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Vatican City, Jun 25, 2025 / 11:24 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday called bishops to be firm and decisive in dealing with scandal and sexual abuse, linking vigilance against abuse to living a chaste life.

Speaking to over 400 bishops from 38 countries in St. Peter's Basilica, the pope also emphasized the importance of pastoral prudence, poverty, and synodality in the ministry of a bishop.

"Together with material poverty, the life of the bishop is also marked by that specific form of poverty, which is celibacy and virginity for the sake of the kingdom of heaven," he said during the June 25 meeting, the last part of a morning of spiritual activities for the Jubilee of Bishops.

Leo said celibacy is more than living as a celibate but includes "chastity of heart and conduct, and in this way, living a life of Christian discipleship and presenting to all the authentic image of the Church, holy and chaste in her members as in her head."

Following his reference to their personal chastity, the pope asked the bishops, when dealing with abuse, especially abuse of minors, to fully respect the Church's current regulations.

Pope Leo, before his election, spent two years as head of the Dicastery for Bishops, the Vatican department responsible for assisting the pope in the appointment of new bishops around the world, providing formation for new bishops, and intervening when necessary in problems of governance within a diocese.

Evangelical poverty, as lived by the bishop, "is a simple, sober, and generous lifestyle, dignified and at the same time suited to the conditions of the majority of his people," the pontiff said.

"The poor," he continued, "must find in him a father and a brother, and never feel uncomfortable in meeting him or entering his home. In his personal life, he must be detached from the pursuit of wealth and from forms of favoritism based on money or power."

On pastoral prudence, Leo underlined the need for synodality — "dialogue as a style and method" — in the bishop's particular Church.

He encouraged bishops to be men of the theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity. And he cited the Second Vatican Council decree on priests, Presbyterorum Ordinis, which mentions the human virtues of "fairness, sincerity, magnanimity, openness of mind and heart, the ability to rejoice with those who rejoice and to suffer with those who suffer, as well as self-control, delicacy, patience, discretion, great openness to listening and engaging in dialogue, and willingness to serve."

"These virtues," the pontiff said, "can and must be cultivated in conformity to the Lord Jesus, with the grace of the Holy Spirit."

For the Jubilee of Bishops, members of the Roman Curia and bishops on pilgrimage to Rome began the morning by passing through the Holy Door. Cardinal Marc Ouellet, PSS, prefect emeritus of the Dicastery for Bishops, celebrated Mass for them at the Altar of the Chair before the approximately half-hour meeting with Leo.

After the pope delivered his spiritual message, which the bishops applauded, he led them in singing the Creed, the profession of the faith, in Latin. 

"At the very place where Peter gave witness to Christ, together with me, his successor, you renew your loyalty to the prince of pastors," the pope said as he introduced the Creed.

Pope Leo, in his catechesis, also cited St. Augustine's description of the priestly ministry as the "amoris officium," or the "office of love" in English.

Here the theological life of the bishop, he said, "is expressed and shines forth in the highest degree. Whether preaching, visiting communities, listening to priests and deacons, or making administrative decisions, all that he does is inspired and motivated by the charity of Christ the Shepherd."

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ACI MENA, Jun 25, 2025 / 11:54 am (CNA).

In a decision carrying both spiritual and humanitarian significance, Pope Leo XIV on June 24 approved the election of Father Francesco Ielpo, a member of the Order of Friars Minor, as the new custos of the Holy Land and guardian of Mount Zion, succeeding Father Francesco Patton, who concluded nine years of service in this sensitive role.

The appointment followed an election conducted by the minister general of the Franciscan order and his council, in line with a long-standing tradition that reflects the historical continuity of the Franciscans' mission in the land where Jesus Christ walked.

Born in Lauria, Italy, in 1970, Ielpo made his solemn profession in 1998 and was ordained to the priesthood in 2000. His service has spanned education, administration, and pastoral care. He taught religion, served as the head of the "Franciscanum Luzzago" Institute in Brescia, and held ecclesial responsibilities as the commissary for the Holy Land in Lombardy and later in northern Italy. Since 2022, he has been president of the Holy Land Foundation in addition to holding other organizational roles across Italian Franciscan provinces.

Ielpo assumes his new role at an extremely complex moment, both regionally and spiritually. The Holy Land is enduring growing political and military tensions, a sharp decline in pilgrimage, a shrinking local Christian population, and a worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza and the West Bank.

In this context, the responsibility of the new custos goes far beyond protecting sacred sites; it encompasses pastoral presence, humanitarian support, interreligious and intercultural dialogue, and the safeguarding of Christianity's roots in its birthplace. The late Pope Francis had once stressed that "serving the Holy Land is a mission of peace amid conflict, a space for humility and spiritual courage."

Ielpo succeeds Patton, who served from 2016 to 2025. During his tenure, Patton faced significant challenges, including the COVID-19 pandemic and the near-total halt of pilgrimage to the Holy Land. Despite these trials, he sustained major restoration projects, took part in humanitarian efforts such as support for children in Gaza, and documented his experience in a spiritual memoir titled "Like a Pilgrimage: My Days in the Holy Land."

The Franciscan Custody, which began more than 800 years ago with St. Francis of Assisi's arrival in the Holy Land, is not merely a religious duty. It is a living witness to the Catholic Church's enduring commitment to the holy sites, to the people who dwell around them, and to the pilgrims who yearn to visit.

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

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ACI MENA, Jun 25, 2025 / 04:00 am (CNA).

In a scene marked by deep sorrow and righteous anger, churches across Syria held funeral services for the victims of the suicide bombing that targeted St. Elias Church in the Syrian capital, Damascus, on Sunday. The attack claimed the lives of 25 people and left dozens injured.

The main funeral service for the majority of the victims took place at noon on June 24 at the Church of the Holy Cross in the Qassaa district of Damascus. It was presided over by Greek Orthodox Patriarch John X Yazigi, with Melkite Catholic Patriarch Youssef Absi and Syrian Catholic Patriarch Ignatius Youssef III Younan also in attendance, alongside numerous bishops, priests, and a large crowd from various denominations.

In his homily before the funeral prayers, Yazigi condemned the attack as a "heinous massacre," stressing that "the prayer we lift today is not an ordinary funeral prayer but the special resurrection prayer we usually offer on Easter — because today is a day of resurrection." 

He added: "This crime is the first of its kind in Damascus since 1860. We will not allow anyone to sow sectarian strife; Syrians are all committed to national unity. It is unfortunate that no government officials, aside from Minister Hind Kabawat [a Christian], came to the site of the attack."

Following the funeral liturgy, the coffins were taken to St. Elias Church, the site of the bombing, for a special prayer before being buried in the Christian cemetery.

Later in the afternoon, the Vatican Press Office released a statement expressing that Pope Leo XIV was "deeply saddened by the attack." The Holy Father extended his heartfelt solidarity with all those affected by the tragedy, assuring prayers for the repose of the souls of the deceased, healing for the wounded, and divine consolation and peace for their families.

Christian outrage at official silence

The funeral services coincided with Masses offered for the repose of the victims and the recovery of the injured. Several Christian and civil society groups also organized prayer vigils and demonstrations in Christian neighborhoods, where participants chanted: "Christians do not fear death, for after death comes resurrection."

However, amid these displays of faith and resilience, Syrian Christians have expressed mounting frustration at the government's failure to declare a national mourning period, lower the flags, or refer to the victims as "martyrs" in official or media statements. Many view this as a grave injustice, feeling that the blood of Christian victims was not being honored equally.

In a poignant public message, Metropolitan Ephrem Maalouli of the Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of Aleppo and Alexandretta addressed President Ahmed al-Sharaa, saying: "We had hoped to hear from you, Mr. President, words of healing — words that would reach every free Syrian home and comfort every Christian ear. Words that would honor the martyrs, console the bereaved, and tend the wounds of those in hospital beds. Words that show us that the leader of free Syria stands equally with all components of its people."

Similarly, Bishop Elias Dabbagh, Melkite Greek Catholic bishop of Bosra, Hauran, and Mount Druze, criticized the Syrian minister of information, stating: "We will not accept condolences that do not mention the word 'martyrs.' Those who died in this criminal bombing are martyrs — whether people like it or not."

Several Christian journalists and activists argued that the government and state media's reluctance to use words like "martyr" or "mercy" stemmed from ideological sensitivities and fear of alienating certain supporters.

In a phone call from Vice President Farouk al-Sharaa to Bishop Romanos al-Hanata offering condolences, the bishop requested the president visit the church to personally comfort the families. Sharaa reportedly responded: "I will come to you as soon as possible."

To this, Patriarch Yazigi responded: "With love, respect, and appreciation, Your Excellency, we thank you for the phone call — but it is not enough. What happened was too great for words alone."

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

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Vatican City, Jun 25, 2025 / 07:15 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Wednesday addressed what he called the "fatigue of living" as one of the ailments afflicting modern society, and he urged the faithful gathered in St. Peter's Square to face reality with the grace of Jesus. 

"A very widespread ailment of our time is the fatigue of living: Reality seems to us to be too complex, burdensome, difficult to face," the pope said at his final Wednesday general audience before summer break, when he is expected to reduce his schedule and public engagements for all of July.  

"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," the pope said.  

The pontiff continued his cycle of catechesis on hope, focusing on the Gospel accounts of Jesus' miraculous healings. He highlighted two specific miracles as "signs of hope:" the healing of Jairus' daughter — Jairus being a synagogue leader who humbly begged Jesus to save his dying daughter — and the healing of the anonymous woman who had suffered from bleeding for twelve years. 

To illustrate his point, Leo recalled how Jairus, upon being told that his daughter had died and not to bother the master anymore, still held onto his faith and continued to hope. 

The Gospel of Mark tells how Jesus said, "Little girl, I say to you, arise!" and the child got up and began to walk. For the pope, this gesture by Jesus shows that he "not only heals every disease but also awakens from death." 

"Because for God, who is eternal life, bodily death is like sleep. The real death is the death of the soul — and that is what we should truly fear," he added. 

The pope also praised the great courage of the bleeding woman, who — despite being condemned to remain hidden and isolated — approached Jesus. 

"At times, we too can be victims of the judgment of others, who presume to put a robe on us that is not our own. And then we suffer, and cannot come out of it," he said. 

Leo emphasized the woman's faith: "This woman, silent and anonymous, conquers her fears, touches the heart of Jesus with her hands, considered unclean because of her illness," he told the thousands of pilgrims gathered in the square on Wednesday despite the scorching temperatures. 

"Every time we perform an act of faith addressed to Jesus, contact is established with him, and immediately his grace comes out from him," he said. 

Leo lamented that many people merely skim the surface of faith in Jesus "without truly believing in his power" while their hearts are elsewhere. Yet, he pointed out, "in a secret and real way," grace reaches us and slowly transforms life from within. 

Before beginning the catechesis, Pope Leo XIV greeted pilgrims for half an hour and blessed many infants. 

He then issued a challenge: "When our children are in crisis and need spiritual nourishment, do we know how to give it to them? And how can we, if we ourselves are not nourished by the Gospel?" 

He concluded with a powerful reminder: "In life there are moments of disappointment and discouragement, and there is also the experience of death. Let us learn from that woman, from that father: Let us go to Jesus. He can heal us, he can revive us. He is our hope!" 

Wednesday's general audience began half an hour earlier than usual due to the pope's busy schedule, which included delivering a catechesis to bishops and meeting with a group of seminarians from northern Italy. 

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Vatican City, Jun 24, 2025 / 13:12 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV in a message to the Order of Malta underlined the order's religious character, stressing that without evangelization, the knights' service to the poor is merely philanthropy.

"Do not limit yourself to helping the needs of the poor, but announce to them the love of God with words and testimony. If this were to be lacking, the order would lose its religious character and would be reduced to being an organization with philanthropic purposes," Leo wrote in a message to the order on the feast of its patron saint, St. John the Baptist.

The pope also met for the first time with the order's grand master, Fra' John Dunlap, at the Vatican on June 23.

In his June 24 message, Leo pointed multiple times to the order's important dual purpose of "tuitio fidei and obsequium pauperum." (Latin for "protection of faith" and "service to the poor.")

The Sovereign Military Order of Malta is both a lay religious order of the Catholic Church and a sovereign state subject to international law.

The order adopted a new constitution in 2022, after a long reform process, initiated by Pope Francis in 2017 and fraught by concerns of threat to the group's sovereignty.

Pope Leo addressed the Order of Malta's "path of renewal," stressing that it "cannot be simply institutional, normative: It must first of all be interior, spiritual, because this gives meaning to changes in the rules."

He supported changes to the order's constitutional charter and law as "necessary, as several things needed to be clarified, especially the nature of the religious order."

The Holy Father's message also talked about the means — economic and personnel that the order relies on in order to carry out its charitable work — and the importance of these aligning with the group's mission.

"To achieve a good goal the means must be good; but in this field temptation can easily present itself under the guise of good, as an illusion of being able to achieve the good goals that one sets out with means that could later prove not to be in accordance with the will of God," he said.

The order's international importance and position as a sovereign body, Leo continued, must never be a pretext for succumbing to temptations to worldliness.

The Order of Malta's overhaul was also marked by years of changing leadership, beginning with the dismissal of Grand Chancellor Albrecht Freiherr von Boeselager in December 2017.

The grand chancellor's dismissal followed revelations that the order's charitable branch, under Boeselager's leadership, had been involved in distributing condoms in Burma to prevent HIV. The order said the reasons for Boeselager's dismissal was "much more complex than just the point on contraception," and one factor was the concealment of "severe problems" within the order during his tenure.

The grand chancellor is one of four high offices — grand commander, grand chancellor, grand hospitaller, and receiver of the common treasure. These positions, which hold five-year terms, make up part of the government of the order, together with councilors of the Sovereign Council, and the grand master, who is elected for 10 years.

Much of the leadership was renewed during elections held in an extraordinary chapter general convened by Pope Francis in January 2023.

Dunlap, a Canadian lawyer who was elected prince and 81st grand master of the Order of Malta in May 2023, had led the order as lieutenant grand master since the year prior when he was appointed by Pope Francis following the sudden death of his predecessor, Fra' Marco Luzzago.

The Order of Malta had not had a grand master since the death in 2020 of Fra' Giacomo dalla Torre del Tempio di Sanguinetto.

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Vatican City, Jun 24, 2025 / 13:47 pm (CNA).

More than 2,500 seminarians from 57 countries converged on Rome this week to pray at the tomb of St. Peter, receive a blessing from Pope Leo XIV, and celebrate their vocations in the Jubilee of Seminarians. 

"Thank you for courageously accepting the Lord's invitation to follow him, to be disciples, to enter the seminary. You have to be courageous and not be afraid," Pope Leo XIV told the young men gathered in St. Peter's Basilica on June 24. 

"As Christ loved with the heart of man, you are called to love with the heart of Christ!" the pope said in his catechesis to the seminarians, urging them to "love with the heart of Jesus." 

Over two days, the jubilee pilgrims prayed the rosary together at the tomb of St. Paul, passed through the Holy Doors of the basilicas in Rome, and knelt before the Eucharist in adoration. Among them were seminarians from Albania to Argentina, India to Italy, and the United States to Ukraine — each carrying his own story of how God called him to the priesthood. 

Here are nine seminarians who shared how they heard the call to the priesthood: 

Thomas Hammen, 28, Diocese of Pensacola-Tallahassee, Florida 

"I think a key message is that we're made to give ourselves away in love, while the culture says to only live for yourself… In my college years specifically, I experienced having everything the world told me that would make me happy and like Pope Leo has been saying over and over again, quoting St. Augustine, 'my heart was restless.'

"Thankfully at Florida State University, I had an awesome friend who invited me on a retreat, and it was on that retreat where there was Eucharistic adoration that I heard the truth that my heart is made for God and when I live for him I come fully alive and I'm able to step into the mission that he has for me. 

"I'd say my vocation is a result of God showing me mercy … and from knowing that I'm loved, that comes a great conviction that I'm chosen for something great and that's really the source of my entire vocation to be a priest." 

Hammen hopes to be ordained in 2030. 

Joseph Mlawa, Archdiocese of Agrigento, Italy 

"I'm from Tanzania and now I'm a seminarian in Sicily." 

"Since I was little, I wanted to become a priest. However, it was a bit difficult because my parents died in 2006. But in 2015, there were missionaries who came to my parish and they helped me to come here to Italy to fulfill the calling of my vocation … They helped to pay my tuition for the nine years." 

Thomas Stanczak, 35, Archdiocese of Milwaukee

A recent convert from Protestantism, Stanczak said he "read" his way into the Church.  

"I think, as St. John Henry Newman says, 'to be deep in history is to cease to be Protestant,'" he said. 

"I really felt a very strong call from the Lord during Mass … and when the Lord says for you to do something, it's hard to say no." 

In Rome, he has had a "wonderful experience" going to the churches from "the different ancient martyrs and saints that we pray in the Roman canon, seeing Cosmos and Damien's church, John and Paul, Agnes and Lucy." 

"All these different wonderful saints have really helped me connect in a special way to the universal Church."? 

He hopes to be ordained in 2030. 

Pietro, 24, Diocese of Locri-Gerace, Calabria, Italy 

"I have to say that like St. Peter, I gave the Lord a lot of resistance. Finally, he somehow 'pulled me by the ears,' as we say… Slowly, with his strength, [the Lord] showed me day by day what is the meaning of my vocation, not only my vocation to the priesthood, but also to follow him with all my heart, as far as he will lead me, even to the point of giving my life."

"There are so many challenges, as there always have been, and so I think if the Church continues to trust and rely on the Holy Spirit, then she will overcome them all."

Carlos Bárcenas, 26, Archdiocese of Panama

"The restlessness was already within me from my mother's womb," Bárcenas joked. 

While studying mechanical engineering, he "realized that [God] was asking me for something more.

"I want to be above all credible, acceptable, and consistent with Christian life," he said. 

Pepe Zinkewich, 26, Archdiocese of Los Angeles 

"I'm No. 9 of 10 kids. I grew up in a very heavily Catholic family … but I didn't really feel called to the priesthood until I went away for college. It was there that I got in contact with a very holy priest who loved the Eucharist and would die for it. And that really inspired me to follow Christ and devote myself to his Church."

"Through prayer and spiritual direction, I found my vocation to the diocesan seminary, and I've loved every minute of it. Ever since I entered, I thought the priesthood was going to be quiet and simple, but it has turned out to be the adventure of a lifetime!"

Zinkewich hopes to be ordained in 2029.

José Ylef Felicidad, 22, Diocese of Arecibo, Puerto Rico 

"I felt the call when I was 20 years old. It was through a priest friend of mine. Literally, the Lord was transfigured in him and he told me a phrase that moved me: 'He needs you.' His face changed to that of Jesus, but without ceasing to be him. It was extraordinary." 

Felicidad's greatest aspiration is to leave behind "everything for the Lord and for the holy people of God."

Randy Marfo, 25, from Ghana 

Marfo discovered his vocation at a young age when he was serving as an altar boy. This experience motivated him to follow a vocation to the priesthood. 

"The biggest problem that my country is facing is that the population of Catholics is decreasing in these days because some of the priests are not doing what is expected of them, so Church members are leaving to other denominations, like Pentecostals or the Baptists." 

He hopes to be ordained in 2030.

William Iván Sánchez Velázquez, Diocese of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico 

"I have been in the seminary for seven years now," he said. "I met with the bishop and, as soon as I finished school, I went straight to the seminary."

His hope is to become a priest who resembles "the Good Shepherd" and to be "dedicated to serving my sheep."

"The Lord himself said: 'Pray to the Lord of the harvest.' The Lord provides. I firmly believe that the Lord answers the people who kneel to pray. We should not stop praying for vocations. That's the only thing to do: pray, pray, pray."

The Rome Experience 

The American seminarians taking part in the jubilee are in Italy this summer for the "Rome Experience," a six-week program to study, pray, and walk in the footsteps of the saints. These seminarians are taking classes on Church history and Christian art and architecture while also making pilgrimages to churches and holy sites throughout Rome.

"While I've been here, it's been so amazing to encounter the saints — to visit where they are buried, to hear their stories," Hammen said. "My hope is to return to the United States and share what I've experienced here." 

The Jubilee of Seminarians is just one of many spiritual celebrations taking place in Rome during the holy year. Beginning Wednesday, the Vatican will also host a Jubilee of Bishops and a Jubilee of Priests.

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ACI MENA, Jun 24, 2025 / 14:17 pm (CNA).

Cardinal Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, in an exclusive interview with ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, emphasized that the Catholic Church in the Holy Land is "more active than people might think," noting that many of its initiatives and efforts take place away from the spotlight "so that we can be more effective."

His remarks came in response to the recent escalation of violence between Iran and Israel.

The cardinal also stressed the importance of openness. "The Church must remain open and accessible to all. This is absolutely essential," he said. "Everyone must be able to reach us; we must be a point of connection for everyone."

Commenting on the region's complex political landscape, the cardinal sent a clear message to political leaders: "The path forward does not lie in military action but in dreaming of the future and building hope for it," he said. "Force, violence, and war do not build anything. They destroy people, land, relationships, and wipe out hope in the future."

As regional tensions escalate, the cardinal warned that the suffering in the Holy Land, especially in Gaza and the West Bank, risks being forgotten amid the noise of larger global crises. "We've been speaking out. Even yesterday, the pope said this war is making us forget about Gaza's tragedy and that of the West Bank."

"We must keep speaking, writing, and maintaining ties with churches around the world to remind them that the situation here is extremely complex and that we cannot forget the weakest and the poorest," he said.

Addressing the daily challenges in the Holy Land, Pizzaballa highlighted the growing obstacles Christian families face in reaching their churches due to military checkpoints and repeated closures, which make pastoral activities nearly impossible.

"The first obstacle, above all else, is the state of emergency. Transportation has become a serious issue — no one knows when roads will be open or closed," he said. With a sense of sadness, he added: "We invested so much effort and money to send our youth to Rome for the jubilee, and now everything has been frozen, suspended, and canceled."

Despite these challenges, the cardinal affirmed the Church's ongoing humanitarian work in both the West Bank and Gaza. "We've created hundreds of job opportunities, and we're distributing food vouchers and aid. We're present in a strong way, even in Gaza; we try to get in the essentials, despite how difficult it is," he said.

When asked how, as patriarch of Jerusalem, he personally continues to cope with the crisis, Pizzaballa replied: "Most of the time lately, I feel helpless. I want to do so much, to write, to visit, to be present, but not everything is possible." 

He continued: "Our primary concern is our community in Gaza: to support them, to be present for them, to not abandon them. This is of utmost importance." 

Pizzaballa said the Christians in Gaza "have become a symbol of our Christian community." 

"So too is the unity of the Church," he said. "These geographic divisions, the separation, the barriers, they isolate us. So how can we preserve connection and unity? Because without unity, there is no true sense of belonging."

This story was first published by ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, and has been translated for and adapted by CNA.

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ACI Prensa Staff, Jun 24, 2025 / 14:47 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Tuesday said he was "deeply saddened" by the terrorist attack on a church in Damascus, Syria, and assured his prayers for those mourning the 25 people who were killed.

On Sunday, June 22, the solemnity of Corpus Christi, eyewitnesses reported that two armed men stormed the Greek Orthodox Church of St. Elias in Douailah on the outskirts of the Syrian capital.

One of them remained outside, firing at worshippers and into the church's stained-glass windows, eyewitnesses said, while the second tried to enter the church and detonate a grenade, according to ACI MENA, CNA's Arabic-language news partner.

Two parishioners intervened and managed to wrestle the explosive device away from the second man, preventing an immediate detonation. However, while being dragged outside, the attacker activated his suicide belt, resulting in a massive explosion.

The attack left at least 25 dead and a total of 63 wounded.

The Holy See Press Office released a telegram of condolence from Pope Leo XIV on June 24 signed by Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin.

In the message, the pontiff expressed his profound sadness after receiving news of "the loss of life and the destruction caused by the attack on the Greek Orthodox Church of Mar Elias in Damascus."

In light of the brutal attack, the first since the fall of the Assad regime in December 2024, the Holy Father also expressed "his heartfelt solidarity with all those affected."

"In entrusting the souls of the deceased to the loving mercy of our heavenly Father, His Holiness likewise prays for those who mourn their loss," the telegram read.

Leo XIV also assured his prayers "for the recovery of the injured" and invoked "the Almighty's gifts of consolation, healing, and peace upon the nation."

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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Portland, Ore., Jun 24, 2025 / 15:17 pm (CNA).

Over 3,000 Catholics filled the streets of Portland, Oregon, on Sunday for a Eucharistic procession led by Archbishop Alexander Sample.

To encourage broad participation from clergy and the faithful across the archdiocese, a special Mass was offered at 2 p.m. at St. Mary's Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception. The Mass was added to the regular Sunday Mass schedule to allow more local Catholics to participate in the procession after attending their own parish Masses. The procession through the streets followed immediately afterward.

Confessions were also offered from 1 to 3 p.m. in English, Spanish, Vietnamese, and Korean. By noon, hundreds were already lined up, well before the scheduled start time. Though not part of the formal schedule, over a thousand of the faithful gathered in prayer inside the cathedral after the final Benediction.

St. Mary's Cathedral is designated as a local pilgrimage site for the 2025 Jubilee Year, and this event was structured to allow the faithful to receive a full plenary indulgence by fulfilling all the necessary conditions in a single day.

In his homily at the Mass, Sample framed the day as a turning point for the archdiocese. 

"The Eucharist has to be at the forefront and center of evangelization and mission renewal. To see you all here today fills my heart with hope for the future. So many people see the Pacific Northwest as a center of darkness. I wish they could see this. I wish the Church across the United States could see this. I wish Pope Leo could see this," the archbishop said.

"God is on the move here in western Oregon. The Holy Spirit is igniting a fire, and you're all part of that. I predict that today is a turning point for the renewal of Christ's mission in western Oregon."

As the Blessed Sacrament was brought out after Mass, the cathedral's bell tower rang out across the city. The sound could be heard up to a mile away and marked the beginning of the procession. Forty minutes later, the bells rang again to welcome the return of the faithful and the Eucharistic Lord.

This marked the first time the city of Portland has permitted a public Catholic procession through the main streets of downtown in several decades.

The crowd was striking in both size and diversity. More than half of the attendees came from Latino, Asian, and African communities.There was also a strong representation of more recent Catholic communities in the archdiocese such as Burmese and Swahili-speaking Catholics.

Hymns were sung in Latin, English, Spanish, Vietnamese, Tagalog, and more. At its full length, the procession filled four city blocks, moving through the Pearl District and drawing the attention of many onlookers who paused to watch in amazement and ask what was happening.

Many bystanders were visibly moved. Some knelt and prayed along the sidewalks, a powerful sign that the Holy Spirit is at work in a city often labeled secular or indifferent to faith.

"The Holy Spirit has chosen Portland, and he is doing something great here," Sample said earlier this year at the archdiocese's chrism Mass.

Joining the archbishop were more than 20 priests, eight deacons, over 100 altar servers and seminarians, 50 religious brothers and sisters, the Knights of Columbus, and the Knights and Ladies of the Holy Sepulcher.

The event concluded with solemn Benediction on the cathedral steps, with the faithful filling the surrounding four blocks.

Visibly moved, the archbishop turned to the crowd and said, "Wow, this is amazing. What more can I say?" Then he exclaimed, "Viva!" and more than a thousand Latino Catholics joyfully responded, "Viva Cristo Rey!" ("Long live Christ the King!")

The atmosphere throughout the event was filled with joy and reverence. People smiled and sang along the route, and at the conclusion, the crowd burst into applause along with local onlookers. Several attendees expressed their hope that this grand Eucharistic procession might become an annual tradition in Portland.

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Vatican City, Jun 23, 2025 / 13:41 pm (CNA).

"The Chosen" actor Jonathan Roumie said Monday coming to the Vatican is a "humbling honor" and a confirmation for him of the TV show's continued mission of bringing Jesus Christ to the world.

Roumie, other "The Chosen" castmates, and series creator and director Dallas Jenkins are at the Vatican this week after having just wrapped up three weeks of filming in southern Italy for the Crucifixion scenes of Season 6, out next year.

"The fact we're here now, sitting at the Vatican… is a testament to, I think, how God wants to continue to further this mission to bring more people to Jesus and to bring Jesus to them," Roumie, who plays Jesus in the wildly successful TV series on the Gospels, said during a press conference at the Vatican on June 23.

Season 5, Episode 4, "The Same Coin," will be streamed at the Vatican's Filmoteca theater on the afternoon of June 23 in anticipation of the entire season being available for streaming in Italy in July.

Roumie will also present Pope Leo XIV with a gift from "The Chosen" during the Wednesday general audience on June 25, a meeting he said would be "extraordinary for so many reasons."

"When [Pope Leo XIV] was elected, I wept, because I never thought I'd see an American pope in my lifetime," the Catholic actor said. To get "to communicate to him in our native language this week is just something I never thought I would see in my life."

Series director Jenkins, an evangelical Protestant, said it was "a tremendous honor" to be at the Vatican. He added that being surrounded by the beautiful art of Rome and the Vatican reminded him how much he wants the show to make the events and people depicted in religious artwork feel real to viewers.

"Jesus is more than a painting, and the church is more than just a building," he said. "Jesus and the apostles were not just stained-glass windows, but Jesus became man … and these men and women actually lived and actually had a relationship with Jesus … something we can have today."

Roumie and Jenkins were joined at the Vatican press conference by Elizabeth Tabish (Mary Magdalene), George Xanthis (John the Apostle), and Vanessa Benavente (Mother Mary).

They all talked about the emotional impact of getting to portray their characters, in their humanity and their growth, across five seasons so far.

Roumie said that "in the process of making this show, we didn't know we would ever go beyond four episodes of the first season."

"And then to fast forward seven years, and thousands of stories later about how this show has been used by God to change people's lives — and in some unique, distinct cases, to save people's lives — humbling doesn't even come close to describing the understanding of that, the feeling of that: It's profound," he added.

The cast and crew on June 22 finished filming Jesus' crucifixion in Matera in the Italian region of Basilicata, the same location used for Mel Gibson's "The Passion of the Christ."

Jenkins called the three weeks "the most challenging and difficult we had in filming," requiring him to surrender everything to Christ.

Roumie noted that since starting the show, many people have asked him if he was looking forward to getting to the Crucifixion scenes, but he would answer, "I can't think about that, I can't think about the cross, because we're not there yet."

He preferred to stay in the present, concentrating on Jesus' active, public ministry, and the intimacy between Jesus and his followers. "And if there was anyone in the whole history of the world who was present at all times, it was Jesus Christ," the actor said.

Talking about Season 5, which is focused on the events of Holy Week, is a welcome break from the intensity of the past three weeks of filming, Jenkins told journalists.

The show's latest season features some of the most well-known scenes in Scripture, he said, including Judas' betrayal, when Jesus flips tables in the Temple, the triumphal entrance into Jerusalem, and, most importantly, the Last Supper and the institution of the Eucharist.

The director said he hopes the season will provide an "opportunity for many new viewers to come to the show because they recognize these famous moments."

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