Catholic News

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 23, 2025 / 09:00 am (CNA).

Here is a roundup of Catholic world news that you might have missed this week:

New statistics show increase in crimes against churches and Christians in Germany

The Federal Ministry of the Interior and the Federal Criminal Police Office found that attacks against German churches increased by 20% in 2024, with a total of 111 registered crimes, reported CNA Deutsch, CNA's German-language news partner. Crimes against religious communities also increased, reaching 8,531 in 2024, compared with 7,029 in 2023. A 22% increase was reported in crimes against members and representatives of religious communities, jumping from 6,122 in 2023 to 7,504 in 2024. 

The German government reported that from the start of 2024 to Dec. 10, 2024, a total of 228 crimes with the subtopic "anti-Christian" were registered, including one homicide, 14 assaults, and 52 cases of property damage. During the same time period, 96 crimes with the subtopic "church" were recorded, including 47 cases of property damage.

New bishop of Diocese of Timika appointed after five-year vacancy 

Bishop Bernardus Bofitwos Baru was ordained bishop of Timika, Indonesia, on May 14 after a five-year vacancy following former Bishop John Philip Saklil's death. More than 10,000 Catholics and 33 bishops attended the ordination service to celebrate the second Indigenous priest to receive episopal ordination and the first Augustinian bishop in Indonesia, Agencia Fides reported.

"This ordination is a sign of the Holy See's great concern for the Catholic faithful in Papua," said apostolic nuncio Archbishop Piero Pioppo at the event.

Baru thanked the faithful for his ordination and shared that listening, dialogue, and cooperation will be the cornerstones of his episcopal ministry. "Our relations must be based on love, friendship, and human exchange. We are called to open doors for one another," he said.

Catholic organizations and environmental agencies criticize lifting of mining ban in Philippines

Church leaders and environmental groups have criticized a top court verdict nullifying a moratorium that paused mining in the Occidental Mindoro province for 25 years. On May 15, the court in the Philippines ruled that the province could not continue a ban in such a large-scale mining area, Union of Catholic Asian News reported. 

In a joint statement, the Apostolic Vicariate of San Jose and the Catholic charity Caritas International said the lifting of the ban is a cause for "deep concern" and it ignores past suffering of communities across Occidental Mindoro.

"While we recognize the authority of the state to manage our natural resources, we echo Pope Francis' warning against a technocratic paradigm that values economic gain over human dignity and ecological balance," the statement said.

Kidnapped priest in Cameroon released

Father Valentin Mbaïbarem, priest at St. John the Baptist Parish, was released by his abductors this week after he was taken hostage on May 7 in northern Cameroon. Mbaïbarem was kidnapped with five other individuals, four of whom were freed and one who was killed, according to ACI Africa, CNA's news partner in Africa. The kidnappers demanded a ransom of 25 million CFA francs ($42,750) for Mbaïbarem's release.

Bishop Ambassa Ndjodo of Garoua, Cameroon, said: "As an archdiocese, we did not pay any amount for the release of our priest. I do not know if others have done so," according to Fides News Service. Ndjodo thanked "all who prayed for [Mbaïbarem]" and asked "for the Lord's blessing on all who contributed to this outcome."

Monastery in Iraq rekindles mission of peace and healing

The Lebanese monastery of Brothers of the Cross and Sisters of the Crucified is providing love and service to those in Iraq. During the COVID-19 lockdown, Brother Mary Salibo decided to stay in Qaraqosh, Iraq, to serve by establishing the monastery, rebuilding a local church, and holding retreats for youth and families to provide comfort amid war, CNA's Arabic-language news partner, ACI MENA, reported. 

The two orders were originally founded in Lebanon in the 1980s and 1990s but spread to Iraq after the monastery opened. The brothers and sisters continue their mission today by offering spiritual guidance and supporting the sick and marginalized in the area. Their ministry has now expanded to cities in southern Iraq and Karamles, a Christian village located in northern Iraq.

Former homeless people in Brazil help build housing for 200 people

The Belém Mission in São Paulo, Brazil, has began construction on a 17-story building that will house 200 homeless people. About 95% of the workers building the new structure are former homeless people rescued by the Belém Mission, according to CNA's Portuguese-language news partner, ACI Digital. 

"Normally, we would look for professionals in the market, but, like a miracle, we found these people who know how to work in the different areas of a construction site but who also have love for the Belém Mission," Antonio Walter, the engineer responsible for the project, told ACI Digital. 

The building is expected to be finished within the next two and half years. "One step at a time, one donation at a time … we will get there," said Father Gianpietro Carraro, the priest who founded the Belém Mission. "And we thank God because, with the kindness of so many people, we are able to move forward."

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Washington D.C., May 22, 2025 / 17:43 pm (CNA).

On Wednesday evening, May 21, two Israeli embassy staff members were shot and killed outside the Capital Jewish Museum in Washington, D.C.

"This senseless act of violence is a sobering reminder of the deadly consequences of antisemitism," Students Supporting Israel (SSI) a student organization at The Catholic University of America (CUA) said in a press release. 

The two embassy staffers killed were identified as Yaron Lischinsky, an Israeli citizen, and Sarah Milgrim, an American. The young couple was about to be engaged, Yechiel Leiter, the Israeli ambassador to the U.S., said at a press conference. He added Lischinsky planned to propose next week in Jerusalem.

Police authorities in the nation's capital reported that the suspect, Elias Rodriguez, admitted to the killings and yelled "Free, free Palestine" while in police custody. 

"Antisemitism in the U.S. is at an all-time high, with Washington, D.C., now shaken by this act of hate," SSI said, adding that the organization "continues to advocate for greater awareness, stronger protections, and unambiguous condemnation of antisemitic violence in all forms."

"We stand in unwavering solidarity with the Jewish community; on our campus, in our city, and around the world."

Philos Catholic, an arm of the Philos Project that fosters Catholic-Jewish relations, noted that the couple "was attending an event for young diplomats that focused on providing humanitarian aid to those in need and building bridges across national and religious lines" just prior to the attack.

"They were living out the core commands of the Bible: to do unto others as you would have them do unto you," Philos Catholic said in a statement shared with CNA. "They modeled the heart of diplomats from Israel — the nation that gave the world the Bible, the book that teaches us how God expects us to live and act toward one another."

On Thursday, Philos Catholic organized a vigil to honor the two lives lost. Christians and Jews gathered outside the museum where the attack took place to offer flowers and notes. The museum is across the street from Holy Rosary Catholic Church in the city's northwest quadrant. Several held signs that said: "Christians and Jews united against hate."

In a statement, the archbishop of Washington, Cardinal Robert McElroy, said: "The Catholic community of Washington and Maryland stands in prayer, shock, and solidarity with the families of Yaron Lischinsky and Sarah Milgrim, with the people of Israel, and with the entire Jewish community, which has been attacked in this act of antisemitic hatred and murder."

"Let us profoundly deepen our prayers and our commitment to root out hate in our midst whenever and wherever it surfaces," McElroy added.

In tandem with McElroy, New York archbishop Cardinal Timothy Dolan declared: "We stand with our Jewish brothers and sisters in this moment of pain, praying that all may live in the peace and security that God surely intends for us." 

"May their memory be a blessing. As has been so evident in these last months and years, antisemitism is still pervasive in our country and our world, and the Catholic community in New York today renews our resolve to working to eradicate this evil," Dolan concluded.

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 22, 2025 / 18:13 pm (CNA).

As part of President Donald Trump's efforts to reshape American foreign aid, his administration is ending federal funds for nearly a dozen projects operated by Catholic Relief Services (CRS) to provide free school meals to children internationally.

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) ended funding for 11 of the 13 projects CRS operates through the McGovern-Dole Food for Education Program, which was created with bipartisan support in the early 2000s. The funds support international school feeding and maternal and child nutrition projects with American agriculture commodities, according to the USDA.

According to CRS, the termination of these funds will affect more than 780,000 school-aged children in 11 countries. The funding will end this July.

"This decision isn't just a policy shift — it's a life-altering blow to hundreds of thousands of children who rely on these meals to stay healthy, stay in school, and stay hopeful about their future," CRS President and CEO Sean Callahan said in a statement.

CRS contends that, in some impoverished countries, this program provides children with their only reliable meal daily. In a news release, CRS also maintained that the programs strengthen local communities and that terminating these contracts will threaten food security and economic stability in the affected nations.

"Ending a program that provides a child's only meal is deeply troubling and goes against our values as a nation and as people of faith," Callahan said. "We have a moral responsibility to ensure vulnerable children have access to the nourishment they need to learn, grow, and build a better future."

A spokesperson for the USDA confirmed the termination of these funds and told CNA the decision was part of an effort to ensure the programs "align with the president's agenda to make America safer, stronger, and more prosperous."

"We look forward to ensuring USDA foreign aid is spent implementing existing projects as well as any new projects that continue to put American agriculture at the forefront and align with the president's agenda," the spokesperson said.

According to the spokesperson, the USDA ended 17 McGovern-Dole program agreements in total, 11 of which were operated by CRS. The USDA continues to fund 30 projects through that program, two of which CRS operates. The remaining programs serve 22 countries.

Additionally, the spokesperson said the USDA ended funding for 27 Food for Progress program agreements that were also "not in alignment with the foreign assistance objectives of the Trump administration." The other 14 Food for Progress agreements, which serve 17 countries, will still be funded.

"It is important to note that all U.S. agricultural producers have received payment for commodities for which invoices have been received," the spokesperson said. "Those projects which were terminated received a 30-day notification. During this time partners are required to deliver any commodity to its final destination, in accordance with the agreement, to ensure no product goes to waste."

Callahan, alternatively, said the success of its programs is "undeniable," adding that he has seen firsthand "the remarkable contributions of the community and local government" in one of the countries, Honduras.

"I spoke with young children who endure nearly two-hour walks to school each day — driven by the hope of receiving both a meal and an education," he said. "It is un-American to stand by and not provide assistance while hunger robs children of their chance to learn and thrive."

Callahan requested that the administration "reconsider its decision and restore funding for these life-affirming programs," saying a reversal would "ensure children continue to have access to daily meals in school and invest in their future, their health, and their ability to break the cycle of poverty."

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Vatican City, May 22, 2025 / 11:22 am (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV on Thursday appointed Bishop Michael Pham as bishop of the Diocese of San Diego. He will rise from the position of auxiliary bishop there and succeed Cardinal Robert McElroy as head of the diocese.

Having received his episcopal consecration in September 2023, the 58-year-old Vietnam-born bishop has also served as titular bishop of Cercina. He was appointed the San Diego Diocese's temporary administrator after McElroy was installed as bishop of Washington in March.

Since his ordination to the priesthood in 1999, Pham has ministered to Catholic faithful in parishes throughout the San Diego Diocese.

From 1991 to 2001, he served as assistant priest for St. Mary, Star of the Sea, in Oceanside. Between 2004 and 2023 he was appointed parish priest for the San Diego parishes of Holy Family and St. Therese. 

Other offices the new bishop-elect has held in the San Diego Diocese include vocations director from 2001 to 2004, vicar for ethnic and intercultural communities since 2017, and vicar general of San Diego. 

He has also been a member of the diocese's executive board, presbyteral council, finance council, college of consultors, and boards for priests and seminarians. 

Pham began his seminary studies in the 1990s at St. Francis Seminary at the University of San Diego and completed his training at St. Patrick's Seminary in Menlo Park, where he was awarded a bachelor's degree in systematic theology and a master's degree in divinity.

In 2020, he completed a licentiate degree in sacred theology at the University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum) in Rome.

The bishop-elect also obtained a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering from San Diego State University and completed a master's degree in psychology at the University of Phoenix in 2009.

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CNA Staff, May 22, 2025 / 11:52 am (CNA).

The Archdiocese of New Orleans this week agreed to pay a massive $180 million to victims of clergy abuse there, bringing an end to years of bankruptcy proceedings in federal court and pointing to what Archbishop Gregory Aymond called "a path to healing for survivors and for our local Church."

The law firm Pachulski Stang Ziehl & Jones LLP, which represented abuse victims in the proceedings, said in a press release that the sum represented "more than 20 times the archdiocese's initial settlement estimate" when the archdiocese first filed for bankruptcy in 2020.

The settlement, if it is accepted by the abuse survivors, brings an end to almost exactly five years of bitter disputes over how the archdiocese handled sex abuse cases in the past and how it planned to compensate victims of clergy abuse now. 

The process was protracted enough that U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Meredith Grabill made the unusual move last month to order the archdiocese to defend the ongoing proceedings, demanding that Church officials explain why the bankruptcy case should not be dismissed by the court. 

The law firm representing the victims said this week that in addition to the multimillion-dollar settlement amount, the archdiocese will also be required to publish "perpetrator files and other abuse-related documents." 

As well, the settlement will establish "a public archive that will serve as a repository of the history of abuse" within the archdiocese. That archive will be administered by a secular college or university. 

As well, the former Hope Haven orphanage just outside of New Orleans will receive a memorial to those who suffered sex abuse there. Multiple priests on the archdiocese's list of credibly accused clergy allegedly committed abuse at that facility in the 1950s and 1960s. 

In a statement on Thursday, Aymond said the settlement gave him "great hope."

The agreement "protects our parishes and begins to bring the proceedings to a close," the prelate said, adding: "I am grateful to God for all who have worked to reach this agreement and that we may look to the future towards a path to healing for survivors and for our local Church."

The archbishop in the statement praised abuse victims for speaking out about what they endured. 

"Please know that because of your courage in coming forward and your steadfast commitment to preventing the horrors of child sexual abuse, we are a better and stronger Church," he said. 

The settlement represents one of the larger sums in the U.S. paid out to victims of clergy sexual abuse. 

The Diocese of Buffalo, New York, last month said it will pay out $150 million as part of a settlement with victims of clergy sexual abuse there. 

The Diocese of Rockville Centre, New York, meanwhile, in December 2024 said a court agreed to its record abuse settlement proposal of $323 million.

The Rockville Centre sum represents the highest abuse settlement paid out by a single U.S. diocese, though the Archdiocese of Los Angeles last year said it would pay out nearly $900 million in abuse settlements, which remains the most that any part of the U.S. Church has paid in such proceedings.

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CNA Staff, May 22, 2025 / 12:12 pm (CNA).

The U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday declined to issue a ruling in a contentious case involving what was proposed to be the nation's first religious charter school, leaving untouched a lower court ruling that forbids the Catholic institution from accessing state funds.

In its Thursday ruling, the high court said its judges had split evenly on whether or not to allow St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School to launch in the state of Oklahoma. The ruling leaves in place an Oklahoma Supreme Court order that said the school's use of public money would violate state and federal law.

"The judgment is affirmed by an equally divided court," the unsigned order said. 

The per curiam decision noted that Justice Amy Coney Barrett "took no part in the consideration or decision" of the case. Barrett had recused herself from the case for unknown reasons, though it was likely due to her ties to the University of Notre Dame. The school's religious liberty clinic helped the Catholic charter school in its bid before the Supreme Court.

Conservative-leaning justices at the high court had last month seemed sympathetic to the establishment of the school, while the court's liberal justices were more skeptical of the proposal. 

At issue was whether the Catholic charter school would violate laws regarding the separation of church and state and the establishment of state-supported religion. Charter schools are privately-run institutions that are funded by the government similar to public schools.

Oklahoma Attorney General Gentner Drummond had argued against the incorporation of the school, claiming it violated Oklahoma and federal laws. The prosecutor referred to the institution as a "state-established religious school" and described it as "repugnant to Oklahoma and federal law." He alleged that Oklahoma might be forced to subsidize "radical Islamic" schools if it allowed the Catholic institution access to public money.

The school was backed by religious liberty advocates, meanwhile, as well as the Archdiocese of Oklahoma City and the Diocese of Tulsa, both of which were involved with the school's creation. 

Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop David Konderla last month said they "pray[ed] and hope[d] for a decision that stands with religious liberty and the rights of Oklahoma families to make their own decisions in selecting the best educational options for their children." 

On Thursday the prelates said in a statement that they were "disappointed that the Oklahoma state Supreme Court's decision was upheld in a 4-4 decision without explanation."

"We remain firm in our commitment to offering an outstanding education to families and students across the state of Oklahoma," they said. "And we stand committed to parental choice in education, providing equal opportunity to all who seek options when deciding what is best for their children."

Meanwhile, Drummond's office told CNA on Thursday said the ruling "represents a resounding victory for religious liberty and for the foundational principles that have guided our nation since its founding." 

"This ruling ensures that Oklahoma taxpayers will not be forced to fund radical Islamic schools while protecting the religious rights of families to choose any school they wish for their children," he said. 

The charter school had received the backing of the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, which told the Supreme Court last month that charter schools "have long performed the function of educating students" in the United States and that St. Isidore's participation in the state charter program would "not make it a state actor."

Two dozen amicus briefs were filed at the Supreme Court in support of the Catholic charter school, including from the U.S. Solicitor General's Office and the Union of Orthodox Jewish Congregations of America.

Also backing the school were a dozen states including Ohio, Texas, South Carolina, and Kansas, who argued in a brief that they had "a compelling interest in expanding educational opportunities for their citizens."

This story was updated Thursday, May 22, 2025, at 1:20 p.m. ET with the statement from Archbishop Paul Coakley and Bishop David Konderla.

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CNA Staff, May 22, 2025 / 13:12 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV, the first pope to come from the Order of St. Augustine (OSA), made a visit very early in his pontificate to the Shrine of the Mother of Good Counsel in Genazzano, Italy, near Rome. It houses a famous image of the Virgin Mary that according to tradition appeared there under miraculous circumstances.

Known by the title "Our Lady of Good Counsel" or "Mother of Good Counsel," the small image of the Virgin Mary housed in the church at Genazzano has been held dear by the Augustinians for centuries. The Midwest Augustinians, which Pope Leo led as prior provincial before his election, oversee the Province of Our Mother of Good Counsel.

During his May 10 visit to the church, Leo spoke of the Virgin Mary's protection and the importance of devotion to her. He prayed at the altar and before the Marian image there, and also prayed a prayer to the Mother of Good Counsel with the assembly.

"As the mother never abandons her children, you must also be faithful to the Mother," Pope Leo said.

Who is Our Lady of Good Counsel?

The title of "Good Counsel" given to Mary is a recognition of Christ's mother as a source of heavenly wisdom and guidance.

??According to tradition, on April 25, 1467, the feast of St. Mark, a mysterious cloud descended on an ancient fifth-century deteriorated church in Genazzano, which had previously been dedicated to Our Lady of Good Counsel and was being renovated by the Augustinians, having been entrusted to that order in 1356.

When the cloud disappeared, a fragile image of the Blessed Virgin and Child was found on a thin sheet of plaster. The painting, about 18 inches square, is said to have hung in midair, suspended without support.

It was widely believed that the image — said to date to the time of the apostles — had been miraculously transported to Italy from a church in Albania's capital city, Scutari, just before its invasion by the Ottomans that same year. As the Midwest Augustinians tell it, however, scientific tests done in the 1950s gave evidence that the small image was probably painted sometime between 1417 and 1431 for the church and was painted over before later being uncovered when a poor widow gave all she had to fund the renovation of the church. 

Regardless of how it arrived, in the months following the appearance of the image, a local priest acting as a notary recorded over 160 miracles, including physical healings, answered prayers, and dramatic conversions.

Much of the church of Our Lady of Good Counsel was destroyed during World War II, but the image remained intact and in place. Today it is housed in a small chapel that forms the heart of the church. 

As described by EWTN Vatican, the Virgin Mary is depicted wearing a blue mantle — symbolizing humanity — while the child Jesus wears a red robe, signifying his divinity. Mary's face reflects the classical artistic tradition, while the child displays features of the Byzantine style, symbolizing a union between East and West. Above them arches a rainbow, the biblical sign of peace.

Over the years, a large number of popes — including saintly popes — have visited the church in Genazzano seeking Mary's guidance and wisdom, and have promoted devotion to Our Lady under this title. 

Pope Urban VII (1521–1590) prayed for the end of a plague in Rome; Pope Pius IX sought the Virgin's intercession before the First Vatican Council, which began in 1869.  

Leo XIII, Leo XIV's spiritual predecessor and a devotee to Our Lady of Good Counsel, added the invocation "Mater boni concili, ora pronobis" ("Mother of Good Counsel, pray for us") to the Litany of Loreto in 1903. Leo XIII also approved the white scapular of Our Lady of Good Counsel and entrusted it to the Augustinians.

In more recent times, St. John XXIII came to the shrine to, in similar fashion to Pius IX, seek guidance for the Second Vatican Council. St. John Paul II endorsed the devotion during an April 22, 1993, visit to the church, and soon afterward consecrated Albania to Our Lady of Good Counsel. Pope Benedict XVI had an image of the icon placed in the Vatican Gardens in 2009. 

Many pilgrims visit the church in Genazzano and take part in the annual spring celebration, observed on April 25. Elsewhere in the world, the feast of Our Lady of Good Counsel is celebrated on April 26.

How can you increase your devotion to Our Lady of Good Counsel?

— Prayer to Mary, our Lady of Good Counsel on CNA's website

— Litany to Our Lady of Good Counsel on EWTN's website

— Icon available at EWTN Religious Catalogue

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CNA Staff, May 22, 2025 / 13:48 pm (CNA).

Catholic leaders and pro-life advocates on Thursday praised the passage of the House of Representatives' major budget bill, hailing the reconciliation package's defunding of abortion providers including Planned Parenthood. 

The massive spending and tax cut bill, called the "One Big Beautiful Bill Act," includes a provision that forbids Medicaid dollars from flowing to abortion providers. The ban will last for 10 years, according to the text of the bill.

Federal funding will still be permitted for clinics that assist pregnant women in medical emergencies or if the pregnancy is the result of rape or incest. 

'The intrinsic dignity of the human person'

The abortion defunding measures have received strong support from Catholic advocates around the U.S. 

Ahead of the vote this week, the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops (USSCB) praised the proposed measure in a letter to U.S. representatives and senators.

Stressing "the sacredness of every human life and the intrinsic dignity of the human person, created male and female, and made in the image and likeness of God," the bishops said they "strongly support[ed]" the ending of taxpayer funding for abortion providers as well as a ban on funding for "gender transition for minors."

Following the bill's early passage on Thursday, Catholic Association Senior Fellow Ashley McGuire said in a statement that the organization "applaud[ed] the House's efforts to protect women and children from exploitation at these dangerous clinics." 

"American taxpayers overwhelmingly oppose funding abortions and harmful hormones for children," McGuire said. "Planned Parenthood is a corporate abortion chain that is a leading provider of both, without basic and commonsense health and safety guardrails."

"America's women and children deserve better and American taxpayers should have no role in funding these atrocities," she said. 

Students for Life Action President Kristan Hawkins, meanwhile, said in a statement that abortion providers were "cut out" of the bill and "told to go fund themselves." 

The pro-life group "will now turn our attention to the U.S. Senate" in order to help secure the bill's passage there, she said.

The advocacy group CatholicVote on Thursday said Catholics should be "ecstatic" at the House passage of the bill.

"We're closer to defunding Planned Parenthood, ending federal funding of gender transition surgeries for minors, [and] expanding the Child Tax Credit," the organization said in a post on X, urging Catholics to "pray the Senate passes this bill."

SBA Pro-Life America President Marjorie Dannenfelser said Congress "took a big step toward stopping forced taxpayer funding of the Big Abortion industry."

The passage of the bill was "a crucial win in the fight against America's No. 1 cause of death — abortion," Dannenfelser wrote. 

"There is no excuse for forcing taxpayers to prop up a scandal-ridden industry that prioritizes abortions, gender transitions, and partisan political activism instead of prenatal care, cancer screening, and other legitimate health services that are in continual decline," she said. 

Dannenfelser urged the Senate to "do its part" and pass the bill. 

"More than 400,000 babies a year, their mothers, and countless American taxpayers are depending on you," she said. 

Not all reaction from pro-life groups was positive, however. Katie Brown Xavios, the national director of the American Life League, said in a statement that the bill's allowance for abortions to be performed in some limited circumstances "will still allow for the murder of millions." 

"Give Planned Parenthood an inch, and it will take a mile," she said. "If the exceptions are the only way Planned Parenthood will get paid, you better believe that every abortion will now become a life-or-death situation so that Planned Parenthood ensures that it will get its money."

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Vatican City, May 22, 2025 / 14:18 pm (CNA).

Pope Leo XIV has appointed Sister Tiziana Merletti as secretary of the Dicastery for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life.

According to the Vatican Press Office, the 66-year-old consecrated religious previously served as superior general of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor for nine years.

She will report directly to another nun, Sister Simona Brambilla, whom Pope Francis appointed in January as prefect of the Vatican department, responsible for all matters concerning the government, discipline, studies, assets, rights, and privileges of institutes of consecrated life.

Under the late Argentine pontiff, women's leadership increased significantly. According to data maintained by the Vatican on its website, the female presence increased from almost 19.2% to 23.4% during Francis' pontificate. With the 2022 apostolic constitution Praedicate Evangelium, Francis decreed that laypeople, in addition to women, could lead a dicastery and become prefects, a position previously reserved for cardinals and archbishops.

Doctorate in canon law, experience in Church government

Born Sept. 30, 1959, in Pineto in the Teramo province of Italy, Merletti made her first religious profession in 1986 at the Institute of the Franciscan Sisters of the Poor. She holds a degree in civil law from the then-Libera Università Abruzzese degli Studi "Gabriele d'Annunzio" in Teramo (1984) and obtained her doctorate in canon law in 1992 from the Pontifical Lateran University in Rome.

From 2004 to 2013, she served as superior general of her congregation. Currently, Merletti is a professor in the canon law department of the Pontifical Antonianum University in Rome and collaborates as a canon lawyer with the International Union of Superiors General, the organization representing women religious of apostolic life worldwide.

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

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Washington, D.C. Newsroom, May 22, 2025 / 08:00 am (CNA).

Tech company eCatholic is collecting video messages of prayer, encouragement, and support from Catholics across the globe this month to create a montage of "blessings" for Pope Leo XIV.

Jason Jaynes, CEO of eCatholic, said the initiative was born during a meeting earlier this month when a team member asked: "Wouldn't it be a really great and cool initiative [if] we could let Catholics all over the world share their blessings with the new pope?"

The effort, launched shortly after Pope Leo XIV's election, has already received submissions from "every continent across the globe," Jaynes told "EWTN News Nightly" anchor Catherine Hadro.

Planning for the initiative started during the first day of the conclave, when eCatholic employees "had no idea that just 24 hours later, there'd be white smoke and we'd already have a new pope," Jaynes said. 

"We wanted to do something meaningful — and a little creative — to mark the moment and celebrate with the universal Church," eCatholic marketing director Michael Josephs told EWTN's ChurchPop.

Some of the submissions eCatholic has received so far feature children singing in Latin, people offering prayers to the first U.S.-born pope, and group messages from parishes congratulating Pope Leo XIV on his election. 

The videos have come from people around the world speaking multiple languages, which Jaynes said "reinforces the universal nature of our Church."

Those who want to participate can visit the eCatholic website to "take a moment to offer a message of prayer, encouragement, or support" and submit a video. 

"We're going to keep the submissions open through the end of this month," Jaynes said. "Then we'll be reaching out with the montage, probably first over social media since Pope Leo has a presence there, and also trying to reach out to work with the Vatican media and others to get these messages in front of him."

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