Catholic News

A dozen U.S. states could see Catholic governors elected in 2026, and in two states — Texas and Massachusetts — the outcome is nearly assured because both major-party nominees are Catholic.

Catholics are positioned to play a visible role in this year's 36 gubernatorial contests, with at least 14 candidates across both parties publicly identifying as Catholic.

The number of Catholics has the potential to increase in governors' mansions nationwide. If every Catholic candidate were to win, the number of Catholic governors would climb from 20 to 22.

About half of gubernatorial races are open races, with the incumbent either term-limited or retiring. According to The Eagleton Center on the American Governor, 20 U.S. governors publicly identify as Catholic.

In Massachusetts, Democratic Gov. Maura Healey faces Republican Michael Minogue, and in Texas, Republican Gov. Greg Abbott faces Democrat Gina Hinojosa, meaning both states have Catholic nominees from each major party.

In a statement to EWTN News, Abbott, first elected governor in 2014, said: "My Catholic faith is integral to my work as Governor, especially the protection of life from the youngest to the oldest members of the Texas family. Specifically, Jesus and His Church's teachings on abortion, euthanasia, justice for victims, and the dignity of workers inform every decision I make from the Governor's desk. As Governor, I will continue to keep Texas the shining city on the hill for the rest of the world as we prioritize uniting all of God's children in love of neighbor."

Meanwhile Hinojosa, who has served in the Texas House since her election in 2016, told EWTN News: "My faith is my moral compass. It grounds me in purpose and gives me the courage to do what is right regardless of obstacles or consequences."

Several other gubernatorial candidates also shared with EWTN News how their Catholic faith either shapes or would shape their approach to governing.

Gov. Jim Pillen, R-Nebraska, who faces Democratic former state senator Lynne Walz in the November election, said: "My Catholic faith is the foundation of who I am and how I serve. I begin each day praying to do God's will. As Governor, my faith shapes my commitment to protecting life, serving others with humility, respecting human dignity, and working to build safer, stronger communities."

In Connecticut, Republican Ryan Fazio, facing Democratic incumbent Gov. Ned Lamont, said: "I am a Catholic who believes in Jesus Christ and a responsibility to glorify God and act in a morally upright way in the world to save our own souls and help others. As governor, I would carry the same ethos that our faith teaches us to serve others in a righteous way. Those in leadership must serve humbly and always reject the temptations of power."

Meanwhile in Idaho, Democrat Terri Pickens Manweiler is challenging Republican Gov. Brad Little. She said: "I am a non-practicing Roman Catholic. My faith governs my personal actions and beliefs. I firmly believe in the separation of church and state. I would not impose my beliefs onto others, especially through the political process or governance."

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Lebanon's successive crises have taken a visible toll on its economy and institutions, but they also endanger something less tangible: the memory, faith, and traditions through which a people understands its identity.

As emigration threatens both the continued presence of Christian communities in their homeland and the transmission of their heritage, the Holy Spirit University of Kaslik (USEK) has made its preservation a mission for the future. Its work goes beyond protecting historical objects and documents: It safeguards the living witness of a people rooted in this land for nearly two millennia and ensures that this inheritance continues to shape Lebanon, inspire younger generations, and enrich the universal Church.

A mission rooted in Maronite history

Father Joseph Moukarzel, president of USEK, told EWTN News that preserving Christian heritage is not simply one of the university's missions but lies at the heart of its identity.

USEK is the first university in Lebanon to be established by Lebanese citizens. Founded by the Lebanese Maronite Order in 1950, it continues the centuries-old role of Maronite monasteries as guardians of faith, knowledge, and culture. For generations, these monasteries protected manuscripts, liturgical traditions, sacred art, and the intellectual legacy of Christianity in the Middle East, including during some of the most difficult periods in Lebanon's history.

Today, the university carries this mission forward through conservation, digitization, research, and education. Its library and archives hold thousands of manuscripts, rare books, maps, photographs, newspapers, and other collections documenting the religious, cultural, and intellectual history of Lebanon and the wider region.

Nearly 2,000 manuscripts are written in Syriac, Arabic, Greek, and Latin, many reflecting the spiritual and theological heritage of the Maronite Church and other Eastern Christian traditions.

A defining step came in 2002, when the Lebanese Maronite Order entrusted USEK with manuscripts gathered from nearly 30 monastic libraries. Moukarzel stressed that the university's work extends beyond manuscripts. Its Conservation and Restoration Center treats icons, paintings, textiles, and archaeological objects, while the USEK Museum preserves collections tracing Lebanon's spiritual and cultural journey.

The Phoenix Center for Lebanese Studies also houses political, ecclesiastical, artistic, musical, legal, and historical archives that shed light on the development of Lebanon and its Christian communities.

USEK also prepares future scholars, conservators, archivists, theologians, and heritage professionals, based on the conviction that heritage can survive only when transmitted to a new generation. It works with monasteries, dioceses, religious orders, patriarchal institutions, and international partners to preserve and promote these collections.

For Moukarzel, this mission is about far more than protecting historical objects; it safeguards the memory of a Christian people rooted in Lebanon for nearly 2,000 years. At a time of uncertainty and displacement across the Middle East, he described this work as both an act of faith and an act of hope.

Preserving heritage amid mounting challenges

Moukarzel added that financial instability has placed cultural and educational institutions under severe pressure. Conservation laboratories, digitization projects, archival preservation, and the specialized infrastructure needed to protect fragile collections all require sustained, long-term investment.

Yet the greatest challenge, he said, may be human rather than material. As Christian communities across the Middle East shrink and families leave in search of security and opportunity, the continuity of memory and tradition is also at risk. He also stressed that much of the Middle East's Christian heritage remains little known beyond the region. Making it accessible through scholarship, conservation, and digitization is therefore not only a Lebanese responsibility but also an ecclesial mission requiring international solidarity.

Forming the next generation of custodians

On the role of younger generations, Moukarzel said Christian heritage should not be treated as something confined to museums and archives but as a living inheritance present in faith, liturgy, language, traditions, monasteries, and villages. USEK therefore encourages students to encounter it directly through research, archival work, conservation projects, field visits, and engagement with local communities. Students are also invited to use digital storytelling, documentary filmmaking, social media, and other technologies to share Eastern Christianity with wider audiences.

Through initiatives such as the AJYAL Lebanese Heritage Education Program, the university connects young people in Lebanon and the diaspora with their cultural roots. Moukarzel stressed that young Christians are not merely heirs to this history but its future authors, responsible for enriching it and passing it on. Whether they remain in Lebanon or build lives abroad, they can serve as custodians of memory and ambassadors of a heritage belonging to Lebanon and the universal Church.

Asked why preserving Christian heritage still matters in a country facing profound crises, Moukarzel said Lebanon's recovery cannot be measured solely by the restoration of its economy and institutions. Rebuilding the country also requires safeguarding the values, history, and faith that have shaped its people for centuries.

"For Christians, this heritage is not simply a collection of monuments or ancient manuscripts. It is the living testimony of communities that have proclaimed the Gospel in this region since the earliest centuries of Christianity. Lebanon is one of the few places in the Middle East where this Christian presence has never been broken. Our monasteries, churches, liturgical traditions, sacred music, manuscripts, and the Syriac and Arabic Christian patrimony tell the story of generations who remained faithful to Christ despite persecution, conflict, and hardship."

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Pope Leo XIV has encouraged the Poor Clares not to be discouraged by their lack of vocations but to view it as a call to renew their commitment.

The pontiff made these remarks during a private audience with a delegation from the Federation of Capuchin Poor Clare Nuns of Italy on Sept. 21. The Capuchin Poor Clares, a branch of the Poor Clares, was founded in 1535 by the Spanish nun Blessed Maria Lorenza Longo.

Addressing the lack of vocations to their order and throughout Italy, Leo encouraged them not to give in to hopelessness and to renew their commitment to their spiritual values.

"The numerical decline of communities, and the fear of losing their autonomy that may result from it, should neither trouble you nor deprive you of hope," Leo said. "Rather, it should encourage a renewal of your way of life and an even greater commitment to the spiritual accompaniment of those who knock on the doors of your monasteries."

Leo also explained to them the true origins of vocations, stating that vocations do not come from campaigns but from "prayer, familiarity with the Gospel, silence, acceptance of oneself with one's imperfections, and a sense of belonging."

The pope also encouraged the nuns to prioritize ongoing formation, fostering deep communion with the Church in a society dominated by noise.

"Be formed, and form others, in a cloistered life lived in a spirit of deep communion among yourselves and with the Church; in a silence that, within a society dominated by haste and noise, awakens the need for times and spaces to stop, discern, and reflect," he said.

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An estimated 2,200 pro-life advocates gathered in Zurich's outer district of Oerlikon on Saturday for the annual March for Life, delivering a message focused on restoring family life and encouraging fatherhood under the banner "Together for Life!"

For six consecutive years, municipal authorities have barred the march from gathering in Zurich's city center, citing security risks posed by the threat of hostile counterprotesters. Organizers pointed out that municipal officials routinely permit other demonstrations in the heart of the city, applying a clear double standard to the pro-life witness.

Similar to previous years, the Sept. 19 event faced opposition. One group of roughly 200 masked protesters on bicycles attempted to disrupt the event by setting off firecrackers, overturning trash bins onto the roadway, and attempting to block the route.?

Swiss police maintained control of the situation by shielding marchers, conducting identity checks, and using two water cannons to disperse protesters. The Zurich March for Life proceeded without any reported injuries to participants.

While organizers estimated about 2,200 advocates, police counted more than 1,000 participants.

The fact that security was maintained in Oerlikon shows that law enforcement can manage counterprotests, undermining the city's justification for keeping the march out of central Zurich, according to observers. ?

Restrictions prompt legal challenge

Speaking previously to CNA Deutsch, the German-language sister service of EWTN News, Beatrice Gall, president of the Swiss March for Life, pointed out that municipal officials routinely allow other groups permits to hold demonstrations in Zurich city center yet relocate the Zurich March for Life to the city outskirts. This results in reduced visibility and logistical issues, Gall said.

By restricting the march to the commercial and residential district of Oerlikon, city officials argue they are minimizing potential public order disruptions and protecting urban infrastructure.

Critics argue that authorities are effectively rewarding the violence of counterprotesters by allowing hostile agitators to veto a peaceful group's constitutional rights to freedom of assembly and free expression.

To challenge this policy, organizers have launched a public petition and initiated legal proceedings against the City of Zurich, demanding equal access to the city center and insisting that police maintain law and order without suppressing peaceful pro-life voices.

Breaking the silence

Speaking to EWTN News, Gall described the current social climate surrounding abortion in Switzerland as "one of silence."

"There is no public debate and no objective examination of the facts; instead, people remain silent about the high abortion rates, the suffering this causes many people, and the consequences thereof," Gall said.

She noted that since Switzerland introduced its 12-week deadline regulation in 2002, at least 200,000 abortions have taken place. Estimating that five or more people are affected per procedure, including fathers and extended family, Gall stressed that over 1 million Swiss citizens carry the impact, making public awareness vital. This further justified the march in the city center so that greater "communication, dialogue, and discussions with people can begin."

Pushing back against opponents and media outlets attempting to portray the pro-life movement as regressive, Gall rejected the stereotype. "Advocating for human life is not backward — it's forward-looking!" she asserted, pointing to a "new wave of interest and strong commitment" among the younger generation.

Gall stressed that a mother's womb should be "the safest place in the world, not the most dangerous," calling on men to support their partners rather than leaving them isolated or pressuring them into abortion. "Even if you're surprised by the pregnancy, be there for your partner and your child," Gall urged. "They need you, even before birth."

Call for responsibility and dialogue

Nicolas Kolly, a Swiss People's Party national councilor and former member of the Pontifical Swiss Guard, addressed participants, encouraging society to "give a voice to those who do not yet have one," and summarized his core message simply as "Protect life."

He also urged comprehensive support for women facing difficult pregnancies, arguing that offering viable alternatives must be a societal duty. Furthermore, Kolly stressed paternal duty, stating that a man's priority is "to take responsibility. To support. To listen. To protect." Ultimately, Kolly framed maternal assistance and child protection as inseparable priorities, concluding that "these two ideas must go hand in hand: the protection of the child and the support of the mother."

Among those who addressed the crowd was also Jonas Streule, regional director of ProLife Europe in Switzerland. Speaking to EWTN News, Streule acknowledged the broader hurdles facing pro-life advocacy in Switzerland, pointing specifically to distorted social media stereotypes that damage public perception.

"What people associate with the word 'pro-life' comes from screaming videos in the TikTok world of short clips," Streule said. "That is not what actually happens when you engage in pro-life work."

Turning to ProLife Europe's outreach on university campuses, Streule explained that the organization prioritizes personal encounters over hostility. "Abortion is a severe matter, and it deserves to be touched face to face, in a loving way," he noted, stressing that compassion and clarity go hand in hand.

According to Streule, few students he encounters actively view abortion as desirable. Instead, the primary challenge lies in helping young people realize they can play an active role in building a culture that supports life.

"We rarely leave a conversation without having made someone think about an opinion they simply adopted from the dominant culture," Streule said. He added that across numerous Swiss campus outreaches, he has "never once received a bad word from the person I was talking to."

For Streule, direct street outreach serves as a vital bridge to those personal conversations. By creating spaces for face-to-face dialogue, he said, he believes advocates can break through online misconceptions, encourage people to reconsider deep-seated assumptions, and foster genuine reflection on the value of human life.

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Magdalena Wolinska-Riedi, a Polish correspondent for EWTN News and a longtime Vatican affairs expert, was crowned Poland's speech champion on Sept. 19.

She received the honor at the 26th edition of the Master of Polish Speech (Mistrz Mowy Polskiej) Social Program awards ceremony in Ostrowiec, Poland. The prestigious award was decided by a nationwide poll in Poland, with the winner selected by text votes.

Among those in attendance were Warsaw Mayor Rafal Trzaskowski and Ostrowiec Mayor Artur Lakomiec.

The award "Master of Polish Speech Vox Populi" was established in 2000 as a nationwide initiative to promote the Polish language and culture. Wolinska-Riedi, who joined EWTN News as a Vatican correspondent in 2024, described the award as recognition of the valuable contributions of Poles living in the diaspora.

"I did not think they would think about me," Wolinska-Riedi told EWTN News. "Usually, the winners are important and very famous actors and journalists from Poland, hosts of different Polish programs, and scientists and so on. To be recognized after having spent so many years abroad in Rome as a journalist was an honor."

Wolinska-Riedi joined the EWTN News Vatican Bureau after spending more than 20 years living and working inside Vatican City. After completing her doctorate in Church studies from the Pontifical Gregorian University in Rome, she continued to serve there as the Polish correspondent in Italy for Telewizja Polska, the oldest and largest Polish television network. She has also translated works from Polish to Italian and Latin for the Roman Rota, the Church's highest court of appeals.

While living in Vatican City, where she is also a citizen by marriage, she developed a close friendship with St. John Paul II, who was Polish.

Speaking to EWTN News, she acknowledged the challenges of staying connected to her native Poland while living and working abroad in another language. She also said that while receiving the award was a profound honor, her greatest honor is being a proud mother of two daughters who speak Polish.

"My two daughters have grown up really with the Polish language, and I'm very proud of it," she said.

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A Vatican-led organization is meeting with world leaders on artificial intelligence, human dignity, the common good, and other aspects of Catholic social teaching on the sidelines of the United Nations General Assembly this week.

The "Borgo Dialogues," organized by the Vatican-run Laudato Si' Center for Higher Education, began on Sept. 20 and will continue until Sept. 23 in New York, in conjunction with the U.N. meeting.

According to a news release, the gathering will focus on the question "What are we building, for whom, and who will inherit it?" The invitation-only meetings include leaders in business, finance, academia, faith, healthcare, sports, civil society, and international institutions.

"The Borgo Dialogues represent an invitation to courageous leadership rooted in listening, encounter and shared responsibility," Cardinal Fabio Baggio, director general of the Laudato Si' Center and founder of the Borgo Dialogues, said in a statement.

"At a moment when many institutions face growing fragmentation and distrust, we need spaces where leaders can engage difficult questions honestly, build trust across differences and commit themselves to actions that uphold human dignity and advance the common good," he said.

The Borgo Dialogues initiative began in June with a meeting at the Vatican. It is inspired by papal teachings contained in Pope Francis' encyclicals Laudato Si' and Fratelli Tutti and Pope Leo XIV's encyclical Magnifica Humanitas.

According to the news release, the main focus of the talks is AI and work transformation, healthcare and human dignity, sustainable development, systems-level change across industries, and the evolving responsibilities of leaders navigating an increasingly interconnected world.

The news release states there is a shared commitment to designing technologies, institutions, and systems that recognize the inherent dignity of each person, with a focus on those who are most vulnerable.

"The world's most urgent challenges require relationships that rise above institutions and ideologies," said Father Daniel G. Groody, CSC, a member of the Laudato Si' Center's General Council.

"The Borgo Dialogues create a distinctive environment where intellectual rigor, moral purpose and practical leadership come together, helping diverse leaders transform reflection into responsibility and ideas into action," said Groody, who is also the vice president and associate provost for undergraduate education at the University of Notre Dame.

The inaugural Borgo Dialogues were held in the Pontifical Gardens of Castel Gandolfo, Vatican State, from June 17–19. It included more than 80 participants. The Laudato Si' Center is expected to present proposals to the World Economic Forum based on the discussions.

The 81st U.N. General Assembly began on Sept. 8 in New York. General debate meetings begin on Sept. 22 and end on Sept. 28.

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The situations faced by migrant and refugee children will be the focus of the U.S. Catholic Church's 2026 National Migration Week, addressing the same concerns expressed by Pope Leo XIV in his message for this year's World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

National Migration Week will begin on Monday, Sept. 21, and conclude on Sunday, Sept. 27, the day the Catholic Church observes the 112th World Day of Migrants and Refugees.

On its website, the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) announced that in solidarity with the pontiff, it will adopt the theme "Even One of These Little Ones," the same theme chosen by Leo XIV for the global observance.

In his message, Leo XIV explains that this theme "draws our attention to the minors directly involved in the experience of migration and flight, to the care owed to them, and to the Lord's promise that "whoever receives one such child in my name receives me.'"

The chairman of the USCCB Committee on Migration, Bishop Brendan Cahill, noted that the Catholic Church, "in this country and beyond has a long, inspiring history of caring for migrant and refugee children."

In the United States, this history spans "from the days of St. Frances Xavier Cabrini and her sisters sheltering many orphaned immigrant children when few others looked their way to today's diocesan charities providing them and their families with vital support," he noted.

The Italian saint and her sisters arrived in New York in 1889, where they encountered a very harsh pastoral reality among European immigrants. Yet, despite the difficulties, the sisters managed to open an orphanage, a home for themselves, and a school for the children.

Cahill expressed his gratitude to law enforcement officers, social workers, pastoral staff, and caregivers who look after the safety and well-being of migrant and refugee minors.

However, he added, "[a]s we see protections for this population being undermined in various ways, including prolonged stays in detention and decreased access to legal representation, we urge governments and communities to ensure a high level of care rooted in their God-given human dignity."

"This requires promoting family unity and reunification whenever possible," he said.

Therefore, the USCCB invited the nation's Catholics amid "heightened social tensions regarding immigration" to reflect "on how our faith is calling us to respond to this most vulnerable group."

Toward this end, the bishops' conference is encouraging "dioceses, parishes, schools, and organizations nationwide to mark this observance with prayer, educational programs, pastoral outreach and support for migration-related ministries."

For its part, the USCCB's Secretariat of Migration will host a webinar on Sept. 23 at 2 p.m. ET featuring "several expert panelists who will highlight some of the key implications of this year's theme."

"These experts will shed light on both the international and domestic dynamics facing children in the context of migration," the bishops' conference explained.

Those interested in participating in the webinar may register at this link.

This story was first published by ACI Prensa, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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For the first time, a pope will witness an exposition of the Holy Tunic, the garment worn by Christ during his passion, which is preserved in the Basilica of Saint-Denis in Argenteuil, France.

The special relic is put on display during regular expositions every 50 years, as well as on extraordinary occasions — the most recent being in 2023 — but it has never before been brought before a pope.

Pope Leo XIV will be able to view it on Sept. 25, when it is displayed at the conclusion of the youth vigil at a soccer stadium in a suburb north of Paris, part of the packed schedule for his trip to France.

More than 80,000 French young people have registered for the prayer vigil at the Stade de France, and according to Father Guy-Emmanuel Cariot, former rector of the basilica of Argenteuil, Leo is the first pope to see the tunic since the time of St. Peter.

That may be an exaggeration, but it is true that there has never before been an extraordinary exposition of the relic during a papal journey and in the presence of a pontiff. That will happen during this trip, in part because only 3.7 miles separate the basilica of Argenteuil from the Stade de France.

The tunic will travel those nearly four miles under extremely tight security measures, made even stricter by memories of the theft of the tunic in 1983, when the relic disappeared for a couple of months. For that reason, the route the tunic will take is being kept confidential. It is known, however, that there will be surveillance both on the ground and from above to ensure that the transfer takes place discreetly and under optimal security conditions.

The tunic has been kept in Argenteuil for more than 1,200 years and is one of several relics of Christ's passion preserved in France. The Crown of Thorns is kept at Notre-Dame Cathedral in Paris, while the Holy Headcloth of Jesus is preserved in Cahors.

As for the Holy Tunic itself, it was mentioned in Gregory of Tours' sixth-century work "Liber in Gloria Martyrum Beatorum" ("The Glory of the Martyrs and the Blessed"). The book notes that Jesus' seamless tunic was kept in Galata, in a church dedicated to the holy archangels, about 120 miles from Constantinople. The seventh-century "Chronicle of Fredegar," however, locates the tunic in Zafad, not far from Jerusalem.

The tunic later came into the possession of the Byzantine Empress Irene, who gave it to Charlemagne in the year 800 on the occasion of his coronation as the first emperor of the Holy Roman Empire. Charlemagne in turn donated it to the monastery of Argenteuil, whose abbess was his daughter Theodrada. The "Charta Hugonis" of 1156 notes that the tunic had long been kept in the basilica of Argenteuil.

Over the centuries, the tunic was hidden to protect it from the Normans and later from the Huguenots. During the French Revolution, in order to save it from anticlerical persecution, Father Ozot, pastor of Argenteuil, had it cut into pieces and hidden. It was eventually reassembled, although some portions were lost.

Other pieces of the tunic are preserved elsewhere. One example is the so-called "Tunic of Trier" in Germany, which has appeared in historical records since 1072 and is believed to be one of the relics brought back from the Holy Land by St. Helena. However, scholars have been unable to determine its origin and age because of its poor state of preservation and the extensive repairs it has undergone over the centuries.

This story was first published by ACI Stampa, the Italian-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.

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Sept. 21 marks the feast day of St. Matthew, also known as Levi, an apostle of Jesus and, according to tradition, the author of one of the four Gospels.

Surprisingly little is known for certain about Matthew's life, even though his Gospel is so crucial for the Church. The manner of Matthew's calling by Jesus is well known — Matthew was a Jew but worked as a tax collector for the Romans in Capernaum near the Sea of Galilee, making him a pariah among his own people. When Jesus called Matthew to follow him, Matthew gave up his presumably materialistic life as a tax collector to follow the Lord.

Jesus' calling of Matthew led some religious authorities of the Jewish community to wonder: "Why does your teacher eat with tax collectors and sinners?" To which Jesus responded: "I did not come to call the righteous but sinners."

The Catholic Encyclopedia notes, however, that no further reference is made to Matthew in the Gospels, except in the list of the apostles, and "of Matthew's subsequent career we have only inaccurate or legendary data." It appears though, according to a number of other ancient sources, that he evangelized for at least a decade and a half in Asia.

Matthew's earthly body is purported to lie in the crypt beneath the cathedral of Salerno, Italy. In the crypt, a bronze St. Matthew made by Michelangelo Naccherino in 1606 sits above the altar. The saint is shown writing the Gospel with a book resting on his left knee and a pen in his right hand. At his left side, an angel hands him an inkwell as he writes.

Alfano I, the archbishop of Salerno from 1058–1085, completed the crypt in 1081 and placed Matthew's body in the sepulcher. The renovation in the early 17th century was carried out by architects Domenico and his son Giulio Cesare Fontana.

According to legend, St. Matthew's intercession helped to protect the city in 1544 from the dreaded pirate Ariadeno Barbarossa, supreme commander of the Turkish military fleet, when a storm that had been prayed for by devotees to St. Matthew in Salerno blew Barbarossa's fleet away from the city.

Eastern Catholics and the Orthodox churches celebrate St. Matthew on Nov. 16 along with St. Fulvianus, a prince who is recorded in some traditions as converting from paganism after Matthew's martyrdom.

Pope Benedict said in 2006 that "in the figure of Matthew, the Gospels present to us a true and proper paradox: those who seem to be the farthest from holiness can even become a model of the acceptance of God's mercy and offer a glimpse of its marvelous effects in their own lives."

This story was first published on Sept. 21, 2023, and has been updated.

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The Vatican has published the schedule for Pope Leo XIV's apostolic journey to Latin America, where he will visit Uruguay, Argentina, and Peru from Nov. 6–17.

As the Holy See Press Office announced on Sept. 21, the pontiff will meet with authorities, interfaith leaders, workers, and Catholic communities during his visit.

A motto has been chosen for each of the countries he will visit in November.

According to the announcement, the pope will begin his journey by departing Rome on Nov. 6 at 7:50 a.m. Rome time and arriving at 4:30 p.m. local time the same day at the Carrasco/General Cesáreo L. Berisso International Airport in Uruguay. From there, he will travel to Montevideo, the capital of Uruguay.

Uruguay

Pope Leo XIV is set to be the first pope to visit Uruguay since St. John Paul II in 1988. He will remain there from Nov. 6–8.

At 5:30 p.m. local time on Nov. 6, Leo will attend an official welcome ceremony at the Plaza Independencia, Montevideo's largest public square. Following the ceremony, he will meet with and address authorities and the diplomatic corps.

At 6:15 p.m., the pope will pay a courtesy visit to the president of Uruguay, Yamandú Orsi, at his residence at the Edificio José Artigas.

Leo will then celebrate vespers at 7:10 p.m. with clergy and religious at the
Metropolitan Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception and Sts. Philip and
James.

The next day, Nov. 7, Leo is scheduled to travel from Montevideo to Paysandú in the morning. He will then celebrate Mass at the Parque París Londres at 10 a.m.

The pope will then return to Montevideo the same day for evening meetings with the Parish of Our Lady of Guadalupe and the Catholic University of Uruguay.

At 7 p.m., Leo will lead a prayer vigil at the Centenary Stadium, which hosted the first FIFA World Cup in 1930.

On Nov. 8, Leo's final day in Uruguay, he will celebrate Mass at the Cathedral Basilica of Florida at 10 a.m. before departing for Argentina at 3:30 p.m.

Argentina

Pope Leo XIV will be the first pope to visit Argentina since 1987. He will remain there from Nov. 8–11.

The pontiff will land at the Jorge Newbery Airpark at 4:30 p.m. After visiting a war monument and attending an official welcome ceremony, he will meet with Argentina's president, Javier Milei, in the evening and then address the country's civil leaders and diplomatic corps.

On Nov. 9, Leo will travel to Claypole in the morning to visit the Pequeño Cottolengo Don Orione de Claypole, Argentina's largest institution dedicated to caring for people with disabilities. He will then celebrate Mass at the  Monumento de los Españoles at 11:30 a.m.

The pope will then meet in the afternoon with the work community at the Catholic University of Argentina and then with interfaith leaders at the Palacio San Martín.

At 6:45 p.m., Leo will celebrate vespers with the bishops and the synodal teams at the Metropolitan Cathedral of the Most Holy Trinity. He will have dinner with the bishops afterward.

On Nov. 10, the pope will travel to Córdoba to celebrate Mass at the Military Aviation School. He will then meet with clergy and religious at the Cathedral of Córdoba before traveling back to Buenos Aires for a youth vigil at 8:15 p.m.

On the morning of Nov. 11, Leo will celebrate his final Mass in Argentina at the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján. He will then depart Buenos Aires at 2 p.m. to arrive in Lima, Peru, at 5:30 p.m.

Peru

Returning to the land where he served for two decades as a missionary and a bishop, Leo will visit Peru from Nov. 11–17.

After landing in Lima on Nov. 11, the pope will meet in the evening with the president of Peru, Keiko Fujimori, and address the country's diplomatic corps.

He will meet in Lima on the morning of Nov. 12 with the bishops of Peru before leading midmorning prayer with clergy and religious at 10:20 a.m. at the Cathedral Basilica of Lima. Following the service, he will meet the faithful in the cathedral square and address them on the challenges of the Peruvian people.

In the evening, he will hold a prayer vigil with young people at the Estadio Monumental "U" in Lima before dinner with the bishops at the nunciature.

On Nov. 13 at 7:40 a.m., the pope will depart Lima for Chiclayo, where he served as diocesan bishop from 2015 to 2023. He is scheduled to arrive in Chiclayo at 9:10 a.m. and celebrate Mass near the Pampas de Pimentel at 10:30 a.m.

After a private visit to a chapel dedicated to St. Oscar Romero, Leo will meet in the evening with the synodal teams at the Shrine of Our Lady of Peace. Afterward, he will meet with the Santo Toribio de Mogrovejo Catholic University before having supper with priests of the Diocese of Chiclayo.

On Nov. 14 at 8 a.m., the pope will crown a statue of the Virgin Mary at the Cathedral of St. Mary in Chiclayo. He will then depart for Santa Cruz de Succhabamba to celebrate Mass there at 11 a.m. He will then return to Chiclayo that evening to lead a prayer service for the closing of the jubilee year of St. Turibius of Mogrovejo, who served as archbishop of Lima from 1579–1606.

On Nov. 15, Leo will travel from Chiclayo to Cusco. He will meet in the morning with the faithful at the Saqsaywaman National Park before leading the Angelus in the square of the Cusco Cathedral. In the afternoon, he will travel from Cusco to Pucallpa and meet with representatives of the Amazonian peoples. He will then celebrate Mass at the Villa Deportiva Regional Ucayali before traveling to the Callao Naval Air Base that evening.

On Nov. 16, the final day of his apostolic journey, Leo will visit a shelter run by nuns for elderly people in the morning before celebrating the final Mass of his trip at the Las Palmas Air Base.

He is scheduled to depart Callao Naval Air Base at 1:45 p.m. and arrive in Rome on Nov. 17 at 10:25 a.m. local time.

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