's Christ the King chapel.

The connections between Christendom College and the Catholic culture of Spain date back to even before the college's founding in 1977. Its first president and co-founder, Warren Carroll, took students to Spain on several visits to learn Spain's history and experience life at El Escorial monastery near Madrid.

Among other works, Carroll, a historian, authored "Isabel of Spain: The Catholic Queen" and "The Last Crusade: Spain 1936" with an interest in defending Catholic faith and culture, said Timothy O'Donnell, the college's president emeritus, in an interview with CNA.

Believed to be one of the largest thuribles or censers in the world, the famed Botafumeiro is a giant thurible used at the Santiago de Compostela Cathedral in northern Spain, which has been a pilgrimage destination for centuries, rivaled only by Rome and Jerusalem.

According to tradition, it is the burial place of St. James the Greater, who evangelized the Iberian Peninsula. In a centuries-old tradition, the massive censer, which weighs hundreds of pounds, is swung from ropes when pulled by a team of eight men at the transept of the historic church on feast days. It weighs more than 176 pounds and is over 6 feet tall.

O'Donnell recalled that St. John Paul II said in a homily in 1982, as the first pilgrim pope to Santiago: "This place, so dear to Galicians and Spaniards alike, has in the past been a point of attraction and convergence for Europe and all of Christendom."

According to O'Donnell: "I was so moved by that because that is the name of our college. So, on certain anniversaries, we would take pilgrimages to Santiago."

Seeing the giant thurible there ultimately gave him the idea to reproduce such a symbol of faith. "I thought it would be awesome to have something like this in the new chapel." He turned to Heritage Liturgical, which designed and realized the project.

"Now people need not go as far away as Spain to see this beautiful thing and incense going up to heaven like the prayers of the faithful and angels going to God on high," he said. In a tradition dating back to the Old Testament, costly incense was a sacrifice; after the coming of Christ, it joins our prayers with his perfect prayer and sacrifice.

Instead of producing an exact reproduction of the Botafumeiro in Spain, Heritage Liturgical executed a censer that echoes the design of the chapel. Enzo Selvaggi, principal and creative director of Heritage Liturgical, told CNA that Christendom's monumental thurible was "designed in a cogent and well-defined Gothic Revival mode to fit the architecture of the college's Chapel of Christ the King."

Emilio León, a silversmith of Córdoba, Spain, was selected for the project and helped restore the original Botafumeiro. Starting in 2021, León sculpted and chiseled for a year and a half to complete the work, which is silver-plated brass.

In an email to CNA, León wrote: "I incorporated my spiritual and religious values, just as I do in all my work, giving my best effort, knowing that it is for the glory of God." León belongs to a royal fraternity that preserves Catholic traditions such as Holy Week processions and the dignity of sacred spaces.

León is also working on other projects for Heritage Liturgical to be installed in the U.S. For Catholics in Spain, he continued, the Botafumeiro represents "the grandeur of Christ the King and the apostle James."

Christendom's thurible is normally displayed near the image of the Virgin Mary in the chapel. On feast days of the Church, it is brought near the central altar where it is hoisted on chains and swung by senior students, much in the tradition of Spain. The next feast day for swinging the grand censer will be the solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ, King of the Universe, on Nov. 23.

Selvaggi told CNA that in works produced by Heritage Liturgical, the Catholic principle of sacramentality applies at their conception so that designers and artists use matter, as do theologians, to "make a spiritual reality encounterable in the world."

Both Selvaggi and León are working on other projects destined for the U.S., including helping to restore churches in Nebraska and Georgia, and designing mosaics for churches in Wisconsin. The message from the company affirmed that the new thurible at Christendom College is "captivating not only because of its size and beauty, but more importantly, because it reveals something that already exists: the love of God that causes us to send our prayers rising up to God."

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Vatican City, Sep 28, 2025 / 06:25 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV announced on Sunday that he will proclaim St. John Henry Newman a doctor of the Church on Nov. 1, the Solemnity of All Saints.

"I will confer the title of doctor of the Church on St. John Henry Newman, who gave a decisive contribution to the renewal of theology and to understanding Christian doctrine in its development, in the context of the Jubilee of the world of education," the pope said after celebrating Mass for the Jubilee of Catechists in St. Peter's Square.

With the proclamation, Newman will become the 38th doctor of the Church, joining a select group of saints recognized for their enduring contribution to Catholic theology and spirituality. He is especially noted for his insights on the development of doctrine and the role of conscience.

A 19th-century English theologian, Newman was first a renowned Anglican priest before entering the Catholic Church in 1845 under the guidance of Blessed Dominic Barberi. Ordained a Catholic priest two years later, he founded the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in England and was created a cardinal by Pope Leo XIII in 1879.

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Vatican City, Sep 27, 2025 / 13:30 pm (CNA).

Bishop Giovanni Paccosi of San Miniato announced Sept. 27 that Pope Leo XIV has named Father Marco Billeri, a priest of the Italian diocese, as his second personal secretary.

Father Billeri, ordained in 2016, continued his studies in Rome where he earned a doctorate in canon law. He has served as a judge at the Ecclesiastical Tribunal of Tuscany, defender of the bond at the diocesan tribunals of San Miniato and Volterra, episcopal master of ceremonies, and secretary of the presbyteral council. Until now he has been associate pastor of the parish of Saints Stephen and Martin in San Miniato Basso.

In a statement, Bishop Paccosi called the appointment "a great gift" for the diocese. He recalled receiving a personal phone call from the pope the previous week asking his consent to release Father Billeri for this new mission. "I felt both joy and a sense of vertigo, thinking that Father Marco will now be at the heart of the Church of Christ," the bishop said. He invited the faithful to pray for Billeri and for the diocese, noting that closer ties with the pope and the universal Church should strengthen awareness of their own mission.

Father Billeri will work alongside the pope's first personal secretary, Peruvian Father Edgard Iván Rimaycuna Inga.

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CNA Staff, Sep 27, 2025 / 15:15 pm (CNA).

The New York Supreme Court has tossed out a lawsuit against the Diocese of Buffalo challenging a diocesan plan requiring payments to help settle the diocese's abuse settlement.

Parishioners suing the diocese had won a reprieve in July when the state Supreme Court instituted a temporary halt on the payments.

The parishioners had argued that the diocese should await the Vatican's ruling on a diocesan merger plan before requiring the parishes to pay the highest-level payment rate into the settlement.

But Judge John Delmonte, who had issued the injunction in July, said in his Sept. 26 ruling that the issue turned on whether the Supreme Court "has any measure of jurisdiction" to adjudicate the dispute.

"It has been repeatedly and consistently stated that the courts of this state 'adhere to the long-recognized and sensible prohibition against court involvement in the governance and administration of a hierarchal church,'" he wrote.

The Buffalo Diocese told media in a statement that it was "pleased" with Delmonte's ruling that the diocese "maintains the authority for decisions that clearly involve matters specific to the operations of parishes" in the diocese itself.

The advocacy group Save Our Buffalo Churches said in a statement that the plaintiffs in the suit "will be meeting with their attorneys" in the wake of the ruling.

The group said the lawsuit could move to an appellate court.

The Diocese of Buffalo, which filed for bankruptcy in 2020 amid a large number of abuse claims, announced earlier this year that its parishes would be required to pay up to 80% of their "unrestricted cash" to help fund the settlement for abuse victims.

Closing or merging parishes are required to pay the top-tier 80% rate, the diocese said. Bishop Michael Fisher called the required contributions "necessary to bring to a close this painful chapter of our diocese and achieve a level of restitution that is owed" to victims of sexual abuse.

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Vatican City, Sep 27, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV marked the Jubilee of Catechists on Saturday, urging practitioners of the Church's lay teaching ministry to hand on the faith in a way that helps others encounter Christ personally, rooted in humility and hope.

In his general catechesis, the pope spoke to all the faithful: "God reveals himself to those who are simple and humble of heart because they are open to receiving him," he said.

Leo recalled the election of St. Ambrose as bishop of Milan, chosen by popular acclaim while still preparing for baptism. "It was also docility that led Ambrose to respond to that call, trusting in the grace of God," he said.

Christians today, he added, are likewise invited "to become childlike. Whether we are parents, students, or catechists; businesspeople, priests, or religious, we are all called to live our Christian faith authentically by humbly following the Lord's inspirations."

The Jubilee of Catechists is one of a series of themed celebrations during the Holy Year 2025, which centers on the theme of hope. Each gathering highlights how different vocations and ministries can bear witness to the renewal of the Church and the world. This weekend, more than 20,000 pilgrims from 115 countries have come to Rome for the celebration dedicated to catechists.

The jubilee opened Friday evening with a prayer vigil in St. Peter's Basilica following a day of pilgrimages to the Holy Door. It will conclude Sunday morning with a Mass in St. Peter's Square at 10 a.m., during which the pope will confer the lay ministry of catechist on 39 men and women. Among them is Catherine Miles-Flynn, an American mother of eight serving in the Arabian Peninsula, profiled here.

At the end of the Saturday audience, the pope offered a special word to catechists: "As you instruct others in the faith, keep in mind the importance of teaching them to cultivate a relationship with Jesus. May his love revive in all of us the hope that does not disappoint."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Sep 27, 2025 / 08:30 am (CNA).

A looming U.S. government shutdown could affect Roman Catholic churches and Catholic institutions that depend on government funding.

The closure, which will come about if lawmakers cannot agree on a spending package to fund the federal government, could pause military members' ability to attend Mass, interrupt subsidized meals for preschoolers in Catholic schools, and limit assistance with church security. Congress so far lacks agreement on funding federal agencies when the budget year begins on Oct. 1.

A shutdown would mean housing, health, and food programs for people in need could experience cascading delays, according to a Sept. 26 statement by Catholic Charities USA.

"A government shutdown would result in more people falling into poverty, and the recovery from such a setback could take several months or even years," the statement said. 

"One thing we can all agree on is that the poorest of the poor and the most vulnerable in society should not suffer because lawmakers cannot come to an agreement."

Besides Church-related programs, a shutdown would affect a range of other services, including education for at-risk preschoolers, scientific research, and grants to charitable organizations. 

Many Catholic entities rely on federal funding from Head Start, an early childhood education program that offers health screenings and meals to families below the federal poverty level. 

Military Masses, church security

Military worship services could be affected in a lengthy shutdown. In an extended shutdown in 2013, the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, said it would lack a Catholic priest to celebrate Sunday Mass at chapels at some U.S. military installations where non-active-duty priests serve as government contractors.

A spokesperson for the Archdiocese for the Military Services, USA, did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

Federal efforts to "maintain safe and secure houses of worship" also could be degraded at the Cybersecurity & Infrastructure Security Agency in a government shutdown. Two children died in August in a mass shooting at the Church of the Annunciation in Minneapolis. 

The federal agency provides resources that assist houses of worship in securing physical and digital infrastructure. The department said in anticipation of a narrowly avoided government shutdown in 2023 that it "would also be forced to suspend both physical and cybersecurity assessments for government and industry partners."

Federal agencies have not yet issued contingency plans for a potential shutdown, and the security agency did not immediately reply to a request for comment.

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Vatican City, Sep 27, 2025 / 09:50 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has chosen as the theme for World Day of the Sick 2026: "The Compassion of the Samaritan: Loving by Bearing the Pain of Others."

The theme focuses on the Gospel figure of the Good Samaritan, "who shows love by taking care of the wounded and abandoned man on the road," according to a press release issued by the Holy See. 

The Vatican said the theme is meant to emphasize an essential aspect of love of neighbor, one requiring concrete gestures of closeness while being capable of assuming the fragility and suffering of others, particularly those who experience illness accompanied by poverty, isolation, or loneliness.

The Holy See also recalled that today, Christ, the "Good Samaritan," continues to draw close to wounded humanity and, through the sacraments of the Church, pours out "the oil of consolation and the wine of hope." 

In this way, he "[inspires] actions and gestures of help and closeness for those who live in conditions of fragility due to illness," the Holy See said. 

The upcoming World Day of the Sick will take place on Feb. 11, 2026. 

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, Sep 27, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV marked the Jubilee of Catechists on Saturday, urging practitioners of the Church's lay teaching ministry to hand on the faith in a way that helps others encounter Christ personally, rooted in humility and hope.

In his general catechesis, the pope spoke to all the faithful: "God reveals himself to those who are simple and humble of heart because they are open to receiving him," he said.

Leo recalled the election of Saint Ambrose as bishop of Milan, chosen by popular acclaim while still preparing for baptism. "It was also docility that led Ambrose to respond to that call, trusting in the grace of God," he said. Christians today, he added, are likewise invited "to become childlike. Whether we are parents, students or catechists; businesspeople, priests or religious, we are all called to live our Christian faith authentically by humbly following the Lord's inspirations."

The Jubilee of Catechists is one of a series of themed celebrations during the Holy Year 2025, which centers on the theme of hope. Each gathering highlights how different vocations and ministries can bear witness to the renewal of the Church and the world. This weekend, more than 20,000 pilgrims from 115 countries have come to Rome for the celebration dedicated to catechists.

The jubilee opened Friday evening with a prayer vigil in St. Peter's Basilica following a day of pilgrimages to the Holy Door. It will conclude Sunday morning with a Mass in St. Peter's Square at 10:00 a.m., during which the pope will confer the lay ministry of catechist on 39 men and women. Among them is Catherine Miles-Flynn, an American mother of eight serving in the Arabian Peninsula, profiled here.

At the end of the Saturday audience, the pope offered a special word to catechists: "As you instruct others in the faith, keep in mind the importance of teaching them to cultivate a relationship with Jesus. May his love revive in all of us the hope that does not disappoint."

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London, England, Sep 26, 2025 / 19:01 pm (CNA).

King Charles III and Queen Camilla will be making their first state visit to the Vatican in late October, Buckingham Palace has announced.

The palace said in a Sept. 27 statement that the king and queen "will join His Holiness Pope Leo XIV in celebrating the 2025 Jubilee Year," which, it noted, is a "special time" for the Catholic Church, "traditionally marked every 25 years."

The palace also said the visit would "celebrate the ecumenical work by the Church of England and the Catholic Church, reflecting the jubilee year's theme of walking together as 'Pilgrims of Hope.'"

The king and queen last visited the Holy See on April 9 this year when they had a private meeting with Pope Francis at his Casa Santa Marta residence just 12 days before he died.

Francis reportedly blessed their marriage during the 20-minute audience, which coincided with Charles and Camilla's 20th wedding anniversary. Camilla is divorced from her first husband, Andrew Parker-Bowles, a Catholic who is still living.

That audience was meant to be a state visit, but that was not possible due to Francis' ill health. The British royals were also making a state visit to Italy at the time.

State visits to the Vatican by the British monarch are, like their secular equivalents, more formal occasions than private visits, emphasizing ecumenical as well as diplomatic relations with full formal recognition of the pope's dual role as head of state and religious leader. A private audience, by contrast, focuses more on spiritual and personal relationships with fewer formalities and no official state status.

British monarchs have made several state visits to the Holy See in modern history: King Edward VII met Pope Leo XIII in April 1903, followed by Queen Elizabeth II in October 1980, where she met Pope John Paul II. She made another state visit to John Paul II in 2000. Elizabeth also made two non-state visits, to Pope John XXIII in May 1961 and Pope Francis in April 2014.

Charles has been a frequent visitor to the Vatican, making five visits as the Prince of Wales in total, beginning in April 1985 when he met Pope John Paul II and again in April 2005 when he attended his funeral.

He visited Benedict XVI in April 2009 and April 2017, both times accompanied by Camilla, then Duchess of Cornwall, and lastly in October 2019 for the canonization of St. John Henry Newman. Charles also met and accompanied Pope St. John Paul II in Canterbury in 1982, the first ever papal visit to the U.K.

King Charles has shown a keen interest in the life and works of St. John Henry Newman, and earlier this month became the first monarch to visit the Oratory of St. Philip Neri in Birmingham, the priestly community Newman established there in 1848. He said during that visit that he was hoping it would "not be too long" before he met Pope Leo.

Details to be announced

Buckingham Palace said further details of their majesties' state visit to the Vatican "will be announced in due course."

It is possible that it might coincide with the formal proclamation of St. John Henry Newman as the 38th doctor of the Church, which the Vatican announced in July. The Vatican has yet to confirm when that might take place.

Asked if it might time with the proclamation, Vatican spokesman Matteo Bruni said this evening that he "did not have much to share at this time."

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CNA Staff, Sep 26, 2025 / 10:37 am (CNA).

The suspect in the violent assault of a pro-life advocate in New York City earlier this year will not face charges after a prosecutor's office dropped the case against the alleged assailant.

The Thomas More Society said this week it was launching a civil lawsuit against Brianna Rivers over her alleged assault of Savannah Craven Antao after Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg dismissed the case.

Rivers struck Antao in the face and left her bloodied in the April assault in Manhattan. The assault, which was caught on camera, came as Antao was calmly interviewing Rivers and debating pro-life politics with her.

Antao told CNA in April that she "had absolutely no time to see that it was coming."

"I regularly do street interviews for my YouTube channel and various other organizations," she said at the time. "This isn't something I'm not used to doing. It was just like any other day."

Antao's injuries required a trip to the hospital and stitches. The Thomas More Society this week said the hospital visit resulted in $3,000 worth of bills.

Christopher Ferrara, a senior lawyer with the Thomas More Society, said this week that Bragg's dismissal of the charges "only works to undermine confidence in the system, especially when our political climate has become as fraught as it is now."

"Failing to prosecute these clear-cut charges sets a dangerous standard for how our society responds to violence against those engaging in democratic dialogue," he said.

Antao did not immediately respond to a request for comment from CNA on Sept. 26. In the Thomas More Society's press release, she criticized the prosecutor's decision to "quietly let the charges fade away" in spite of the "indisputable evidence" of the recording of the assault.

"Political violence should never be tolerated or given a free pass," she said. "When those in power refuse to hold accountable those who respond to free speech with violence, it threatens the very fabric of our civil society."

Bragg's office did not immediately respond to a phone call and email seeking comment.

Ferrara said the lawsuit will seek punitive damages for Antao.

"Savannah's assailant may have been spared criminal consequences by the Manhattan DA's failure, but we will see to it that she faces accountability," he said.

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