Catholic News

The Catholic bishops of the European Union have called on the EU and its member states to ensure that artificial intelligence remains "at the service of the human person, the common good and peace," setting out eight principles they want Europe to apply at home and promote abroad.

The declaration, titled "Europe's Responsibility in the Time of Artificial Intelligence: A Call to Safeguard the Human Person," was adopted Oct. 16 at the close of the autumn plenary assembly of the Commission of the Bishops' Conferences of the European Union (COMECE) in Brussels and published Oct. 19.

"Humanity stands at a decisive moment in which technological progress must be guided by a renewed commitment to the dignity of every person, justice and fraternity," the bishops wrote.

The bishops acknowledged the "significant opportunities" AI offers but said its rapid development raises "profound anthropological, ethical, social and legal questions." They acknowledged the EU's efforts to regulate the technology. They urged Europe to act "with urgency, ambition and responsibility" to strengthen its digital capacities and take a leading role in international AI governance.

The 8 principles

The bishops urged the EU and its member states to implement the following principles and promote them in international forums:

• Human dignity and human agency must remain paramount.
• The common good, solidarity, subsidiarity, care for creation, and justice must guide technological innovation.
• Responsibility, transparency, and accountability must accompany AI.
• AI must not become a source of discrimination, exclusion, or manipulation.
• AI must not diminish or displace the uniqueness of the human person, and people must not be "reduced to data or commodities."
• The digital and technological commons require responsible governance.
• Democracy and the rule of law must be protected.
• AI must contribute to peace and human fraternity.

"Its future must be shaped not only by what technology can do, but by what human dignity, responsibility, solidarity and fraternity require," the declaration concludes.

The Oct. 14–16 assembly opened with a Brussels presentation of Pope Leo XIV's first encyclical, Magnifica Humanitas, published in May, on artificial intelligence. Bishop Paul Tighe, secretary of the Vatican's Dicastery for Culture and Education, gave the keynote address.

The bishops also sent a telegram to Pope Leo wishing him "a speedy recovery following your surgery." The pope underwent lung cancer surgery Oct. 13 and was discharged from the hospital Oct. 17.

COMECE, founded in 1980, represents the Catholic bishops' conferences of the EU member states before the EU institutions. Its current president is Italian Bishop Mariano Crociata.

Full Article

Sister Mary Barron, a religious sister from Ireland, first landed in Tanzania as a missionary three decades ago. That experience had a huge impact on her and the roles she has held since — including her latest appointment as president of the Vatican's Pontifical Mission Societies and adjunct secretary of the Dicastery for Evangelization.

"I went there as an evangelizer, but I in turn was evangelized," Barron told EWTN News in Rome on Oct. 19, speaking of her time in Africa.

"I learned so much from the people in Tanzania about how they see God, how they relate to God. And I, in turn, was able to share [my perspective]," she said.

Barron, the latest woman to be named a superior of a Vatican office, also spoke about women's role in Church leadership and the possibility of their ordination as priests.

The Pontifical Mission Societies (PMS) is a worldwide network of four missionary bodies — the Society for the Propagation of the Faith, the Society of the Holy Childhood, the Society of St. Peter the Apostle, and the Missionary Union.

An official instrument of the Holy See, PMS supports the Church's missionary activity around the world. An annual offering taken up in Catholic churches on World Mission Sunday, observed on the third Sunday of October, supports its work. In 2026, World Mission Sunday was observed on Oct. 18.

Barron said when she was a missionary in Tanzania, she cherished the spiritual support of her parish in rural County Donegal, which would pray for her every Sunday as a missionary abroad.

"World Mission Sunday is a day when every parish, every diocese in the world thinks of all those missionaries and prays," she explained. "Of course, there's the material support also. But first and foremost, [what's important is] that spiritual connection, that universality of our Church, where we're actually connecting with each other around the world."

As she takes up her new roles in the Vatican on Jan. 4, 2027, Barron said that same spiritual connection of the Church with missionaries remains important to her.

"The priority for me … is very much about the missionary spirit," Barron said, underlining the Second Vatican Council's emphasis on the missionary vocation of members of the Church.

"Everyone is called to mission by virtue of their baptism … and we're slowly growing into that realization," she said.

Women's leadership in the Church

Barron is the first woman to be president of the Pontifical Mission Societies, but she said she sees her appointment to such a position to be less about raising the profile of women, as being "for the Church … for all of us."

Leadership roles in the institutional Church used to be limited to ordained men, members of the "hierarchical Church," she said. "And now gradually there's an awareness that, yes, there are other dimensions of the Church that also are gifted … And I think it's for all of us. … For me, it's never been a man-woman thing. It's [that] we're all in this together as witnesses to God who created us all in God's own image."

Barron said she appreciates the willingness of Pope Francis and now Pope Leo to consider a person's overall capability for a role — outside of whether or not he is a cleric.

"It's beginning to use the giftedness of all the baptized for the good of God's mission," she said.

Views on women's ordination

Barron has served since 2018 as congregational leader of her order, the Missionary Sisters of Our Lady of Apostles. She was also president of the International Union of Superiors General (UISG), which represents approximately 600,000 religious sisters in 80 countries, from 2023 to 2025.

In that role, she participated in the two monthlong assemblies of the Synod on Synodality at the Vatican in October 2023 and 2024.

In 2024, during a press conference following synod discussions, Barron addressed the question of women who experience "a call to priesthood."

"I think we have to look at the question very much from … the Spirit. 'Is the Spirit calling women?' Because some women do sense a call to priesthood or diaconate," she said on Oct. 7, 2024.

St. John Paul II, in the 1994 apostolic letter Ordinatio Sacerdotalis, stated that all Catholics must "definitively" follow the Church's teaching on a male-only priesthood.

Pope Francis also repeated John Paul II's declarations on the issue during his pontificate, saying in 2013 that on the ordination of women "the Church has spoken and says, 'No.' … That is closed, that door."

Speaking to EWTN News this week, Barron expressed the same views she espoused in 2024 — underlining the importance of being open to where the Holy Spirit guides the Church on the issue.

"Who am I to say whether the door is open or closed [to women priests]?" Barron said.

"Women today may hear the call to priesthood. Some of the great women saints heard that call also," she said. "So for me, it's how do we within Church facilitate that discernment?"

The sister said she thinks the Church could do more to accompany women who feel called to the priesthood.

"What do we do as a Church to accompany that discernment to see if, yes, this is what the Spirit is calling the entire Church to or not at this point?" she said. Then, "in the discernment, there's always a choice at the end. It's either yes or no."

Barron cited a line from the final document of the Synod on Synodality, published in October 2024, which says: "What comes from the Holy Spirit cannot be stopped."

"So I think even though … there have been moments where we've been told we can't talk about this at all, it's over … it comes back and it comes back," she said. "So I think the Spirit will guide us even if we say we can't talk about it now. I think at another moment it'll probably come up again."

"And I think the Spirit will guide us to when and if the time is right," to consider allowing women's ordination, she said.

Francis X. Rocca contributed to this report.

Full Article

Pope Leo XIV on Monday renewed much of the International Theological Commission (ITC), appointing 24 new members, including four Latin American theologians and one Spaniard, who will take part in the body's work over the next five years.

The new group consists of 16 priests, one religious sister, and seven laypeople. The commission's other six members will serve a second term. Among the new appointees are Argentine priests Fabricio Leonel Forcat and Jorge Alejandro Scampini, both professors at the Faculty of Theology of the Pontifical Catholic University of Argentina.

Sources at the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith told EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, that the commission will be divided into two thematic subcommissions.

The first will study Church tradition, a central question in Catholic theology and in understanding how the faith has been handed down through the centuries.

According to the sources, this subcommission will seek to "clarify what Tradition with a capital T is, where it is found, how it is determined that something belongs to Tradition, and so forth."

To accomplish this, it will draw on biblical, patristic, historical, philosophical, and even scientific contributions.

It will also examine the development of magisterial reflection on the subject.

"It will seek to thoughtfully assimilate what the various pontiffs, from Paul VI to Magnifica Humanitas, have clarified on the matter," the sources added.

Faith and culture

A second subcommission will focus on the cultural forms through which the faith is transmitted — that is, how the Church's living tradition is expressed and passed on through different cultures.

"It will study that living Tradition that runs through the manifestations of faith of the People of God in their various cultural forms," the dicastery sources said.

This work will include an in-depth examination of issues such as inculturation, popular piety, and the various forms of language through which the Christian faith is expressed and communicated in different cultural contexts.

"The topics chosen emerge from dialogue between the president of the commission [Cardinal Víctor Manuel Fernández, prefect of the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith] and the pope," the sources explained.

Established by St. Paul VI in 1969 and affiliated with the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith, the International Theological Commission is tasked with assisting the Holy See in studying doctrinal questions of particular importance.

Its members, internationally recognized theologians from around the world, are appointed by the pope at the recommendation of the dicastery's prefect.

What is Church tradition?

According to the Catechism of the Catholic Church (No. 78), tradition is the living transmission of the Gospel accomplished in the Holy Spirit. It is distinct from sacred Scripture, although closely connected to it.

Through tradition, "the Church, in her doctrine, life and worship, perpetuates and transmits to every generation all that she herself is, all that she believes" (Dei Verbum, 8).

This tradition receives the word of God entrusted by Christ and the Holy Spirit to the apostles and hands it on in its entirety to their successors, so that, enlightened by the Spirit of truth, they may faithfully preserve, explain, and spread it through their preaching (Catechism, No. 81).

Specifically, this refers to apostolic tradition, which transmits what the apostles received from Jesus' teachings and example and what they learned through the Holy Spirit. It is distinct from particular ecclesial traditions, which can vary according to place and historical period (Catechism, No. 83).

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.

Full Article

Two companies in the southern United States have settled five-figure discrimination complaints brought by religious workers, the federal Equal Employment Opportunity Commission recently announced.

The agency said in multiple press releases that two companies from North Carolina and Georgia had settled with Muslim and Christian workers over discrimination allegations.

A detective agency in North Carolina said it would pay more than $65,000 to a Muslim worker who allegedly asked to be excused for a religious holiday but was denied the accommodation, the commission said. The company reportedly fired the worker without engaging in the necessary "interactive process" when she did not show up for work.

The company, N.C. Detective Agency, would also take "other corrective actions" including establishing "written policies prohibiting religious discrimination" and "procedures for addressing religious accommodation requests in the future."

In another announcement, meanwhile, the commission said the Georgia-based Reynolds IGA Foodliner Inc. would pay $65,000 to a Christian worker who asked to have Sundays off to observe the Sabbath.

The employee worked at a Piggly Wiggly supermarket in Hazlehurst, Georgia, the federal agency said. The store reportedly denied her request, with a manager allegedly claiming that "if the store gave the employee Sundays off, it would have to do the same for all other employees."

The supermarket eventually fired the worker after she repeatedly made the request. In addition to paying the employee tens of thousands of dollars, the company will update and clarify its religious accommodation polices and "provide specialized training to managers, supervisors and human resources personnel."

Both incidents were alleged violations of the Civil Rights Act of 1964, the employment commission said. Patricia Carrasco, the deputy director for the commission's Charlotte district, described religious freedom as a "fundamental American right."

"No American should have to choose between practicing their faith and keeping their job," Carrasco said. "Federal law protects employees' right to observe their religion, including participating in religious activities, and employers must provide reasonable accommodations unless doing so would impose an undue hardship."

In September the Equal Employment Opportunity Commission also announced that that it was suing the Texas-based Blue Bell Creameries Inc. for allegedly unlawfully firing a Jewish body shop technician after he requested a religious accommodation.

The ice cream company reportedly fired the employee less than a month after he refused to shave his beard as part of his employment there. The suit alleges that a company supervisor also "baselessly questioned the sincerity of the worker's religious beliefs on multiple occasions."

Full Article

In a society of increased indifference, a group of young people associated with the Sovereign Military Order of Malta is living out concretely Pope Leo XIV's call to "not let our guard down when it comes to poverty."

Every Tuesday, the youth group of the Rome chapter of the order and other volunteers gather near St. Peter's Square to provide food to the homeless. The young professionals and students ranging from 20 to 30 years old dedicate one evening a week of their busy lives to help those less fortunate.

The youth organization is simple: a group of around 10-15 young people meet at 8:30 p.m. in Piazza della Città Leonina, say a short prayer, and walk around the corner to St. Peter's Square and Via della Conciliazione, the main thoroughfare leading to St. Peter's Basilica, to offer "brodo" (broth), coffee, a piece of fruit, and snacks — accompanied by a smile — to those in need. The food is provided by the volunteers and distributed in and around the square, where recipients can choose what they want to receive.

The head of the youth group, Luigi Salvaggi, told EWTN News that "faith and prayer lead us to put ourselves in the background."

It is "a moral but deeply concrete duty [to serve the poor], which is fundamental both for our lives as believers and for the good of society," he said.

'Faith and prayer lead us to put ourselves in the background'

The youth who take part by donating their time highlight their love for the poor —  a love that demands action.

Salvaggi said "the goal of the youth group is … to communicate the spirit of the Order [of Malta], helping people understand the profound reasons that drive our work."

The Sovereign Order of Malta is one of the oldest institutions of Western and Christian civilization. Founded as a religious order of the Catholic Church in 1113, its origins trace back to the hospitals during the Crusades in the Holy Land. Since its foundation, it has been dedicated to serving people in need from diverse faiths: Muslim, Orthodox, Catholic, Protestant, Jewish, and others.

According to its website, the Order of Malta is active in 130 countries, caring for people in need through medical, social, and humanitarian work. Across the world, the Order of Malta is dedicated to the preservation of human dignity and the care of all those in need, regardless of their origin or religion.

Influenced by his parents, Salvaggi learned from a young age that "our charitable work has a profound religious vocation." He said the reason he decided "to actively commit myself to charitable work is precisely this strong bond between prayer and action."

As Pope Leo XIV pointed out in Dilexi Te: "This is not a matter of mere human kindness but a revelation: contact with those who are lowly and powerless is a fundamental way of encountering the Lord of history. In the poor, he continues to speak to us."

A sentiment shared by all the volunteers is the practice not only of service and duty but also of encounter with those in need. "In our own small way," Salvaggi added, "it is enough for us to be sincere and act because we believe in what we do."

Full Article

Encuentros Siloé (Siloam Encounters), a new apostolate that introduces atheists and agnostics to the reasonableness of faith through in-home gatherings that combine personal testimonies, videos, music, and dialogue, all began with the conversion of Javier Huerta.

The ministry takes its name from Jesus' healing of the blind man at the Pool of Siloam (Jn 9:1-41) whereby the blind man receives not only physical but also spiritual sight and puts his faith in Jesus.

Approximately 1,000 people have attended one of the more than 25 gatherings held over the last three years, and the results have prompted the organizers to take the step of formally establishing an association.

Although the initiative does not yet have official ecclesiastical endorsement, it receives spiritual guidance from several priests and will soon be presented to the Archdiocese of Madrid in Spain.

'I didn't believe in anything'

Huerta answered a call from EWTN News Español, the Spanish-language sister service of EWTN News, while walking the Camino de Santiago along the stretch that leads from Burgos Cathedral to León Cathedral.

Without breaking his stride, he explained with enthusiasm and gratitude how his conversion took place while he was in his garden at home: "I received the love of God. I didn't believe in anything; I had no faith. In fact, I didn't even remember that there were four Evangelists. I actually had to look up 'Gospels' on the internet," he admitted humbly.

From that moment on, he experienced "the absolute certainty that God exists and is in our hearts" and that this entails turning to him "in order to become the best version of ourselves and offer that to others." This same process also took place for his wife, Marta del Sol.

'The best parties for Jesus'

On their journey of conversion, Javier and Marta made a pilgrimage to Medjugorje. While walking the Stations of the Cross, a longing stirred in Javier's heart: "I had to throw the best parties for Jesus."

His home has always been open to friends and to hosting the best events. From that point on, the gift for hospitality was placed at the service of evangelization, as they wanted to share the joy they had rediscovered through their faith "with great pride, and without any sense of shame."

Javier Huerta also felt a deep "need to know more and learn," which led him to read countless books that showed that faith is reasonable, including works by José Carlos González Hurtado, president of EWTN Spain.

Drawing on all this information, he created a 40-minute video about God and the creation of the universe, which he uses during his events. Through this tool and his own testimony, they created an environment where people "could express themselves and talk about the meaning of life and more profound, transcendent matters."

Those who attended the initial meetings left "filled with much love" and a desire to share the experience. The experience also resonated with their children, and they began holding double sessions: Fridays for young people and Saturdays for adults, with 45 participants in each group.

"We've done this some 20-odd times, and the sessions have always been full. The Virgin has always ensured they were full," even with people they didn't know.

Like the early Christians

Javier is convinced that hospitality in a private home helps those who are far from the faith and who harbor "strong resistance" toward going to a parish due to "false stereotypes."

Following the model of the small Christian communities of the first century, they open their homes and speak about God without getting to "complex theology."

It's a matter, Javier explained, of doing what Andrew did for Peter, or Philip for Nathanael: "Bringing them to [Jesus]. And then, God's grace must be allowed to work."

On Saturday, Oct. 17, more than 400 people attended a theater in Torrelodones, a town near Madrid, where the association Encuentros Siloé was formally introduced, along with a second video about the person of Jesus.

Under the mantle of Our Lady of Guadalupe

The leadership team of Encuentros Siolé was formed under the mantle of the Virgin of Guadalupe. A few months ago, Javier and Marta traveled to Mexico City to participate in an Encounter conference, a Catholic training program for those engaged in apostolic ministry.

There they met Juan Armada and María Soledad Martínez-Avial, with whom they shared their experience, and they committed to working together to shape the association that had just been unveiled.

The fruits, beyond what has already been harvested, seem set to grow even further. For November alone, gatherings are already scheduled in Málaga, Burgos, and at several private homes in Madrid.

'To reconquer Spain once again'

The creation of Encuentros Siloé, with its special focus on those estranged from the faith, comes shortly after the news that, for the first time, more Spaniards identify as atheists than as practicing Catholics.

Indeed, Bishop Mikel Garciandía recently observed that the country is in a sense a mission field, because "in Spain, the Word has theoretically been sown, but it has been forgotten or considered secondary" in people's lives.

Javier said he feels deeply challenged by this reality. For this reason, he pointed out that "we must reconquer Spain, a land that belongs to Mary, and once again become a light to the world."

Beyond home gatherings

The association includes about 25 people committed to the apostolate, all of whom contribute selflessly. Among them are some of the future hosts for these gatherings who will receive specific training to ensure the preservation of the method and doctrinal orthodoxy.

However, Javier and Marta's experience has made them keenly aware that a one-time encounter is not enough; rather, any journey of conversion requires ongoing accompaniment.

Toward this end, they also hold biweekly online meetings, provide educational resources and reading materials, and strive to build community bonds and provide support for each individual's personal journey.

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.

Full Article

The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops' (USCCB) Task Force on Preserving Human Dignity in the Age of Artificial Intelligence is composed of eight bishops and three academics who will serve as consultants, the USCCB announced Oct. 16.

After meeting with AI experts and tech company executives in September, the U.S. bishops announced the creation of the task force as a response to Pope Leo XIV's urging in his encyclical Magnifica Humanitas to "'build forms of cooperation' and cultivate a culture of shared responsibility" concerning the technology. Bishop Oscar Cantù of the Diocese of San José, California, leads the task force.

Members include Cardinal Blase J. Cupich of Chicago; Archbishop Paul D. Etienne of Seattle; Archbishop Shelton J. Fabre of Louisville, Kentucky; Bishop Barry C. Knestout of Richmond, Virginia; Auxiliary Bishop James Massa of Brooklyn, New York; Bishop Michael F. Olson of Fort Worth, Texas; and Auxiliary Bishop Slawomir Szkredka of Los Angeles.

Three academics will serve as consultants to the task force. They include Charles Camosy, professor of moral theology and ethics at The Catholic University of America; Kim Daniels, director of the Initiative on Catholic Social Thought and Public Life at Georgetown University; and Meghan Sullivan, professor of philosophy and director of the Institute for Ethics and the Common Good and Ethics Initiative at the University of Notre Dame.

The group's focus will be to promote "policies and practices that protect human dignity, religious liberty, democratic institutions, workers, families, and vulnerable populations," according to the USCCB.

"The Church enters the conversation on this issue as a teacher rather than a customer," Olson told EWTN News. "It brings 2,000 years of reflection on human dignity, work, relationships, and truth to this conversation. We will listen carefully to Silicon Valley, but we will not outsource our understanding of the human person to it."

We will listen carefully to Silicon Valley, but we will not outsource our understanding of the human person to it."

Bishop Michael Olson

Diocese of Fort Worth, Texas

The Fort Worth Diocese adopted AI policies before the release of Leo's encyclical that binds both clergy and staff, Olson said. "AI must remain a tool in human hands. It can assist human judgment, but it must never replace it, least of all in the care of souls," he said.

"Nothing from the confessional or spiritual direction may ever be entered into an AI tool," he said. "Homilies and pastoral counsel must come from a priest's own prayer and discernment. And decisions about people, such as hiring, discipline, and who receives help, are made by people."

Olson expressed his concern about ways AI has hurt the elderly and people with disabilities through scams, children through "fake" relationships with chatbots, and students, who are "handing off the very work that forms their minds and critical thinking skills" to AI: "If a technology cannot be made safe for our most vulnerable, it is not ready for the market," he said.

Knestout said in an Oct. 19 statement that "AI is already having a profound impact on many aspects of our lives and will continue to develop in the coming years," and it is Catholics' "responsibility to protect the dignity of the human person as AI takes root and transforms life around us."

He said Pope Leo's encyclical "will guide us as we navigate life with AI and face inevitable questions about what it means to be human, created in the image of God."

The U.S. bishops said in the Oct. 16 announcement that "the task force will emphasize that AI must serve human dignity and the common good" and "will maintain constructive and ongoing dialogues with the frontier labs, research organizations, academic centers and other stakeholders across the United States."

"Special attention will be given to helping Church leaders understand both the opportunities and risks posed by AI in areas such as education, communications, employment, healthcare, evangelization, governance, and the protection of children and vulnerable persons," the bishops wrote.

USCCB spokesperson Chieko Noguchi said in September that after their meetings with tech executives and experts, the bishops hoped "to identify ways the Church can contribute to the moral foundation of AI models and steps the companies can take to protect against misuse of their inventions and to guarantee human oversight of the technology."

Full Article

Archbishop James Golka of Denver has asked Father Chad Ripperger, a prominent Catholic exorcist whose podcast appearances have reached millions of viewers, to take a yearlong break from public speaking and interviews.

Ripperger agreed to the request, according to a statement from Kelly Clark, director of communications for the Archdiocese of Denver, provided to the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and LifeSiteNews and later posted to the archdiocese's website.

"Archbishop Golka recently met with Fr. Chad Ripperger to discuss his ministry and his community, the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother," Clark said. "During that conversation, the Archbishop asked Fr. Ripperger to consider a one-year fast from public speaking and interviews."

"The time will allow him to devote himself to the Society and to the people it serves," she continued. "Fr. Ripperger readily agreed. At the end of the year, they will review the arrangement together."

Golka is "grateful for Fr. Ripperger's priestly service, exorcism ministry, and for the generous spirit in which he received this request," the statement continued. "We ask the faithful to join us in praying for Fr. Ripperger and for the Society."

LifeSiteNews reported Oct. 19 that Ripperger — who in 2012 founded the Society of the Most Sorrowful Mother (also known as the Doloran Fathers), a semi-contemplative society of priests located in Keenesburg, Colorado, that focuses on spiritual warfare and traditional Catholic liturgy — had canceled several speaking engagements, including one scheduled for the outlet's 30th anniversary gala in April 2027.

The archdiocese's statement did not clarify whether the request would affect any of his other priestly duties, or whether it was disciplinary in nature.

Ripperger has drawn a large audience through appearances on podcasts hosted by Tucker Carlson and Shawn Ryan. In his April interview with Carlson, he spoke about the role of exorcism in the Gospels and what he sees as a decline in belief in the devil among Christians.

"A lot of the Christians will just say, 'Well, I believe in God, but I don't necessarily believe in the devil,'" Ripperger told Carlson. "Well, then how can you not believe that this is one of the primary missions of Christ, was to save us from them, ultimately?"

The nearly two-hour conversation also covered psychology, the nature of demons, and the distinction between supernatural and preternatural phenomena.

In his March interview with Ryan, Ripperger took the discussion further, addressing UFOs and alien abductions. He suggested in the four-hour interview that some reported abduction experiences were demonic, saying that if "you strip the veneer of the alien aspect of it off," what remains is "just demons."

Discussing Jeffrey Epstein's island, Ripperger said the layout and things he had read online suggested occult involvement, though he acknowledged he could not be certain about everything he had seen.

In a later July episode, Ryan gifted him a rifle, prompting Ripperger — who had mentioned in their previous interview that he carries a firearm and that his community has a target range — to respond: "We'll have to use it later this afternoon."

The archdiocese has not said whether Golka's request had anything to do with Ripperger's remarks in either interview.

The development comes amid a larger discussion within the Church about how exorcists should approach speaking to larger audiences through podcasts and media.

A July Register feature examined this recent trend, in which several priests and experts said these appearances help people learn about the Church's ministry, while others raised concerns that sensational talk about demons can frighten people and take the focus away from Christ.

On June 3, another prominent priest, Monsignor Stephen Rossetti, was removed from his role as an exorcist in the Archdiocese of Washington. Rossetti had previously said in a YouTube video that he believes many UFO sightings are demonic in nature.

This story was first published by the National Catholic Register, the sister partner of EWTN News, and has been adapted by EWTN News.

Full Article

Doctors have cleared Pope Leo XIV to leave the hospital; he will return to the Vatican on Saturday afternoon, according to the Vatican.

The pope's personal physician Dr. Luigi Carbone and surgeon Dr. Stefano Margaritora said Oct. 17 that "based on the blood tests and chest X-ray performed this morning, and after evaluating his clinical condition, the Holy Father has been deemed fit to be discharged."

The Vatican also announced that Leo would celebrate Mass at the hospital on Saturday before being discharged and lead his Angelus at the Vatican on Sunday.

Leo announced during his Sunday Angelus on Oct. 11 that he would undergo surgery to remove a lung nodule. Doctors confirmed a diagnosis of lung adenocarcinoma after his surgery at Rome's Gemelli Hospital on Oct. 13.

Since his surgery and hospitalization, doctors and the Vatican have confirmed that the pontiff's postoperative recovery is "progressing normally." On Friday, the Vatican released photos of the pope celebrating Mass at the hospital, the first photos since his hospitalization.

Full Article

Archbishop Gabriele Caccia urged attendees at the opening ceremony of the G20 Interfaith Forum to advocate for economic and technological progress that promotes human flourishing and delivered a message on behalf of Pope Leo XIV.

"Technology offers extraordinary possibilities, but innovation alone does not tell us what is good," Caccia said at the Oct. 15 event, according to the Fides News Agency, emphasizing the question of "Whether the progress we seek will truly serve the human person."

"We still need the kind of judgment that asks whom progress is serving and whether it is serving them well," he said.

Caccia further emphasized the need for every generation to shape the times in accordance with human dignity for themselves and the well-being of future generations.

The apostolic nuncio then read from a message sent by Vatican Secretary of State Cardinal Pietro Parolin on behalf of Pope Leo, who expressed hope that the event would be "a shining example of the solidarity of the human family."

Leo also called for deepening of ties between nations in support of "the universal principles of human dignity, religious freedom, and common good." The pope further called for "gentleness and respect" in discussions among attendees and conveyed his prayers and "an abundance of the Most High's blessings" for the forum's success.

The forum's opening day featured a public discussion on overcoming political divisions with Utah Gov. Spencer Cox; David Beasley, former governor of South Carolina and former executive director of the U.N. World Food Programme; and Martin Luther King III, human rights advocate and son of civil rights leader Martin Luther King Jr.; as well as the presentation of a Jewish-Muslim declaration promoting stronger interfaith cooperation.

Full Article