Catholic News

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Pope Leo XIV has made it clear since the start of his pontificate that he seeks to be a pope of unity. On Monday, Nov. 9, he brought that message to Argentina, in speeches on economic relations, interfaith dialogue and leadership of the Church itself.

Speaking to an audience at the Catholic University of Argentina that included business leaders, trade unionists and grass-roots social activists, the pope encouraged groups with apparently conflicting interests to join together in embracing the fundamental principles of Catholic Social Teaching.

Leo made his talk a mini-tutorial in the subject, offering brief definitions of the dignity of the human person, the common good, the universal destination of goods, solidarity and subsidiarity. By acting in accordance with these, he said, society could "build the civilization of love."

The pope offered a concrete example of someone who lived by the principles in the Venerable Enrique Shaw, an Argentine businessman "who underwent a conversion after discovering the beauty of the Gospel as expressed in the Church's Social Doctrine."

Leo said the entrepreneur "understood that industry was not just a productive mechanism or a means of accumulating capital, but a true community of people called to grow together."

Shaw died in 1962 and Pope Francis recognized his heroic virtues in 2021.

The pope also pointed to trade unions, workers' associations, cooperatives and welfare organizations, whose "specific mission is to be instruments of solidarity and cohesion, channels of cooperation between workers and businesses."

A little later the same afternoon, Leo addressed representatives of other Christian churches and other religions, proposing an understanding of "sincere prayer" that unites their different creeds. Such prayer, the pope said, gives voice to "religions as guardians of human dignity, religions as expressions of our freedom, and religions as places in which to cultivate hope."

The pope's last public event of the day was a vespers service with the Catholic bishops of Argentina. After surveying the geographic and cultural diversity of the country, Leo noted that Catholicism in the country is united by veneration of the Virgin Mary, though under different titles and devotions, including the Most Holy Virgin of the Miracle, Our Lady of the Valley, the Virgin of the Rosary, Mary of Itatí and Our Lady of Luján.

Leo is scheduled to celebrate Mass in front of the Basilica of Our Lady of Luján on Wednesday, his last day in Argentina.

The pope offered the biblical story of Joseph's reunion with his father Jacob and his brothers, depicted in a relief on the facade of the cathedral where he was speaking, as a model of reconciliation for his listeners.

"Let us cultivate communion, welcoming our legitimate differences with charity and fostering fraternity, so that our unity may make Christ's love visible and help many to encounter him," the pope said.

Leo asked the bishops "to continue listening to one another and discerning together what the Holy Spirit is asking of you in the light of the word of God and the Magisterium of the Church." He said they should do so in conjunction with their synodal teams, also present in the cathedral, since they were "fellow disciples of the one Teacher."

Synodality, a signature initiative of Pope Francis that Leo has pledged to continue, seeks to involve the whole Church, including the laity, more fully in discernment and mission.

Full Article

An estimated 2.5 million people made Pope Leo XIV's Mass in Buenos Aires on Monday the largest of his pontificate. Behind that figure were faces, stories and testimonies of faith that filled a historic day.

Access opened at midnight, on a national holiday declared for the apostolic visit, for the Mass at the Monumento a los Españoles in the Palermo neighborhood, scheduled for 11:30 a.m. Local artists greeted those who had camped overnight beside the altar, a large structure put up some weeks earlier, under a clear spring sky.

Around 9 a.m., the singer-songwriter Athenas warmed the crowd with familiar Catholic songs. The surprise of the morning was Soledad Pastorutti, who sang her own pieces, including La Viajera and A Don Ata, and closed with religious songs such as Alma Misionera and Oración del Remanso.

With the streets closed, people walked in the hundreds: families, parish groups, couples, friends and a few onlookers, mixed in with street vendors selling flags, mugs and even images made with artificial intelligence that showed Pope Leo embracing Lionel Messi and Diego Maradona.

Florencia Raspi and Nicolás Deim arrived on Avenida del Libertador with four of their five children, all in yellow and white caps bearing the pope's image. Raspi, who was nine when she saw St. John Paul II with her own family, wanted her children to have that same experience.

"What moves us is the faith, the unique moment we are going to live," she told EWTN News, "and above all this great public act of faith, how faith moves us and stirs us." For Argentine families, she hoped the pope would leave "a message of hope, of unity," and the sense of "welcome everyone … that in our differences we all come together."

Olga walked arm in arm with her daughter, and with tears in her eyes spoke of "the emotion of seeing him, the faith we have," and of waiting for "the blessing he is going to give us all." For her country she wished "that we may be united, that we respect one another, and that the country may move forward."

Manuel Bur arrived in Buenos Aires on Friday with his girlfriend, from Concepción del Uruguay in Entre Ríos province. He hoped the pope would "give us strength, encouragement, to be better people, to be a better community."

Milagros Kirpach, of the Noche de la Caridad group at Our Lady of Guadalupe parish, said she had come for more than a glimpse of the pope. "What is being lived, the people walking to meet their faith, is what brought me," she said. For Argentines she hoped for a message of unity and peace. "I think that all of us being united today reflects that."

Martina Navarro, of the Residencia Universitaria Sur of Opus Dei, had been volunteering since the early hours. "I had the joy of being able to take part. It was incredible to see the Church so alive, so happy to receive Pope Leo."

"As always, the pope leaves us unity, because he is literally the vicar of Christ on earth," she said. "We have the joy of being able to be a little closer to heaven with him."

Francisco Brusco, of the Piarist Schools at Colegio Calasanz in Buenos Aires, also served as a volunteer. "I cannot think of Pope Leo without thinking of the first pope, who is St. Peter, and whenever I think of St. Peter I think of the great mercy of God," he said. "Falling is human. Redemption comes from God and from his great mercy."

With the pope's arrival, he said, "the most important thing is to show that the faith is more alive than ever," and that it is "a very good way of showing that Argentina really is Catholic."

The popemobile crossed Avenida del Libertador after 11 a.m., nearly an hour behind schedule. The crowd in the sun covered their heads with caps, scarves, blankets and even bags. Many were moved by the pope's arrival; others were somewhat surprised at how quickly the vehicle passed.

The Mass itself was marked by respect, prayer and recollection. At the consecration, a great many of the faithful knelt, then went in an orderly way to receive Communion, distributed by more than 2,000 ministers of Holy Communion.

In his homily, the pope spoke of the family as the place where faith, human virtues, a culture of work, respect for the elderly, the defense of life and fidelity to one's word are handed on. He also drew applause when he recalled Pope Francis, who was archbishop of Buenos Aires before he became pope.

At the sign of peace there was joy and a sense of fellowship, which lasted to the end, when the crowd left the site in an orderly way for home.

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

Full Article

Full Article

A papal diplomat to North American and South American countries said Pope Leo XIV brings a "message of hope" to the people.

Leo, who was born in the United States and spent more than 20 years in Peru, traveled to Uruguay this weekend. He is in Argentina Nov. 9–11 and will end his trip with a seven-day visit to Peru.

The Holy Father's message to the people is a message of hope, "a message that these countries need," said Monsignor Juan Antonio Cruz Serrano, permanent observer of the Holy See to the Organization of American States (OAS), during a Nov. 6 Spanish-language interview with "EWTN Noticias," the Spanish-language broadcast edition of EWTN News.

"We know, in particular, that there is great inequality among these nations — socially, politically, and economically," Cruz Serrano said. "The pope's presence serves as a call for social reconciliation wherever there are fractures or divisions, and it will also point us toward a path to follow."

"He does not come with ready-made solutions, of course, but he can certainly show us a way forward — both as an ecclesial community and as citizens — so that we may continue our journey toward a better future and a new humanity," he said. "It is about becoming better Christians. I see it as a constructive, forward-looking message; it is not something imposed upon others. Rather, he comes with the hope that the message he brings is truly good news.

Cruz Serrano was appointed as observer to the OAS under Pope Francis in 2021 and remains in the role. The OAS is a regional association of countries that represents every nation in North America and South America, with the exception of Nicaragua, which withdrew in 2023. The Holy See has no resident ambassador in Managua after the apostolic nuncio, Archbishop Waldemar Sommertag, was expelled in 2022.

In the interview, Cruz Serrano noted the region to which Leo is traveling "lies at the heart of Christendom and also at the heart of the pope himself." This is "not only because of the high number of Catholics there, but also because of the deep Christian roots that run through these countries," he said.

"I believe that the whole of Christendom is tuned in to hear the message the pope wishes to convey," he said. "I think his primary message is one of strengthening the faith; after all, we know that the pope's main mission is to confirm us in our faith in Christ."

Cruz Serrano noted that a papal trip is not diplomatic or economic, but rather pastoral. Although Leo is meeting with government officials and diplomats, "he will convey a message — a moral and ethical message, but also one of dialogue."

"He proposes that we walk together," the diplomat said. "He comes as a messenger of peace, a messenger of hope. So, I believe that, more than a diplomatic trip, it is a pastoral journey — one that includes, among other things, meetings with political and diplomatic leaders, as well as representatives of civil society. But above all, I would like to emphasize its pastoral dimension."

Cruz Serrano also spoke with "EWTN News Nightly" anchor Veronica Dudo, saying he expects Leo's trip to Peru will be "very meaningful" and similar to a "homecoming" for the pontiff. He said Leo "knows the people, he knows the history."

The diplomat also discussed relations between the Indigenous of South America and the people of European descent, speaking of an importance to "build bridges" so people understand one another. He said Leo "is not coming only to speak" but "is also coming to listen."

Outreach to the Indigenous communities of South America was also an important issue for Pope Francis, who was born in Argentina. This included the Synod of Bishops for the Pan-Amazon region, also known as the Amazonian Synod.

Speaking to EWTN News, Cruz Serrano noted that Francis taught that people "need to respect" the Indigenous peoples of the Amazon and "learn from them."

In the context of dialoguing with people who follow Indigenous religions, Cruz Serrano said "they have their values that we should learn" but added that "our faith is in Jesus Christ" and "he sent his disciples to go to the end of the world and preach the good news," which must be preached to all people.

He said the Church does not seek to be an imposition on those who follow Indigenous religions, saying: "We don't impose. Our faith is a proposal. So we go to the Indigenous people with a proposal. This is our proposal" that "Jesus Christ died and he rose for us."

This is Pope Leo XIV's first trip to South America since becoming pope.

Full Article

As world leaders prepare to gather this week for the 31st annual United Nations Climate Change Conference (COP31) in Antalya, Turkey, the United States Catholic Conference of Bishops (USCCB) issued a statement calling on world leaders to actively work to protect life on our common home.

The annual conference takes place in November or December and this year takes place from Nov. 9–20.

The statement was issued by Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on Domestic Justice and Human Development, and Bishop A. Elias Zaidan, chairman of the U.S. bishops' Committee on International Justice and Peace, along with President and CEO of Catholic Relief Services Sean Callahan.

"As leaders gather at COP31, we recognize the need for decisive action that will protect and promote human flourishing and our common home. The global Church continues to witness the cry of the earth and the cry of the poor," they wrote. "We accompany those most impacted by a changing climate and the resulting extreme weather, rising seas, and biodiversity loss."

They pointed out that young people in particular "are leading this response, demanding climate justice for their generation and generations to come," adding that "their witness is our hope: proof that our faith in action answers the hardest realities."

The Catholic leaders recalled Pope Leo XIV's message shared during last year's conference in which he said that God's creation is "crying out in floods, droughts, storms, and relentless heat."

"He also reminded us that it is not the Paris Agreement that is failing, but our collective response to it — and that to overlook communities most exposed to climate change is to deny our shared humanity," the statement said.

"We urge world leaders and institutions to deliver additional climate finance that prioritizes grants over loans so that poor countries can invest in resilience and adaptation without the weight of more debt," the statement said. "We implore negotiators to agree on how progress on adaptation will be measured within the Global Goal on Adaptation. We call on them to finalize a 'just transition' mechanism to accompany developing countries with expertise, cooperation, and funding as they move away from fossil fuels."

"This transition should center on protecting the dignity of every worker, family, and community affected."

The statement concluded: "Echoing the call of our Holy Father, we ask leaders to leave Antalya having matched the scale of their commitments to the scale of the need — and to remember, in every negotiating room, that behind every number is a family making difficult, daily decisions on survival amidst more extreme, erratic, and frequent climate shocks."

The Irish Bishops' Conference also issued a statement last week urging the Irish delegation attending the COP31 to recognize the "important role" Ireland plays in "safeguarding our common home."

The Irish bishops urged the country's delegation to advocate for four specific topics: climate finance and social justice, clean energy investment and sufficiency, fossil fuel phase-out, and fossil fuel profit tax.

The COP31 is expected to draw roughly 100,000 participants including heads of states, heads of governments, prime ministers, vice presidents, climate ministers, negotiators, scientists, corporate executives, and nongovernmental organizations like Greenpeace and WWF.

The conference is being led by COP31 president and Turkey's Environment Minister Murat Kurum. Australian Minister for Climate Change and Energy Chris Bowen is presiding over negotiations, and Turkish President Recep Tayyip Erdogan opened the summit.

This is the second consecutive year that the United States lacks an official government delegation at the summit due to the Trump administration's withdrawal from climate pacts. However, some U.S. governors, lawmakers, and business leaders will be in attendance independently.

Full Article

A bipartisan group of lawmakers sent a letter to Republican and Democratic leadership in the House of Representatives encouraging them to formally invite Pope Leo XIV to address a joint session of Congress next year.

The letter — addressed to House Speaker Mike Johnson, R-Louisiana, and House Democratic Leader Hakeem Jeffries, D-New York — was signed by 91 Republican and Democratic members of Congress.

"The election of Pope Leo XIV serves as a sign of great pride for millions of Americans," the letter said. "As the first ever American-born Pope, his unique perspective, and ties to our country, would serve as a unifying force for members of Congress."

"Following a divisive election, Pope Leo's unifying message of service, compassion for fellow mankind, and the importance of human dignity would be especially timely," the letter added.

The lawmakers wrote that a visit from the Holy Father "would offer a much-needed outlook as we navigate complex foreign and domestic issues."

"Given the undeniable historical significance and cultural impact of Pope Francis's address to Congress in 2015, we urge you to work to schedule a joint address as soon as possible in the beginning of the 120th Congress with the first American-born Pope," the letter added.

Neither Johnson's nor Jeffries' offices immediately responded to EWTN News' request for comment.

A decision to invite a pope to address Congress has come from congressional leadership in the past, often together with the executive branch, according to the Congressional Research Service (CRS). "No formal procedure on when or how to issue invitations is codified in law or in House or Senate rules," according to CRS.

'Looking at the calendar'

The Chicago-born pontiff does not have a visit to the United States on his schedule yet but did say in June that he intends to travel to the country soon: "We were looking at the calendar for the next couple of years. Nothing is set in stone yet, but I certainly hope to be there soon."

In July, Leo honored the 250th anniversary of the signing of the Declaration of Independence by penning a letter that said that moment "gave enduring voice to the ideals of liberty, equality, the pursuit of happiness, justice, and democratic self-government." He also accepted the National Constitution Center's 2026 Liberty Medal.

Leo is visiting South America until Nov. 17. His first stop was Uruguay and he is  in Argentina until Nov. 11. The final stop for this trip will be Peru, where the Holy Father spent more than 20 years of his adult life.

Pope Francis visited the United States in 2015, as did Pope Benedict XVI in 2008. St. John Paul II visited the country seven times during his long 26-year papacy.

Full Article

BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Pope Leo XIV praised the Christian family as a source of strength for the Church in Argentina and for the country's society in general at an open-air Mass in the capital on Nov. 9.

"The family is the place where faith, human virtues, a culture of work, respect for the elderly, the defense of life, and fidelity to one's word are handed on," the pope told crowds filling wide avenues that had been closed to traffic.

"Do not give in to those who dismiss the Christian family as outdated. On the contrary, today more than ever, it remains a pillar amid the many insecurities of our time," he said in the homily.

Local authorities estimated turnout for the Mass, which the pope celebrated at an early 20th-century monument at a major intersection in leafy northern Buenos Aires, at 2.5 million people. Thick crowds lined the pope's motorcade route to the site.

In his homily, the pope said families should "take a leading role in evangelization. The Church in Argentina needs you. Support the bishops, parish priests, pastoral workers, and catechists in their mission. This Church is renewed and filled with enthusiasm when families, animated by faith, pray together and live out their ministry of proclaiming the good news."

To that end, Leo suggested ways that families could make their faith stronger.

"Open the doors of your homes to Christ! Speak naturally to your children about Jesus, and remain united to him. In the intimacy of the home, faith is passed on along with life itself, through the simplest gestures: a blessing before meals, a prayer before going to bed, forgiveness and mutual listening, grandparents teaching their grandchildren to pray, going to Mass on Sundays, and preparing for a retreat or a pilgrimage," he said.

Later in the day, the pope was scheduled to meet with business and labor leaders, address representatives of Christian churches and other religions, and lead a vespers service with Argentina's bishops and leaders of synodal teams. He will also spend Tuesday in Argentina before leaving Wednesday for Peru, the last country on his tour of South America.

Full Article

Sister Michele Bisbey of the Marie de la Roche Province of the Sisters of Divine Providence in McCandless, Pennsylvania, was one of 10 women recognized as the newest Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania last month by Gov. Josh Shapiro and First Lady Lori Shapiro.

The Distinguished Daughters of Pennsylvania is an organization established in 1949 to recognize women for their distinguished service, professional achievements, and voluntary contributions to Pennsylvania and the nation.

Bisbey entered religious life in 1967 and in 1987 began teaching in higher education. In 1992 she became a professor of religious studies at La Roche University.

In the 1990s, she and another religious sister from her congregation — Sister Elana Almendarez — decided to start fostering children in response to a high need for foster parents. At the time, they had a large home that they lived in for over a decade on the campus of La Roche University and decided to use this space to care for one to three children at a time.

The sisters have fostered 28 children since 1992.

Over the years, the sisters fostered children with special needs and complex medical conditions. They are currently permanent legal custodians to a 20-year-old woman named Amanda who has spina bifida and other medical conditions. She has been with them since 2008.

"I receive this honor with deep gratitude, but I do so standing on the shoulders of generations of Sisters of Divine Providence and women religious who have quietly served others for centuries," Bisbey said in a press release about her award given on Oct. 7.

She added: "Our charism calls us to trust in the Providence of God and to be participants in God's abundance, not simply its beneficiaries. Everything I have been given through my sisters, my students, and the children who have come into my life has only multiplied in the sharing."

During their time fostering children, the sisters have seen some of the children return to their biological parents, others were adopted, and others aged out of the system. However, many still keep in touch. According to the Pittsburgh Post Gazette, one young man who was raised by the sisters since he was a young child now works in Tennessee and keeps in touch with them on a daily basis.

In addition to her foster ministry, Bisbey speaks nationally and internationally about social justice and serving the underserved. She also helped her congregation build a new home for aging sisters; the Commons at Providence Heights is an 83-bed facility that provides care for aging sisters as well as members of the community.

Bisbey currently serves as provincial director of the Marie de la Roche Province of the Sisters of Divine Providence, providing spiritual and organizational leadership to the congregation, and as vice chair of the La Roche University Board of Trustees.

Full Article

CLAYPOLE, Argentina — Pope Leo XIV on Monday praised the work of a care home for disabled people that Argentina's Catholic bishops have said is imperiled by the austerity policies of President Javier Milei.

"The values of dignity, belonging, and fraternal friendship that distinguish places like this have much to say to our societies, which are often driven solely by the pursuit of economic success or the cult of outward appearance," Leo said to assembled residents and caregivers at the home, located in a lower-income suburb south of Buenos Aires.

"A nation's progress is also measured by how it welcomes all people with disabilities and particular needs," the pope said.

The Don Orione Little Cottolengo of Claypole was founded in 1935 by the Italian priest St. Luigi Orione. In April of this year, leaders of Argentina's bishops' conference cited the Don Orione Cottolengo network, whose flagship is the Claypole center, as an example of an "extremely serious financial crisis" facing institutions that serve people with disabilities because of "delays and shortfalls in state funding."

Elected in 2023, President Javier Milei has defended cuts to social spending as part of his strategy to curb rampant inflation, which has fallen sharply.

Leo's remarks at the center did not mention the issue of government funding, but he encouraged volunteerism and charitable efforts to help those in need.

The pope said he hoped "that Argentina may be capable of performing great works of charity, such as we see here, where the love of Christ triumphs over individualism and exclusion. I dream of thousands of young people volunteering … I dream that a new generation of saints devoted to charity might be forged in Argentina!"

Before his speech, Leo prayed briefly before the heart of St. Luigi Orione, which is held in a reliquary in the chapel where he spoke.

Then he heard testimonies from two residents of the center, including Marta Griselda Torres, who was born with cerebral palsy and abandoned as an infant by her mother before eventually coming to Claypole. The pope was moved to tears as she spoke.

"For me, the Cottolengo was a beacon that lit up my life. It was not just a place to live, but a place where I was welcomed, given a home, and loved," Torres said.

Full Article

Full Article