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Ann Arbor, Michigan, Aug 17, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

The setting: a suburban Michigan parish.

The agenda: a crash course in Gregorian chant as well as posture, breathing, and other elements of sacred choral music.

The attendees: youth ages 8 to 18.

Canticle Chant Camp was held at St. Thomas the Apostle Parish in Ann Arbor, Michigan, from July 28 to Aug. 1 and was attended by more than 40 children and teens. The camp ended with a sung Mass.

The instructor was veteran choral director and educator Mary Ann Wilson. 

Wilson, who holds degrees in music, was trained in opera and Gregorian chant in Europe and has taught for nearly 30 years. She told CNA that she enjoys sharing "the glories of Gregorian chant, which uniquely fosters a sense of peace and joy that connects the whole person to God." 

Referring to sacred music, she added: "It's important to pass down this tradition. Beautiful sculpture, paintings, architecture, and stained-glass windows can last hundreds of years: All of them help us to pray. But music, once it is performed, is gone. It's an offering to the Lord in real time. And if we don't hand it down with every generation, we lose it."

Wilson is president of the nonprofit apostolate Canticle.org, founded "to draw souls to Jesus Christ through the beauty of sacred music." She has served as a parish music director and has led choirs singing Gregorian chant and renaissance polyphony. Since 2010, she has led the "Chant Camp" program at dozens of parishes and schools. She also trains teachers, choir directors, and cantors to lead camps themselves and foster sacred music.

In addition, Wilson is a consultant to the Benedict XVI Institute, which seeks to instill a sense of the sacred in the arts and worship throughout the country. She said she has received encouragement from Archbishop Salvatore Cordileone of San Francisco, a board member of the institute, in her quest to promote traditional liturgical music.

During the camp, Wilson did a deep dive into the prayers and structure of the sung Mass. Her directive: "Everybody can sing something, and nobody sings everything."

Students learn the "Kyrie" and "Sanctus," for example, while the more experienced get practice in more difficult chants. "What they learn is to sing together as their offering during the Mass."

Practice in traditional hymns such as "All Glory, Laud, and Honor" and Gregorian chant adapted to English were also on the bill.

Wilson said she feels blessed to share her expertise with youth. 

She recalled that while studying musical performance and pedagogy at San Diego State University, she gained an appreciation for the beauty of the Church's tradition of polyphonic singing. "I found myself singing polyphonic Masses at a secular university," she observed, adding: "This music is for everybody." 

Jeanne Marie Gerig, organist and music director at St. Thomas, told CNA that the canticle camp is just the beginning of an expanding parochial music program, especially for children. Gerig, a convert who was inspired to enter the Church because of its sacred music, said that while the parochial school has its own music program, home-schoolers and parents from other parishes are also seeking enrichment for their children.

"They will learn different settings of the Mass because every season should sound different. Easter should sound different, Christmas should sound different, and not just look different," she said. "They will learn to read music, sing it, and sing in Mass."

"Parents welcome the opportunity for kids to become more knowledgeable about singing music that is part of our heritage and used for liturgy," Gerig said.

Gerig is an active member of the Catholic Music Association of America and continues to consult at parishes around the country, supported by offering online courses in Gregorian chant offered by the Catholic Institute of Sacred Music of California. She told CNA that she is especially pleased to offer such instruction to young people.

"By learning music, they can serve God and their community and contribute to the liturgy in a meaningful way, and help others to pray and worship," she explained, adding that the goal is to offer the chant camp every summer. She hopes that the canticle camp will spark interest in the parish's Laudate Youth Choir and the Pueri Cordis Jesu schola.

The parish's choir directors also support these chant-based initiatives.

Hannah Bingham, a trained music educator and recent convert, told CNA that she will be directing three singing ensemble options for the Laudate Youth Choir, grouped according to age from 8 to adulthood.

"It's open to any youth in the area who want to use their voice to glorify God," she said, referring to nearby parishes where youth choirs haven't been established. "We want to expose them to Masses at different parishes. We hope for a unifying and uplifting experience, not only spiritually but also building friendships and community."

University of Michigan music major Lucia Skrobola will lead Puer Cordis Jesu, a schola choir for ages 8 to 18 focusing on Gregorian chant and Latin polyphonic hymns for the Mass in the extraordinary form at the parish. She said participants will sing at Mass monthly and at festivals.

"Gregorian chant is the prayer of the Mass. I've come to realize how beautiful it is and that it brings out the reverence of the liturgy in a way other music does not," she said.

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CNA Staff, Aug 16, 2025 / 07:30 am (CNA).

President Donald Trump has vowed to do "everything [he] can" to "save" imprisoned Catholic activist Jimmy Lai, promising to "see what we can do" to help the longtime human rights advocate who has languished in jail for years.

Trump made the remarks during a radio interview with Fox News this week, stating that he has "already brought it up" in government circles.

The U.S. president's vow comes as Lai, imprisoned by Chinese Communist Party authorities since 2020, is nearing the end of a lengthy national security trial in Hong Kong.

Closing arguments in the trial were postponed repeatedly this week amid inclement weather and medical concerns regarding Lai. The 77-year-old has reportedly experienced heart troubles while imprisoned.

A longtime free speech activist and human rights advocate, Lai — who converted to Catholicism in 1997 and who has spoken publicly about his faith on numerous occasions — was first arrested just over five years ago, in August 2020, on charges related to China's then-new national security law.

The government has handed down multiple jail sentences to Lai since then on other charges related to unlawful assemblies and fraud. Delayed for years, his national security trial commenced in December 2023.

Lai's supporters and advocates have suggested that the outcome of the trial is likely foregone. Father Robert Sirico, a Catholic priest and the founder of the Michigan-based Acton Institute for the Study of Religion and Liberty, told CNA at the start of Lai's security trial that he had little hope that the Chinese government would allow Lai to walk free.

"When was the last time you saw a totalitarian government put someone through their court system and have them come out innocent?" he said.

Sirico echoed those fears in an essay at the Free Press this week, describing the trial as fully "subject to Chinese control."

"There is no jury. The three judges were handpicked by Hong Kong's chief executive, who is under the thumb of the CCP. These judges hold Lai's fate in their hands," the priest wrote.

Amid his ongoing imprisonment and trial, Lai has drawn international support. A congressional commission in 2023 urged the U.S. government to sanction Hong Kong prosecutors and judges if they failed to release the activist. That same year, a coalition of international human rights groups called for efforts to secure his release. Catholic leaders around the world have likewise called for his release.

Earlier this year he was awarded the Bradley Prize for being an "inspiration to all who value freedom." The Catholic University of America last year featured his artwork on its campus. A bill in the U.S. Congress even proposes renaming a Washington, D.C., street "Jimmy Lai Way."

How much the U.S. government could ultimately do to help Lai is unclear. Ahead of his reelection last year, Trump promised to get Lai out of jail, though this week he appeared to walk back that assurance.

"I didn't say 100% I'd save him. I said 100% I'm going to be bringing it up," he told Fox radio host Brian Kilmeade.

Still, Trump said, "[Lai's] name has already entered the circle of things that we're talking about." Trump further praised Lai's son, Sebastian, for his efforts to free his father.

Sirico, meanwhile, this week wrote that Lai in his yearslong imprisonment "reminds us what it looks like to live without fear. To speak without permission. To suffer for the truth."

"He reminds us, in other words, of what it means to be free," the priest said.

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Rome Newsroom, Aug 16, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Saturday, Aug. 16, marks Pope Leo XIV's 100th day as pope. Since his May 8 election as the first pope born and raised in the United States, the 69-year-old Chicago native has already left his mark on a jubilee year filled with papal liturgies and a surge in pilgrim enthusiasm.

Here are some of the highlights of the first 100 days of the new Holy Father:

Papal jubilee: Pope Leo offers 16 public Masses in 14 weeks

Pope Leo XIV began his papacy in the heart of the Church's 2025 Jubilee Year of Hope, and he made the most of this opportunity to interact with Catholic pilgrims from across the globe by offering many Masses with the public.

Leo XIV offered 16 large public Masses in just 14 weeks — an average of more than one per week — including seven Masses in June alone. The pace marks a significant shift from the final years of Pope Francis' pontificate when the aging pope was unable to offer Mass himself at the altar. Francis was present at only four Masses with the public in the same time period last year.

The papal Masses have drawn large crowds and significant attention, beginning with his first inaugural Mass, which brought 200 foreign delegations — including heads of state and royalty — to the Vatican. Since then, Leo has celebrated liturgies for the jubilees of Families, Priests, and Youth as well as on major solemnities and feasts including Pentecost, Corpus Christi, the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, the Holy Trinity, Sts. Peter and Paul, and Mary, Mother of the Church.

Leo XIV is the first pope elected during a jubilee year since 1700.

A singing pope 

One of Pope Leo's most unexpected moments came during his first Regina Caeli address, when he stunned a crowd of 200,000 in St. Peter's Square by singing the Marian hymn rather than reciting it in Latin like his recent predecessors. Since then, he has continued chanting during liturgies and leading crowds in sung versions of the Our Father in Latin.

The move inspired the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music to launch "Let's Sing with the Pope," an online series aimed at making Gregorian chant more accessible.

First American pope on White Sox stadium jumbotron 

In June, the first pope born and raised in the United States appeared on the jumbotron at a gathering of American Catholics at Chicago's Rate Field — home of his beloved White Sox. In a video message delivered entirely in English, Pope Leo urged young people to be "beacons of hope" and invited all to see that "God is reaching out to you, calling you, inviting you to know his son, Jesus Christ."

It was the pope's first direct address to his hometown since his election and one of the earliest papal speeches given entirely in English.

The new pope's love of sports has led to some memorable moments. He blessed 159 cyclists as they passed through Vatican City in the final leg of the Giro d'Italia.  

A self-described "amateur tennis player," Pope Leo XIV joked with tennis star Jannik Sinner, ranked the world's No. 1, whether his white cassock would meet Wimbledon's requirement for all white attire.

The pope has also been gifted White Sox and Bears jerseys and has signed baseballs for enthusiastic pilgrims. 

A voice for peace in Gaza and Ukraine 

Pope Leo XIV's first words were "Peace be with you all," recalling the first greeting of the risen Christ recorded in Scripture. As wars continued and at times intensified during Pope Leo's first months, the pope has continued to be a voice for peace.

In June, after U.S. airstrikes on Iranian nuclear facilities, Pope Leo urged world leaders "to stop the tragedy of war before it becomes an irreparable abyss." Following an Israeli strike that killed three people at Gaza's only Catholic church in July, he appealed for "a ceasefire, the release of hostages, and full respect for humanitarian law."

"Today more than ever, humanity cries out and pleads for peace," the pope said during an Angelus from the window of the Apostolic Palace.

Leo also met with bishops and pilgrims from the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church and welcomed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy to Castel Gandolfo in July, where the two discussed the urgency of "just and lasting paths of peace," according to the Vatican.

Leo carries the Eucharist through the streets of Rome 

Pope Leo personally carried the Blessed Sacrament through the streets of Rome during a Corpus Christi procession from the Archbasilica of St. John Lateran to the Basilica of St. Mary Major.  

"Together, as shepherds and flock, we will feed on the Blessed Sacrament, adore him, and carry him through the streets," he said. "In doing so, we will present him before the eyes, the consciences, and the hearts of the people."

More than 20,000 people turned out for Leo XIV's first Eucharistic procession as pope.

Return to Castel Gandolfo 

Pope Leo revived the papal tradition of spending summer days at the papal residence in Castel Gandolfo. During his two-week stay in July, he led public Masses in local parishes, greeted pilgrims as he led the Angelus prayer in Liberty Square, and received visiting dignitaries. His stay marks the first papal summer retreat in the lakeside town since the pontificate of Pope Benedict XVI.

Pope Leo introduces the world to great quotes by St. Augustine  

A member of the Augustinian order, Pope Leo has quoted St. Augustine in nearly every one of his homilies as pope. In his first public words on May 8, he said: "I am an Augustinian, a son of St. Augustine, who once said, 'With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.'" 

Addressing 1 million young people at the Jubilee of Youth in August, he quoted Augustine's "Confessions": "You called, you shouted, and you broke through my deafness… I have tasted you, now I hunger and thirst for more." 

A focus on artificial intelligence 

Pope Leo has frequently spoken about artificial intelligence (AI), which is already shaping up to be a topic of interest in his pontificate with many hoping that he will address it in an encyclical.

Early on in his pontificate, Leo drew parallels between his namesake Pope Leo XIII, who responded to the industrial revolution with Rerum Novarum, and today's digital revolution, explaining that the rise of AI poses "new challenges for the defense of human dignity, justice, and labor."

"Humanity is at a crossroads, facing the immense potential generated by the digital revolution driven by artificial intelligence," he warned in a message to the Geneva-based AI for Good Summit. "The impact of this revolution is far-reaching, transforming areas such as education, work, art, health care, governance, the military, and communication."

The Vatican website received a revamp shortly after Leo's election, and insiders noted Leo's relatively tech-savvy background, including a personal Twitter account prior to his papacy. 

The pope also expressed concern in a speech to another AI conference about the negative effects that AI can have on the "intellectual and neurological development" of rising generations and the "loss of the sense of the human" that societies are experiencing. 

Leo declares a new doctor of the Church 

In one of his most significant theological gestures, Pope Leo named St. John Henry Newman, a 19th-century English convert from Anglicanism, a doctor of the Church — a rare title given to just 37 other saints. The title is granted in recognition of an already canonized saint's significant contribution to advancing the Church's knowledge of doctrine, theology, or spirituality.?

Leo also approved the upcoming canonization of Blessed Carlo Acutis and Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati in September as the first saints of his pontificate. He greenlit seven additional causes for canonization, including that of Blessed Bartolo Longo, a former satanist turned founder of the Marian shrine in Pompeii.

Carrying the cross before a million young people at the Jubilee of Youth 

Pope Leo addressed the largest crowd of his papacy to date at the Jubilee of Youth, where an estimated 1 million young adults camped out in fields in Tor Vergata, southeast of Rome. 

He surprised them by walking through the crowd to the stage, personally carrying the jubilee cross. During the evening vigil, he answered youth questions in English, Italian, and Spanish, offering reflections on loneliness, discernment, and friendship with Christ.

After Eucharistic adoration, chants of "Papa Leone!" echoed long into the night. Leo stayed past 10 p.m. — well beyond the scheduled end. 

Earlier in the week, he made a surprise appearance at the opening Mass, joyfully proclaiming in English: "Jesus tells us: You are the salt of the earth. You are the light of the world!" and the crowd erupted in cheers.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Aug 16, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has made numerous memorable remarks during the first 100 days of his pontificate (May 8 to Aug. 16). Below are some of the most notable.

The peace that comes from Christ

1. "It is the peace of the risen Christ. A peace that is unarmed and disarming, humble and persevering. A peace that comes from God, the God who loves us all, unconditionally" (First greeting after being elected).

2. "In a divided and troubled world, the Holy Spirit teaches us to walk together in unity" (Vigil of Pentecost).

3. "Today more than ever, humanity cries out and calls for peace. This is a cry that requires responsibility and reason, and it must not be drowned out by the din of weapons or the rhetoric that incites conflict" (Angelus on the solemnity of Corpus Christi).

The evangelizing mission

4. "These are contexts where it is not easy to preach the Gospel and bear witness to its truth, where believers are mocked, opposed, despised, or at best tolerated and pitied. Yet, precisely for this reason, they are the places where our missionary outreach is desperately needed. A lack of faith is often tragically accompanied by the loss of meaning in life, the neglect of mercy, appalling violations of human dignity, the crisis of the family, and so many other wounds that afflict our society" (Homily at Mass with cardinals).

5. "Take courage! Without fear! Many times in the Gospel Jesus says: 'Do not be afraid.' We need to be courageous in the witness we give, with the world and above all with life: giving life, serving, sometimes with great sacrifices in order to live out this very mission" (Homily in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica).

6. "Evangelization, dear brothers and sisters, is not our attempt to conquer the world but the infinite grace that radiates from lives transformed by the kingdom of God" (Vigil of Pentecost).

7. "This dimension of our Christian life and mission is close to my heart and is reflected in the words of St. Augustine that I chose for my episcopal service and now for my papal ministry: 'In Illo uno unum.' Christ is our savior and in him we are one, a family of God, beyond the rich variety of our languages, cultures, and experiences" (Address to the Pontifical Mission Societies).

God's merciful love

8. "God loves us, God loves all, and evil will not prevail. We are all in God's hands. Therefore, without fear, united, holding hands with God and with each other, let us move forward" (First greeting after being elected).

9. "For if we remain in his love, he comes to dwell in us and our life will become a temple of God. His love enlightens us, influences the way we think and act, spreads outwards to others and embraces every situation in our lives" (Regina Caeli, May 25).

10. "God's joy is not loud, but it truly changes history and brings us closer to one another" (Mass for priestly ordinations).

11. "The risen Jesus shows us his wounds and, although they are a sign of humanity's rejection, he forgives us and sends us on our way" (Mass for priestly ordinations).

12. "The Father does not love us any less than he loves his only-begotten Son. In other words, with an infinite love. God does not love less, because he loves first, from the very beginning!" (Mass for the Jubilee of Families).

13. "To believe in him and to be his disciples means allowing ourselves to be changed and to take on his same feelings. It means learning to have a heart that is moved, eyes that see and do not look away, hands that help others and soothe their wounds, shoulders that bear the burden of those in need" (Mass at Castel Gandolfo).

14. "Brothers and sisters, today we need this 'revolution of love'" (Mass at Castel Gandolfo).

15.  "God's love is so great that Jesus does not keep even his mother for himself, giving Mary to us as our mother, in the hour of the cross" (Homily at Castel Gandolfo with the Italian Carabinieri).

16. "If we deny the love that has generated us, if by betraying we become unfaithful to ourselves, then we truly lose the meaning of our coming into the world, and we exclude ourselves from salvation. And yet, precisely there, at the darkest point, the light is not extinguished. On the contrary, it starts to shine. Because if we recognize our limit, if we let ourselves be touched by the pain of Christ, then we can finally be born again" (Catechesis on betrayal).

17.  "Faith does not spare us from the possibility of sin, but it always offers us a way out of it: that of mercy" (Catechesis on betrayal).

18. "Jesus is not scandalized by our fragility. He knows well that no friendship is immune from the risk of betrayal. But Jesus continues to trust. He continues to sit at the table with his followers. He does not give up breaking bread, even for those who will betray him. This is the silent power of God: He never abandons the table of love, even when he knows he will be left alone" (Catechesis on betrayal).

The family

19. "One of the most wonderful expressions of the love of God is the love that is poured out by mothers, especially to their children and grandchildren" (Homily in the crypt of St. Peter's Basilica).

20. "And you, dear children, show gratitude to your parents: Saying 'thank you' each day for the gift of life and for all that comes with it is the first way to honor your father and your mother" (Mass for the Jubilee of Families).

21. "In the family, faith is handed on together with life, generation after generation. It is shared like food at the family table and like the love in our hearts. In this way, families become privileged places in which to encounter Jesus, who loves us and desires our good, always" (Mass for the Jubilee of Families).

22. "Our affection for our loved ones — for the wife or husband with whom we have spent so much of our lives, for our children, for our grandchildren who brighten our days — does not fade when our strength wanes. Indeed, their own affection often revives our energy and brings us hope and comfort" (Message for the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly).

23. "It is the responsibility of government leaders to work to build harmonious and peaceful civil societies. This can be achieved above all by investing in the family, founded upon the stable union between a man and a woman" (Audience with the diplomatic corps).

The grace of the Holy Spirit

24. "The Holy Spirit comes to challenge us, to make us confront the possibility that our lives are shriveling up, trapped in the vortex of individualism" (Mass on the solemnity of Pentecost).

25. "The Spirit of God allows us to find a new way of approaching and experiencing life. He puts us in touch with our inmost self, beneath all the masks we wear. He leads us to an encounter with the Lord by teaching us to experience the joy that is his gift" (Mass on the solemnity of Pentecost).

Christ the Eucharist and the Church

26. "All the fruitfulness of the Church and of the Holy See depends on the cross of Christ. Otherwise, it is only appearance, if not worse" (Homily on the Jubilee of the Holy See).

27. "Christ is God's answer to our human hunger, because his body is the bread of eternal life: Take this and eat of it, all of you!" (Homily on the solemnity of Corpus Christi).

28. "When we partake of Jesus, the living and true bread, we live for him. By offering himself completely, the crucified and risen Lord delivers himself into our hands, and we realize that we were made to partake of God" (Homily on the solemnity of Corpus Christi).

29. "The life of the Church and of the world, indeed, can only be understood in the succession of generations, and embracing an elderly person helps us understand that history is not exhausted in the present, nor is it consummated amid fleeting encounters and fragmentary relationships, but rather opens the way toward the future" (Message for the World Day of Grandparents and the Elderly).

30. "Unity in the Church and among the Churches, dear sisters and brothers, is fostered by forgiveness and mutual trust" (Solemnity of Sts. Peter and Paul).

The priesthood

31. "The priestly ministry is one of sanctification and reconciliation for the building up of the body of Christ in unity" (Jubilee for Priests).

32. "All too often, today's world offers models of success and prestige that are dubious and short-lived. Do not let yourselves be taken in by them! Look rather to the solid example and apostolic fruitfulness, frequently hidden and unassuming, of those who, with faith and dedication, have spent their lives in service of the Lord and their brothers and sisters. Keep their memory alive by your own example of fidelity" (Jubilee for Priests).

33. "Let us make an effort, then, to turn our differences into a workshop of unity and communion, of fraternity and reconciliation, so that everyone in the Church, each with his or her personal history, may learn to walk side by side" (Mass and blessing of the pallium of the new archbishops).

34. "We should pray for the conversion of the many people, inside and outside the Church, who do not yet recognize the urgent need to care for our common home" (Mass for the Care of Creation).

35. "While it is important that we live our faith in concrete actions and fidelity to our duties, according to each individual's state and vocation, it is also essential that we do so by starting from meditation on the word of God and by paying attention to what the Spirit suggests to our hearts, reserving, for this purpose, moments of silence, moments of prayer, times in which, silencing noise and distractions, we place ourselves before him and achieve unity within ourselves" (Mass at Albano).

Young people

36. "Dear young people, Jesus is our hope ... Aspire to great things, to holiness, wherever you are. Do not settle for less. You will then see the light of the Gospel growing every day, in you and around you" (Mass for the Jubilee of Young People).

37. "And to young people, I say: 'Do not be afraid! Accept the invitation of the Church and of Christ the Lord!'" (The pope's first Regina Caeli).

38. "You are the salt of the earth … You are the light of the world. And today your voices, your enthusiasm, your cries — which are all for Jesus Christ — will be heard to the ends of the earth" (Words of the pope at the inauguration Mass of the Jubilee of Young People).

Hope

39. "Amid life's trials, our hope is inspired by the firm and reassuring certainty of God's love, poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit. That hope does not disappoint" (Message from the World Day of the Poor).

40. "By recognizing that God is our first and only hope, we too pass from fleeting hopes to a lasting hope. Once we desire that God accompany us on the journey of life, material wealth becomes relativized, for we discover the real treasure that we need" (Message from the World Day of the Poor).

41. "In a world darkened by war and injustice, even when all seems lost, migrants and refugees stand as messengers of hope. Their courage and tenacity bear heroic testimony to a faith that sees beyond what our eyes can see and gives them the strength to defy death on the various contemporary migration routes" (World Day of Migrants Message).

Self-giving and love of neighbor

42. "The practice of worship does not automatically lead to being compassionate" (Catechesis at the general audience).

43. "Let us ask the Lord for the gift of understanding where our life is stuck. Let us try to give voice to our desire to be healed" (Catechesis on the healing of the paralytic).

44. "Every gesture of willingness, every gratuitous act, every forgiveness given in advance, every effort patiently accepted, is a way to prepare a place where God can dwell" (Catechesis on the preparation of the Passover meal).

45. "Be agents of communion, capable of breaking down the logic of division and polarization, of individualism and egocentrism. Center yourselves on Christ, so as to overcome the logic of the world, of fake news, of frivolity, with the beauty and light of truth" (Jubilee of Digital Influencers and Missionaries).

The meaning of life

46. "A very widespread ailment of our time is the fatigue of living: Reality seems to us to be too complex, burdensome, difficult to face. And so we switch off, we fall asleep, in the delusion that, upon waking, things will be different. But reality has to be faced, and together with Jesus, we can do it well" (Catechesis on the woman with hemorrhages and Jairus' daughter).

47. "It is very important to listen to the voice of the Lord, to listen to it, in this dialogue, and to see where the Lord is calling us towards" (Homily in the Crypt of St. Peter's Basilica).

48. "At the root of every vocation, God is present, in his mercy and his goodness, as generous as that of a mother" (Homily at the Basilica of St. Paul Outside the Walls).

49. "The fullness of our existence does not depend on what we store up or, as we heard in the Gospel, on what we possess. Rather, fullness has to do with what we joyfully welcome and share" (Mass for the Jubilee of Young People).

50. "I am an Augustinian, a son of St. Augustine, who once said: 'With you I am a Christian, and for you I am a bishop.' In this sense, all of us can journey together toward the homeland that God has prepared for us" (First greeting after being elected).

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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CNA Newsroom, Aug 16, 2025 / 07:00 am (CNA).

As artificial intelligence (AI) has become more widespread, a Catholic bioethics expert is warning against the dangers posed by it, saying it's "not too late" to "put the genie back in the bottle" and avoid the worst effects of the new technology.  

Pope Leo XIV has already warned that AI could have negative effects on the development of young people and contribute to a "loss of the sense of the human."

"He took the name Leo XIV to connect himself to Leo XIII, who himself was dealing with the Industrial Revolution of the late century, which totally transformed culture," moral theologian Charles Camosy, a bioethics professor at the Catholic University of America and an acclaimed author, told "EWTN News In-Depth" Anchor Catherine Hadro on Aug. 15.

"We're undergoing right now a similar technological change that is going to totally transform the culture," Camosy said. "How do we respond?" 

Camosy recently wrote a story for the Atlantic in which he argued that addressing artificial intelligence "could be the most ambitious and enduring project of Pope Leo XIV's legacy."

AI is "going to impact nearly every part of our culture," Camosy noted, adding that "people often can't tell the difference when they're talking to a human being or a chatbot."

"To the extent that we have any confusion about that, that's really super worrisome, because we need to hold on to this idea that we're fundamentally different from a large language model," he said. 

"We are flesh and blood made in the image and likeness of God with a soul that reflects a relationship that can't possibly be present in a chatbot." 

With an ongoing loneliness epidemic, people are already vulnerable, he noted. 

Camosy remarked that if individuals are living in a world where, "addicted to their smartphones," they are unable to communicate authentically and lack friends who can respond genuinely, they can become "vulnerable to a very articulate chatbot." 

He said AI chatbots are not just "stepping in to fill the void, but doing so in ways that at least imitate the need that all of us have for intimacy, for somebody to care about us." 

It is something that the Church has been addressing for some time via working groups on AI, Camosy noted. 

"You could argue that the Church has been ahead of the broader culture on AI because these groups have been around for some years," he said. 

Camosy referred to the Vatican document Antiqua et Nova: Note on the Relationship Between Artificial Intelligence and Human Intelligence as a Catholic resource on AI. 

"I suspect, but don't know for sure, that our current Holy Father is at least in the early stages of putting something like that together," he continued. 

"It's not just AI," he said, noting that the AI discussion ties into the "advent of transhumanism." 

Transhumanism is a scientific and cultural movement proposing the modification of human biology through technology, potentially blurring the lines between the artificial and the real. 

"We're in this really important cultural moment where this second industrial revolution is right on the cusp of happening. Thank God we have someone like Pope Leo" to lead the Church through it, Camosy said.

He pointed to grand claims that AI will eventually help human beings move away from work altogether. But work, he pointed out, is "an integral part of the human experience."

"We need protections for work. We need protections for workers," he said. "It's not too late to put the genie back in the bottle on this one. We have to create a culture that shapes AI to serve human beings, not the other way around."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 16:41 pm (CNA).

A new study found that 2025 graduates of Catholic law schools are not only more focused on ethics, service, and community, but they are also more likely to be practicing law than graduates of secular institutions.

The study, commissioned by the St. Mary's University School of Law and conducted by YouGov, asked a national sample of 1,076 law school graduates across Catholic and secular institutions (844 secular and 232 Catholic) questions about motivation, career trajectory, values alignment, civic participation, and ethical formation.

The report revealed graduates of Catholic institutions highly prioritize their career outcomes and professional commitments. It found that 14% more Catholic law school students who graduated this year are currently practicing law than graduates of secular institutions. Also, 13% more Catholic law graduates said their career aligns with their personal values.

The survey revealed that those who attended Catholic law schools are more likely to prioritize community roles and civic engagement.

Surveyed Catholic law school graduates were four times more likely to have held an elected community role and twice as likely to have tutored youth or community members, coach youth sports, or have served on bar committees. Catholic school graduates were also found to have a 26% higher participation rate in local elections.

More Catholic law school graduates said they were motivated to enter the profession to uphold the rule of law (10%) than secular graduates. Catholic graduates were also more likely to cite "helping others" and "seeking justice" among their top motivations.

The report noted that 7% more Catholic school graduates said they feel confident applying ethical reasoning in complex legal situations and 8% more said education provided a framework for resolving moral or professional conflicts.

The study also found that graduates of Catholic schools tended to have more positive experiences while in law school. Of the participants, 15% more Catholic graduates than secular graduates reported they felt a sense of community at law school, 12% more said law school helped them find life's purpose, and 10% more said law school clarified their broader purpose in the profession.

Overall, the study revealed that aside from providing legal expertise, Catholic law schools are also encouraging a moral framework and strong commitment to community. 

St. Mary's reported the study is the first national one of its kind focused on law school graduates. It builds on a 2024 report by St. Mary's that surveyed undergraduate and general alumni and found Catholic university graduates are more likely to report higher fulfillment and more emphasis on morality in their decision-making. A second version of the broader study is scheduled for later this year.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 12:41 pm (CNA).

An economics paper published last month on religious service attendance trends in 66 countries concluded that the implementation of reforms associated with the Second Vatican Council likely contributed to subsequent Mass attendance declines.

The working paper, "Looking Backward: Long-term Religious Service Attendance in 66 Countries," was published by the National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) on July 21.

NBER economists delved into historical trends for religious service attendance in historically Catholic and historically Protestant countries based on 1,900 religious affiliation statistics.

According to the researchers, attendance rates declined significantly faster in historically Catholic countries than in Protestant ones in the years after Vatican II. The trend began immediately after Vatican II and was not ongoing when the council began in the early 1960s.

Beginning in 1965 and through the 2010s, monthly attendance in Catholic nations decreased by an average of 4 percentage points more than Protestant countries in every decade.

Dismissing the claim that attendance rates only went down due to broader secularizing trends globally, the report asserted: "The decline in attendance is specific to Catholicism, to which Vatican II would directly apply."

NBER researchers claim that Vatican II and subsequent reforms "profoundly affected Catholic faith and practice" and concluded the council's implementation "triggered a decline in worldwide Catholic attendance relative to that in other denominations."

"Compared to other countries, Catholic countries experienced a steady decline in the monthly adult religious service attendance rate starting immediately after Vatican II," the report found. "The effect is statistically significant."

Harvard economics professor Robert Barro, one author of the study, told CNA the findings show "a substantial reduction in attendance" in Catholic countries relative to Protestant countries. 

He noted the Catholic decline culminates to "as much as 20 percentage points" worse than the Protestant decline over about four decades.

Barro said "before Vatican II, the Catholic and non-Catholic places behaved in a similar manner."

He said "there's nothing before the event" but also noted the study "cannot exclude the possibility that something else that you're not looking at happened at the same time."

The NBER report incorporates retrospective questions from the International Social Survey Program (ISSP). These surveys from 1991, 1998, 2008, and 2018 gather data about the past by asking respondents about religious service attendance from their childhoods. These surveys, according to the report, fill in data for years in which there was not polling.

"Nobody before had the long-term data," Barro said.

What might have impacted the decline in Mass attendance?

Although the report is primarily an economics paper, the researchers cite sociologists who have analyzed the implementation of Vatican II. It contends the findings are consistent with the view that the implementation "shattered the perception of an immovable, truth-holding Church."

The report cites the late sociologist Father Andrew Greeley's book "The Catholic Revolution," which attributed five major changes to the post-Vatican II Church: Mass in the local language, broader ecumenism, looser rules, internal debates on birth control, and more priests seeking laicization.

Harvard economist Rachel McCleary, who is Barro's wife and has also conducted research on the Church, told CNA she believes the implementation of the council had "a secularizing effect on the Catholic Church, which means that you're losing your brand."

"They want something that's different, that addresses their spiritual needs," she said, arguing that the implementation of the council "did the reverse; it secularized the religion."

McCleary argued that the implementation led to some internal strife with some Catholics believing the effects "went too far" and others thinking they "didn't go far enough."

Father Paul Sullins, a senior research associate at the Ruth Institute, told CNA there is a distinction between Vatican II itself and the subsequent "social effects of its implementation and reception" of the council.

He warned not to confuse the implementation with "the content or documents of the council proper."

Sullins said some Church leaders "acted in what they perceived to be 'the spirit of Vatican II,' which was often not envisioned or even justified by the council itself."

Yet disproportionate attendance decline, he noted, is "undeniable and widely documented." He added: "The Catholic decline is pretty secular (gradual, long-term), so it's probably responsive to many other cultural factors [as well]," such as disputes about the Church's ban on contraception. 

"But [the implementation of] Vatican II clearly worked to accommodate the Church to the world, and so contributed to the decline — the differential decline — among Catholics," Sullins said.

For example, the council itself allowed greater use of the vernacular language but also called for preserving the use of Latin and Gregorian chant in the Mass. The council did not require priests to face the people during Mass as opposed to the traditional "ad orientem" posturing in which the priest faces away from the people. It also did not discourage kneeling while receiving Communion.

Tom Nash, a staff apologist for Catholic Answers, contended the report failed to make a clear distinction between the council itself and "the infamous 'spirit of Vatican II'" when it comes to certain subjects, such as ecumenism.

"The issue is whether the actual teachings of the council triggered this decline or whether there are other factors involved," he told CNA.

Although Vatican II avoids using the word "heretic" for Protestants and opts to use "separated brethren," Nash said "the Church didn't, in fact, promote religious indifference at the council in its teachings." He said the term "is painfully but accurately used multiple times … regarding fellow Christians … who are validly baptized."

Non-Christians, Nash said, "are our brothers and sisters in the sense that we are all made in the image and likeness of God, but we painfully are not yet one Christ."

Nash cited the council's dogmatic constitution Lumen Gentium to note Vatican II "reaffirmed the Church's definitive teaching on papal primacy in governing and teaching, which Our Lord Jesus Christ instituted in founding the Church on the rock of St. Peter." 

"Vatican II also reaffirmed and elaborated further on the Church's divinely given power to teach infallibly on faith and morals," he added.

Nash noted several ways the Church could improve Mass attendance, including an increase in Eucharistic reverence, such as more options for adoration, "promoting kneeling for the reception of holy Communion," and using patens to "heighten Eucharistic awareness and reverence." 

He also encouraged parishes to offer confession for five to 10 hours every week.

"When we make sacramental encounters more available with Our Lord Jesus Christ, an increase in Sunday Mass participation will follow accordingly," Nash said.

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CNA Staff, Aug 15, 2025 / 13:11 pm (CNA).

A Pennsylvania priest has been placed on administrative leave after he confessed to local prosecutors last month to falsifying the results of a high-level fundraising raffle at his parish.

Father Ross Miceli allegedly "admitted to publicly falsifying the results of the grand prize winner" of a raffle for either a Corvette or a $50,000 cash prize at St. Jude the Apostle Parish in Erie.

In an Aug. 14 statement, the Diocese of Erie told CNA that Miceli will be placed on administrative leave as part of the ongoing investigation into the priest's actions. Erie Bishop Lawrence Persico has also recommended that St. Jude Parish hire "an independent forensic auditor to review all finances."

The priest announced his resignation from the parish on the weekend of July 20, though he did not give a reason at the time. The Erie Diocese said last month that Miceli would be heading to St. Timothy Parish in Curwensville starting on Aug. 12, where he would be a "sacramental assistant."

The diocese also said in its Aug. 14 statement St. Jude's will "sell the car from the fundraiser back to the dealer, and the parish will attempt to refund all raffle ticket purchases." 

The Catholic parish hosted the "Winavette" raffle in 2024, allowing buyers to purchase $50 tickets for the chance to win a Stingray 1LT Corvette. The grand-prize winner of the event could take either the car or $50,000 in cash. The raffle was open to players nationwide.

On Dec. 25, 2024, the church announced that "Martin Anderson" of Detroit had won the grand prize. The reported winner "chose the cash option," the church said.

Yet an employee of the parish allegedly "raised concerns" about the raffle to Persico, according to the warrants, leading the diocese to investigate the contest and eventually contact the county prosecutor's office.

The priest reportedly "admitted [to the employee] that he fabricated the grand-prize winner's name," the Times-News reported, citing the documents. The priest allegedly committed the falsification after "a problem with the raffle system" left the grand prize without a winner.

The priest said the prize money was "still in an account" after the fabrication. Miceli allegedly told the employee that he "needed to keep this secret," according to prosecutors. Miceli also allegedly fabricated several other winners in the raffle.

Miceli's confession was reportedly detailed in warrants from the Erie County District Attorney's Office, according to an Aug. 7 report in the Erie Times-News.

Detectives seized Miceli's iPad and iPhone as well as financial records for both the parish and the raffle, the Erie paper reported.

Law enforcement handling the case did not respond to a query from CNA on Aug. 7. 

But the diocese told the Times-News that it was aware of the investigation and was "cooperating fully with the appropriate authorities."

On Facebook the church posted that 2024 was the "last year" the raffle would be held, though they noted that Father John Detisch was operatinga similar raffle at Dubois Central Catholic School in Dubois.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

Today, Aug. 15, is the feast of the Assumption, a solemnity commemorating the end of the Virgin Mary's earthly life and the assumption of her body and soul into heaven. The day also marks the anniversary of the Eternal Word Television Network (EWTN). 

On this day in 1981, EWTN's foundress, Mother Mary Angelica of the Annunciation, started her television show out of a garage studio in Alabama. The broadcast launched what is now the largest global Catholic media network in the world. (Note: CNA is a service of EWTN News, an affiliate of EWTN.)

As Catholics celebrate the Assumption and EWTN commemorates 44 years of spreading the Eternal Word, we look back at what Mother Angelica said about Jesus' mother and her assumption into heaven.

Assumption of Mary 

"This is the feast of Our Lady's assumption, and a lot of people don't understand that," Mother Angelica, a Poor Clare of Perpetual Adoration, said during an Aug. 15, 2000, EWTN broadcast. "They get it all mixed up with Our Lady's immaculate conception. And it's different."

The Assumption is a fairly new feast day in the Church, but the holiday has roots in the earliest centuries of Christian belief. Mother Angelica explained to her audience that "when all the apostles heard Our Lady had died, they all went where she was, except Thomas." 

"St. Thomas, according to tradition, was always late, always late," Mother Angelica joked. "We all have somebody like that in our family. They're always late." 

"So when he came, they opened up the [tomb] and she was gone… And from the very beginning of Christianity, it was always believed that she was assumed into heaven. It just makes sense."

It makes sense, Mother Angelica said, "because she was so pure and so holy. There was no reason for her to rot away like we're going to."

"Our Lady could never even commit one little sin. So what does she do? She benefits by all the graces, we will benefit by the blood of Jesus — by redemption," she said. "You say, 'Well, why should she be so different?' Well, because she was created by God and before time began, he had her in his mind to be the mother of his Son — the Eternal Word."

"You can't even think for a half a second that the mother of God could be in the hands of Satan. That would defile the temple," she said, adding: "I mean, that's common sense. You don't need anything else to really realize that God's temple had to be absolutely perfect for his sake."

While Mary was born perfect, Mother Angelica said, "we were all born with original sin, and we have consequences for original sin, even after baptism." We experience "jealousy, anger, and oversensitivity. We're born with a lot of things that are not like Jesus. And so we have to overcome these things."

But eventually, "Our Lady's assumption is something we're all going to have," because "we're all going to rise… the day will come at the end of the world when God will breathe and say: 'Rise.'"

'Secret of holiness'

"Our Lady had to be awesome, because she always said yes to God. That's the secret of holiness," Mother Angelica said. "Oh, you don't have to be bright, you don't have to be a genius, you don't have to build buildings, you don't have to do any of those things. You have to do God's will with love and sacrifice."

Ultimately, it "all comes down to love," she said. "And you only do God's will because you love. Our Lady always loved God and always did his will with perfect union."

On the solemnity of Mary's assumption, "we should thank God that he created such a woman," Mother Angelica said. "There had to be somebody like her. And only from her, only from this holy, perfect woman, could the Eternal Word come."

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, Aug 15, 2025 / 06:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news from the past week that you might have missed:

Israel denies entry to Italian priest over criticism of war in Gaza 

An Italian Catholic priest who has accused Israel of genocide and criticized its ongoing war in Gaza was recently denied entry into the country and sent on a return flight to Greece, according to reports.

Father Nandino Capovilla, founder of the "Bridges, Not Walls" Campaign for Palestine of Pax Christi Italy, was planning to take part in a "pilgrimage of justice" organized by the group but was stopped at Ben Gurion Airport on Aug. 11 and told he would not be permitted to enter the country.

Capovilla, who regularly posts on Facebook about Gaza, wrote a post after his release instructing journalists who cover his situation to demand sanctions on Israel.

Iran admits to arrest of over 50 Christians since end of '12-day war' 

The Iranian Ministry of Intelligence (MOIS) revealed it has arrested over 50 Christians since the end of its short-lived "12-day war" with Israel, according to the watchdog group Article18. The admission was made in a wider announcement detailing the intelligence agency's crackdown on groups it said participated in anti-regime demonstrations amid the conflict.

The MOIS said in the announcement that it had "neutralized" 53 "Mossad mercenaries" who it claimed had been "trained abroad" by churches in the U.S. and Israel to rebel against the Iranian regime. At least 11 of the detained have been released on bail.

"Prior to the conflict, over 60 other Christians were either detained or in the process of being tried on charges related to their faith in Iran, and this number has now nearly doubled," Article18 stated.

Lebanon's Maronite patriarch calls for peace during visit to Christian villages

Maronite patriarch Cardinal Bechara Boutros Al-Rahi toured Christian border villages in southern Lebanon, delivering a clear message: "No to war, yes to peace," ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, reported Sunday. His visit comes after the latest round of conflict between Hezbollah and Israel, which caused significant displacement and damage to the region's Christian communities.

Accompanied by the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Paolo Borgia, and local bishops, the patriarch visited towns including Dibl, Al-Qouzah, Ain Ebel, and Rmeish. In Al-Qouzah, where only 72 residents remain, he pledged support for reconstruction efforts, affirming that "war is temporary, peace endures."

At each stop, he was welcomed with showers of rice and flowers, emphasizing the resilience of the people who chose to stay despite the hardships. Al-Rahi reiterated that Lebanon's identity is rooted in peace, urging both leaders and citizens to reject the cycle of violence.

Sri Lanka Catholics continue protests against sand mining, wind power mill 

The Catholic-majority Mannar district in northern Sri Lanka has continued its protest against sand mining and wind power farms, according to UCA News, contesting that the practices "threaten their survival and livelihoods."

Protestors claim the projects threaten the ecology and cultural heritage of the island and have been protesting in the streets since Aug. 11, when they began blocking the entrance of vehicles transporting equipment, including turbine blades for the windmill farm, into the island.

Father S. Marcus Adigalar, president of the Mannar Citizens Committee, told UCA: "Following the implementation of a windmill project carried out by Ceylon Electricity Board (CEB) in the past, we are already witnessing the environmental impact of it."

The priest further claimed that there has been an increase in deaths of birds and a negative impact on the fishing community due to the noise and vibrations caused by the wind farm. "This cannot be allowed," he added.

African religious orders challenged to meet local needs before sending priests abroad

The Vatican secretary for the Dicastery for Evangelization has issued a call for African religious orders to make sure the needs of their local communities are being met before priests are sent abroad. 

During a speech at the third Pan-African Catholic Congress on Theology, Society, and Pastoral Life, Archbishop Fortunatus Nwachukwu told attendees: "A Church that fails to care for its own cannot credibly claim to care for others," according to an Aug. 13 report from ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa.

He further emphasized the importance of safeguarding the missionary presence of Africans abroad so it may be viewed "not as a request for aid but as a witness to Christ's self-giving love and the fruitfulness of the Gospel sown in African soil."

Vatican secretary of state travels to Burundi for pastoral visit

Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin arrived on Tuesday in Burundi for a weeklong pastoral visit. According to a report from ACI Africa, he expressed joy upon his arrival to the East African nation, telling those who received him at the apostolic nunciature: "I am very happy to be among you."

Parolin's visit included meetings with various communities, Church leaders, and government authorities, including President Évariste Ndayishimiye. He is also scheduled to preside over the inauguration of a monument and lay the foundation stone for a new health center dedicated to the memory of Archbishop Michael Aiden Courtney, the former apostolic nuncio to Burundi who was assassinated in 2003.

Mozambique priest condemns rise in child abductions as war rages in northern province

A Catholic priest in the Cabo Delgado Province of Mozambique is condemning the increase in cases of child abduction, as Human Rights Watch estimated at least 120 children kidnapped by jihadist insurgents linked to the Islamic State in recent months, ACI Africa reported.  

"This senseless war brings only death and takes what little hope the people, and especially the children, have," said Father Kwiriwi Fonsesca in an Aug. 8 report from Aid to the Church in Need International.

"These children must be returned to their parents; they must be searched for wherever they are, so that they can be returned to their parents, because they deserve a better future," he added.

Church in Germany invested nearly 600 million euros in international projects in 2024

The Catholic Church in Germany invested almost 600 million euros (about $700 million) in international projects in 2024, according to the German Bishops' Conference. 

The roughly 595 million euros distributed across the globe includes 200 million to Africa, almost 144 million to Latin America, over 137 million to Asia and around 76 million to various regions across Europe. Forty-nine million euros were listed as invested in international projects, according to CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner. 

Bishop Bertram Meier of Augsburg wrote in a preface to the bishops' conference financial report: "595 million euros for project funding — that's an impressive figure." However, he noted, the actual extent of the Church's reach in the foreign aid sphere is "far greater," given the number of additional independent church associations.

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