Catholic News
Pope Leo XIV told young people at a Buenos Aires vigil not to lose hope and not to be afraid to answer Christ's call. On Wednesday he celebrates Mass at Luján, then flies to Peru.
The observance recalls the signing of the armistice that ended fighting in World War I in 1918.
"A powerful symbol of peace after years of devastating war."
That's how Bishop Scott McCaig described the Armistice of Compiègne, the international agreement that ended fighting in World War I in 1918.
The agreement, also known as the Armistice of 11 November 1918, was signed on that day in the Compiègne Forest, with the last fighting continuing until 11 a.m. local time.
McCaig said the symbolic alignment of the date and time of the signing — taking place at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month of that year — was given special significance after the brutality of the long global conflict.
"Over time [in Canada] the day evolved to honor not only those who died in the First World War, but also all Canadian soldiers who served and sacrificed their lives in subsequent wars and military conflicts," McCaig said.
The prelate, who serves as the bishop of the Military Ordinariate of Canada, will mark that observance this week with the Mass for the Fallen, held in Ottawa's Notre-Dame Cathedral Basilica on Nov. 11.
McCaig said the Mass is "offered for the dead, specifically those who have died in wars, in service to God and country, and the veterans who have passed away."
"We offer the holy sacrifice and pray for them in gratitude for the sacrifice they made to defend our freedoms and liberate those oppressed by unlawful invasion of their countries," he said.
The bishop said the observance dates back years, though at one point it was dropped in favor of the national Remembrance Day Ceremony at Ottawa's cenotaph.
Yet McCaig said that recently the government "has placed increasing restrictions on prayer to the point of an outright banning of any reference to God."
The military ordinariate subsequently reinstated the memorial Mass. This year will mark the fourth such Mass, and "the numbers are growing from year to year," McCaig said.
The Canadian War Museum says that around 61,000 Canadians were killed during World War I, though other government figures put the number as high as 66,000.
The government said the contributions of Canadians to the war effort "earned Canada a separate signature on the Treaty of Versailles," the peace treaty that officially ended the state of war in June 1919.
McCaig said response to the Mass for the Fallen continues to be positive.
"Many serving members, veterans, and family members have expressed their deep appreciation for the Mass for the Fallen," he said. "Some are deeply moved during the Mass, remembering friends who have fallen in battle."
"It honors those who have paid the ultimate price for the freedoms we enjoy, not the least of which is freedom of religion," he said.
Schmitz has been traveling Schmitz has been traveling around the world on his Parables tour, which focuses on bringing the Gospel message to audiences.
On Nov. 16, Father Mike Schmitz will bring Jesus' parables to one of New York's most historic venues — Radio City Music Hall.
Schmitz has been traveling around the world on his Parables tour, which focuses on bringing the Gospel message to audiences. The tour focuses on providing impactful messages by using several of Jesus' parables taught in the New Testament.
"I've never been inside Radio City Music Hall and I'm so excited to be able to be there, but when it comes down to it, it's out there: the people in the 12th row! There are people there to hear the word of God. You can see their faces, and there's something about that to realize, OK, God wants them. He brought them here. To be entrusted with a bit of that. There's an exciting part of it, but it's also humbling," Schmitz told "The Good Newsroom."
He pointed out that while on tour he asks venues to leave the house lights up higher than usual so that the connection between preacher and those gathered can be maintained.
"I need to see their faces. I want to see them because it makes a connection," he explained.
When discussing the reasoning behind choosing to focus on Jesus' parables, Schmitz said: "God says, 'No, this is what I need you to know, not just here's a nice little story, but here's what I need you to know.' I was just so convicted by that. This is both urgent and important. That was the main driver [for the tour]."
The tour is part of Schmitz's Seeds of Faith Campaign, which is raising funds for a new Newman Center to be built on the University of Minnesota, Duluth, (UMD) campus, where Schmitz is the chaplain at the Newman Center.
In an interview with EWTN News in 2025, the priest explained that while he has loved working in both parish and campus settings, each is unique. While college kids can tend to be "fickle" in their faith, he said, they also have a beautiful openness to change that he didn't experience at a parish.
"College ministry is unique because you have this openness … It is that place where so many people are asking the big questions in life and we just see so many conversions happening when we're there," he said.
The Newman Center at UMD has seen a flourishing of vocations. According to Bulldog Catholic, the name of the university's campus ministry, 400 couples have gone through marriage preparation classes, eight women have entered religious life, and over 16 men have entered seminary, with seven ordained as priests.
"One of my favorite things to do is marriage prep; it just really brings me so much life," Schmitz said. "I just love even being able to present to couples who are discerning marriage like, no you're actually discerning how God is asking you, calling you, to be his disciple in your life. That's the big question. That's one of the reasons why we get married in churches is because this is a sacrament of discipleship."
As for those who have discerned religious life, Schmitz called it "a great grace" to walk with these individuals in their vocations.
For others working in campus ministry, Schmitz gave three suggestions to grow involvement: Offer daily Mass and confession, start engaging Bible studies, and host retreats often.
He emphasized that these events in which people are brought together, such as Bible studies and retreats, help grow involvement because "as Catholics we worship in rows, but we grow in circles."
Tickets can be purchased for the Parables tour at Radio City Music Hall here.
Pope Leo XIV told young people at a Buenos Aires vigil not to lose hope and not to be afraid to answer Christ's call. On Wednesday he celebrates Mass at Luján, then flies to Peru.
The Holy Father has celebrated Mass in multiple cities, met with Catholic leadership and visited with several communities in Argentina.
Pope Leo XIV marked two full days in Argentina with several Masses and meetings with Catholic leadership along with a youth vigil and a celebration of vespers.
The pope will finish his Argentinian visit on Nov. 11 and fly to Peru, his adopted country where he spent years as a bishop and where he will finish out his historic South American trip. The Holy Father already visited Uruguay at the outset of his journey.
Here are some photos of Pope Leo's activities in Argentina.
The pontiff echoed Pope Francis' promise that "everyone, everyone, everyone" is welcome in the Church, while insisting that "we all need conversion."
BUENOS AIRES, Argentina — Pope Leo XIV appealed to young people to reject worldly distractions and follow Christ, assuring them that their past mistakes are no obstacle to joining the Church.
"Dear young people, Christ loves us and wants us to share in his own life," Leo told an estimated 1 million participants at a vigil on Nov. 10, his last night in Argentina. "Christ offers you a life that not even death can take away."
The event took place at the same site in northern Buenos Aires where Leo had celebrated Mass the previous day, drawing an estimated 2.5 million people. The crowds in Argentina have been by far the largest of his pontificate.
The pope's speech came after testimonies and questions from young people, including a man recovering from drug addiction.
Leo urged his listeners to reject what he called "the idols of our time," which cannot provide happiness or life.
"Idols arise and demand our worship: success at any cost, money, an obsession with appearance, popularity or the unrestrained pursuit of pleasure. Sometimes, in order to win the approval of others, we may go so far as to lie, betray or humiliate someone on social media," the pope said.
"There are also those who make a business of offering pleasures that ultimately enslave us, such as pornography and addictive substances," he added.
Leo cited Pope Francis' insistence that "everyone, everyone, everyone" is welcome in the Church.
"Whoever you are and whatever you may have done, Jesus Christ knows you, loves you and wants you to be close to him," the pope said. "No one has fallen so low that Christ cannot raise them up."
He added that "we all need conversion" and that welcome is not the equivalent of moral indifference.
"Christ loves us as we are, but his love is too great to leave us prisoners of sin, of what destroys us," Leo said. "There are wounds to be healed, failings to be acknowledged and, whenever possible, wrongs to be made right."
He urged his listeners to confess their sins, pray, read Scripture and receive the Eucharist in order to be transformed by Christ.
"Share your bread with those who are hungry, open your doors to those who have no home, visit the sick and those whom no one wants to visit," the pope told his young listeners, as part of his program for their pursuit of sanctity.
On Wednesday, following a pilgrimage to Argentina's most prominent Marian shrine, in Luján, Leo was scheduled to leave for Peru, the last stop on his tour of South America.
Pope Leo XIV is back in Buenos Aires after Mass in Córdoba. Tonight he leads a youth vigil at the Monumento de los Españoles. On Wednesday he celebrates Mass at Luján, then flies to Peru.
Pope Leo XIV was moved by the inner strength she showed during his visit to the Pequeño Cottolengo of Claypole, where she has lived for years.
Marta Torres is 78 years old and her deep blue eyes seem to pierce through whoever listens to her. She moves about in a wheelchair and due to her physical limitations, she is always looking upward.
Pope Leo XIV was visibly moved when speaking to her during his Nov. 9 visit to the Little Cottolengo Don Orione of Claypole in Buenos Aires, where she has lived for years.
Born blind and with cerebral palsy, she was abandoned by her mother when she was still a child, just a day before celebrating her birthday. "She left my house and never came back," she told Leo XIV, who listened to her with the tenderness of a father.
Her illness turned her life into an uphill, difficult path, she said. For decades, she spent hours bedridden in a hospital, while unsuccessfully seeking a place where she could live on a permanent basis and receive the care she needed.
"I went around to many places in order to find a place to live, but those places were temporary and not suitable for me," she explained.
That long search came to an end when she discovered the Little Cottolengo Don Orione of Claypole, an institution founded by St. Louis Orione that welcomes people with disabilities and in vulnerable situations.
"For me it was a beacon of light that illuminated my life. Not just a place to live, but a place where I was received, given a home, and loved," Torres recounted. The pope listened with all his heart to every one of her words.
This center in Buenos Aires, where Torres lives along with 410 other people with different disabilities, is a community that she said welcomed her unconditionally.
"They helped me not feel rejected, because after so much going around and finding nothing, I felt rejected. But here I feel so happy that everything is behind me," she shared.
Discovering faith
During her testimony, Torres highlighted that one of the greatest graces received at the Cottolengo was faith in Jesus Christ, which she said became an anchor to hold on to when facing her disability: "I came to know God deeply through the people who accompanied me in prayer," she said. With the desire to help others going through similar situations, Torres decided to write a book in which she recounts her personal experience.
After she finished sharing her testimony, she gave a copy of her book to the pope as a sign of gratitude and as a way to give a voice to those whose life situation is similar to hers.
"I wish my story to be known and heard, because I want to do good. I want it to be able to serve other people who live in a similar situation, so that they would know they are not alone, that they have the right to be welcomed, loved, and respected," she said before personally handing the book to the Holy Father.
As she carefully placed it in the pope's hands, she said to him: "This book is part of my life. I give it to you in thanksgiving to God for having given me so many things. Many crosses, yes, but also many gifts."
This story was first published by EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News. It has been translated and adapted by EWTN News English.
Pope Leo XIV highlighted Argentine saints and blesseds as enduring models of faith and Christian witness during a Nov. 10 Mass in Córdoba.
Pope Leo XIV recited a list of saints and blesseds as models of faith in a Mass celebrated in Córdoba, Argentina, on Nov. 10.
In his homily, the pope highlighted more than a dozen figures ranging from St. José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero and St. María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa, known as Mama Antula, to Blessed Cardinal Eduardo Pironio and Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá, presenting them as enduring models of Christian witness.
"Dear brothers and sisters, these saints and blesseds have already fulfilled their mission on earth. Today, it is our turn to follow the radiant example of holiness they have left with us," Pope Leo said.
"They offer a polyphonic witness to the universal call to holiness of every baptized person: the call to be conformed to Christ," Leo said. "All of them knew how to rise to the challenges of their time, transforming them into opportunities to proclaim the good news — not theoretically, but by shaping their lives to become credible and effective witnesses to Christ's love."
Although some of the saints and blesseds Pope Leo mentioned were born in Spain or Italy, they were closely associated with religious life and ministry in South America, particularly Argentina. Among those he highlighted were:
St. María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa ('Mama Antula')
Known as Mama Antula, St. María Antonia de Paz y Figueroa was an 18th-century Argentine laywoman who kept the Ignatian Spiritual Exercises alive after the Jesuits were expelled from Spanish territories. She traveled thousands of miles on foot to help renew Catholic life across the region and became the first Argentine woman to be canonized a saint.
St. José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero
Known as the "gaucho priest," St. José Gabriel del Rosario Brochero served remote communities in the mountains of Córdoba. He crossed difficult terrain on muleback to minister to the poor. He built churches, schools, and roads, and continued serving after contracting leprosy. He eventually became blind and deaf and spent his last few years living with his sisters at home. Brochero died on Jan. 26, 1914. His last words were: "Now I have everything ready for the journey."
St. Nazaria Ignacia March Mesa
Born in 1889 in Madrid, Spain, St. Nazaria Ignacia March Mesa became a missionary religious sister whose ministry was centered largely in Bolivia and Argentina. She founded the Missionary Crusaders of the Church and dedicated herself to evangelization, education, and assistance to the poor. Her order cared for soldiers on both sides of the 1932-1935 war between Paraguay and Bolivia, and she survived persecutions in Spain during the Spanish Civil War.
Blessed Catalina de María Rodríguez
A native of Córdoba, Blessed Catalina de María Rodríguez founded the Sisters of the Holy Family. She focused on educating young people and fostering the spiritual formation of families, especially in underserved areas. She dedicated herself to promoting the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius.
Prior to entering religious life, in 1852, she married Manuel Antonio de Zavalía, a widower with two children. Zavalia threatened suicide if Saturnina refused him, and her spiritual director declared her responsible for the salvation of his soul, so she took the marriage to be God's will. Saturnina conceived one child, who was stillborn.
After her husband's death, her lifelong desire to enter religious life reemerged as she was adoring the Blessed Sacrament. After seven years of trials and setbacks, she still maintained her spirits because "that idea was embedded in my soul and even if I wanted to I could not do away with it" and in those attempts to pursue her dream said: "I found consolation in God, from whom I hoped for everything, and I never lacked confidence in him."
Blessed María Ludovica de Angelis
Born in Italy, María Ludovica spent most of her religious life in Argentina, where she worked for decades at a children's hospital in La Plata. The first miracle attributed to Blessed Maria was that of Antonella Cristelli, a young girl suffering from spinal bifida, which affected her urinary tract, bladder, and kidneys and left her unable to move her arms and legs. She was inexplicably cured after praying to Blessed Maria. John Paul II beatified the religious sister in October 2004.
Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá
The son of a Mapuche chief, Blessed Ceferino Namuncurá was an Indigenous Argentine youth who studied under the Salesians and became known for his deep faith and desire to serve his people. He died of tuberculosis at age 18 and is widely venerated as a model for Indigenous Catholics and young people.
Blessed Cardinal Eduardo Pironio
Blessed Cardinal Eduardo Pironio of Argentina served in senior Vatican roles and was a close collaborator of several popes. He was especially known for promoting hope, evangelization, and youth ministry, helping lay the groundwork for what became World Youth Day.
The Archdiocese of Portland asked lay people to refrain from raising their hands and holding hands during the Lord's prayer at Mass, citing various Church documents concerning liturgical norms.
The Archdiocese of Portland, Oregon, has asked laypeople to refrain from holding hands or raising their hands during the Our Father prayer at Masses in the archdiocese.
While the Catholic liturgy is fairly uniform across Catholic parishes, some Mass attendees raise their hands in the "orans" posture of prayer or hold hands during the Our Father prayer, while others don't. The Archdiocese of Portland through an official instruction has asked laypeople to refrain from doing either.
"Over the last few decades there has been some confusion as to whether the lay faithful should extend or raise their hands (and even holding hands with others) when the Lord's Prayer is prayed during Mass, as the priest does," stated the announcement in the Archdiocese of Portland's November 2026 issue of its Divine Worship Newsletter.
"Neither the deacons assisting at Mass, nor the lay faithful, are ever instructed to use this posture," the announcement continued. "It is a liturgical posture that is proper to the priest. When the priest uses this posture, he is praying on behalf of the people."
In arriving at its decision, the archdiocese cited various Church documents and instructions concerning liturgical norms.
The archdiocese referred to the General Instruction of the Roman Missal (GIRM), a foundational Vatican document on liturgy.
"While the GIRM does not explicitly forbid the lay faithful from using the Orans posture during the Our Father, it gives guidance as to why the lay faithful should not use this posture," the announcement read. "Whenever the GIRM gives the instructions for hands to be extended, it is always with reference to the priest specifically, whether it be the principal celebrant or concelebrants."
The archdiocese also referenced instructions given in Vatican II documents.
"Further, the Second Vatican Council's Constitution on Sacred Liturgy, Sacrosanctum Concilium, states that 'no other person, even if he be a priest, may add, remove, or change anything in the liturgy on his own authority.' (SC 22.3)," the archdiocese continued. "Since the GIRM is very specific that the priest is instructed by the GIRM (152) to extend his hands when he prays the Lord's Prayer, for the deacons or the laity to extend their hands would be adding to the liturgy."
The archdiocese also referenced the Church's guiding legal system, the Code of Canon Law.
"The Church gives further guidance on this issue. Code of Canon Law (CIC) 907 states, 'In the Eucharistic celebration deacons and lay persons are not permitted to offer prayers, especially the Eucharistic prayer, or to perform actions which are proper to the celebrating priest,'" the document states.
Finally, the archdiocese cited tradition prior to the New Roman Missal of 1970.
"Prior to the New Roman Missal of 1970, only the priest prayed the Lord's Prayer as a part of the Liturgy and had his hands extended while he prayed on behalf of the people. Nothing in the Roman Missal of 1970, nor the documents of the Second Vatican Council, indicated that there would be a change in posture during the Lord's Prayer."
Where does the 'orans' posture come from?
In the Catholic liturgy, the priest takes on the "orans" posture as a sign of praying on behalf of the people.
The posture was common in most ancient religions. In Christianity, it can be seen throughout Scripture, memorably in Exodus 17 when Moses lifts his hands during the battle against Amalek. While his hands are raised, the Israelites are winning, but when his hands fall, they start to lose the battle.
This posture can also be seen throughout some of the Psalms and in the New Testament as well. The "orans" posture of prayer is also depicted in early Christian art, including in the catacombs.
